dingtwist.com

Category: Short Story

  • The Addict

    It was a breezy day on the lake, choppy water reflecting infinite shards of the midday sun in all directions, somehow brighter and hotter than their source. He sat in the cool of his screened-in porch observing the lake. Should he go out there again he wondered. The paddle would be a slog. Could be…

  • Dirty Dishes

    Her husband almost never emptied the dishwasher, and when it so happened that he did, he’d make several hints ascending in blatancy in order to receive accolades for his heroic, philanthropic act. She was tired of it, and decided to play a game of chicken. She would not empty the dishwasher, leave all the dirty…

  • The Salon Voyeur

    A handsome man walked into the hair salon. A rare occurrence. The receptionist welcomed him and asked if he had an appointment. “I’m here for my mani/pedi” he said. She laughed spontaneously, unable to control herself. He was a large, muscular man with a thick beard and tanned, weathered skin. The quintessential manly manual laborer.…

  • The Fluttering Tree

    There’s a young quaking aspen in the forest bordering my backyard. All around it are young maples, oaks, dogwoods, and cherry trees. I’ve watched them grow over the past five years. But there’s something special about the aspen. Even in the faintest breeze, so faint I can’t feel it on my skin, its leaves flutter…

  • The Bland Burrito

    He was craving sushi that date night. His wife said she kind of felt like Mexican. “I kind of feel like I want a margarita.” “The sushi place has margaritas.” “They’re too sweet.” “Aren’t you going to a Mexican spot tomorrow night with your friends?” “Yeah but I’ll order something different.” He recognized the waitress…

  • Tarpon Moon

    It was a windless night on the bay. He sat in a folding chair, fishing rod in one hand, bottle of whiskey in the other, staring into the full moon’s rippling reflection. He wondered what the moon actually was. It clearly wasn’t what he’d been taught in school. Could it be true, as he’d heard…

  • Two Minutes Left

    She was ripped out of the damaged hull, and he was sucked out right after. They tumbled through the sky and the wind roared around them. She screamed. He dove toward her and wrapped her in his arms. “This is it, baby,” he said, grinning. “We’re about to be out of here.” She was stunned…

  • The Photograph

    All day he couldn’t get that fish out of his head. During his morning walk along the stream he heard the biggest trout in five years rise and pull a large fly from the surface. It was the sound of it he couldn’t stop thinking about. Almost a gurgle. Not a pop or a splash…

  • Short, Short Story

    Ordinarily I would have felt mild disdain for the woman with a valley where her waistband pinched into her enormous stomach because how could anyone neglect her body to that degree, but instead my eyes filled with tears as I watched her whimper her way out of the vet’s office holding a carrier which contained only a worn blankie. I wanted to give her…

  • The Nature of Personal Reality

    This post is a review of the most empowering book I’ve ever read: The Nature of Personal Reality: Specific, Practical Techniques for Solving Everyday Problems and Enriching the Life You Know, by Jane Roberts (and Seth). I finished reading it last week and just today finished transcribing the passages I doggy eared while using the best…