55 Flash Fiction - Bubbly

Blowing bubbles, chasing and popping them, the small child had fun with his only toy. Happy but poor, he would rise to become a powerful peacemaker, never realizing that the air he stirred would ultimately stir the seed of the storm that would strike a tree with lightning.
The tree that would cause his death.

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55 Flash Fiction - Shady Beauty

Summer 1948 - the thunder rolled, the wind blew, and lightning destroyed the majestic shade tree. One limb fell and struck the sapling, introducing a stress raiser, to be exacerbated and healed repeatedly in the next few years. Several decades resulted in a beautiful shade tree under which many powerful men would seek the cool shade.

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55 Flash Fiction - Consequences

First sounding like a door needing oil, the tree crashed down. Men in black suits scrambled to avoid death, then panicked. Their charge and one of their own did not fare so well. Underneath, a crimson puddle seeped out. The peace treaty would not be signed, the war would not be avoided. The skies wept.

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A Misunderstanding

A single gentle touch, made with the most sensitive of her tactile limbs, caused a quick but agonizing death. The angry mob pursued the alien back to the ship.
Years after the incident, the last thing the aliens ever said was translated: "Please don't kill her, she's only a child. We didn't know."

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Sadly

A missed future, an unfortunate present.
We have wars, major economic recessions, ancient earthly worries, no HAL (Heuristic ALgorythm) 9000 or any other personable artificial intelligences, no missions past other planets or their moons, no mysterious perfectly proportioned multidimensional intelligence measuring black monoliths.

Arthur C. Clarke, genius, science fiction writer, in 2010, you were wrong.

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #29

Tim: "It's intriguing that authors can create entire histories in their fiction."

Sal: "There are many worlds with life on them, many more that no longer have life on them."

"What are you telling me?"

"That with the infinite number of worlds, fictions written, may not be fictions, but instead may be pasts nearly forgotten."

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Wrapping Up

When all the souls had made their choices of how their lives were to be, The Big One said to his assistant, "If we ever do another creation, remind me to let the souls know what it is they are choosing."

"I'll write it down, so its not forgotten," replied Satan, crossing his fingers.

_________________________

Now who noticed that "replied" is a superset of "lied?"

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Preparations

The Big One asked, "This one, or that one?"

The Little one indicated the one on the right.

Again, "This one, or that one?"

The left choice was indicated this time.

Over and over, choices were given and made.

Happiness over wealth, good over evil, beauty over plain, wisdom over ignorance...

Thus, God was pleased.

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #27

Tim: "OK, I've been looking at it wrong. All things considered, I guess it could be worse."

Sal: "Its not that you've looked at anything wrong, just that your eyes have become accustomed to brightness. Now that things aren't as bright, you need to give your eyes a chance to open again."

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #26

Tim: "Its bright out there, sunshine, reflections from the water, the sand, light refracting from the sky. Yet you're displaying a darkness that seems to emanate from you like light shines from a candle, casting a shadow around, against, above, and below everything in sight."

Sal: "Even sunspots appear dark against the sun's surface."

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A Return To AI-55FF

Some of you may remember my post about my Flash Fiction counter.
It has been pointed out that hyphenated words and contractions like "can't" and "don't" should be counted as two words. Not all words with an apostrophe should be counted as two though, as possessives like "America's" would still be a single word.
Originally I figured since no one had made a determination about how those cases should be handled, I would give some flexibility and only count them as a single word, but since there are other Flash Fiction fans and they do count those as two words, I'll comply with that.

Therefore I have altered the AI-55FF gadget and anyone using the one on my page or who has it installed via the Gadget button (the blue plus beside "Google" beneath the one in my footer) gets the updated version.

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #25

"150 days in office and Obama is already faced with partisan politics, as the right-wing always does. People's lives are at stake, and these heartless jerks block all attempts to help!"

"Any group producing mouthpieces like this Limbaugh and Coulter without argument, can't truly be concerned for what is important to the people's lives, Tim."

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #24

Sal: "Heavenly Father, Holy and blessed is your name.
All as you wish.
Please provide our needs.
Forgive us as we forgive.
Help us to avoid evil.
Everything is yours, always.
Amen."

Tim: "Amen. An abbreviated modern form of the Lord's Prayer..."

Sal: "Yes, something to remind us to be better than what we might."

_____________________
I hope it helps us towards that. I have to offer a prayer, and hope and thankfulness. It seems that we so often forget what we have, we need, what we shouldn't and why, and what we wish. I wish we'd all learn forgiveness, especially myself, that we get that which we require to live, that we treat one another with respect, that we remember that our presence here is only temporary...
I cannot say it all. I also submit the following song from my first year of high school, I hope you enjoy it, it doesn't sound as good as I remember, but I imagine the record could be worn considering the year its from, vinyl records were subject to actual physical wear, unlike optical media.


Here's another, not in English, but in Aramaic...

Quite lovely.

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #23

Sal: "Animals are self-centered. Societies have individuals working together for mutual benefit, even for outsiders."

Tim: "What about businesses? They have individuals working towards a common cause."

Sal: "Businesses are automatons, serving few, mostly themselves."

Tim: "Churches?"

Sal: "Businesses."

Tim: "Unions?"

Sal: "Businesses."

Tim: "Governments?"

Sal: "Some are societies."

Tim: "And the others?"

Sal: "Animals."

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #22

Tim: "People are worried, scared, suffering, losing hope."

In times like these, one must remember, "Where there's life, there's hope; and one must hang on to that hope and life with whatever means necessary, tooth and nail, so to speak."

"Hope goes a long way to counter the effects of depression, whether emotional or economic."
______________________________




I wanted to give folks hope, I hope this helps with whatever trials you may be going through or about to go through. Hang in there, and try to keep on smiling.

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #21

Sal: "You hold to life, despite all circumstances. Respect dictates that you should do the same for engineered life forms."

Tim: "People have been known to sacrifice their lives for the sake of others'."

"Species survival above all else?"

"In the hope that things will be better for the survivors."

"Enigmatically shortsighted, while ultimately prudent."

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #20

"If we engineered a life form that can breed with ourselves, then I suppose there is no difference," stated Tim.

"So, their lives would be as precious as your own."

"Well yes, as precious. Either their lives would be valuable as our own, or it could mean ours is as expendable as their lives are."

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #19

Tim: "Battlestar Galactica is finished."

Sal: "I haven't watched it, I have merely seen you watching it."

"It was an excellent series, it presented some interesting concepts, like the difference between engineered life and what we are."

"I understand that there will be a prequel series... What is the difference between engineered life and you?"

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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #18

"My wife was perturbed. The transport has been delayed."

"That means we won't be leaving soon?"

"It means we won't get to see our grandchildren being born."

"But, I'll still get to leave here soon?"

"Soon is a relative term."

"Months, years?"

"You'll get to leave when it arrives. But, you'll be an old human."


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55 Flash Fiction - Tim & Sal #17

"What's as almost twice my own height, has six arms, scales, a long tongue, sharp teeth and looks angry enough to chew the the turret off of an Army tank?" questioned Tim as he gazed out the window.

"If I thought you weren't kidding, I'd have to say, 'My wife.'"

"Yes, and here she comes."

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