Welcome to this week’s installment of many micro stories, ranging in length from 100 words to 500 words.
With each story we hope to deliver a little whimsy into the lives of our readers.
PHASE TWO
Body going stiff, the rat toppled over without uttering a sound, fluids seeping from every orifice.
“Not bad,” Dr. Filan commented. “That’s much faster than before.”
Dr. Moon nodded. “If we don’t dilute the mixture as much…”
“The reaction would be almost instantaneous.”
Two days later, they exchanged satisfied looks and Filan announced, “It’s time for the next phase.”
Moon agreed.
When the first wisps of gas trickled from the hidden canister, nobody in the theater knew. The people standing closest to it collapsed. Those sitting slumped sideways or forward, and soon, the rest of the audience were affected, too.
Newspaper accounts identified the culprit as a random gas leak, but a certain group of people knew better and were delighted. The first human trial had been a complete success.
Gabriella Balcom lives in Texas and writes fantasy, horror, romance, sci-fi, and more. She’s had 569 works accepted for publication and was nominated for the Washington Science Fiction Association’s Small Press Award. Clarendon House Publications published Gabriella’s multi-genre anthology, On the Wings of Ideas, after one of her stories was voted best in a book. JayZoMon/Dark Myth Company released her romance, Worth Waiting For, which won second place in their 2020 Open Contract Challenge. Black Hare Press published her sci-fi novella, The Return, and Dark Myth Publishing released Gabriella’s horror novella, Down with the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales. Her Facebook author page: https://m.facebook.com/GabriellaBalcom.lonestarauthor
If you enjoyed this story you can find it and more in the Hawthorn & Ash 2023 anthology.
Iron Faerie Publishing 