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.
CLEAVAGE & CONSPIRACY
Ava spoke calmly, her voice matter-of-fact.
“So, if I get you right, Inspector Drummler, you and the TIU—what was it again?—the Thaumaturgical Investigation Unit—accuse Brie and myself of having killed our husbands with a magic spell? This is ridiculous! I am no witch. I know Brie casually, as I do most people in our small town. I certainly don’t believe she dabbles in black magic.”
Ava’s gaze drifted to the young, voluptuous blonde beside her, a familiar longing stirring within her. The inspector’s stare seemed fixed on the revealing neckline of Brie’s dress, an unexpected choice for mourning attire, a detail that clearly held his attention.
Ava stood up and reached for her handbag. “I think we’re done here. If you need anything else, Inspector, contact my lawyer.” Then she turned directly to Brie. “How about it, shall we go grab a coffee?” Under the inspector’s annoyed glare, the two women left the room together.
Ava and Brie settled into a quiet corner of the City Diner. Telly, a waitress and the town’s well-known gossip, took their order. “I didn’t even know you were friends. My condolences to you both, by the way.” Ava nodded. “Thank you, Telly. We actually just met at the police station, and since fate has struck us in the same way…”
While Telly went to get their coffee, Ava whispered to Brie: “The story of our police station encounter will be all over town in minutes. So, there’s no reason to pretend we’re strangers from now on.”
Under the table, Brie squeezed Ava’s hand.
Telly returned with their coffee after a considerable wait, looking agitated. “Have you heard? Some inspector at the police station went berserk and harassed Beth at the reception desk. He supposedly ripped her blouse open, forcing them to taser him.” Eagerly, she set about spreading the news to the next table as well.
Doubt flickered in Brie’s eyes. “Won’t they see what you did when they review the video footage from the interrogation room?” Ava waved it off. “I leaned forward to pick up my bag and covered everything in the process. No magical gestures on the tape. On the other hand, there’s plenty of evidence of the inspector’s interest in your cleavage.”
Brie smiled. “Actually, I wore that dress for you.”
Andreas Flögel is a German author whose fiction has been published in both German and English anthologies and magazines. Recent and forthcoming credits include stories in Dark Moments, Flashpoint SF, Trembling with Fear, Stygian Lepus, Sci Phi Journal and various anthology collections. For more information, visit his website: www.dr-dings.de
If you enjoyed this story you can find it and more in the Hawthorn & Ash 2023 anthology.
Iron Faerie Publishing 
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