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.
HOOKED ON AIR
The chip salesman lurks in the dark corner of the superstore, handing out three and a half of the Product at a time. “Just try it,” he says, with a little shrug and a ten-grand smile. You lean in, lured on his cheesy line, and you crunch two of the chips at once. The fluorescent lights darken, and everything blurs.
You wake up crouched on your bed, gripping the chip bag in one hand. Crumbs litter the sheets. You ate about four or five, right, not the whole bag? You shine your phone flashlight into the void, scanning for any loose chips. There is an emptiness in your mouth that tastes like need. There must be more. You need more.
A voice echoes from the bag: a recording from the salesman released by the reflection in your eyes: “Consider yourself blessed; most bags have three chips. You’re hooked on air, my friend. See you in the store tomorrow.”
He laughs, and laughs, and you grit your teeth, and wonder if there’s any way to get out of this need, this urge, this obsession.
There’s not.
Emmie Christie’s work includes practical subjects, like feminism and mental health, and speculative subjects, like unicorns and affordable healthcare. She has been published in Factor Four Magazine, Small Wonders, and Flash Fiction Online, among others. Her fantasy romance novel, “A Caged and Restless Magic” debuted Feb 2024. She has also narrated for the magazine Strange Horizons. Find her at www.emmiechristie.com, her monthly newsletter, or BlueSky.
If you enjoyed this story you can find it and more in the Hawthorn & Ash 2023 anthology.
Iron Faerie Publishing 