Hyacinth Grey. Indie Author. I write fiction.

Category: Short Stories

  • THIS IS NO JOKE! Testimony of Outlaws is FREE for the Month of April

    THIS IS NO JOKE! Testimony of Outlaws is FREE for the Month of April

    Please help me celebrateNational Poetry Monthby downloading my haiku + Christmas stories collection, Testimony of Outlaws, for free from Smashwords at:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1095732. Relax and enjoy. This is no joke.Promotion ends on April 30, 2023.Please share this post on your favorite social media platform(s).

  • Time Gone By – Part 26 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “I’d like to be up there,” Curly said in a low voice. “On her diving board?” I asked. He shook his head and pointed. High up on the third floor of the house, right above where the diving board was, there was a balcony. “You could see people diving…

  • Website Updates and Free Fiction

    Over the next few days, I plan to change up my website a little bit. The biggest change will be the Home page, which will go from static page to blog page. Another change will be on my free fiction page, where I will remove “The Dark Tide.” That story will still be somewhere in…

  • The Choice

    This is a work of fiction inspired by the Everyday Inspiration writing course from WordPress.com. The one-word prompt was “choice.” It was published in six blog posts in April 2020. Each post was fairly short, so I’ve combined them into one for a podcast episode. The Choice What to do? She looked at the clock.…

  • Time Gone By – Part 25 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “Where should we eat?” I asked. “McDonald’s,” Sammy said. The rest of us shook our heads. “Why do you always do that?” Sammy said, giving me an accusing look. “Do what?” “Ask where we want to eat but never listen to me.” “Because we don’t all want to go…

  • Time Gone By – Part 24 – Science Fiction

    Time Gone By – Part 24 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. The drive to the airport was a long one, and by the time we arrived, I was thoroughly sick of hearing Freckles ask, “Are we there yet?” As I stepped out of the van, I had the strange feeling that my phone was going to ring and it would…

  • In Life – Part 11 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. The sounds aren’t getting any louder or closer. My phone is somewhere on the floor in the dark, and I don’t want to take the chance of getting up and trying to find it. Time passes, but I have no idea how much. I lie awake, unwilling to take…

  • Time Gone By – Part 23 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “What’s that?” Freckles asked, pointing to the steering wheel of the old car which had been mounted on the wall beside the dashboard. Something that looked like an electical spark was moving slowly around. “I don’t really know, but it’s not dangerous. I can put my hands all over…

  • In Life – Part 10 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. Thud! My eyes fly open. It’s dark. Thudda chugga whoosh. I sit up on the couch and look around, but I can’t see anything. Chugga whoosh thud! What’s going on? I grope for the end table. Where is my phone? Is there a burglar in here? I touch the…

  • Time Gone By – Part 22 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. Louisa took a small red device from her pocket and pressed a button. A man’s voice filled the room. “This is Radio United States, the only radio you need, and the only one there is. “News report. “Not much has happened recently. We’ve put down a few dogs, but…

  • The Christmas Room – Ending 2

    This is a work of fiction. The house is quiet. One of the stockings has my name on it. It’s right beside Dylan’s. All of them bulge with presents. The pile of gifts under the tree blocks quite a few of the lower branches. I look at some of the tags on them. They’re in…

  • In Life – Part 9 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. The pizza is wonderful, but I’ll have to go on a diet for the next year to offset the calories consumed. I’m also disappointed that the quadruplets don’t allow me to meet their parents. Purple takes a tray up to them, and I don’t hear anything they say, because…

  • The Christmas Room – Ending 1 – Contemporary Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. I listen. The house is quiet. The room is full of light. I walk over to the wall where all the stockings are hanging. One of them has my name on it. When I was a kid, I used to wish for mountains of presents. I walk across the…

  • In Life – Part 8 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. The next screen asks for eye and hair color. “Blue eyes and blond hair.” If I imagine marrying somebody, it’s a man with blue eyes and blond hair. Blue taps the relevant buttons. A large green START button appears at the bottom of the screen. Interesting. I’m about to…

  • Time Gone By – Part 20 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. My phone beeped. “Do you mind if I check to see who’s texting?” Louisa gestured for me to go ahead. I took the phone from my purse, being careful that the package of cigarettes didn’t show. Stacey: I’m leaving him. I’m at the airport now. Mom: What’s going on?…

  • The Christmas Room – Contemporary Fiction – a story with two endings

    This is a work of fiction. The tree was at least twenty feet tall. How such a gigantic pine had been uprooted, transported, and set up there without any apparent damage, I had no idea. Every branch was hung with strings of great big red, green, and white lights. At the top, there was a…

  • In Life – Part 7 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. Today’s the day. It’s the first Saturday in August, I know how to turn on a computer and do some basic things, but I don’t know if I’m going to accept the quadruplets’ invitation. I stand in front of my closet, unsure of what to wear. If I don’t…

  • Time Gone By – Part 19 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “Freckles, no!” He ignored me and dashed through a gap in the fence we were passing. “Freckles!” I yelled. “Come back here right now! We’re not allowed in there.” Beside me, Lydia stopped pulling the wagon and looked at the hole in the fence. It was definitely time for…

  • In Life – Part 6 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. The next two weeks pass by in obscurity. I have nothing to do all day long. Worse still, I don’t feel like doing much, but I know Aunt Bev would not approve of this idleness. She’s left me her home, her money, and her legacy of love, but I’m…

  • Time Gone By – Part 18 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. The next morning, I asked Curly what he’d like to do to remember Popeye. “I guess we can’t go to camp, right?” “Not back to our camp site, but we could go hiking in the area around there.” “What about the kittens and TJ?” “I think we can leave…

  • In Life – Part 5 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. Later that morning, I meet Adam at the church. We arrange Aunt Bev’s funeral for a Monday so that her friends from the salon won’t have to take a day off. I dread going home and calling Becky, but I know I have to. She doesn’t go to church,…

  • Time Gone By – Part 17 – Science Fiction

    “That little doggie isn’t even big enough to eat solid food yet,” I said. “By the time he is, he’ll love the cats and not want to hurt them, let alone eat them.” “That’s right,” the woman behind the counter said. “So if you’re sure, then you can take them all home now.” “We are,…

  • Time Gone By – Part 16 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “What?!” Stacey screamed into my ear for the second time that day. I was starting to get a headache. “We lose our jobs and then he goes on a shopping spree? What did he buy and when?” “Calm down,” I said. “All of these transactions were made before you…

  • In Life – Part 4 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. There’s hardly any traffic on the way home. As soon as I walk through the front door, I take off my shoes, go to my room, change into my old pyjamas, and lie down on my bed. It’s not late but I’m through with the day. The problem is…

  • Time Gone By – Part 15 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “What?!” Stacey screamed into my ear. “Vincent! What a . . .” She swore blisteringly and then said, “Sorry Mom. I guess I’d better tell Chuck. I guess we’ll have to see if we can change our flight.” “Rushing back here won’t help, and it’s probably exactly what he…

  • In Life – Part 3 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. The truck’s engine won’t start, so I’m going to be stuck here for a while. I see a woman talking on a cell phone and wish I had one. While she can call wherever she’s going and explain she’s stuck in traffic, I have to sit here and wait…

  • Time Gone By – Part 14 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. I was not looking forward to the conversaton I was going to have with Sammy when it was his turn to help me. It wouldn’t be until dinner, so I would just have to get through the day. We’d just eaten breakfast when my phone rang. I looked at…

  • In Life – Part 2 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. I make myself a fancy lunch because I don’t know what else to do, and I’ve just gone into the bathroom when the phone rings. I hurry and make it to the phone by about the twelfth ring. “Alexis!” It’s Amanda, my best friend in the whole wide world.…

  • Time Gone By – Part 13 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. The next few days passed by quickly. We all had a lot of fun together, except for Sammy. When we were at camp, he stayed in the boys’ tent. When we went out, he stayed in the van if at all possible. He did dishes when it was his…

  • In Life – Part 1 – Sci-Fi Fantasy

    This is a work of fiction. “I’m not feeling well,” Aunt Bev says. We’re sitting at the kitchen table, and I’m eating toast, but she hasn’t touched hers. “Are you going to call in sick?” I ask. She works at a salon doing people’s nails. Me? I can’t stand the feeling of stuff on my…

  • Time Gone By – Part 12 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. As soon as we arrived, Sienna wasted no time in asking her question. Lydia watched in something like awe as Sienna walked right up to the young (in his thirties) man at the gate. “Hi. I’m Sienna. Are you hurting the environment chopping down all these trees for firewood?”…

  • Time Gone By – Part 11 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. By the time the others returned, it was time for Andy to take Steven and Dan back to their cabin for one last night. The rest of us walked over to Emily and Andy’s camp site and the older kids and I helped to put up Emily’s tent. Once…

  • Lockdown – Part 10 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. I look more closely and see that their window is covered with something black. Then I see some yellow. I stare at it. The yellow smiley faces where Victoria’s eyes should be. My heart leaps. She’s staring out at me. Nothing moves. The rubber mask is too flat. There…

  • Time Gone By – Part 10 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “Oops,” Andy said.“What?” Dan said.“I forgot we still have the cabin tonight, so we don’t need to move to the camp site until tomorrow.”“That’s okay,” Emily said. “We need it tonight.”“Oh, right. So who’s riding with who?”“Can you come with us?” Dan asked Freckles.“No,” Sammy said. “Freckles rides with…

  • Fun with Free Fiction

    Back in April, I launched free short fiction on this site with The Choice. That piece was short, but over the months since, I’ve started writing longer pieces. Both finished stories and pieces in progress can be found on my Fiction page. As of this writing, the story called Lockdown has almost come to an…

  • Lockdown – Part 9 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. Once I’ve put the formula into the food bank bin, my purchases are much more manageable.I find myself not wanting to go home, thinking I should stay away until Victoria has come and gone. But no, I should go home and give Mom and Dad the cinnamon buns. But…

  • Time Gone By – Part 9 – Science Fiction

    People might be wondering where the “science” part is in this story. It’s coming, but I’m not sure when. This is a work of fiction. We spent a while preparing the spaghetti with meatballs (everyone agreed that chopped up hamburger patties were a great meatball substitute), and we also made pancakes, hashbrowns, and all the…

  • Lockdown – Part 8 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. The next morning, I check my e-mail. Rachel has sent a payment. It’s half of what I’ve asked for. She’s also included a note. Thanks again for agreeing to illustrate my book. Here’s the first half of the payment. I know I’ve already said this, but your work is…

  • Time Gone By – Part 8 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. By dinnertime, everybody had something on their needles, and it had stopped raining. While Lydia helped me with the dishes, the boys ran around, burning off the energy they hadn’t been able to use up that day. I woke up at midnight, and on my way back to my…

  • Revisiting why I Write

    On April 12, I wrote this post about why I write. It’s been a long time since then, and while I was rereading it, I noticed a mistake and an opportunity. The mistake was easily rectified: I wrote “words” instead of “worlds.” No biggie. The opportunity is also easy to take, so here it is:…

  • Lockdown – Part 7 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. The next morning, I go into the kitchen to make breakfast, and see the plate of food for Mom still on the table. With a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach, I throw it out, put the plate in the sink to wash later, and take out…

  • Time Gone By – Part 7 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. I didn’t let the boys sleep in, and at first, I took Freckles’s silence for tiredness. Therefore, I was expecting him to complain loudly when I asked him to help with the dishes, but he didn’t. “Grandma,” he said, “can I talk to you about something?” “Yes, of course.”…

  • Lockdown – Part 6 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. I don’t want to start painting and forget about the laundry, so I surf the Internet instead. I read a few blog posts about politics, COVID-19 and lockdown, but that just makes me sad, so I click on a photography blog. As I look at mountains in the distance,…

  • Time Gone By – Part 6 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “What are we doing now?” Freckles asked. “Let’s all go for a hike.” “I need a nap,” Sammy said. “Can I stay here?” “Yes, but are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” “I can’t have a nap if I’m hiking, can I?” “No, but it might…

  • Lockdown – Part 5 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. Mona doesn’t cry. She must be used to the doorbell. “Billy, can you get it?” Dad calls. “I just got out of the shower. Quick, before she rings it again.” I really don’t want to see Victoria, but I want even less to hear her criticizing Dad because Mona’s…

  • Free Fiction – Lockdown – a story of love and courage

    Billy is nineteen, afraid of the dark, and trying to finish his first year of college. His adoptive mom has just had a baby, and Dad can think only of his new child. Lockdown, a horror story, is the tale of a young man who must keep his family together, or is that… alive. Posted…

  • Time Gone By – Part 5 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. It was Lydia’s turn to help with the dishes. While the boys ran around, burning off breakfast, Lydia washed and I dried. “I heard them,” she said. “What did you hear, and whom?” “Benjamin, Samuel, and David.” She stopped talking and scrubbed vigorously at something that was cooked onto…

  • Lockdown – Part 4 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. Great big tears start to roll down Dad’s cheeks and fall onto the table. I should probably say something to him, but what? He looks so totally miserable, and I want to comfort him, but how? It probably has something to do with Mona, and I know less about…

  • Time Gone By – Part 4 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. At 5:15, Lydia and I approached the camp site. As we did, I heard the boys laughing. Good, they were having fun. Then I heard what sounded like some weird electronic noises. We came out into the grassy area where the tents were, and I saw all three boys…

  • Lockdown – Part 3 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “Your order has been placed,” the salesman says. “Thanks. When will it be delivered?” “You should get it in about a month.” “A month? I need it for college now.” The line clicks. He’s hung up on me! I call back to speak to somebody in customer service. After…

  • Short Fiction Sunday – Lockdown – Horror Fiction

    Billy’s nineteen and still afraid of the dark. His adopted mother has just given birth, and Dad can think only of his new daughter. Lockdown, part 1 was posted on July 10, and a new part will be posted every second Friday.

  • Time Gone By – Part 3 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. The car was quiet as I drove out of the city half an hour later. At first, the boys had talked a little, but that had petered out after about fifteen minutes. I guessed they were all too full from breakfast. Suddenly, Lydia let out a small cry. “What…

  • Short Fiction Sunday – Time Gone By – Science Fiction

    A grandma. Four kids. They’re all going camping this summer, sometimes they don’t get along, and they might be called upon to help stop something terrible — if there’s time. Part 1 of Time Gone By was posted on July 3, and a new part will go up every second Friday.

  • Lockdown – Part 2 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “Dad, we’re—” He looks at his watch and says, “Oh, it’s 9:30. Somebody’s coming at ten to see how Mona’s doing.” Before I can ask him if he has any pretzels or chocolate in his home office, he runs into the kitchen, comes back with the broom, and tries…

  • Time Gone By – Part 2 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. “Let’s see if we can find those boys,” I said. I’d already seen they weren’t in the kitchen, so I walked by the bathroom, but the door was open and nobody was inside. Next was the office, but that was locked, so they couldn’t have gotten in there. Time…

  • Short Fiction Sunday – The Choice

    Rita is offered a choice: either stay in the job she hates, or take a chance. The Choice was the first piece of short fiction that I published on this blog. Check it out, and find out what Rita chooses… and the consequences of that choice.

  • Lockdown – Part 1 – Horror Fiction

    This is a work of fiction, and was inspired by this Tweet from Mims the Word. The street light I can see from my window is broken. I’m nineteen, and Dad took away my nightlight when I was ten. We’re in lockdown, but I’m a lot more afraid of the dark than of COVID-19. That’s…

  • Time Gone By – Part 1 – Science Fiction

    This is a work of fiction. It was a crisp July day and everybody was complaining that summer wasn’t acting very summery, but the cool air was perfect for the day ahead with my grandkids: Curly (Benjamin), Sammy (Samuel), Freckles (David), and Lydia. She was like me in that we were both girls, shared the…

  • The Dark Tide – Part 10

    This is a work of fiction. “Before we go,” my wife said, “why did that man want to kill me?” I told her about the bicycle cart accident just as the mother bird had been landing. “My daughter,” my wife said when I’d finished speaking, “would you please help me pull him out of this…

  • The Dark Tide – Part 9

    This is a work of fiction. It took longer than four hours to reach the place where the young sitting bird, the children, and my daughter’s love were, because we had to stop along the way for food and water. My daughter ran ahead to warn her love that he mustn’t be seen or see…

  • The Dark Tide – Part 8

    This is a work of fiction. I went to check on the female Leader of Worship. As soon as I removed the gag, she asked for water, which I provided. Then she said, “What will you do with my Partner of Worship and me?” “I will set you free once I have killed him.” “May…

  • What happens when the gods are angry but a man cannot leave behind what he treasures most? – The Dark Tide – fantasy fiction

    The Dark Tide – Part 1

  • The Dark Tide – Part 7

    This is a work of fiction. As soon as I took the gag out of his mouth, the male Leader of Worship started screaming for help. Quickly, I gagged him again, and then I listened. I heard a distant voice. So did he. He smiled. It took a few seconds before I could hear it…

  • What Would You Choose? staying in a job you hated or… facing the unknown – The Choice (short fiction)

    It’s Saturday night, and Rita is offered a choice: either stay in the job she hates but be able to pay the bills, or reply to Matt’s e-mail… The Choice Short story previously published in six parts on this blog, and when it was finished, I put it together on a page for your convenience.

  • The Dark Tide – Part 6

    This is a work of fiction. The canoe drifted toward the house, and I thought it was going to collide with it, but it skimmed past the corner of it and carried me downstream. I had nothing left in the world except the canoe, the clothes I wore, and my daughter’s sketches. If I could…

  • The Dark Tide – Part 5

    This is a work of fiction. The two men laughed as they drove the bicycle cart away, and I was left standing alone at the edge of the precipice. For a few seconds, I considered jumping off and joining my daughter, but my wife might still be alive, and I owed it to my daughter…

  • The Dark Tide – Part 4

    This is a work of fiction. The bird flew through the clear air, and I looked far into the distance, and could see nothing but evergreens, snow, and blue sky. A frigid wind blew all around me, and I thought how good it was that the children and the young bird were tucked up safely…

  • The Dark Tide – Part 3

    This is a work of fiction. I held the sketch in my hands and looked at it carefully. It showed two babies. I couldn’t tell for sure, but I thought it might be of the two children upstairs. Why had she done this sketch? It was as good as the ones she’d done when she…

  • The Dark Tide – Part 2

    This is a work of fiction. The wind howled all night, and I woke up several times, but no cloud came for me out of the earth. At dawn, I rose and got dressed. I put my daughter’s sketches, still in their folder, into a light bag and strapped it securely onto my back, and…

  • Two Weeks

    I’ve posted something each day for the last fourteen days. I find myself wanting to harmonize the spelling of “week” and “streak,” so instead of calling it a “too weak streak,” I’ll go with a “strong two-week streek.” Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Indie April Why I Write What I’ve Learned The Choice…

  • The Dark Tide – Part 1

    This is a work of fiction. Die Religion … ist das Opium des Volkes. Karl Marx Everyone had been called to Worship. I stood outside the temple, and waited for the doors to be opened. It was early morning, and very bright, with sunbeams reflecting off the snow that had fallen the night before. I…

  • How Often?

    Dear Reader, How often would you like me to post short stories (or parts of them) on this blog? You can answer via this Poll on Twitter or by leaving a comment below. The choices are the following: once a week every 2 or 3 days as often as possible other (please explain)

  • The Choice – Part 6

    This post is a work of fiction inspired by the Everyday Inspirations writing course from WordPress. The one-word prompt was “choice.” Matthew’s phone rang. Good, his new client would be ready for him. He lifted the receiver, but didn’t speak. “Good morning, Mr. Reid,” his secretary said. “Your nine o’clock has arrived and is in…

  • The Choice – Part 5

    This post is a work of fiction inspired by the Everyday Inspirations writing course from WordPress. The one-word prompt was “choice.” Rita watched Matt walk out of the Starbucks and get into a dark gray car. The engine came on and he roared away. She took a sip of coffee but it tasted awful. Might…

  • The Choice – Part 4

    This post is a work of fiction inspired by the Everyday Inspirations writing course from WordPress. The one-word prompt was “choice.” Rita looked into Matt’s clear blue eyes and wanted to ask a million questions, but didn’t know where to start. “How are you feeling, Rita?” His words were soft, mellow, and yet very clear.…

  • The Choice – Part 3

    This post is a work of fiction inspired by the Everyday Inspirations writing course from WordPress. The one-word prompt was “choice.” Rita asked Matt to meet her at a Starbucks the next morning. He replied almost immediately, confirming that he’d meet her there at 7:00 a.m. She tossed and turned all night long. At five,…

  • The Choice – Part 2

    This post is a work of fiction inspired by the Everyday Inspirations writing course from WordPress. The one-word prompt was “choice.” Rita tried to think who Matt might be. The older guy with sallow skin who would probably drop dead if he didn’t eat some vegetables soon? Or maybe Matt was the thirtysomething black guy…

  • The Choice – Part 1

    This post is a work of fiction inspired by the Everyday Inspirations writing course from WordPress. The one-word prompt was “choice.” What to do? She looked at the clock. It was 9:24 p.m. on a rainy Saturday evening in April. Take a chance, accept his invitation, or pretend his e-mail didn’t exist and go back…