Lazette Gifford's Blog

Flash Fiction #687 --Neko goes home again/3

 Neko didn't remember having a dragon child. Shosha looked just as surprised, shocked, and confused. He would have thought one of them would remember.Reginald knew something.  He didn't even wait for someone to ask. "Toward the end of my bondage with Maude, she became obsessed with dragons, and especially unhatched eggs. Her obsession was the only reason I could escape.  I

Flash Ficton #686 -- Neko heads home again/2

 Home!Someone stepped on his tail.  Neko hissed out of shock, but Dorian was already moving on. Neko could feel a sense of relief all around him as he bounded up on the counter where he belonged. A few pixies arrived in a flutter of light and color. They gave tiny screams of delight and rushed back toward their attic, leaving a glowing rainbow in their wake. Neko found very little

Flash Fiction #685 -- Neko heads home again/1

  "It was the damned sword's fault," Merlin said with a snarl."Merlin," Dorian warned, and winced when the mage looked his way. Merlin buried his own glare and shrugged.  "I still have issues.  I spent too many lifetimes building up to Arthur's reign to have a pretentious slab of metal and jewels get jealous because Arthur spent time with his wife rather than in battle."

Flash Fiction #684 -- Drabble

 The last speaker at the conference was not human.  This took me by surprise since aliens rarely show any interest in the languages of Antiqua Terra.When John Smith took the podium, the auditorium fell silent. I wasn't the only one who hadn't expected a pseudonym. The tall alien towered over the podium."To the point," the Ractor said.  Chairs trembled at the sound of the

Flash Fiction #683 -- Bully

  The dog always waited for me on the path home.  Bully wasn't a brave dog, but he hated squirrels, and I'd lost part of my tail to him.  No one liked him. Even the stray cats sometimes chased him off.On this rainy day, everything changed. I had the path mapped in my brain: down the alley, through the broken fence, and the longest leap of my life.Bully followed. He didn't see

Flash Fiction #682 -- Fair Trade

 I stared through the tinted window that separated the two halves of the conference room -- humans on the right, Dyli on the left.  It was my turn to sit in the front row today.  I would have gladly forgone the honor.I had taught myself not to flinch when faced with the glowing-eyed alien head.  A mass of hair stalks waved frantically, betraying emotions the face did not

Flash Fiction #681 -- Waiting by the Door

 If I sit by the door like a good dog, maybe someone will take me out for a walk on this misty evening. It is still light outside, and it would be nice to race through the fallen leaves one more time before winter.But what if winter arrives while we are out? The mist could turn to ice crystals and make my old bones ache. We might not find our way home in time for the evening cookies and tea.

Flash Fiction #680 -- A true story

 When I woke up, I saw the clock said it was almost five. Since the clock was off by three hours (power outage), it was actually close to eight. This was far later than I had intended. I got up, fed the creatures, and did some cleaning around the place. Then, I decided to fix dinner before I sat down to do any computer work. I was just sitting down at the desk when I thought it seemed

Flash Fiction #679 --Mimic (Drabble)

 Hetin would never be open to human settlement. The three-foot-tall green-striped and big-eyed natives proved to be master mimics. Once they saw something done, they remembered it forever, and they passed it on to the others.The first science team inadvertently taught them to speak Common.  The second group taught them science. They thought it would take decades. It didn't.The third

Flash Fiction #678-- Forgotten/12

 Rock troll paths were easy to spot. Rocks of all sizes were scattered left and right and formed into walls along the side of the trail, which itself was unnaturally flat and easy to traverse.A shame it was such an obvious trap.They hiked along the outside of the right-hand wall. Cita thought longingly about the smooth path just a few feet away. She was almost on the verge of a protest when