Oren Shafir's Blog, page 6

7 things I used to do

I used to get depressed, but now that just brings me down.I used to have delusions of grandeur, but now I realize that's beneath a man of my stature.I used to seek nirvana, but then I realized that was just going nowhere. I used to get deja vu all the time, but then... hey, didn't I just say that a minute ago.I used to want to be more spontaneous, but I couldn't come up with a plan.It used to bother me when people said I had ADD, but then I just stopped paying attention.I used to be insanely j...

Take a Deep Breath (a 250-word freaky flash fiction suspense story) by Oren Shafir

Its' been weeks. If it doesn't happen soon, I am going to kill something, someone, or myself.  Three a.m., 4 a.m. tick, tick. click, clunk, boom. I'm not supposed to identify it as a clock. I'm supposed to focus on the moment. Relax. Deep breaths relaxing my body. My scalp, my eyes, neck, shoulders, tummy, down my legs, tingling though my toes. Take a deep breath.
The clock is just supposed to be the background soundtrack to my life.  But it isn't, is it? I can see it in my mind: squ...

Homage, a poem by Oren Shafir

I submit to you that girls with exceptionally Big ones Suffer more than girls with exceptionally Small ones.
I submit to you that cosmetic plastic surgery should be illegal.
In Denmark, women can and do take them out At the beach, In public parks, In their backyards, ...

Bad role model (a 200-word freaky flash fiction horror, suspense story by Oren Shafir

A buck knife, a crossbow, a sabre - each required a special skill set, it's true. But they had no way of connecting anything to me.
They didn't even know each other. I'd seen them on my daily runs - 10k in the morning and 15 in the evening. Here I was honing my instrument, tuning my machine, worshipping in my temple. And here they were mocking the very idea.

The obese local newswoman on her way to the station in the morning with a bag of donuts in her hand and every evening after work...

Last Train (a 250-word freaky flash fiction horror story) by Oren Shafir

He didn't have to hurry, but he was walking fast because it was the last train. Not that he felt like slowing down anyway. Every week he got the same sinking feeling in his gut as he approached that dark, shadowy tunnel. 

He had an overwhelming sense of deja vú. No, not deja vú, he realized now it was his nightmare. He'd dreamt it so many times. The weird howl of the wind outside. The click of his heels echoing on the concrete all around him. And then, on this night, another set of f...

Meta-God (a 250-word freaky flash fiction story) by Oren Shafir

"Why did you try to kill him?" asked Doctor Ball, but Samuel just smiled knowingly and continued to scan the room with twitchy eyes. His stiff red hair pointed at the ceiling comically.
Finally, he said, "I didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Try to kill him."

"You slashed at him with a hunting knife," said Dr. Ball in the calm, detached tone he always maintained with patients.

"Yes, but I knew he would move in the last second."

"How did you know?"

Samuel paused. Dr.Ball sensed that he didn't want to shar...

Something's Off (a 500-word freaky flash fiction horror story by Oren Shafir

Is it my conscience telling me to do something with my life? Choose a path other than the easiest one for a change? A compromise becomes a little white lie, which becomes a deception, which becomes a way of life. Pretty soon, even I don’t know what is real and what is not.

Reality. One for my family whom I never see any more anyway, and when I do, they get this simple 2-dimensional version. One for work and friends, all casual, nothing deep. The moments with Junie feel most real. I mean t...

Capuccino

This freaky flash fiction story is brought to you in the form of an entertaining little 5-min film with a kick at the end. Enjoy. 
 

A perfect circle (a 250-word suspense flash fiction short story) by Oren Shafir

This old gorilla named Samson ruled the band for like I don’t know how many years. Then this horny little fucker called Tonto kicks the shit out of him till he nearly dies. Then the TV loses the signal again, goddamn it.

I get up and look around. Whitey is sitting at a table doin something, and I sit next to him. He’s reading some magazine.

“Where did you get that pen?” I ask him. “We’re not allowed to have pens in here.”

“You afraid I’m gonna hurt ya?” he asks.
My chair scrapes against...

This is how it feels (A 100-word freaky flash fiction story) by Oren Shafir

I never intended this, but she just wouldn't acknowledge what she'd put me through. She picked up her phone and started scrolling. She ignored me. She looked at the clock, the door. Her eyes were darting everywhere.

I needed to make her understand. I needed to make her understand what it feels like. How the world shrinks around you. How the pain is so intense you think you're dying. You can't breath. You can't move.  I just wanted her to understand.

It feels like getting stabbed in th...