Rushing Matters
Artie blew smoke on the breeze and knocked ash from his cigarette. I drank ice tea while looking over the garden. Our outdoor table was set with refreshments.
“Cookie?” I nudged the platter.
He took three. “These are delicious.”
I watched him smoke. Cigarettes should have killed Artie years ago.
He started sweating. “My gut.” He rubbed his stomach.
“Something you ate?”
He glanced at the cookies then stared at me. “Didn’t you want one?”
“Almond cookies? Never.” I smiled.
He dropped his cigarette and fumbled for his phone, but convulsions started before he could tap 911.
Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers: 100-word story
photo prompt: Yarnspinner
Muninn's Memories 
May 8, 2017 at 9:02 pm
Ah the taste of bitter almonds… Nice one 😀
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May 8, 2017 at 9:05 pm
An oldie but a goodie. I’ve always been partial to this method in literature. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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May 8, 2017 at 9:03 pm
Darn it. I would have taken three cookies too. Why?!??! He just wanted some cookies, Kecia. Can’t a person eat some cookies without dying?
Haha Great story. Oddly, I really want some cookies now. You’d think the story would make me want to stay away from cookies, but no.
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May 8, 2017 at 9:06 pm
Ha ha! I can’t seem to stop killing people lately. Thanks, Mandie.
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May 8, 2017 at 10:09 pm
That was neatly done! I wonder if the police will suspect something?
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May 9, 2017 at 6:22 am
I don’t think she’d get away with it. Not in this day and age. She’d have to run.
Thanks for commenting.
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May 8, 2017 at 10:57 pm
Much awaited convulsions?
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May 9, 2017 at 6:22 am
I think so! Thank you for reading, Reena.
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May 9, 2017 at 12:36 am
Bitter almond taste … such a great way to end you story with no explanations needed.
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May 9, 2017 at 6:24 am
Thank you. You can almost never go wrong with a poison ending. 🙂
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May 9, 2017 at 1:59 am
Liked it…really good😱
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May 9, 2017 at 6:20 am
🙂 Thank you.
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May 9, 2017 at 6:21 am
🙂 you’re welcome
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May 9, 2017 at 2:43 am
Poor guy, I wonder what he did to deserve that? Although smoking in the fresh air would annoy me too! 🙂
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May 9, 2017 at 6:27 am
I think she grew impatient waiting on natural causes to do the job.
Thanks for reading, Iain.
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May 9, 2017 at 4:00 am
You seem to be on a killing spree of late, Kecia. Good story, nevertheless.
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May 9, 2017 at 6:28 am
Murder lends itself to the flash. It’s quick, and the motives don’t require lengthy explanation.
Love, on the other hand, requires pages and pages and pages to justify. 😀
Thank you for reading, Neel.
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May 9, 2017 at 10:01 am
Great story Kecia! The murderer seems as cool as a cucumber! Your murder was quick and right to the point. Now if we could only know the why. Well done!
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May 9, 2017 at 10:02 am
Thank you. 🙂
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May 9, 2017 at 12:10 pm
I hope there is justice and she does not inherit
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May 9, 2017 at 1:23 pm
🙂 She’s not very nice, is she?
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May 9, 2017 at 5:07 pm
Great story. I’m never eating almond cookies again.
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May 9, 2017 at 5:33 pm
🙂
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May 10, 2017 at 10:12 am
Funnily, I don’t think anyone will be actually able to tell us how cyanide tastes, even if they share the same compounds as almonds! Doubt she’d get away with it, but it was a clever way to kill.
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May 10, 2017 at 10:18 am
There are anecdotes about the taste of cyanide (and arsenic). The accepted answer is that it tastes bitter, which makes sense because the form one would ingest is a basic substance. There are also antidote kits to reverse the poisoning, which would imply people could consume small quantities and survive. I believe most fatalities are from the gas, hydrogen cyanide, but please don’t quote me on that. 🙂
Thanks for reading and commenting, Chris!
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May 10, 2017 at 10:28 am
I’ve heard, yes! I’m not surprised if it tasted bitter, given how strongly alkaline it is 😀 There’s probably a book out there about it, but for now, it doesn’t detract from how clever the story is.
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May 10, 2017 at 10:30 am
Thank you.
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May 10, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Nice job. I didn’t expect the ending!
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May 10, 2017 at 12:13 pm
Thank you.
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May 10, 2017 at 1:57 pm
Had a feeling she was doing something bad. Well done.
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May 10, 2017 at 2:01 pm
😀 Thank you for reading.
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May 11, 2017 at 1:59 am
Brilliant! 🙂
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May 11, 2017 at 7:21 am
😀 Thank you.
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