Flash Fiction...and Me

So, as mentioned in a facebook post, I am trying something a bit different to keep my writing mind active. As anyone (all 5 of you) who reads this blog knows, I have not been the most prolific poster. So what I am going to introduce to the blog is an experiment of sorts. I am going to write some flash fiction based on the song titles of my favorite albums. I think this will help me to post more frequently and give people a taste of my fiction writing ability. So these are not going to be stories about me, but more of a taste of what certain songs make me think of. I am going to try to have this frequently, as it is easier than writing stories about my past. So without further ado, I bring you:

Flash Fiction...and Me
(The Toadies - Rubberneck)

The Toadies first album Rubberneck is a favorite album of mine because of a lot of reasons.  Best remembered for their hit "Possum Kingdom".  Highly underrated album.  It was a comp CD I had picked up while at Strawberries, but didn't listen to until about a year later. I loved it, every track is just great. Since this blog isn't about The Toadies, I will stop there. This is about the fiction.

Rubberneck - Track Listing
1. Mexican Hairless
2. Mister Love
3. Backslider
4. Possum Kingdom
5. Quitter
6. Away
7. I Come from the Water
8. Tyler
9. Happy Face
10. Velvet
11. I Burn

This is the first piece I wrote:

MEXICAN HAIRLESS

It was not like any other dog I had ever seen, and I had seen a lot of them come through as I patrolled back and forth on the last run of my security shift.  Bald and scrawny with wrinkled skin that screamed out for moisturizer.  It sat there behind the short fence across the street, eyes darting left and right, forwards and backwards, as though it was both watching and waiting for something to happen.  I heard the barks and howls of other animals coming from the bushes behind and around it.  It seemed to surround the poor little guy. The noise seemed to startle him and he sprung into action.  He leapt over the obstruction and darted across the street.  The world behind him seemed to explode with fur as no less than twenty other canines, I think they may have been coyotes, charged out from the underbrush and headed straight for him frothing at the mouth.  He seemed unfazed by this sudden appearance of what he was probably running from and continued forward.  This being rush hour, there were a fair amount of cars on the road and the dog had to now avoid being crushed by these metal monsters as well.  Astonishingly, he had seemingly no problem with this as he agilely weaved his way across the road.  His pursuers were not as lucky as most of them were struck and bounced along the road only to roll to a stop and not move again.  I admired the tenacity of this little guy and his single-mindedness of purpose to make it across the street to safety.  He stopped for a brief moment on the median to catch his breath and that’s when he noticed me.  If a dog could smile, I swear he did.  The look in his eyes was one of relief, that if he made it across the final half, he maybe had a new friend on the other side.  In spite of myself, I waved to him and beckoned him to come to me.  I cheered him on as he sprung to action and deftly picked his way across.  He finally made it and collapsed into a heap exhausted.  I ran to him, picked his up, cradling him in my arms.  Tears streamed down my face as my heart slowed down to a normal pace.  I reached up and scratched his neck underneath his collar.  It was then I realized something was missing; this dog had no ID tag.  This little plucky fighter had made it all the way across to what, to him, is a new world and he expected to stay with no ID tag.  Knowing he had no energy left to fight me. I disappointedly and with disgust evident on my face, pushed the button at the crosswalk and began my short walk to put him back where he belonged.

I will have more soon.  Thanks for reading.