20/3/2025
“Sorry boss, I will have to work remotely today,” I said, calling him before 7 am.
I could feel his frown over the phone, and heard the deep breath, before he asked why, exactly, could I not come to work.
“Well, you know we don’t have public transportation this far from the city,” I said, wondering how to best explain my problem.
Then I decided to take a picture of it:
A perfectly round fairy circle of white mushrooms surrounding my car.
I couldn’t get in, wouldn’t dare to drive over them.
“Okay, I understand,” he sighed. “Stay safe
https://www.fridayflashfiction.com/100-word-stories/fairy-circle-by-nc-smith
14/3/2025
I really love my sportscar.
When it’s sunny, like today, cruising by the big lake with the roof open is the best experience! I can smell the forest and the fungi in it, too, making me crave a good mushroom risotto.
Suddenly, I hear a voice from the back seat asking WHY, exactly, do I need to have such a fancy, polluting car. I check the rear mirror, and there actually is a creature sitting in my back seat.
I panic and pull over. When I turn to look, there is nobody. Only a red-brown stain on the white leather.
https://www.fridayflashfiction.com/100-word-stories/guilt-tripped-by-nc-smith
7/3/2025
My coffee maker has started to make shushed beep-noises after brewing. I didn’t think much about it before this morning, when entering the kitchen made me rub my eyes twice. A human-sized coffee machine was quietly chattering with mine. The big one apologized immediately after noticing me. Then it vanished.
I yawned, pretending to be sleepwalking, muttering about weird dreams, and heading back to bed while throwing a furtive glance towards my toaster. I know they have a plan! So do I! I will trash the coffee maker and get my brew safely from the coffee shop.
https://www.fridayflashfiction.com/100-word-stories/the-conspiracy-of-machines-by-nc-smith
28/2/2025
This morning, the cleaning supply closet door was open, again, lights on. Have I been working too hard? I always close it, otherwise my dog Max, will overindulge on kibble at night.
Next morning the almost empty bag of toilet paper rolls is in the kitchen, next to the coffee maker. I need to visit the store, asap. But work is too hectic.
The following morning, the empty bag of dog treats is on the kitchen counter, too. Am I sleepwalking?
“You are daft,” says the woman, leaning to the closet door. “You need to go shopping today!”
https://www.fridayflashfiction.com/100-word-stories/the-toilet-paper-fairy-by-nc-smith
It was a nice cabin by the beach. Big windows were looking West over the Pacific Ocean glimmering in the afternoon sun, and palm trees were swaying in the breeze. The cabin was very cozy and the perfect size for one person, or a couple to have a getaway from the rush and noise of the city.
Inga was searching for something to read. She picked a random book from the shelf. It looked old. She opened it on a random page. For a long time, she stared at the words, and then put the book down. The simple sentence kept echoing in her mind:
Who are you to decide what is real?
The Universe was such a mistake. It never was supposed to happen. But inertia vibrates at times when reflections move on the 4-dimensional moebius surface around ORiGO, or O=O. This particular vibration happened to create a ripple that popped the Universe into existence. Such a hot mess!
Technically it was “The ORiGO”, the one and only essence of nothingness. Neutral to the nth power and you could keep on multiplying neutrality with neutrality until you got bored. Most certainly sentient, even if not in the way our limited understanding would describe sentience. Being omniscient pretty much necessitates sentience. That’s what ORiGO is. Being the all-knowing entity plays into the neutrality and stability. These are all good qualities, right? Neutral, stable, knowledgeable, and so on and so forth. But therein also lies the trap.
Being omniscient leads to analysis paralysis, because all actions have their consequences, both intended and unintended, and the ripples of the consequences in the near and far future. Being able to see that far is more of a curse than blessing, it incapacitates you from making a single decision. This creates extreme inertia, a tendency to do nothing and an inability to change.
Without this extreme inertia the carbon infestation could never have happened on Earth. The need to wipe out the human life might force ORiGO to overcome inertia and take action for the first time ever.
The essence of nothingness. The ORiGO. The center of everything.
Nina