Crossed Wires and Other Very Short Stories

By M.A. Kropp

Twenty-four very short stories, twelve science fiction and twelve fantasy. From the future to now, from fairies to androids, from outer space to right next door, each of these short tales can be read in minutes. Explore worlds defined in small spaces, easy to pick up and read when you only have a moment to spare. Crossed Wires and Other Very Short Stories proves that sometimes, less really is more.

When a demon crosses into our world, the battle to defeat it also crosses the borders of realities in a deadly game of Cat and Mouse.

Invisible friends. The stuff of childhood imagination. Or are they? A Girl and Her Imp might have something to say about that. Set in the world of the Yo-Yo Files series by the author.

There’s Something in the Water, and for one vacationing family, that something means more than they imagine.

Red is the Color of one starship captain’s face when a first contact diplomatic dinner takes a wrong turn over a salad.

In the battle between mankind and the robots determined to exterminate them, one craftsman finds a way to create his own Bone Song.

Maintenance robots are great. They take the burden of routine jobs off human workers so they can devote their talent to the trickier jobs. But Crossed Wires can make a useful tool into a deadly opponent.

These and eighteen other miniature tales are waiting in Crosses Wires and Other Very Short Stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.A. Kropp
• Release date: May 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781732916333

M.A. Kropp

M.A. Kropp is a writer and blogger. She writes fantasy and urban fantasy, with the occasional foray into science fiction. She has always loved myths and magic, fairy tales and folklore. She enjoys taking bits and pieces of folk tales and myths and braiding them together into a new idea. Sometimes, she bends the edges of the myth to push or pull it in a new direction. People are the linchpin of it all. She enjoys creating characters that come to life and may become friends (or enemies!) of yours. Most of all, she tries to tell a good story that all readers can enjoy.She also blogs several times a week at makropp.com. When not writing she is often found serving as Chief Scorekeeper for International Chili Society chili competitions, where she cooked competitively for a number of years. She has also been accused of reading anything and everything that comes in front of her eyes: books, old newspapers, cereal boxes, and, yes, even the instruction manuals that come with things. Most of all she enjoys eating good food, drinking good wine and other spirits, and spending time with good people. She is married, has three grown daughters, four awesome grandchildren, one dog, and three cats. She lives in southern NY.

Book preview

Crossed Wires

And Other Very Short Stories

M.A. Kropp

Cover Design by Kream of the Kropp Designworks

with some elements from canva.com

Copyright 2022 by M.A. Kropp

Published by Kream of the Kropp Bookworks

ISBN 978-1-7329163-3-3

License Notes

This eBook is sold without Digital Rights Management (DRM) and is licensed for your personal enjoyment. It may not be sold or given away to anyone. If you would like to share this eBook, please purchase a copy for each recipient. If you are reading this eBook and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for you, please go to your favorite eBook retailer, and purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Introduction

Flash fiction. The term has multiple definitions. To some, if a story is to be considered flash fiction, it cannot be over 500 words. To others, flash fiction encompasses anything that finishes under the minimum word count for a short story, usually 2000 words. But those are technicalities for the writers and editors to fuss over. For you, the person preparing to read these stories, know that they are short bites. None of them is much more than 2000 words, and so, I have declared them to be Very Short Stories. They can be read in any order, and each story can be read in just a few minutes. A perfect book to tuck away for those times when you only have a minute or two to spare.

The book is divided into two sections. There are twelve Fantasy stories and twelve Science Fiction. A few of the stories have appeared on my website and several tie into other things I have written. The majority are new to this collection. I hope you enjoy them.

Table of Contents

Fantasy:

Cat and Mouse

Christmas Spirit

Learning to Fly

A Life in the Year

A Girl and Her Imp

Run

Academy in the Night

Catch a Falling Star

Seeing the Wizard

Things that Go Bump in the Night

He Followed Me Home

Something in the Water

Science Fiction:

Cargo

Fast Forward

A New Man

One is the Loneliest Number

Red is the Color

Crossed Wires

Invaders

Bone Song

Life Support

Transcribed

No Way Out

The Butler Did It

About the Author

Other Books by this Author

Fantasy

Cat and Mouse

Emma raised her head from the yellowed pages of the book she’d been reading. Across the room, a dark-haired young woman unfolded her legs from where they had been curled underneath her and sat up. Her green eyes were focused on the window that looked out on darkness. She tossed her raven-black hair across her shoulders, revealing a round emerald centered on a gold collar around her neck. She glanced at Emma.

Yes, go, Xian. See what it is this time. Xian rose and glided silently to the door and out into the night air. Emma watched for a moment, then turned back to her book.

* * *

Under the silver glint of moonlight, a sleek black cat jumped to the top of the garden gate and dropped gracefully to the street below. She padded quickly to the end of the block, crossed the empty street, and entered an alleyway. At the end of the alley was a wall of white stone. The cat lifted her triangular head with a soft prrrrrrt. The emerald stone hanging from her collar glowed from within. A stone at the bottom of the wall began to burn with the same green glow. The black cat walked into the stone and disappeared.

* * *

Atop a crumbling wall in across town, a petite tortoiseshell cat sat with her tail curled around white paws. Her white chest fur glowed in the moonlight. A breeze picked up across the old wall and the cat lifted her nose to sniff the air. Her ears pricked forward, and she turned wide yellow eyes to the old wooden gate almost hidden in the overgrowth of the wall. A moment later, the gate sparked with green light. When it faded, a solid black Oriental cat stood in front of it. The tortoiseshell rose and jumped to the ground, trotting over to the newcomer. They touched noses briefly, and the black cat asked softly.

Mrrraiow?

The tortoiseshell turned to look beyond the wall into the old graveyard behind it. The black cat swished her tail once, and with a graceful leap, topped the wall and dropped on silent paws to the ground below.

* * *

She noticed the odor immediately. It was rank and filled with the scent of decay. Xian saw clearly along the dark rows between half-decayed tombstones. A slight movement in the row to her left caught her attention. She touched the emerald set in the necklace she wore and moved forward.

* * *

The black cat moved quickly, low to the ground, no more than a slight darkening of the shadows cast by the overhead trees and grave markers in the moonlight. The scent was stronger now, almost overwhelming. Her long, triangular ears pricked up at the rustling noises from the next row. She crept forward.

* * *

Using the side of a large crypt for cover, Xian peered around the edge. A dark shape was digging in the earth beneath a tall stone obelisk. She reached to the weapons at her belt and tensed to spring.

* * *

Rowwrrr! The black cat sprang through the air and landed on top of the rat. The creature screamed an unearthly scream and twisted, trying to bite at the cat digging at its back with sharp claws. The cat held on, digging deeper into the rough matted fur of the rat’s coat. They twisted and rolled, separating as they did. They glared at one another in the moonlight. The rat’s eyes glowed amber-gold, and the cat’s reflected green when the moonlight hit them. Both tensed and sprang again.

* * *

This time, Xian was ready. She twisted in the air, and the dark demon flew past her, powerful jaws snapping shut on nothing. Xian struck out with one of the long daggers she held. The blade glowed polished silver and disappeared into the demon’s side. The beast howled again, and dropped to the ground, blood flowing freely from the gash. Ignoring the injury, the demon lunged at Xian, raking toward her face with thick clawed hands. Xian raised one arm to shield her face, taking a slash across her forearm. She hissed at the pain but stepped forward and thrust under her raised arm with the second dagger. She felt it connect with the demon’s flesh and twisted, hard. The demon howled and tried to pull back, as much from the contact with the bright silver as the damage done by the blade’s edge. Xian dropped her arm and stabbed the demon with the other dagger. She