Very Short Stories - A Timely Exercise in Writing

The following short stories have been created as a result of a writing exercise. The stories were inspired by photos produced by an image generator. Sadly, I do not have the access to these pictures anymore. In addition to the pictures, writing of every short story was restricted to a time limit, which shortened after every attempt. 

These are the stories that have been written:

(Some of the writings contain explicit elements.)

[Time limit: 15 minutes]

Fucking tourists. They come to you like to an animal in a zoo and expect to put up a play for them. Yes, we do have kiwis. No, they are not from here. You also have kiwis back home, why would you be so surprised? Import and export work the same everywhere. Exotic fruit? You got them at the shelves of your supermarkets.

There is no secret menu here, I do not have any ‘magical’ stock under my basket. Do I look like I would? Just because I’m from here? You’d never buy anything anyway, disappointed and sure that I’m hiding something  just because you’re a day-tripper. Sure, I do hide, I hide my most special tomatoes! Totally! You wish you could see their deep red skin, holding tightly the sweet inside. Tomatoes that taste so good they trick you into believing they are snacks. Tomatoes, ripe and heavy, with water droplets shining like diamonds. Tomatoes we call rubies, for their colour and value.

But you don’t care about those, do you. Our treasures are your trash, no matter what do you look at.

[Time limit: 10 minutes]

The icy trees tinkle quietly overhead.

These woods are… weird. But everything here is  weird so I just let myself see this world instead of judging it. Now, actually, these are really weird for trees. More like corals? Tall, white and towering, seemed like a forest but maybe it’s actually a cemetery. I brushed this thought off fast, before it nested in my brain.

This place was really pretty, if you allowed yourself to expect nothing. The land was barren and dark, no trace of leaves or bushes. None of your usual smell of the trees. The air tasted salty and I pondered about how fishes are not aware of the water around them until it’s gone.

A giant slug passed slowly in between the trees.

[Time limit: 5 minutes]

There is a tree in the woods. On the tree sits a raven. If you are nice, he will tell you:

‘The end is drawing near. Rejoice, children of light.’

If you are not, he will feed you stories of lands fantastical, glimmering lights and mountains of treasure. It will wake up a longing you never thought you had in you. You need to brace yourself for all that might come, for either lie or truth may be too much. 

You won't be a home bird anymore.

Thanks for sticking around!

Nat