Notices by Micro SF/F stories by O Westin (microsff@mastodon.social), page 12

"Excuse me, someone said you are the swordmaster?"
The gardener looked up from the carrots. "I was."
"Oh."
The gardener resumed weeding.
"But... you can't just stop being someone."
"I'm still someone, just not that one. Nobody is only one someone. Which ones you are can change."
#MicroFiction #SmallStories

"I challenge you to a game of chess."
"Me? I am Fate, not Death. I do not play games!"
"Seems to me that's all you do. We're back to square one. I refuse."
"You can't refuse Fate!"
"You said I'd vanquish the world's gravest threat."
"Yes, but -"
"That's you."
"Wait. Me? Really?"
#MicroFiction #SmallStories

@michael
That's the highest praise I could ask for!

The alien fleet waited, undetectable, ready to invade Earth. They'd strike soon. As soon as the humans had finished telling the exciting stories they were telling each other.
Eventually, the invasion was cancelled. The aliens still listen.
Now they call our planet Scheherazade.
#MicroFiction #SmallStories

"I'm thinking of becoming a witch."
"That's nice," said the witch.
"To learn the mysteries of life and death-"
"Ugly."
"Pardon?"
"Birth is ugly, more often than not," the witch said. "Death too. Mystery revealed."
"Then why be a witch?"
"Ugly isn't the same as bad. It just is."
#MicroFiction #SmallStories

"The bees are not talking."
"I know."
"Is the hive mind translator broken?"
"No, the machine works. They just refuse to talk to us. They say we have a pathetic, limited understanding."
"Why?"
"I read them a poem that starts 'roses are red, violets are blue'."
"Oh."
"I'm sorry."
#MicroFiction #SmallStories #ValentinesDay

"Wait," said the princess, "let's check the rules."
After a long, epic search, they finally found the Booklet of Rules.
"Well?" the knight said.
"Knight kills dragon," the dragon read, "dragon abducts princess, princess seduces knight."
"Huh."
"I'd rather not."
"Yeah."
"Agreed."
#MicroFiction #SmallStories

After the sword drawn from the stone broke, Merlin brought the young king to a nearby lake.
"Take this boat and row out to the middle."
As Arthur did so, a woman's arm, clad in pure shimmering samite, broke the surface.
The hand held a pen.
"Try using that instead," Merlin said.
#MicroFiction #SmallStories

"Tell me," the emperor said, "how I will die."
The courtiers held their breath but the oracle answered calmly.
"You will die while attempting to avoid a prophecy."
The emperor thought about this.
"Very well, so be it. I accept my fate."
#MicroFiction #SmallStories

The day after the grand ball, the prince rode out to every town, village, and hamlet in the country. He showed an exquisite glass slipper, and asked:
"Who made this? Who can make me a pair of shoes like this?"
#MicroFiction #SmallStories

** TL;DR:
2021 was very stressful for me, due to moving from UK to Sweden, but in early December most of those stressors were resolved.
That's when the pent-up stress hit, hard, and I crashed with burnout.
I'm recovering.
Long version:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/61903418
**

** I aten't dead, just very worn out, stretched and thin, like butter scraped over to much Jorts.
I try to be kind and forgive myself, and let my brain have the time it needs to find a creative spark again. Thank you for your patience and understanding. **