Fast & Short is a flash fiction collaboration between eight Literate Ape writers. Each was tasked with authoring one piece of flash fiction that would be combined to create a single short story. The writers’ flash fiction needed to serve two purposes: 1. Stand alone as a unique piece of flash fiction and 2. Serve as a vehicle for building a larger story and driving that story forward. Over the next two weeks, Literate Ape will publish all eight flash fiction stories individually with a link to the growing compilation. We hope you enjoy this literary experiment.
—DH2 , co-editors

By J.L. Thurston

LEN BEGAN TO CRY. Sara sighed an exasperated growl that came out more growl than sigh. The sound caused Len’s eyes to grow large. As large as full moons.

With his stupid haircut and his two full moon eyes, his face was ridiculous. She could kill him. Really kill him.

“Jesus, what’s wrong with Sara?” one of the other jerks gasped.

“Len, dude, what’s going on?”

He was looking to them for help now, pleading with his stupid face. Sara hated it when people ignored her. She snatched out to grab Len. To get his attention. She got it, alright, by squeezing his throat with her long fingers.

“Len, Leonard, or Lenny?” Her voice was not her own.

“Get off him!”

“Let go!”

“Sara, what the hell?”

Many hands were upon her. Len’s hands were slapping and grasping at her fingers and wrists. The others were fighting to pull her away from him.

They pulled her right out of the car, right onto the ground.

She was laughing. This was becoming a fun night, after all. This sure beats Netflix.

There, surrounded by gravestones, with the moon hanging heavy and close, Sara forgot everything her therapist ever said.