Flash Fiction Online #155, August 2026
“Pomegranates” by G.M. Mitchell
“Meatball” by S.L. Harris
“Eyeballs of My Eyes” by Abigail Guerrero
“Iron & Garlic & Salt & Blood” by Nico Martinez Nocito
“The Alien You Love” by Jonathan Huston
“Milk” by Caitlin Devlin
Reviewed by Philip Hutson
“Pomegranates” by G.M. Mitchell is a dark fantasy story set in a magical land. The opening of the story is that of a horrible deed done to a Unicorn, for a good cause. The first scene builds with a description of the protagonist and the unicorn, drawing the reader in before it concludes with a grisly deed.
After the first scene, the protagonist is trying to justify what she and her family had done to the unicorn until the consequences catch up with her.
The story was an interesting bit of flash fiction exploring the lengths one would go to help loved ones and the consequences of those actions. I did enjoy the lead-up to the conclusion of the first scene and the tension it created.
“Meatball” by S.L. Harris is set in a future dystopian land. The story opens in what appears to be a re-education institute to “help” the “anti-socials” raise their “Acceptable Happiness Quotient.”
To assist in the process of correcting their wrongthink, the patients have “Calming Sensory Companion Animals.” The other patients have “sleek cats” or “happy dogs.” The protagonist has a mean hamster that reduces his happiness quotient, extending his time in the institute.
The story is one of a person coming to grips with his situation and taking back his agency in an authoritarian society. The use of a hamster was an original piece in an oft-repeated theme of the dangers of an authoritarian society.
“Eyeballs of My Eyes” by Abigail Guerrero is an interesting bit of horror. The story seems to be set in a modern-day western city, but there are no concrete hints as to the actual setting. It starts out as a story of the ill effects of modern medicine, that of the never-ending cycle of treating side effects of side effects with a treatment. It quickly changes to a horror story about horrific changes to a person’s body. The description of the changes almost seems to be hints about the author’s conflicting views on childbirth.
I found the conclusion left me wanting to know what happened to the offspring.
“Iron & Garlic & Salt & Blood” by Nico Martinez Nocito is a horror story clocking in at just below 500 words, with elements that hearken back to the fairy tale Rapunzel. The story is one of a father trying to protect a child from the evil magic and creatures of the outside world by walling her in. This was a decent telling of the lengths a parent will go to protect a child.
“The Alien You Love” by Jonathan Huston is the story of an impossible love between a human and an alien. The story takes place on an alien world where everything about it is deadly to humans. The protagonist is so infatuated with the alien that he is trying to live on that world.
The story speaks more about addiction and self-destructive behavior than it is a love story. The love that is spoken about is an obsession with the pleasure that comes from the sexual contact with the alien. This is a good story of an addict and their favorite drug.
“Milk” by Caitlin Devlin is a horror story set on a modern-day farm. From the narrative, the location has the feel of Eastern Europe, where legends and mankind still encounter each other. The story is told from a first-person point of view of an older woman who still holds to the old beliefs and practices. She makes a nightly offering of a bowl of milk she sets on the back porch to some unknown creatures. The story continues with the protagonist-narrator describing her offspring and how they no longer want to practice the old ways while slowly revealing the source of the milk.
This was an interesting bit of horror with an effective twist at the end.
Philip Hutson’s ramblings and poor attempts at storytelling can be seen at https://tr8t.com