Party Trick

by Rod Drake

Up-and-coming artists and aspiring writers were all in attendance at Bill and Joan’s latest wild and drunken party. As the party spun out of control, someone called for Bill to perform his famous “William Tell” routine, and soon everyone joined in, clamoring to see the legendary stunt. After some half-hearted protestation, Bill loaded his .38 Colt long-barrel, and Joan gamely put an apple on her head as she had done countless times before. Bill waved for silence, cocked the hammer and aimed while everyone held their collective breath in anticipation. Then one drunk girl laughed suddenly, shattering the quiet and Bill’s focus; he fired, hitting Joan in the forehead, who dropped to the carpet dead as a mackerel, a smile still on her lips. The party-goers scattered like startled birds and Bill, after calling the police and coroner, took off for Mexico.

6S

Rod Drake, author of Genesis 4, used to think he was a fictional character in a story, but discovered he was the author instead. Check out Rod's longer stories in Flashes of Speculation, Fictional Musings, Flash Flooding, Flash Forward and MicroHorror.