The following is a story I wrote in Creative Writing class back in 2007. The professor's specialty was Flash Fiction - stories which deliver a point quickly, and are over before you know it. The story below, "Ashes", is a 305-word piece delivered by a single character speaking for the entirety of the story. For control, the professor gave each of us an item which we were to include directly in the story, or to have plot elements influenced by it (he gave me a rosary). It is reproduced here in its original, untouched form.
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“Well, I go back to my wife. To my life.
“You? Well, you move on and forget tonight. May I borrow your lighter?
“I couldn’t have known you’d be here, don’t be ridiculous. I could just as easily have taken the bus to Seoul, but I don’t like the city, you know that.”
“Yeah, I guess I knew you’d be here by the beach too. I guess, I was counting on it. In fact, you were the first that came to mind when I found out where. No, honestly.
“You know what’s great about the beaches here? They’re deserted. I fancy the cold weather and so I don’t really mind, and on this occasion, I’m glad this is a cold country.
“This is a really nice cottage. How much did you get it for?”
“No I haven’t thought about you at all. Now? I’m thinking ‘why am I still here?’
“Put some clothes on, will you? It’s terribly cold. Here.
“Liz, I’m married. I’m Catholic. We have ways of going about these things. This, this isn’t one of them. I’m happy with my wife, can’t you see it?
“No, she wouldn’t. But I would. I would know.
“Now that’s just unfair. I did care about you. Immensely. You were the first girl I ever slept with. That was special, wasn’t it? But that was it. You didn’t expect me to live my life that way forever, did you?
“She will be the last. Where do I throw this?
“I, I really have to go. I might – we both might regret it.
“No, I really have to.
“Do you swear it?
“Okay.
“Okay. Sunrise, then.”
“Liz, you still have cigarettes? Thank you.”
“You know what I remember? Summer of 2002. We were driving to Baguio. I can still smell the scent of pine in the air…”