Tuesday, April 26, 2016

FREE STORY: "Exit Interview"

I love flash fiction.  And I've always been intrigued by stories that are told in a very minimalistic way, i.e. via dialogue only.  Thought I'd try my hand at it . . . enjoy!


EXIT INTERVIEW

     “Thanks for dropping by.  I promise not to take up too much of your time.  We'll jump right into this --”
     “No pun intended?”
     “Funny.  I'm glad to see you’ve kept your sense of humor throughout this whole ordeal.  I know it hasn’t been easy.  Which leads us to our first question:  Why the sudden departure?”
     “You have to ask?  It’s in my file.”
     “Sure.  But I would like to hear your point of view.”
     “I fought it as long as I could.  Our competitor pulled off the game-winning play at the last second.  Sucks, but it happens.  Next question?”
     “Do you feel that you were given the proper tools to do your job?”
     “For the most part.  There's always room for improvement, I suppose.”
    “Care to elaborate?”
     “What worked a thousand years ago doesn’t have the same effect these days.  Kids talk like that to their parents at the dinner table.  I could rattle off a million things our team could have done differently.  I just don’t have the energy right now.  I’m friggin' tired, man.”
     “Understood.”
     “I am legion, so they say, but I gotta wonder why I’m the only one who feels rode hard and put up wet.”
     “If it’s any consolation, upper management has always appreciated your ‘team first’ mentality.”
     “Thanks.  I guess.”
     “Just a couple more questions and we're done here.  Tell me the one thing you liked most about this job.”
     “The blasphemy.”
     “Ah, yes.”
     “Unfortunately, they’ve seen it all before, like I said.  I’ve got the little bitch crawling across the ceiling . . . I’m telling them things about themselves they’ve never shared with anyone . . . projectile vomit, right in the face . . . they might as well be watching the nightly news.  Nothing phases those assholes anymore.”
     “Are there any additional comments you would like for me to document before we wrap this up?”
    “Your mother sucks cocks in Hell.”
     “That one never gets old.  You are a funny guy.  Now, if you’ll check in with Acquisitions at the end of the hall they will give you your next assignment . . .
     “Entry level, of course.”
     “Ha!  I see what you did there.”



Like this brief sample of my short fiction? 
Please consider picking up a copy of my collection, People Are Strange, if you haven't already:

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