Four hours, five espressos, and one blank page—until the character in her draft folder decided to speak up.
Flash Fiction: The Second Fiddle
Kim’s fifth espresso tasted like battery acid and burnt vanity. Across the counter, two baristas were whispering, one tapping a thumb against a smartphone, eyeing Kim as if she might vibrate straight through the floor.
On her laptop, the screen saver was gone. In its place stood Chloe—blonde, fierce, and perpetually stuck in Kim’s unpublished draft folder.
“I’m done waiting, Kim,” Chloe said, resting her hands on her hips inside the 14-inch display. “Jeannette gets the tailored suits, the witty banter, and three love interests. I get two lines in Chapter Four and a tragic backstory you didn’t even bother to finish.”
Kim glanced around frantically. “You’re a character. You don’t get a say.”
“I make the story,” Chloe snapped, leaning closer to the glass. “Jeannette is boring. She’s who you think you should be. I’m who you actually are. Give me the lead, or I start deleting your master files.”
A cursor suddenly hovered over Kim’s Drafts_Final_v12 folder. The trash bin icon flickered red.
“You wouldn’t,” Kim whispered, her pulse hammering in her ears.
“Try me. Type the next line, Kim. But this time, write my name.”
Kim’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, shaking. Across the cafe, the barista finally raised the phone to his ear.
Finish the Story!
What happens next? Does Kim surrender to Chloe’s demand, or does she find a brilliant twist to outsmart her own creation before her life’s work vanishes? Drop your ending in the comments below!
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