To get you in the mood for the Christmas holiday and to remind some of my naughty readers, it’s not all about Santa Claus, ribbons and bows, and good cheer, my friend, Professor Maria Klouda, assigned an extra credit project to her Reinhardt University Composition 100 students. Using this image of Krampus (a half-man, half-goat creature with a penchant for whipping bad children with birch branches and carrying them away to hell) as inspiration, the students wrote 100-word and under flash fiction pieces. If you know any children (or adults) on the naughty list, you may want to share these stories to them.

Shackled

by Peyton Williams

“Why are you crying?” the little girl asks the horned black creature with hooves for feet.

Shackled in a corner, the creature turns his head around to reveal his long prickly beard, sharp teeth, and pointed tongue.

“Why I’m just so hungry,” he says to her.

The girl is surprised, but doesn’t hesitate to say, “Well, I just went apple picking, would you like one?”

“Oh I can’t enjoy a meal being chained up like this,” he replies.

“I can help,” she says before releasing him from the shackles.

“I suddenly lost my appetite for the apples,” he grins.

The Krampus Before Christmas

by Alexandro Jean

“Be good,” warned the little girl while her brother continued to steal apples.

“Or what?”

“The Krampus will come.”

“I dare him to.”

The night before Christmas a shadow emerges from the hall.

“What a naughty little boy.”

“Please don’t hurt him.”

“Then how shall I punish this wretched creature you call brother?”

“Don’t. Take me instead.”

“No, don’t take her. She’s good.”

The Krampus enjoyed their fear, but couldn’t decide what to do ’till finally…an idea.

“NOOOOO.”

“Yes, in fact he was quite delicious.”

Christmas morning there were no kids…just one red apple.

Interested in submitting your flash fiction stories? Here are a few publishers now accepting submissions:

101 Words is accepting, you guessed it, flash stories that are exactly 101 words. While the word count doesn’t include the title, it does include em dashes and hyphenated words, so do count manually. There’s no fee and if you’re published in their anthology, Flash Fiction Magazine Anthology, they pay $10.00. Also, if you’re into editing, they’re seeking Editors/Volunteers who are able to commit to at least 5 hours per week. Gain experience and add something new to your CV!

50-Words Stories is accepting 50-word stories, not 49-word, not 51-word, but exactly 50-word stories. The best story of the month receives a $10 prize. Also, no fees! If you’re looking for guidance on how to write flash fiction, 50-Word Stories provides a link to the article, The Anatomy of Micro-fiction by Bob Thurber. It’s a wonderful analysis of how to break down shorter fiction. I found it beneficial. Maybe you will too.

Brevity is seeking 750-word and under non-fiction pieces with “vivid detail, strong voice, and no wasted words.” They’re charging a nominal fee of $3.00 per submission. Authors will be paid a $45 honorarium for work selected.

ALWAYS READ SUBMISSION GUIDELINES and good luck out there!

Thanks to the Professor Maria Klouda and her student writers, Peyton Williams and Alexandro Jean, for contributing their work.

Happy Holidays!