October 1st is here! Thus begins our Writetober event! Below you will read a flash fiction pertaining to the word of the day, Ring. I am challenging myself to not only write a flash fiction a day, but to connect them all. As you will see, today’s flash fiction ends to lead into tomorrow’s. Enjoy!
Writetober Day 1
RING
“Just put it on, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“Why would you say that! Nothing was going to happen, but now that you say that something will happen!” The black-haired man angrily shouted as he stared at the black ring, carefully placed in the box before him.
“You’re being paranoid for no reason. Your grandpa left you his old ring and you’re acting like it’s something cursed by the devil.” The taller man looked over his friends’ shoulder, trying to see the ring.
“Tom, my grandpa was not a normal guy. My mom would tell me about all these strange stories in their old house.” The black-haired man still stared at the ring, unmoving.
“Ghosts and monsters don’t exist Kyle. Please don’t tell me you believe in that crap.” Smugness carried on Tom’s words.
“Oh yea? Then why don’t you put it on?” Kyle turned around thrusting the open box toward Tom.
“Well, why would I take something your grandpa left for you? That’s like an heirloom.” Tom tried to hide his nervousness while taking a step back.
“Exactly…” Kyle closed the box and didn’t think of it again.
The day continued as normal, Kyle and Tom spent most of the bright and sunny day squirreled away in a dark room playing video games. It was a tradition of theirs that seemed to have no sign of ending, and both had no issues with that. No matter what was going in their life they would pick a day of the week to get together and lose themselves in video games. The tradition used to bring strange looks from co-workers and family, after all, how could two grown men play video games for 12 hours a day, shirking all responsibilities. They had it down to a science, and with a little help and understanding from Kyle’s wife, the boys had the living room to themselves for an entire day.
“Work was a damn bear today. Rachel will not leave the reports alone.” Tom blurted out in the middle of their session.
“She’s still saying you messed them up? Elite on the right, need help with him.”
“Got him, grab his turret. But yea, I am about to go over her head, she’s asking for numbers that don’t exist, so of course they won’t be on the report.”
The two continued their double conversations as they slayed enemy after enemy, mixing work talk and game talk naturally. Every so often, Kyle’s ears seem to perk up as something else caught his attention. He would quickly shrug it off and reinvest himself into the game.
“Do you hear that?” Kyle finally gave into the annoyance that kept tugging at his ears.
“Nope, but what exactly am I supposed to be focusing on?” Tom didn’t break from his lock on the tv.
“I swear I keep hearing something.”
“The boogeyman from your grandpa’s ring calling your name?” Tom laughed as the words left his mouth.
Kyle didn’t answer, it was his name he was hearing, but it wasn’t from a voice he knew.
After some time, Kyle and Tom came to the end of their day. After some last words about their jobs and a tentative date for the next session, Tom left Kyle alone in the house. Kyle’s wife still had a few hours left in her day trip with her mom, so Kyle was left with nothing to do. His focus shot to the corner of the living room.
“Just put it on…” A whisper danced on the fringes of Kyle’s hearing.”
Turning ghost white, Kyle made for the front door of his home, but he stopped himself.
“This is just in my head. Positive thoughts of puppies are my focus.” He shouted out into the house.
The drawer holding the boxed ring slowly slid open in response. Kyle’s eyes widened as he forced a laugh and ran out of his home.
“Groceries, we need groceries.” Kyle spoke to himself as he hurriedly got into his car. “Groceries and puppies, that’s all I’m thinking about!” The car left the driveway.
The sun had set by the time Kyle made it home. Pulling into the driveway, he realized the mistake he made. He hadn’t texted Michelle about what happened. Rushing into the house, he was greeted by his smiling wife putting away the mountain of stuff she bought with her mom.
“Hey hun.”
“Are you ok?” Kyle rushed to give her a hug.
“Why wouldn’t I be? Oh! I saw your gift. You’re the best.” Michelle hugged Kyle tight.
“What gift?”
Pulling away, Michelle showed Kyle her hand. A black ring snuggly rested on her middle finger.
“It fits perfectly! How did you find out my ring size?” Michelle’s words fell on deaf ears.
Shit. It was the only word that came to Kyle’s mind.
Kris Writes Worlds 
“Doa’s, how may I help you?” Her voice was monotone and low, like a loud whisper.
“What?!” Could be heard on the other side of the line, “Is this Doa’s?! I need to speak with a manager. I cannot believe h-” Soe didn’t even let the cranky old lady finish before hitting the transfer button and sending her to her boss’ already full voicemail.
She looked to the clock as she watched it slowly tick to the number 6. ‘I still have 2 hours to go.” She rolled her eyes so far back, hoping they’d actually get stuck this time. Then she could go home early.
She laid her head down on the table, sighing deeply. Then she heard it. Ring, ring, ring.
She picked up the phone, back to work. “Doa’s, how may I help you?”
Silence.
“Hello?”
Heavy breathing.
“…..hello?”
“I’m going to kill myself”. It was such a small and panicked voice that Soe could barely pick up on it.
“Um… don’t do that. L-let me get you the-”
“54 Raymond Street, 2nd floor. The key in the mailbox under the fake bottom. Finish it for me, will you?”
She could hear the air blowing in the background. She was trying to pick up on any discernable sounds that could point to where this woman was.
“I’ll get you help. Please, don’t do this. Just wait. I-i’ll g-”
“There is no helping me. But help the others.” The woman sounded like she was crying and before Soe could say anything else, she could hear the wind picking up speed very quickly. She’s….she’s falling.
Soe realized she was too late. The phone on the line then went away.
Everything went silent. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t even catch her breath. Someone killed themself with her on the line. What do I do?
54 Raymond Street, 2nd floor.
The thought blew into her mind. The address. She snapped out of it enough to write it down. She stared at it. What do I do? Do I call the police?
She had no information. What was she going to tell these people?
She picked up the phone, despite her doubts and called the local police station. “Stillson Heights Police Department, how may I help you?” A raspy, male voice picked up the line.
“Hi, yes, I, um, work at Doa’s. The clothing store? I, um, uh My name is Soe. I got, I got a call from a woman who I am pretty sure committed suicide.”
“I see. Did you get her name?”
“No.”
“Location?”
“No.”
“Could you make out anything?”
“No.”
“Okay….well, uh….there isn’t much to go by unfortunately. We can’t really do mu-”
“54 Raymond Street, 2nd floor.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s the address she gave me. She gave me that address.”
“Okay. I’ll type this up and see what we could do. You said your name is Soe?”
“Yes sir.”
“Do you have a number to reach you at Miss Soe?”
“857-654-7893”
“Alright. Thank you. We will contact you if we need more information.”
Click.
Once again, she sat in silence. What do I do?
She felt stuck in this moment. 54 Raymond Street, 2nd floor. The address repeated in her mind.
The key in the mailbox under the fake bottom.
“She told me to get that key.” Soe went to pick up the phone to notify the police when she had a sudden urge. They won’t do anything. Maybe I should……
She wasn’t sure what she should do. On one hand, she wants to fulfill this last request. On the other hand, this could be some crazy person trying to kill her.
There are others.
She looked at the clock ticking by.
I’ve got to go.
She grabbed her jacket, clumsily put it on as she walked out the door, hearing the faint ringing of the phone behind her. She wasn’t going to let this end with her and nothing being done. Not again.
Hoping to get better through this Writetober. I have no clue what I wrote so I’m sorry 😂
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Phenomenal! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
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