Flash! Fiction by Peter McMillan - HTML preview

18

“People are characters, and characters are people, so give them their freedom.”

Every customer was important to Ben, and they were flattered that he remembered them. He had a gift for recalling faces and names and stories, and his customers marvelled at his incredible memory.

Of course, Ben didn’t share from his notes or his lunch hour walks.

The nondescript writer creates descriptive characters and conceals from them their reason for being in his head. We got that already.

Next.

After the manager retired, Ben rose quickly through the ranks. Although it was never his ambition—which remained to become a successful writer—he accepted the offer to manage the shoe store.

So, the nondescript writer morphs into a nondescript shopkeeper, trading characters for customers, plots for business, art for reality?

Tragedy. Anything more?

One day Ben noticed that one of his employees was wearing store shoes when she went out for lunch.

The creative urge forsaken but resurgent? That it?

It was more entertaining when Ben was a cross-dresser, wasn’t it?

Yeah, but it lacked authenticity. This one at least sounds like you…us.

First published on the Short Humour Site, 2009.