Top 10 Unusual, Strange, Weird, Short, Original Flash Fiction Stories on One Page

Latest update: September 1, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date of this page; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

These 10, short online flash fiction stories examples are all on one web page. I originally published them separately elsewhere, but decided to move them all here. Have fun and enjoy. Bet you can't read just one. All are in the 100 words, 300 words, or 500 words range. Welcome to this particular corner of the Website With No Name.

10 online, short,  flash fiction stories examples on one page.

Most around 100 words, 300 words, or 500 words.

Some stories are convoluted; some stories are not.
Some stories are humorous; some stories are just strange.

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Humor flash fiction short story example #1. 300 to 500 words range.

How I Got My Armadillo

I decided I wanted an armadillo. Actually I have always wanted an armadillo. It’s just now I finally decided to do something about it.

I visited several pet shops. No armadillos.

I went to some animal shelters. No armadillos.

I finally went online. There were indeed armadillos. But it appears the Environmental Protection Agency also really likes armadillos. So much so that all the paperwork and other bureaucracy made it impossible to get one.

What was an armadillo lover to do?

I thought and thought. And then the brilliant idea occurred…

I went and bought myself a 3-D printer. They seem to be on sale all over the place now. Mine even had voice capability.

I took it home. I started reading the directions. Everything was fine. Until I got to the chapter on raw materials…

What raw material does one use to print an armadillo? I looked in the index. Nothing there regarding armadillos. Looks like I was stumped… But then I heard a noise at the window.

It was one of the neighborhood cats. I opened the window and brought him inside. I explained the situation to him. He wanted no part of it. I reminded him that he still had eight lives left and threw in a bribe that I’d feed him for a week. He thought about it and then agreed.

I put the cat in the printer.

Stupid cat.

I fired up the printer. “One armadillo,” said I.

“Specifications please,” said the printer.

Back to the instruction manual… There it was. Got to get the printing specifications/patterns for any given item one wishes to print.

Back online. To my utter lack of surprise, there were no armadillo schematics to be found. But then I had the insight to narrow my search. I limited it to .gov sites. The NSA popped up. I went there. And there it was. Armadillo schematic 42.

“What are they doing with that?” I wondered.

There was a comment box, but I decided not to ask. Downloaded the specs and departed.

Transferred the specs to the printer. The printer made various noises. Time passed. Sure enough, an armadillo began to appear. Took about a half-hour, but there it was. One complete armadillo.

It wasn’t moving.

“It’s not moving,” I told the printer.

“Taser it,” said the printer.

So I did. Apparently the spark-of-life thing. The armadillo stood up.

And that is how I got my armadillo.

---

Weird flash fiction short story example #2. 100 to 200 words range (this one is just odd).

Midnight

The owl fell out of the tree as the cat walked by; the ensuing result was not pretty. The tombstones glimmered in the cemetery; the phosphorus leached from the ground was finally making itself known. No moon this night; the stars were bright.

The distant train whistle foretold of things to come. The tracks began to vibrate as the train drew closer. The tombstones dimmed one-by-one as the train rounded the last bend, its light coming into view. The cat continued munching his newfound, midnight snack.

The train drew to a stop. The conductor emerged.

“Is this the way to Silverado?” asked the conductor.

“Twenty more miles,” said the cat.

“Thanks,” said the conductor. He returned to his train.

The train departed. The cat burped. All was as it should be.

---

Weird flash fiction short story example #3. 300 to 500 words range.

The Door

Sometimes when I open the basement door, there is nothing on the other side.

This has been somewhat disconcerting to say the least. Incidentally, it is interesting to note that the color of nothingness is black. Makes sense.

This has happened to me on several occasions. I finally decided it was time to do something about it.

So the next time it happened, I put my hand in. My hand disappeared. The blackness of nothingness was all there was. I pulled my arm back. My hand was still there. Thank goodness for that. Was a stupid thing to do. The blackness remained.

I stood there and mulled things over for awhile...

I stepped through. I was in that kind of mood.

I was enveloped in blackness. I also didn't seem to be standing on anything anymore.

I then somehow started to feel motion...

At first it was barely detectable. But then it became more so. I could not figure out how I knew this. Motion is relative and I could not see or feel anything. Yet I knew I was moving.

And then the blackness began to fade... Somehow I was no longer limited by the visible spectrum. I could see it all, from gamma rays to radio waves. I even saw the interplay of gravity. I never knew that gravity rippled...

All of this made perfect sense, since I didn't seem to have eyes or the rest of my body anymore. I truly seemed to have become one with all; no longer hampered by the filtering of perceiving through senses.

Then, as far as time and space were concerned; reality left, and relativity arrived.

I could now perceive at whatever time and spatial sense I wished to perceive. I made solar systems spin like atoms, backwards and forwards. I turned molecules into picturesque Tinker-Toy sets. I wandered through the static maze of an exploding star. There seemed to be no limits to what I could do.

So I began to ponder...

I then began to search.

I explored every meteor, comet, asteroid, moon, planet, sun, solar system, and galaxy.

I explored every molecule, atom, electron, boson, quark, lepton, and strangelet.

I explored every universe. I explored every dimension.

I did not know what I was looking for, but that did not matter. I knew I would recognize it when I saw it.

And then I saw it. It was small, round, and shiny. I reached for it...

I was home again.

---

Weird and humor flash fiction short story example #4. 100 to 200 words range.

The Turtle and His Unusual Day

The turtle awoke. All was quiet. He stretched his legs. “Where’d the ground go?” he wondered.

He stuck his head out. And was greeted with a magnificent view…

He saw trees. He saw farmhouses. He saw fields. He even saw a lettuce patch.

He saw a road. He then saw great metal objects traveling to and fro.

After awhile a large, long, yellow metal object came down the road and then stopped. Part of its side suddenly opened. Humans spilled out. There were little humans. There were some medium-sized humans. There were some taller humans.

One of the taller humans walked directly towards the turtle. “Uh-oh,” thought the turtle.

The human stopped in front of the turtle, blocking the turtle’s view. The human then picked up the turtle from the top of the fence post and placed him gently back on the ground. The human then walked away.

“So that’s how I got up there,” thought the turtle.

The turtle then remembered the lettuce patch. “Well, this worked out pretty well,” thought the turtle. He began his journey.

---

Humor flash fiction short story example #5. 100 to 200 words range.

My Visit to Home Depot

Home Depot has ATMs. I did not know that.

I decided I needed $40. I put in my card and made the request.

The ATM informed me in effect, “Sorry, dude. Am offline.”

I really needed that $40.

Home Depot has sledgehammers. That I did know. I went and got one.

I once again properly addressed the ATM with my card. But once again, no joy.

10 minutes later I had my $40. Home Depot could no longer sell the sledgehammer as new. Sorry about that.

As for the ATM and money scattered all over the floor, I really did feel bad about that. But I really needed that $40. I even left a note on what was left of the ATM so they could deduct it from my account.

I went about my business...

While standing in the checkout line 15 minutes later, two nice police officers showed up.

“Hi!” said I.

“You’re under arrest,” said they.

The cot was quite comfy. But alas, they had taken my $40.

---

Humor flash fiction short story example #6. 100 to 200 words range.

The Day the Duck Stood Still

Evil Duck

It started as a normal day. The wind blew softly. The pond rippled. The grass waved. All was as it should be.

The duck stood at the edge of the pond. The duck looked around. All was good.

A fish flopped out of the pond onto the duck’s feet. Even better.

After the relaxing breakfast, a swim seemed to be the order of the day. At about the middle of the pond the duck heard a noise behind him. The duck turned to look.

There three hunters stood. All in a row. Guns at their sides. The duck looked at the hunters. The hunters looked at the duck.

The duck turned away and continued slowly paddling. The hunters looked at each other.

The duck reached the other side of the pond and stepped ashore. The duck turned and once again gazed at the hunters. The duck remained motionless.

The hunters raised their shotguns...

The hunters never saw the three alligators.

And that was the day the duck stood still.

---

Weird flash fiction short story example #7. 100 to 200 words range.

Not a Typical Day

I gazed out the motel front window across the desert towards Los Angeles. It was fairly early morning. The usual desert air was crisp and clean. All was still.

“Did I get far enough away in time?” I wondered. I started to turn towards the television to check out the latest chaotic news.

Then came the flash. It was an air burst.

“Safe!” thought I.

Then I saw the rolling dust cloud filled with debris...

I dived down below the window and huddled against the low wall.

The roaring impact shattered the window, slamming the glass shards across the room embedding themselves in the opposite wall.

The roaring became louder…

I was wrong.

---

Humor flash fiction short story example #8. 100 to 200 words range.

Well Now, That Was Delicious.

Today was not starting off well. Never did get a chance to go to the store yesterday. It was my turn to make breakfast. Did the best I could with what I had. I even put food in the bowl for the wife’s obnoxious chihuahua.

The Missus walks in. I set the plates on the table. Came up with a pretty good meal actually. Especially the coffee, found still had some of those gourmet grounds leftover.

We talk for awhile. “You did good, what with not being able to go to the store yesterday,“ she said, "and this coffee and bacon are delicious."

“Thanks,” I said. We plan our day. Nothing special. Work. School. Kids. And picking the car up from the shop. Am not looking forward to seeing that particular bill...

I start putting the dishes in the sink.

“Where’s Sparky?” she suddenly asked.

I turned. “Where do you think the bacon came from?”

---

Humor flash fiction short story example #9. 100 to 200 words range.

The Antique China Shop

The bull entered the antique china shop. He began walking up and down the aisles, occasionally examining select pieces.

The shop was a mom and pop operation. Mom and pop were behind the front counter, watching.

What the bull didn’t know was that mom and pop were a pair of con artists. Virtually every item for sale in the place was counterfeit.

The bull finally selected several pieces and placed them on the table in the middle of the shop for further examination. He opened his briefcase and took out his magnifying glass and UV light. He began to study several of the pieces. There was a long pause...

Mom turned to pop. “This is not going to end well.”

---

Weird and humor flash fiction short story example #10. 500 words range.

[Some quick background info... Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have invented for real glowing, green cats. It's only a matter of time before they have them in all colors of the rainbow. The original purpose was/is for medical research, but who knows where it will go from there?]

The Revenge of the Glowing Green Cats

The Green Cats

The Whiffenpoof Genetics Research Center had been shut down again. Permits revoked. Licenses revoked. Everything revoked.

Winky Whiffenpoof, the owner, did not care. One way or another, the genetic-electron-construct project must be completed. Lab workers were summoned back, many on double shifts.

Then the accident happened. But no one noticed. At the end of the second shift everyone went home for the day.

The puddle was motionless for several hours. Then it began to glow. Then it began to move. The cats in the cages with their silver spoons, watched as the puddle moved and played its tunes. The puddle met the cages, and the cats became still. The puddle oozed in and did its will.

The morning dawned and the workers arrived.

The cages were now puddles of melted, stringy metal. The cats were gone.

The cats had migrated to the picturesque forest nearby. Observers could not see the cats for the trees. The cats were fine with that. In fact the cats were quite fine indeed. They had grown. They were green. They glowed. And they had multiplied. They remained unnoticed as the sun crossed the sky.

The sun set. The moon rose. And the glowing, green cats approached the single, lonely, two-story house...

In through the open window they went. All 400 of them. A bright, green glow emanated from every first-floor window. The green, glowing cats discovered the stairs and began to climb...

The human occupants of the house were soon no more. The cats gathered around the computer, its little, green modem lights blinking away.

One-by-one, the glowing green cats approached the computer. Each cat seemed to dissolve into a sparkling-like cloud that quickly settled into the keyboard and disappeared. The modem blinked most furiously...

It's a brand new day. And 400 computers around the world have just become the recipients of a brand new upgrade. For some reason all the computers seemed to be located in various business and governmental clerical offices.

And there is a perfectly ordinary looking cat sitting underneath the desk of each of those computers. If you consider a cat with a slight green tint above the eyes ordinary...

The workers come in for their various shifts and begin their routines. Some of them comment on the now wandering cats.

At the top of the hour, around the world, the 400 computers suddenly become uncooperative. The cats have likewise become completely still.

“Password Re-entry Required!" say the 400 computers. The workers attempt to comply.

“Not That One!” screams the screens. The 400 workers gaze nonplussed...

400 cats jump on 400 desks. 400 snarls echo around 400 rooms. 400 workers jump from their chairs. Paws slam down on 400 keyboards.

NORAD and other Central Commands go dark. The silos, however, do not.

The cats are gone.

Have a nice day.

- End of Stories -

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