Flash Fiction: Of Hospitals and High Schools

Welcome to the Spot Writers. The prompt for this month is to write a letter from one character to another about a third character. This prompt is perfect for Val Muller, author of this week’s post: she’s currently writing draft 1 of a new young adult novel, editing her upcoming YA title The Girl Who Flew Away, and getting ready to work with an editor on a forthcoming second title, The Man with the Crystal Ankh, so she’s already got several characters and storylines floating around her head. You can find out more at www.ValMuller.com.

Of Hospitals and High Schools

By Val Muller

Dear Rey,

I heard you got in trouble at school the other day. Hey, being in the hospital all day gives me plenty of time to scroll through the social media feeds and stalk basically everyone.

You should know by now that if you’re going to arrive late to Trinity High, you’d better bring a cup of coffee for Mrs. Spencer. She likes the fancy stuff, too. Everyone knows that.

But that’s not why I’m writing. I heard you have a bigger problem than Mrs. “Attendance Queen” Spencer. I heard you rubbed admin the wrong way, and now the principal is on your back. I thought I’d share a rumor I heard.

And keep in mind, it’s only a rumor.

Depending on what you believe.

So my friend goes to this other high school. It’s called Hollow Oak. There’s this creep of an assistant principal there that would make your administration look like saints. At least, that’s how Sarah tells it. She thinks this guy’s evil—and I do mean evil. Like a hundred years old evil. Like, Poltergeist and The Omen evil.

She says he goes after souls.

Just for the record, Sarah sees ghosts. Or so she claims. And I can vouch for her. She doesn’t touch drugs. Her mind is a scary enough place. No, seriously. When she concentrates real hard—like when she plays the violin—she sees ghosts and stuff, and one of the ghosts told her about Evil Dude.

So anyway, I was thinking: Evil Dude is hungry for souls. You have some administrators giving you a hard time. I’m thinking win-win, right? We’ll just contact Sarah, give her the names of the administrators at your school you’d like to, um, dispose of, and maybe they make a nice snack for Evil Dude. Then Evil Dude leaves Sarah alone, you get the administrators off your back…and me?

What’s in it for me?

I’m sure you heard I’m in the hospital after all that’s happened. Broken bones are no fun. I didn’t know how tired they made you. But I have nothing better to do than sit here and think about stuff—your conflict with the principal, Sarah’s conflict with the supernatural.

At this point, I’m thinking of setting Evil Dude out on my sister. She so deserves it. How many times she forced me to lie to my parents in the past few days alone. She’s the reason I’m in here, after all… but then again, she is my sister. So before I send Evil Dude out to get her, I wanted to see what would happen. I mean, would he totally obliterate her, or maybe just rough her up some? So, like, maybe we could test it out on someone you don’t like—like your principal. Or whoever.

Just let me know how it goes.

Or if you know of someone else looking for a way to take care of an enemy… I text Sarah all the time. Just let me know.

Hope this letter makes sense. I can’t tell you what all they have me on for the pain and all the rest.

By the way, I heard your grandfather’s here in the cancer ward. Sorry to hear that. Seriously, give him my best. That alone should give you a permanent tardy pass, by the way. Anyway.

The next time you visit him, stop by to see me if I’m still here. It gets lonely. What a way to round out freshman year.

Fondly,

Steffie

The Spot Writers—our members:

RC Bonitz: rcbonitz.com

Val Muller: https://valmuller.com/blog/

Catherine A. MacKenzie: http://writingwicket.wordpress.com/wicker-chitter/

Deborah Marie Dera: www.deborahdera.com