Flash Fiction: Just Breathe by Cathy MacKenzie

Welcome to the Spot Writers. The prompt for February is to begin your story with “Just breathe and count to ten…” Sorry this post is a little late. Tiny Baby is Queen of the Universe and makes Mommy sometimes question what day it is!

This week’s flash fiction, “Just Breathe,” comes to you from Cathy MacKenzie. Check out her Facebook page, OUT OF THE CAVE [and the call for submissions (payment of $10 if accepted) for a horror anthology for teens]. In the spirit of horror, this one is a little dark.

~*~

Just Breathe

by Cathy MacKenzie

“Just breathe.”

“But I can’t. It’s so hard…the stuff going in my mouth—”

“Try, please try. I need you to survive.”

“I want to, too. You think I want to die?”

“Breathe. Just breathe. Count to ten.”

“I can’t count to ten.”

“Come on. One, two, three, four….”

“I counted to three. No more breath—”

“Breathe.”

“Ah, I did. You hear me?”

“Yes, you did well. Another. And another. Keep going. One breath. Two breath.”

“I can’t.”

“What did I tell you? Breathe. One—”

“What makes you queen of all shit?”

“Just breathe, sweetie. One—”

“No more. Stop. I can’t.”

“Please. I don’t want to lose you.”

Silence.

“Please. For me?”

Silence.

“You there?”

“I’m here.”

“You took a breath, then.”

“I did.”

“You stole it!”

“I did?”

“Well, yes. You said you were done, so you stole it from someone.”

“No, I’d never steal.”

“You’re still there, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you said you had no more breaths, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So you stole. If you had no breath left, then you stole.”

“No….”

~*~

 The Spot Writers–our members:

 RC Bonitz: rcbonitz.com

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

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

Tom Robson: https://robsonswritings.wordpress.com/