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# Ashley Rebel

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://theashleyrebel.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Violet](https://theashleyrebel.com/violet/) - Muses, according to myth and legend, are mystical beings. They're the soft voices in our heads we typically call inspiration. When they whisper, we dream.
- [Missed Mark](https://theashleyrebel.com/missed-mark/) - I've decided to resurrect an old character for this week's 500 Club. The prompt I've chosen is: "Write a scene that seems to send us in one direction, but switches up in a surprising way. Don’t go for the cheap joke, though. Again, subtlety is key." If you have not read my previous short fiction
- [Fuck Mary Kill](https://theashleyrebel.com/fuck-mary-kill/) - I heard someone reference the game “Fuck, Marry, Kill” this past week, and it immediately struck me as the basis of a story. After all, there’s a name in there. If you tease it out. When I started this, that’s all I had. A name. But it flowed right into The Assassin Diaries beautifully, even though
- [Too Much](https://theashleyrebel.com/too-much/) - She’s like a perfect storm building on the horizon. You can smell the rain. You think to yourself, “It’ll be nice to fall asleep to the sound of rain tonight.” Then the tornado sirens go off.
- [Raven’s Wings](https://theashleyrebel.com/ravens-wings-2/) - Raven turned slowly. Her hands were full, but she just dropped everything she held onto the bed and walked over to Heather. She stood before her, glowering. “Do you know what we did?” she asked.
- [Restricted](https://theashleyrebel.com/restricted/) - I don't know that, strictly speaking, this one fully fulfills the 500 Club prompt it was written for: Take two easily relatable points and connect them in a way that you would NOT expect. Examples: Your house to the neighbor’s house via submarine; Your house to China via the center of the Earth; childhood to
- [In the Woods](https://theashleyrebel.com/in-the-woods/) - I missed my flash fiction post last week, so this is me catching up. Hit up the 500 Club for the prompt or to join the fun. in the woods Billy found the body in the river. The head was on the bank near the county road bridge. Colin found it. Crystal spotted two of
- [Stink Eye](https://theashleyrebel.com/stink-eye/) - The prompt for this week's flash fiction struck me, at least initially, as nearly identical to last week's prompt: "Create a character who is the opposite of you and write a scene from his or her point of view. Be sincere. Honest. Don’t judge your character." It's close to the same thing in some ways and
- [Six Months of Night](https://theashleyrebel.com/six-months-of-night/) - This week's 500 Club prompt stumped me. It was simply this: "Break outside of your comfort zone. Write 500 words from the point of view of someone unlike yourself. Examples: Little person, amputee, autistic, or deaf." Anyone familiar with my flash fiction will know that I like to fulfill the prompt's requirements in unexpected ways. Perhaps it
- [Quite Contrary](https://theashleyrebel.com/quite-contrary/) - Why is it that writing in a bitter voice can be so much fun? It would get old doing it all the time, I'm sure, but every now and then talking on a narrative voice that is so cyclical, so tainted that it makes the average Stephen King story feel like a fairy tale is just
- [Raven's Wings](https://theashleyrebel.com/ravens-wings/) - My favorite game to play when writing flash fiction is to turn the prompt I pick on it's head, meeting the requirements in a way that clearly deviates from the expected. It's a challenge I like to make to myself--how can I push the interpretation of the prompt as far as it will stretch and
- [Beating the Dead Horse](https://theashleyrebel.com/beating-the-dead-horse/) - This week's bit of flash fiction is a little late. Late enough, in fact, that it is actually last week's. I'm working, once, again, off a prompt from the kids over at the 500 Club. It was a tough one. I chose the following prompt: "Go pull one of your favorite books off the shelf. Flip around
- [Blood and Frosting](https://theashleyrebel.com/blood-and-frosting/) - I'm back on schedule this week with another 500 Club post. I keep telling myself I'm going to use prompts from a different source one of these weeks, but the folks over at The Parking Lot Confessional are going to have to give me stale prompts one week to push me to it. This week
- [With Power](https://theashleyrebel.com/with-power/) - Typically when posting a piece of flash fiction based on a 500 Club prompt, I post the prompt right up front, too. That way you know what requirement I was trying to meet when pounding out my 500 words. However, telling you the prompt for this piece of flash fiction would spoil all the fun,
- [Crazy](https://theashleyrebel.com/crazy/) - In keeping with my commitment to write more flash fiction, here's something based on a 500 Club prompt: "The new year marks ends and beginnings. Write 500 words where the last line mirrors the first." Admittedly, it's an easier prompt than I usually go for. Half the fun of flash fiction, for me, is the challenge. But,
- [Black Friday](https://theashleyrebel.com/564/) - Something for the 500 Club, which I haven't written for in entirely too long, and for Nimue who told me some time ago that all my 500 Club posts are sad. This one started out that way—started, in fact, based on the other prompt. The opening line was "Give me the baseball bat" and it got
- [Lights Out](https://theashleyrebel.com/lights-out/) - I wrote this one fast. I mean, fucking fast. Perhaps because it's been a long day and this was therapeutic. The 500 Club prompt is this: Write 500 words “after the lights go out.” It doesn’t have to be caused by a storm, but it does have to keep the tension of whatever’s to come.
- [Roses Are Blue](https://theashleyrebel.com/roses-are-blue/) - It's been entirely too long since my last 500 Club post. So, here we go again. I don't really know what to say about this one. The prompt was simply, "Write a scene involving the color blue. This can mean the literal color blue, a blue emotion, blue language or an object or symbolism involving
- [The Price](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-price/) - This one was fun. After my last 500 Club entry, Nimue asked me, "Why are all your stories sad?" I said, "They aren't all sad." To which she replied, "Yeah. They are." I thought for a moment. "Okay," I said. "They aren't happy." I intended this one to be downright cheery, but it wasn't in
- [Ground Under](https://theashleyrebel.com/ground-under/) - I'll be honest. I'm not really sure where this story came from or why it seems to hearken so much to Of Mice and Men. Whatever this case, this is your weekly dose of the 500 Club. The prompt I chose was simple. "Write a story involving an occurrence underground." Hope you enjoy it. ground
- [The Scars](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-scars/) - This week's 500 Club challenge was a tough one, in part because I refuse to take the easy road and in part because I was in a noticeably dark mood. (When am I not, right?) Whatever the case, I choose the following prompt: "Can You Taste It? Focus on the sense of taste. In 500
- [Sexy Back](https://theashleyrebel.com/sexy-back/) - I've decided to move my 500 Club disclaimers to the top of each post, as one of my three reader's recently told me that they were confused by a flash fiction post until they got to the end and realized that it was, in fact, fiction. That said, this week I've gone with prompt number
- [Karma](https://theashleyrebel.com/karma/) - "Police! Arrest this man!" Harold ran along the sidewalk careening back and forth as though the city were twisting beneath him. The police officer at the corner looked up from his hot dog unsure of what to make of Harold. Fifty feet behind him a younger man, probably in his late forties, was also running toward
- [Mi Pollo](https://theashleyrebel.com/mi-pollo/) - When no one was looking, I casually set the chicken on fire. Wait. That's a horrible way to start. Let me back up a bit. Lindsey Gordon is, perhaps, the most appealing girl in all of Wichita Falls. Granted, that's not saying much, but you'll have to take my word for it. She's quite remarkable.
- [In Spades](https://theashleyrebel.com/in-spades/) - I tapped my pack of Lucky Strikes against the corner of the desk. I needed a drink, a stiff drink, but Frankie was still making like he had gone clean for good and the stash I normally kept in my desk was gone. The smokes would have to be enough. I dug my lighter out
- [Do You Remember?](https://theashleyrebel.com/do-you-remember/) - Do you remember how the trees used to whisper to us? In the summer time, free from school and homework and responsibilities, we used to run outside, to the park or to a neighbor’s house or to our own backyards, and the trees used to rustle in the wind, chanting soft invitations to us. “Climb
- [Snow](https://theashleyrebel.com/snow/) - I sat in the waiting room with Darren, my legs crossed and tucked underneath me. I think it's some sort of defense mechanism—reverting to a more child-like posture because I felt vulnerable, that kind of shit. In better days, Darren would have been quick to point it out and advise me as to the psychological
- [Run](https://theashleyrebel.com/run/) - My mind is reeling. That sickly dizzying feeling crashes over me again and I wretch, heaving. But my feet don’t stop. It hardly makes any sense to me. I don’t know what’s going on, don’t know why it’s happening. He was so insistent, though. He told me to run. “Run away with ya’self,” he said.
- [Raven's Wrath](https://theashleyrebel.com/ravens-wrath/) - 100 words maximum, excluding the title, of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above (‘confidential’, ‘midnight’, and ‘troll’) in the genres of horror, fantasy or science fiction.
- [The Price Is the Price](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-price-is-the-price/) - The last several weeks have been pure chaos, though I admit that shouldn’t stop me from writing. I’ll try to be better. I promise. Thank you for waiting so politely in my absence. You didn’t complain or pitch a fit or anything, and I appreciate that ever so much. Especially given how much you must
- [Leaving the Fold](https://theashleyrebel.com/leaving-the-fold-2/) - I'm sorry for the fiction hiatus. It's been a long month, full of ups and downs. Most weeks I've just been too drained. I've started a few stories, but finished none. And this week, I'm cheating. Sort of. I'm dusting off an old story originally published on my site all the way back in 2012.
- [Tender Embrace](https://theashleyrebel.com/tender-embrace-2/) - This week, another redo. I promise to bring you something fresh next week. But first, I’d like to revisit one of my favorite short stories. It’s simple and quick, with a nice little reveal at the end. I like the punchiness of it. I made only minor edits to the original. Enjoy. tender embrace “You’re
- [The Dentist](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-dentist/) - 100 words maximum, excluding the title, of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above (‘floss’, ‘history’ and ‘sketch’) in the genres of horror, fantasy or science fiction.
- [The Crate](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-crate/) - 100 words maximum, excluding the title, of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above (‘crate’, ‘nerve’, and ‘simultaneous’) in the genres of horror, fantasy or science fiction.
- [The Waiting 2](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-2/) - This is a thematic sequel to last week’s story. There’s no plot bridge. The two tales are in no way related, beyond a similar motif. They’re both about waiting. I’ve never done this before – taken a theme and explored it from different angles. It’s interesting to write completely different pieces that are about the
- [The Waiting 3](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-3/) - I’m having too much fun with this whole thematic thing to stop, so here’s story number 3 on the concept of waiting. As I mentioned last week, these stories aren’t a part of a traditional series. The characters, plots and moods are totally different. The only thing that’s the same is that all of them
- [The Waiting 5](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-5/) - There are a lot of things I like about writing prompts. Here’s one. Sometimes the prompt is merely a hoop to jump through. An exercise in creative story-telling. And sometimes the prompt makes the story. I didn’t have any particular idea what story I was going to tell today, but when I read the prompt
- [Plunked Clean](https://theashleyrebel.com/plunked-clean/) - I’m taking a one-week break from my series focused on the theme of waiting. There’s only one story left, and I have a rough idea of what it will be, but it simply wasn’t ready today. When a story is like that, sort of there, but not really, I know better than to push. There
- [Fair Enough](https://theashleyrebel.com/fair-enough/) - We haven’t heard from Jimmy and Glenn in a while, so this week’s story revisits the duo’s dark antics. The plot is pretty much the same. I see myself writing more of these, but I don’t see any big changes in theme or resolution. Jimmy and Glenn are going to keep right on doing that
- [Rhapsody](https://theashleyrebel.com/rhapsody/) - I like to revisit characters, even in super-short form. This is one of those times. James Kinter remains, for me, an epic villain. There’s nothing particularly original about him. He’s like so many other killers, a disturbing mix of sophistication and psychopathy. But that’s part of why I like him. Well, not HIM. Stories that
- [Bound](https://theashleyrebel.com/bound/) - Last week’s 100-word was so much fun (and so well received), I can’t help it. I have to do it again. I really like the feel and idea behind this story. I may have to play with it. I don’t see it being a lot longer, but it might work with more than 100 words.
- [The Fury](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-fury/) - Oh, it can be fun to go dark. It’s especially fun to go dark in the name of righteous vengeance. This makes three weeks running of flash fiction based on prompts from the good folks over at The Prediction. If you’re into writing flash fiction, I encourage you to check the site out. They’re a
- [The Greatness](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-greatness/) - I’m going to go ahead and answer three questions about the story below before you ask them. First, yes, I’m talking about who/what you think I’m talking about. Second, if it reminds you at all of The Hunger Games, that’s not by accident. And third, it absolutely qualifies as horror. The prompt this week is
- [Customer Service](https://theashleyrebel.com/customer-service/) - It’s time to (very briefly) revisit the nameless assassin. I haven’t written a story about him in a while, and this week’s prompt was a good match for his verbose nature. He does so like the sound of his own voice. Sadly, this story doesn’t really get at his overall character. If you’d like to
- [xoxoxo](https://theashleyrebel.com/xoxoxo/) - I’m not sure why, but three of my last four flash fiction stories have prominently featured guns. I’m not particularly into guns. I don’t own one. I don’t even know much about them. But few things deliver savage violence like a bullet. Especially one to the head – another commonality. This one was difficult to
- [Trust Issues](https://theashleyrebel.com/trust-issues/) - This is (possibly) the beginning of a short series, as well as backstory for a character from a yet-to-be-published book. Vague, I know. I only warn you because if you're looking for closure, you won't find it at the end of this short piece. It's really more of an intro I wrote on the fly.
- [Still Here](https://theashleyrebel.com/still-here/) - I said it on Tuesday, and it’s true today. There was a reason last week’s story went missing. I liked it, but I like its replacement a lot more. This is the follow-up to the story I started two weeks ago. I think it’s going to be a short series. We’ll see what happens. I
- [Dubious in Dumas](https://theashleyrebel.com/dubious-in-dumas/) - This week I’m picking back up on the series I started a few weeks ago. While this is only the third installment, I already feel like it’s overdue for a name. But I’ve got nothing, so I’ll just have to wait for inspiration. Or Vye. Probably Vye. There’s no prompt this time. If you haven’t
- [Killing Blow](https://theashleyrebel.com/killing-blow/) - The story below is a great example of why I love 100-word flash fiction. There's a lot happening in a very short amount of space. That's the compelling challenge of it. Can you tell a real, full story without saying much at all? I'm not saying this is a prize-winning story. I mean, I think
- [Flattering](https://theashleyrebel.com/flattering/) - My favorite go-to source for 100-word flash fiction prompts is The Prediction. In general, I recommend the site highly. Except for weeks like this week. The Prediction follows a simple format for their flash fiction prompts. Always 100 words of horror or fantasy with the criteria that three specific words be included. It's simple, but
- [Siren Song](https://theashleyrebel.com/siren-song/) - Just a quick 100-word story this week. The prompt is from The Prediction: 100 words maximum, excluding the title, of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above (‘canvas’, ‘feint’, and ‘mate’) in the genres of horror, fantasy or science fiction. siren song It was a feint. A ruse. A trick, a
- [In the Details](https://theashleyrebel.com/in-the-details/) - I’m not going to lie. My use of two of the words from this week’s 100-word flash fiction prompt feel like cheating. Pairing ‘lemon’ and ‘bun’ was far too easy. But I followed the rules, so the fact that it didn’t take much effort doesn’t constitute a violation. Sometimes flash fiction prompts are that way.
- [Marital Bliss](https://theashleyrebel.com/marital-bliss/) - The great thing about having multiple fiction projects going is that if you’re not feeling one, you can roll to another. I really wanted to continue the series I’m working on today. I even started the next part, but it just wasn’t flowing. The story is there, but not ready. So I decided to opt
- [Dependence Day](https://theashleyrebel.com/dependence-day/) - No long intro. Just straight to the fiction. After all, it is a holiday weekend. Which reminds me, be safe, people. Tragedy belongs in our fiction. Best to avoid it in your celebratory fun this weekend. Speaking of fiction, (and completely ignoring that I did, in fact, just include a brief intro...) The prompt for
- [At the Ready](https://theashleyrebel.com/at-the-ready/) - I’m a broken record lately when it comes to flash fiction. My standard intro is something along the lines of, “No long intro. Just straight to the story.” I’d like to write a longer intro this week. Hell, I’d like to write a longer story, but I have a social engagement tonight and I’m all
- [Lazy Sally](https://theashleyrebel.com/lazy-sally/) - They’re back. If you’ve not read the first story about Glenn and Jimmy, check out “Martial Bliss” by clicking here. This is one of my favorite kinds of horror. It’s truly horrific, the things these men do. They're most definitely bad men. Vile. Evil. Without redemption. Linking their lack of character to a fundamental state of
- [Nuptials and Nosh](https://theashleyrebel.com/nuptials-and-nosh/) - This is a follow up of a sort. Way back in 2012, I wrote a delightfully grim little story called “Blood and Frosting.” It's one of my favorite pieces of flash fiction that I've authored. Its dry tone is different from my usual writing style, but it was so much fun. The story below has a similar
- [The Waiting 1](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting/) - Something short and simple this week. Nothing more than a scene, really. I have an idea for a fresh take on a well-known fable, and I may try to tackle that next week. No promises. We’ll see. This little bit of fiction, however, was written based on a promote from our friends over at The
- [Concerning Miss Gloria Morein](https://theashleyrebel.com/concerning-miss-gloria-morein/) - I'm tempted to introduce this story by saying something I say entirely too often: "I have no idea where this came from." Aside from being repetitive, that claim falls a little short in the honesty department, too. I know where it comes from. I just don't know why. Let me explain. Fiction comes from within.
- [Further Consideration](https://theashleyrebel.com/further-consideration/) - I like Gloria. I like her a lot. I'm not saying she's my favorite. For one, I can't imagine ranking my characters. It seems like a cruel thing to do. I mean, it's not like they don't have feelings. And besides, I've only just met her. I don't know how I'll feel about her over the long
- [Backstory](https://theashleyrebel.com/backstory/) - I'm late. Bah. I hate that, but this installment was tough to write. I'm doing something kind of ambitious. Or crazy. It could be crazy. I'm attempting to mingle some real history with fictional history, and I'm doing it by tackling fairly dark territory. Josef Mengele was a real man. You can read up on
- [Ironic](https://theashleyrebel.com/ironic/) - My apologies. For the second time within a month, I'm late with my weekly flash fiction post. The holiday weekend distorted my sense of time and I simply forgot. If it's any consolation, good food and quality time with friends and family were involved. That makes it okay in my book. Originally, I planned to publish
- [For Vindication](https://theashleyrebel.com/for-vindication/) - This week, something totally different. Think of it as a gift. I'll let you decide whether or not it's the literary equivalent of a lump of coal. A little over a week ago my sister introduced me to the poet Tony Hoagland. (You can check out one of his poems, "Beauty", here.) His work is remarkable and
- [Very Dangerous](https://theashleyrebel.com/very-dangerous/) - When I saw this week's prompt from The Prediction, all I could think of was that epic line from Raiders. Initially I tried to unthink it, but that's some kind of unattainable voodoo. (Don't believe me? Don't think about a purple giraffe. Eliminate the idea of a purple giraffe from your mind. Visualize anything but a purple
- [First Lesson](https://theashleyrebel.com/first-lesson/) - This week hasn't gone as planned. I had ever intention of hitting the ground running, powering into a fresh, new year with gusto. My immune system had other ideas, and I've spent the last several days sick as a dog. (Boy, that's a weird phrase when you think about it.) I hate being sick. You'd think
- [Fire In the Gray](https://theashleyrebel.com/fire-in-the-gray/) - This week is unusual for a few reasons. One, I'm late with my fiction post. Okay, so that's happened before, but never this late and never for this reason. I had a migraine. It was my first, and it was not fun. It was most likely a result of the combination of having been sick, allergies, and
- [Gnomeward Bound](https://theashleyrebel.com/gnomeward-bound/) - I'm always looking for new sources for story prompts, mostly coming up empty. This week, however, I discovered that Tumblr is chalked full of blogs with all kinds of story prompts. Why didn't I think to look there sooner? This week's prompt comes to us from Writing Prompts That Don't Suck. Like last week, I
- [The Turning](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-turning/) - I really wanted to use a prompt for this week's flash fiction, but I may have forced this super short story. The content is fine. Conservative word choices, which are mandatory if your limit is a measly 100 words. I have no issue with the flow, either. It's just that there's hardly even a complete
- [The Nightmare Begins](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-nightmare-begins/) - One of my first memories of enjoying horror was watching Twilight Zone: The Movie with a friend when I was a kid. It wasn't terrifying by any stretch of the imagination, but it was unsettling. And yet, it was also cathartic. When I saw the writing prompt posted on The Prediction this week, my mind
- [Bodies](https://theashleyrebel.com/bodies/) - You know what I really like about 100-word flash fiction? The challenge of packing an entire scenario into such a small amount of space. If you can make 100 words feel like a whole story (or at least the intro to one), that's a beautiful, artful economy. It's also really good practice. Mark Twain said, “Writing is
- [Revelation](https://theashleyrebel.com/revelation/) - This is a teaser, pure and simple. I don't know where it's going yet, but I like the beginning. In case you're wondering, the nightmares depicted below are my own. I've had those dreams. The analytical part of me suspects they mean something. The human part of me just hopes I don't have them again.
- [Half Right](https://theashleyrebel.com/half-right/) - I have a dilemma. Last week I asked for feedback on this series. To date, only one reader has responded to that request. (No biggie. I know everyone's busy.) The evaluation was not positive. Mostly, it had to do with the tone of the stories and the focus of the characters. Both Harkins and Carter
- [Gun, Fun and Sun](https://theashleyrebel.com/gun-fun-and-sun/) - Hey, look at that. I kept my word two weeks in a row. I delivered my annual Black Friday story last week, and this week we're back to my current series-in-progress, The Guild. I wondered if it would be tough to slip back into these characters. It's been a few weeks since I wrote about
- [Back in Black](https://theashleyrebel.com/back-in-black/) - Per Nimue's request, a Black Friday story. I'd like to think this story is really clever, but—back off Seven—the truth is it's probably not as slick as I want it to be. Still, it was fun to write, and I like the riddle quality of it. Part of the fun of developing this kind of
- [Fade to Black](https://theashleyrebel.com/fade-to-black/) - As promised last week, here's the follow-up to last year's Back in Black. I can't say much about the story, though, because the fun of it is in figuring out what's going on. If you haven't read Back in Black yet, do that now. Skipping it will mean you have no idea what's going on
- [Weapons Hot](https://theashleyrebel.com/weapons-hot/) - There's no rhyme or reason to this story. I just started writing and this is what came out. It's weird because I'm not particularly fond of either character, and I very rarely write anything without at least one character I adore. Nevertheless, I think Harkins is kind of a mental pushover and Carter is just too
- [First Impression](https://theashleyrebel.com/first-impression/) - I'm having a bit of fun, and you don't even know it. Hell, I didn't know it until after I finished last week's story. It was actually the beginning of a series that's peripherally related to the book I have coming out before too long. I'm big into back story and cross-overs. In my mind,
- [Badassery](https://theashleyrebel.com/badassery/) - It's later in the day than I'd like, and Nimue is waiting on me for dinner, so I'm going to dive right into this week's flash fiction. After one brief comment. This story is written in third person, but from the point of view of Carter, one of the lead characters. It's meant to sound like
- [Mish-Prep](https://theashleyrebel.com/mish-prep/) - It's raining right now. There's even thunder. The house is already semi-decorated for Halloween, and I get to pound away on my keyboard to the delightful sounds of rumbling and the occasional flash of light. This is a great day to be a writer. I don't require ambiance to write, but I never turn it down.
- [Cornered](https://theashleyrebel.com/cornered/) - Okay, I'm on a slow-ass public WiFi network and ready to put this puppy to bed. But please don't take my brevity here to mean anything negative about this installment, though. I like it. A lot. I like how it flows, and while there's little in it that's 'essential' to the plot, I think it
- [Marionette](https://theashleyrebel.com/marionette/) - Everyone's heard the idiom: "If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well." Most of us think it's true. I think it's bullshit. I have a former professor to thank for that. He called the wisdom of this little gem into question, pointing out that there are plenty of things we have to do
- [Passage](https://theashleyrebel.com/passage/) - This weeks flash fiction is a short 100-worder. Though I wrote it fast, I like it. It feels to me like there's a lot more to the story, and that's a nice feeling in something so short. That may mean I come back to it one day, and it may not. One of my completed
- [Pearls Before Swine](https://theashleyrebel.com/pearls-before-swine/) - Sorry for this week's lateness. Life, huh? It happens. This feels more like the outline of a story than an actual story. Really, that's what it is. No single idea is explored enough. Add it to the long list of beginnings I need to revisit. The prompt for this one is, once again, from our
- [Karma's Bite](https://theashleyrebel.com/karmas-bite/) - This story is (weirdly) for a friend, (kind of) by request. I was writing it with two prompts: the one included below, and one conveyed through a private conversation with my friend about a frustrating relationship. I promised a literary assassination, and here it is. Granted, it's brief. Blame the prompt. And me, but only
- [Asunder](https://theashleyrebel.com/asunder/) - Time for a blast from the past. (How I hate that phrase, and yet I've inflicted it on you. Deplorable, but kind of funny.) Late last year I gave you a 100-word flash fiction piece that revisited James and Jessica Kinter. This week, I give you another. I have a couple of longer Kinter stories in mind,
- [Rising](https://theashleyrebel.com/rising/) - As is often the case with 100-word flash fiction, this is more of a teaser than a story. From here, I could revisit what is essentially a beginning and see what happens next. Often, I make mental note to do just that with these super-short tales. But not with this one. Instead, I want to
- [Words](https://theashleyrebel.com/words/) - After a few weeks of misses, The Prediction has (finally) bounced back with a prompt I want to run with. I love flash fiction in general, and I truly believe writing based on prompts will make you a better writer. It gives you a place to start and a creative challenge to boot. But flash
- [Stray](https://theashleyrebel.com/stray/) - I suffered a bout of writer's block today, wrestling over what to work on both for this post and in general. I hate those kinds of days, but they do happen. They're easiest to bear when you don't really feel like writing, and oh-so-much harder when you want to write but can't. Today was the
- [Elegant Decay](https://theashleyrebel.com/elegant-decay/) - My apologies. I'm running short on time this week and, even though I promised fewer hiatuses from The Dark Calling, I'm taking another this week. We're nearing the end of that tale, and each section takes more time to write. I'll be back with more of it next week, Vye willing. This week, I'm reverting
- [Pretty, Pretty](https://theashleyrebel.com/pretty-pretty/) - Yesterday was busy for me. I've not missed a weekly fiction post in years, though I have missed the occasional Friday. This week I'm late, and that's only half the bad news. The second half is that this is not an episode of The Dark Calling. But, to make it up to you, something brief
- [Stone Cold](https://theashleyrebel.com/stone-cold/) - I realize that it's actually 2015, but this feels like the last fiction post of 2014 to me. Calendars be damned, I always think of the first Monday of a new year as the true start. Fresh week, fresh year. Until then, it's 2014 in my head. I'm closing out 2014 with a short fiction
- [Transfixed](https://theashleyrebel.com/transfixed/) - Writing fiction is funny. It can be both draining and energizing, often at the same time. It's been a long week, and though part of me wants to give you another episode of The Dark Calling, I have this nagging feeling I just don't have it in me today. I don't want the story to
- [Waiting](https://theashleyrebel.com/waiting/) - While I would have loved to continue with The Dark Calling this week, I simply had too much to do today. I refuse to rush those pieces, so I'm opting for a quick flash fiction story, instead. I've said it before and I'll say it again: there's something wonderful about flash fiction. In some ways,
- [Fresh Out](https://theashleyrebel.com/fresh-out/) - It's weird. I have no real experience with drugs, but once in a blue moon they make their way into my stories. I'm not sure why. Well, in this case I know why. 'Drug' was one of the prompt words. But the second flash fiction story I wrote almost 5 years ago featured a cocaine
- [Killer](https://theashleyrebel.com/killer/) - I had intended to keep plugging away at The Dark Calling this week. The story is almost done, and I'm anxious to see it through. However, I wasn't feeling it today, so I've opted for unrelated flash fiction. The story below started with a he, not a she, but I didn't like the way it
- [Mine](https://theashleyrebel.com/mine/) - Two things about this short piece of fiction. One: It's late. The latest I think I've ever been with my weekly fiction post. I apologize. Friday was chaotic, followed by a packed weekend. That's not an excuse, though. Writers are writers because we make the time to write. We make it a priority. I allowed
- [An Understanding](https://theashleyrebel.com/an-understanding/) - Flash fiction, delivered on time this week. The prompt is from The Prediction: 100 words maximum, excluding the title, of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above (‘army’, ‘break’ and ‘blue’) in the genres of horror, fantasy or science fiction. I enjoyed writing this, though I struggled with it a bit.
- [Nocturne](https://theashleyrebel.com/nocturne/) - When I initially saw the prompt for this flash fiction piece, I honestly considered finding another. The words ('arch', 'piano' and 'vegetate') just seemed too loose, too disjointed, too fucking random to include in the same 100 words. How do you use those three words and make it horror? My brain ached at the prospect
- [Make It Pretty](https://theashleyrebel.com/make-it-pretty/) - This story is a continuation of the flash fiction I wrote last week for Flash Fiction Friday, though this one has been written based on a prompt from the 500 Club. (If you haven't read "those screams" yet, you might want to check it out first.) It's funny--I thought last week's piece was particularly dark, but that wasn't
- [Raiding Party](https://theashleyrebel.com/raiding-party/) - The saga of the Kinter house continues. If you haven't read my last two flash fiction pieces, you might want to check them out before wading into this one. (Be sure to read them in the order they were published.) I find myself warming to this story with each new piece I write for it.
- [By Design](https://theashleyrebel.com/by-design/) - Time to add another layer to the trouble brewing in the Kinter house. If you haven't read the first three installments of this series, be sure to check them out here before diving into this one. (The link will display them with the most recent story at the top. Scroll to the bottom and read
- [Bad News](https://theashleyrebel.com/bad-news/) - Once again this week we revisit the Kinter house. If you haven't read the other stories in this series, be sure to check them out here before reading this week's flash fiction. (Start at the bottom and read them in the order they were posted.) The prompt for this story comes from the gang over at the 500 Club, and
- [Those Screams](https://theashleyrebel.com/those-screams/) - I don't know what to say about this piece of flash fiction. It is easily one of the darkest I've ever written. (If you're squeamish, feel free to skip this one. I promise, next week's won't be so rough.) It takes a standard, familiar premise (the weird, old guy everyone in the neighborhood suspects is
- [Lesson One](https://theashleyrebel.com/lesson-one/) - Once more to the Kinter house, but first, the standard disclaimer: If you haven't read the other stories in this series, click here to read them before getting into this week's flash fiction. (Start at the bottom and read them in the order they were posted.) The prompt for this story is brought to you by the 500 Club.
- [The Wishing Stone](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-wishing-stone/) - First, a disclaimer: If you haven't read the other stories in this series, click here to read them before getting into this week's flash fiction. (Start at the bottom and read them in the order they were posted.) The prompt this week (from the 500 Club) is a perfect example of how unpredictable the development of this series
- [Blood Sucker](https://theashleyrebel.com/blood-sucker/) - For this week's flash fiction, we head back to the basement of the Kinter house. But first, a disclaimer: If you haven't read the other stories in this series, click here to read them before getting into this week's installment. (Start at the bottom and read them in the order they were posted.) The prompts were tough this
- [La Fine](https://theashleyrebel.com/la-fine/) - Things are coming to a head in the Kinter house basement. If you haven't read the other stories in this series, click here to read them before getting into this week's installment. (Start at the bottom and read them in the order they were posted.) I feel the series drawing to a close. It won't be long
- [The Kiss](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-kiss/) - For anyone who is wondering, I see The Kinter House coming to a close in the next couple of weeks. I think there will be two more installments. I have a loose idea of what I think (and hope) will happen, but until I see the prompts, I just won't know. Oh, and if you
- [In the Dark](https://theashleyrebel.com/in-the-dark/) - We're almost at the conclusion of The Kinter House. This post is the second to last. I think I see how it's going to end, but the prompts may yet dictate a sudden change. We'll have to see. Speaking of the prompt, it was particularly hard to adapt this installment to one this week. This
- [The Truth about Fairies](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-truth-about-fairies/) - Now that The Kinter House is done, I feel the urge to write something a little more lighthearted. Dark still, but not quite so twisted. The piece below was a fun romp. It was written with admitted haste, as I'm also tackling NaNoWriMo this month and I have words (quite a lot of them) to churn
- [Shadeslayer](https://theashleyrebel.com/shadeslayer/) - I'm in the midst of NaNoWriMo and have decided to mix things up a bit this week, going with a super-short 100 word story for my weekly flash fiction piece. I've done a couple of these before. They are fun, though writing something so short is an entirely different experience than my usual 500-1500 pieces.
- [Brother's Keeper](https://theashleyrebel.com/brothers-keeper/) - NaNoWriMo is in full swing and I'm happy to announce that I've written 36,456 words so far. At my current pace, I'll easily finish on time, but my book is almost certainly going to exceed the 50,000 word minimum goal by a good bit. The story is growing as I write, and I know when I'm
- [The Dignity of Squirrels](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-dignity-of-squirrels/) - Back to the 500 Club for this lighthearted holiday story. Nothing dark or sinister. No horror. No magic--well, not much. No villains, ghosts, monsters or demons lurking in the shadows. Just something nice, even silly, for your Thanksgiving Day reading pleasure. Here's the prompt: Write a scene from the POV of the friend of [a] character...who has
- [Words and Whispers](https://theashleyrebel.com/words-and-whispers/) - I think good, engaging action can be tough to write. In spite of that, I've chosen the following prompt (from the 500 Club) for this week's flash fiction: "Write an action scene with just enough dialogue to establish character. Whatever action you choose — car chase, fist fight, peeling a potato — use the physical
- [Stranger Danger](https://theashleyrebel.com/stranger-danger/) - The 500 Club has yet to post a prompt for last week, and I'm already way behind, so I've gone to a different source for this week's flash fiction post. (My on-writing post will publish tomorrow and then there will be another flash fiction piece on Friday, which will put me back on shed-dule.) I'm
- [One Does Not Simply Walk Into Mordor](https://theashleyrebel.com/one-does-not-simply-walk-into-mordor/) - Most of the time when I'm writing flash fiction I have no idea where the story is coming from. I just start to write and something unfolds before me. Usually, at around 250 words, I kind of have an idea of what's happening and how to bring it to a close. Then I tinker with
- [The Ones That Got Away](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-ones-that-got-away/) - I hope everything is okay over at The Parking Lot Confessional. This is the second time recently that Thursday has come and gone with no flash fiction prompts. So, I've turned to another source for this week's frivolity: Flash Fiction Friday. Here's the prompt: Genre: Fairy tale/mixed Word Limit: 1200 Cue: Take your typical fairy tale
- [The Omens](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-omens/) - After a couple of weeks of writing from prompts published over at Flash Fiction Friday, I've decided to head back to the 500 Club this week. I've really enjoyed using an assortment of prompt sources in the last few weeks, so I'll probably keep right on juggling them. If you know of a good place
- [Introductions](https://theashleyrebel.com/introductions/) - I'm heading back over to Flash Fiction Friday for my prompt this week: In 1500 words, tell us about meeting the parents. Honestly, I was stumped on what to do with that for a while, but when I got rolling the story found it's way to the page with relative ease. I'm really curious as to whether
- [Last Rays](https://theashleyrebel.com/last-rays/) - I wrote this very short piece of flash fiction at a friend's request. She asked for something beautiful about zombies in 150 words or less. I hope you enjoy it. last rays “They’re at the back door, too,” Dawn said. “Great.” Paul hit the wall with his fist. In the corner, Jenna quietly began to
- [Tender Embrace](https://theashleyrebel.com/tender-embrace/) - This week's flash fiction prompt is brought to you by the good folks over at the 500 Club. It goes a little something like this: Deus ex machina: Where a seemingly unsolvable situation is neatly wrapped up by an intervening god, character, event, object, etc. A device better avoided… except this time. Write 500 words
- [Righteous Kill](https://theashleyrebel.com/righteous-kill/) - I'll be the first to admit it: I may be trying to fit too much story into the following piece of flash fiction. I like leading a reader along, playing my cards close to the chest until the end so that you don't know what's really happening for a good chunk of the story, but reading
- [Sleepless Nights](https://theashleyrebel.com/sleepless-nights/) - This week's prompt is brought to you by the 500 Club: Write a sleepless night. Dismiss your initial ideas and gravitate toward the unexpected. I ended up going with something stylistically different from what I normally write. I hope you enjoy it. sleepless nights "Talk to me about patient 75431." "He's a unique case. What are
- [The Killing Field](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-killing-field/) - Here's a quick bit of flash fiction, written for Phlambler's World. A 100 word limit is much shorter than my typical flash fiction, but I felt like giving it a whirl. The rules are simple: 100 words maximum, excluding the title, of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above ('barge', 'saint' and 'quiz') in
- [Red Dead](https://theashleyrebel.com/red-dead/) - This week's flash fiction is a first for me. It tops 1,000 words. I've written stories much longer than 1,000 words, but this is the first I've published here of that length, and the first time I've run so long with a flash fiction prompt. But the prompt for this week (from Flash Fiction Friday)
- [Azure](https://theashleyrebel.com/azure/) - Here's another 100 word flash fiction piece written for Phlambler's World. After last week's super-short story was well received, I couldn't help myself and had to go back for another. Capping a story at 100 words breeds an entirely different kind of tale and works different writing muscles. I may have to keep at this, perhaps
- [In Hiding](https://theashleyrebel.com/in-hiding/) - I read the ridiculous news story this morning about Michigan state Rep. Lisa Brown who was reprimanded publicly and forbidden to speak for a day as a result of having said the word "vagina" during a session in which the state House was debating legislation to regulate abortions. It irritated me, the silly close-mindedness of people who cannot
- [Repercussions](https://theashleyrebel.com/repercussions/) - Today, I'm headed back to Phlambler's World for another go at 100-word flash fiction. Stories of this length--super short--are fascinatingly different to write. They are fun and quick, though quite challenging in their own way. Painting a scene of any real depth is not easy in so few words. Feel free to let me know what you think of
- [Of the Essence](https://theashleyrebel.com/of-the-essence/) - I hope that I've managed to stick to the prompt more this week than I did last week. Last week's flash fiction, 'in hiding', was so much fun to write that I didn't bother too much with coloring inside the lines. Normally, following the prompt is part of the fun for me, but I got
- [Substitutions](https://theashleyrebel.com/substitutions/) - It's flash fiction time again, but I'm making a departure from the norm. This week I'm not using a prompt. Several of the sites I cruise for prompts weren't updated when I sat down this morning, and the prompts over at the 500 Club, while good, were simply too much like the prompt I wrote
- [Leaving the Fold](https://theashleyrebel.com/leaving-the-fold/) - Most of my flash fiction leans toward dark subject matter, but that usually means horror or suspense or fantasy. Today's story is a bit different. I blame the prompt from the 500 Club and my own conservative upbringing. Not that I was born into a cult or ever called a compound home. Far from it.
- [The Name](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-name/) - I have mixed feelings about how this piece turned out. In my mind, Jonathan and Aramis are trying to accomplish something they believe (perhaps misguidedly) is good. However, I simply didn't have enough space to squeeze that into 500 words. Okay, I probably could have, but I have a 3 hour drive ahead of me
- [The Message](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-message/) - This week's 500 Club offering is a two-fer. That's right kids—I've taken on both prompts in one 500 word segment. I've done this because, (1) I missed last week and felt the need to offer up more the the writing gods this week, and, (2) I've been wanting to write something that satisfied both prompts
- [The Upside](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-upside/) - Been a while, I know, but here is my 500 Club submission for this week. (I really miss writing these posts when I go a couple of weeks without contributing. I suppose I should post more than once a week. Sucks that I have to maintain a day job.) The prompt for this week's post
- [Held Back](https://theashleyrebel.com/held-back/) - He's back. I really should consider writing more about the unnamed assassin. Something more than 500 words. I find him disturbingly comforting. This is, however, is another flash fiction piece for the 500 Club. The prompt is: "Often times we write stories where our main character rushes in to save the day. Write 500 words where
- [Killing Simon](https://theashleyrebel.com/killing-simon/) - The following is my long overdue weekly contribution to the 500 Club. I don't know that it's my best work, but it was sure fun to write. I have long been intrigued by the idea of assassins, but I've never thought to write from the point of view of one. Seeing the prompts for this
- [Blind Date](https://theashleyrebel.com/blind-date/) - I couldn't help myself. For this week's 500 Club, I've decided to revisit the character I created for last week's flash fiction post, "Killing Simon". If you haven't read that story yet, read it first. This one picks up where that one left off and is written based on the following prompt: "Your (or your
- [Red Sweater](https://theashleyrebel.com/red-sweater/) - It's 500 Club time again, and once more I've decided to indulge the same character. If you've enjoyed the last two weeks, hopefully this won't let you down. For some reason, the as-yet-un-named gay assassin is just too much fun to write. This week's prompt was simple: Write a story using "[CHARACTER NAME] never liked
- [Sister Brimstone](https://theashleyrebel.com/sister-brimstone/) - The fire in me is born of righteous indignation. I don’t care what holiness you claim or what heathen name you call me. I know what I am, and I stand against those who would abuse.
- [The Restless Spirit](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-restless-spirit/) - This is the first draft of my first attempt to write a fable. It’s largely inspired by a series of books I’m reading, The Fairyland Series. They’re fantastic. Better than what follows, frankly, though I’m pleased with how this came out, especially for something I haven’t yet revised or refined. It’s long for my typical
- [Devil’s Kiss](https://theashleyrebel.com/devils-kiss/) - I get on these kicks sometimes. I’ll find a fictional device and I want to play with it, exploring it from different angles. If you read last week’s story, you’ll get it. This one uses a similar structure. Some of this stuff is straight from my actual nightmares. As such, I find this particular story
- [Basically the Same](https://theashleyrebel.com/basically-the-same/) - This story is simple. There’s no deeper meaning. No commentary on society or human nature. No treatise on how people should behave, or the consequences of careless action, or even an ode to beauty or love. It’s just a 400-word gimmick. But an entertaining one. The entire point of it is the first and the
- [Savage](https://theashleyrebel.com/savage/) - I’ve written several variations of this scene. Not the same characters, the same situation, or the same outcome. Just the set up. An immortal and a human coming to some kind of arrangement in an environment of mock civility. I find it fascinating. Sometimes the immortal has the clear upper hand. Sometimes the mortal holds
- [The Visitor](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-visitor/) - I like ghost stories. Especially simple ones. That’s the thing about ghosts. They don’t need elaborate backstories or even motives to be both frightening and interesting. Their nature conjures fear and intrigue. Sometimes that’s enough. This ghost story is straightforward and, for no particular reason, breaks from my usual writing style. Lately, I favor shorter
- [In the Shadows](https://theashleyrebel.com/in-the-shadows/) - Funny story. I wrote this short piece of fiction more than week ago with the intention of publishing it last Friday. Most of the time, I write my Friday fiction the day of, but I was feeling prolific. Normally when I write fiction early like that, I schedule the post, but this time I thought
- [Footfalls](https://theashleyrebel.com/footfalls/) - I broke a cardinal rule in the story below. But I’m hesitant to tell you what it is because I’d really like to know if you even notice. So here’s what I’ll do. If you want to read the story without knowing what rule I broke, stop reading the intro after this paragraph. Just skip
- [The Waiting 10](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-10/) - This is the final waiting story. It’s really just a rough draft. I’d like to develop it into something more. Something longer that teases out the exchange described within. In this tale, the waiting itself is the horror. Fear is such a deeply personal thing, you may not find the idea behind this piece as
- [The Waiting 9](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-9/) - For the ninth installment of this bizarre little serious on waiting, a creative essay. The narrator isn’t me, so in that sense this is fiction. But you won’t find much of a plot. This is more about the mood, the feeling, of waiting. It was fun to write, but I still hesitated to make it
- [The Waiting 8](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-8/) - On to the eighth one. I’ve settled on a total of 10 waiting stories. It’s an unconventional series, but one I’m really enjoying. I’m going to take your silence as agreement. (It’s my website. I can do that.) This week’s tale pushes beyond the idea of merely waiting, unraveling the theme on another level. Sometimes
- [The Waiting 7](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-7/) - Another waiting story. I think I’m going to make it an even 10. But with Halloween coming up, expect some darkness for the next couple. I believe the story below delivers. There’s no gore. That’s not my favorite style. Just a calculated maliciousness that chills me, in part because I find the narrator’s situation sympathetic.
- [The Waiting 6](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-6/) - I was tempted to name this one something other than “The Waiting 6.” It is the sixth in this weird little thematic series I’m doing, and it is about waiting, but this more than the others feels like its own piece. Perhaps because I had a specific character in mind while writing it. But what
- [The Waiting 4](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-waiting-4/) - No prompt this time, but I’m still sticking to the theme of waiting. I like the idea of the story below, but I don’t think it’s quite fleshed out just yet. Luckily, that’s okay. This is more my mad scientist’s laboratory than my showroom. I’m not afraid to share stuff in a less-than-finished state in
- [They Came With the Rain](https://theashleyrebel.com/they-came-with-the-rain/) - I wish it were raining today. Maybe that’s part of how the story below came to be. But, of course, there’s more. I remember the feeling. When I was a kid, I felt alone a lot. It’s a sucky time to feel alone. Life’s too new. Kids should feel like they have all kinds of
- [How It Ends](https://theashleyrebel.com/how-it-ends/) - I’m not sure what this is. It’s dark. It’s about feeling trapped. Feeling hopeless, even. Which is ironic. I’ve felt this way, even recently, but I don’t feel particularly down or hopeless today. On the contrary, today has been a good day. Maybe that’s what made it so easy to tap into these feelings and
- [Weather Girl, Part One](https://theashleyrebel.com/weather-girl-part-one/) - This story is really just an exploratory mission. I'm working through an idea for a character, and this is an experiment. The concept is odd, so I’m seeing what it will be like to flesh it out. As a result, there’s not much of a plot to this one. Spoiler alert. Sorry. I like the
- [Weather Girl, Part Two](https://theashleyrebel.com/weather-girl-part-two/) - I’m doing something risky this week. I’m openly mocking last week’s story ... to drive the point home. I’ve never toyed with this particular trick before. Turning one of my characters on the narrator. On myself, I guess. But it felt like it fit. Also, Vye was positively giddy with delight at the idea. She
- [That Feeling](https://theashleyrebel.com/that-feeling/) - I wish I could write like this all the time. Not the style or the content of the story. The process. When I started this, all I had was a vague idea of a feeling somewhere between sorrow and rage. Hardly the basis for any kind of plot. But I went with it. I let
- [Working Late](https://theashleyrebel.com/working-late/) - I like my vampires dark. I don't do Vlad-lite. The character of Morgan doesn't seem to be a monster at all. As such, she's well outside the bounds of how I normally craft the vampiric. Eh. Writing her was fun. So there. working late "On the upside, it'll be the most interesting TPS report the
- [Faces](https://theashleyrebel.com/faces/) - I like writing from the point of view of a child. It's a unique kind of challenge, limiting your insight as the narrator to what a child would know. I don't claim to have that particular perspective mastered. I just think it's fun. Some sentences are flowery, and some are simple. It's not so much
- [Absolution](https://theashleyrebel.com/absolution/) - First, bad AR. This story is crazy late. It should have been here on Friday, but I've had an unusually hectic social life for the past few days, including some much appreciated time with out-of-town friends. My philosophy is generally that people are more important than writing, so I'm more than a little tardy. However,
- [Something More](https://theashleyrebel.com/something-more/) - This story wants to be more. I can feel it. Also, without spoilers, I'll let you in on a secret. I have no idea what the end means. Frequently, I don't know where my own stories are headed. For me, that's a lot of the fun. I wouldn't have it any other way. Happy Friday,
- [All That Matters](https://theashleyrebel.com/all-that-matters/) - No long intro. I have out-of-town guests on the way, and they'll be here any moment. I'll only say this story was a gift from Vye. I didn't even think while writing it. I just wrote and it just came. I love it when that happens. I also love feedback, so feel free to share
- [Now We Play](https://theashleyrebel.com/now-we-play/) - So, yeah. This plopped out of my head and onto the page today. I'm not sure what to say about it, and not sure I want to say much of anything. There was no prompt. I just sat and wrote. That's a dangerous thing sometimes, and sometimes it's cathartic. Maybe this is a bit of both.
- [Dinner Guest](https://theashleyrebel.com/dinner-guest/) - I can't take credit for this story. At least, not for the idea. When I woke this morning, the memory of a dream was still fresh on my mind. I knew immediately that the dream was meant to be a story. I played with it mentally for a while, trying to figure out what to
- [Passed On](https://theashleyrebel.com/passed-on/) - As sometimes happens, this story is a bit raw. It's half thought-out, and not really something I'd call 'polished'. I think it's a good beginning. The idea is downright eerie, but the execution (forgive the pun) isn't quite there. To be perfectly honest, I was planning to write a 100-word story this week, but The Prediction,
- [Condolences](https://theashleyrebel.com/condolences/) - I can't say much about this story without spoiling it, so I'm not going to say anything. Instead, I'm just going to invite you into it. I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think in the comments. I'd very much like to hear your thoughts on this one. condolences "For you,"
- [Last Request](https://theashleyrebel.com/last-request/) - I have no idea where this story came from. I sat down and started to write and this is what came out. And I love it. It's dark, vague, and feels like the beginning of something much longer. Hell, it might end up being the next series I tackle. I'm not sure yet. I just know
- [The Creepers](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-creepers/) - I'm not sure where the seed of this story originated. The idea found me this morning and I've been playing with it off and on, until about 45 minutes ago when I actually sat down and pounded out the flash fiction below. There's no prompt. Nothing I can point to and blame for the weirdly twisted
- [Background](https://theashleyrebel.com/background/) - Whereas most of the stories in The Assassin Diaries are more or less stand alones, this one picks up where the last one left off. (If you haven't read 'Cardinal Sin', I recommend getting on that before continuing.) I'm not sure how long this linked story will last--that is, how many back-to-back vignettes will follow
- [Karma](https://theashleyrebel.com/karma-2/) - This past week, I was talking to a friend about why I like this character. Part of my affinity for the unnamed assassin is that he has a moral code. It's a fucked up moral code, but he has one and that makes him interesting to me. My friend remarked that the significance of this
- [Cardinal Sin](https://theashleyrebel.com/cardinal-sin/) - Since The Dark Calling finished up, I've been a bit lost when it comes to writing my weekly fiction post. Initially, I went back to flash fiction, opting for short, 100-word pieces, but I've also been itching to revisit one of my favorite characters. This week, I decided to do just that. I'm going at
- [Bad Ideas and Wine](https://theashleyrebel.com/bad-ideas-and-wine/) - I had intended to pick up on The Dark Calling this week, but Vye had other ideas. If you're a writer and you fight your muse, you're a fool. She wanted me to revisit The Assassin Dairies, so I did. And, as usual when she's right there with me, the story just flowed. I started
- [Twice](https://theashleyrebel.com/twice/) - I owe you a longer intro. I really do. But the fact is I got busy with family and this post, which should have gone up last Friday, is the latest I've ever posted my weekly flash fiction. Three days late. Sincerely, I apologize, both for the delay and the lack of a real introduction.
- [The Last Mile](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-last-mile/) - It's been a rough week. I'm sick, coughing and hacking and generally feeling pretty shitty. But it's Friday, and I owe you some fiction. I haven't missed a Friday fiction post in years, and I'm not about to break my streak now. However, I am taking a break from The Dark Calling this week. (Yes,
- [Social Convention](https://theashleyrebel.com/social-convention/) - Five things about this story: 1. No, it's not a part of The Dark Calling. 2. It is, however, horror. Happy Halloween. 3. I got the idea when I was talking to my neighbor. He's a chatty guy. I don't know him well, but if our paths cross I typically end up in at least
- [Offline](https://theashleyrebel.com/offline/) - This is a seed story. It's like exploratory surgery. I had this idea a few days ago, and this little bit of fiction is my way of testing the waters. There's a decent chance this will become the premise of a much longer story, maybe even a novel. I like the mix of fantasy, sci-fi
- [Shattered](https://theashleyrebel.com/shattered/) - It's been too long since I wrote something gruesome. The story that follows is tame in comparison to some of the others I've written, but I opted to take a break from The Dark Calling this week and deliver a bit of horror instead. I like how the scene played out. As is so often
- [Dichotomy](https://theashleyrebel.com/dichotomy-2/) - This week, a blast from the past. Okay, it's from the past. 'Blast' has yet to be determined. This is one of the first serious short stories I wrote. I've edited just a bit, restructuring some particularly clunky sentences, but overall it is as I originally wrote it, including what was determined to be the
- [Rhino](https://theashleyrebel.com/rhino/) - Fair warning: this is preachy. Excessively so? Probably. But the message behind this piece has been on my mind a lot lately, and it truly bothers me. I think with work this story could be a good one. As is, it's probably too overt in its message. It verges on a creative essay more than
- [Half Rate](https://theashleyrebel.com/half-rate/) - For no reason other than the fact that I miss him, I'm taking a break from The Dark Calling this week to revisit an character I haven't written about in a while. Below is my first addition to The Assassin Diaries in almost 3 years. It's been too long. This story stands on it's own
- [All the Way Down](https://theashleyrebel.com/all-the-way-down/) - This week, I'm taking a break from The Dark Calling, my current, near-novel-length series, for two reasons: 1. I'm on my way out of town, even as this is being published. Nimue and I are headed to Fredericksburg, TX for their annual Oktoberfest. It's our fifth year to go, and it's a laid back weekend we
- [Everyone's a Killer](https://theashleyrebel.com/everyones-a-killer/) - This week, I'm taking an unexpected break from The Dark Calling. I wasn't planning to, but Vye insisted. A couple of nights ago, I had a vivid dream. I couldn't remember all of it when I woke, but I remembered enough. It was grim stuff, this dream, but I immediately began thinking through how it might
- [Into the Blinding Light](https://theashleyrebel.com/into-the-blinding-light/) - This scene played out earlier today: Vye looked at me from across my study. Her arms were crossed. "I don't care." "But all the others have been based on prompts," I tried to explain. "I don't care." "But what about the continuity of the series?" "I don't care." "What about consistency?" "I don't care." "What
- [Terms](https://theashleyrebel.com/terms/) - Normally, this would be a flash fiction post, but I'm out of town this week. So instead of the next installation of The Kinter House, I'm dusting off a short story from my personal fiction vault. One I wrote several years ago. It's neither horror nor dark fantasy, which are the two genres I tend
- [Under the Bed](https://theashleyrebel.com/under-the-bed/) - This week's fiction post is a little different. First of all, while it's not a particularly long story, it's too long for me to consider it flash fiction. However, I am out of town today and this post has been scheduled for days. I typically write my flash fiction on Friday--most of the sites I
- [Insufferable](https://theashleyrebel.com/insufferable/) - Of all the things I hate about Bethany, none is more irksome than her clomping. She clomps around at all hours, each footfall landing solid on the hardwoods and reverberating throughout the house.
- [The Tour](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-tour/) - It’s just a story. That’s what you’ll tell yourself. That’s how folks keep from losing their minds. But I seen things—horrible things. And there are things even I won’t dare to look at.
- [When They Come](https://theashleyrebel.com/when-they-come/) - When they found him, he was incoherent. “They come in the night,” he said. Evelyn knelt beside him. She scanned his face. His eyes wandering to the floor as he muttered, “That’s when they come.”
- [New Series](https://theashleyrebel.com/new-series/) - I’m beginning a new series on my Patreon. Sort of. It’s the continuation of a series I’ve been adding to a little at a time for a long while.
- [I'm Back](https://theashleyrebel.com/im-back/) - Gods above and below, it's been a while. More than three years since I last published a story here. But I miss it. I miss it a lot.
- [Join me on Patreon](https://theashleyrebel.com/join-me-on-patreon/) - My Patreon is live! A subscription-based model allows me to prioritize the stories I want to tell the way I want to tell them for the readers who love them.
- [Free Exclusive Content](https://theashleyrebel.com/free-exclusive-content/) - What will you find exclusively on Patreon? Microfiction, baby. While short, these stories can make a big impression. You just have to join for free.
- [How to Join a Patreon Creator for Free](https://theashleyrebel.com/how-to-join-a-patreon-creator-for-free/) - The process of joining a Patreon creator as a free member can be confusing. That’s why I’ve created this guide. Learn how to become a free member.
- [Setup](https://theashleyrebel.com/setup/) - Mary goes shopping with Margaret, gearing up for her upcoming high-dollar contract. But the shopping trip ends with an unannounced visit.
- [The Downs](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-downs/) - Mary and Margaret meet for lunch so that Simon’s bestie can determine if the protege has what it takes to blend in with the super-rich.
- [Natural Predators](https://theashleyrebel.com/natural-predators/) - Mary’s finally getting her big break, but with conditions. Like, she has to partner up with her mentor. This job could make her whole career.
- [Leverage](https://theashleyrebel.com/leverage/) - Nyx and Keria make their way to Zillah’s quarters where they meet the blood doll. They have all the leverage they need to ensure his cooperation.
- [Cheating](https://theashleyrebel.com/cheating/) - While Nyx and Keria wait in the mud, plans are set in motion within the castle walls. Two small additions set the stage for their incursion.
- [Insane](https://theashleyrebel.com/insane/) - What do you do when you’re behind enemy lines and compromised? If you’re Keria and Nyx, you do something utterly unexpected—and more than a little crazy.
- [Best Laid](https://theashleyrebel.com/best-laid/) - You know the saying. The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. But what about the chaotic, improvised plans of lesbian vampire hunters?
- [Final Prep](https://theashleyrebel.com/final-prep/) - This job is a weird one. Keria considers the client’s requirements and reminisces about past contracts during the final moments before the infiltration.
- [A Slight Snag](https://theashleyrebel.com/a-slight-snag/) - There are always complications when it comes to killing vamps. What will Nyx and Keria do when they discover their perfect plan isn’t perfect, after all?
- [The Hilltop](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-hilltop/) - Keria’s ready to get serious about the mission. But Nyx knows what will give her focus the edge it needs. Don’t mistake their banter for distraction.
- [Caught](https://theashleyrebel.com/caught/) - Nyx and Keria make their way into the castle without incident. However, one of the vamps gets the drop on them while they prep for the next step.
- [On Top](https://theashleyrebel.com/on-top/) - If you can’t flirt in the prep leading up to a vampire slaughter, when can you flirt? Besides, Keria needs a little seductive distraction.
- [The Full Moon](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-full-moon/) - Sometimes the why doesn’t matter. Sometimes theories are just a waste of time. Sometimes, all that matters is attending to the business at hand.
- [A Slight Issue](https://theashleyrebel.com/a-slight-issue/) - What’s worse than a business meeting at Dave & Buster’s? Finding out you have just 24 hours to pull off a complex, dangerous job stealing from a vampire.
- [Turned Out](https://theashleyrebel.com/turned-out/) - In a tech-less dystopia, it’s hard to know who you can count on. Those you’ve trusted with your life could betray you. Even someone you called a friend.
- [By Hand](https://theashleyrebel.com/by-hand/) - Sometimes, a little is a lot. Especially when casting a spell that requires precision. If you’re lucky, you have a friend to help you clean up the mess.
- [Raven’s Stupid Friend](https://theashleyrebel.com/ravens-stupid-friend/) - Raven looked to the woman across the table. “I don’t read Tarot,” the woman said. She produced a worn deck of cards. Playing cards. “I read these.”
- [One Slip](https://theashleyrebel.com/one-slip/) - She understood how easily a simple mistake could fuck her over. One slip. One careless moment. One misplaced jab. One prick, and you’re fucked.
- [The Trials of Training](https://theashleyrebel.com/the-trials-of-training/) - Rose hated the trials—the timed sections most of all. “How do you expect me to cast something so complex in such a short amount of time?” she asked.
- [Headed East](https://theashleyrebel.com/headed-east/) - “I can’t believe we found it.” Sloane was clutching the Polaroid, tattered with blood on the edges. It was the only lead they had, and here they were.

## Pages

- [Ashley Rebel](https://theashleyrebel.com/) - My name is Ashley Rebel. I’m an indie writer focused on dark fantasy and horror fiction. Join me for scary stories, gothic fiction, and macabre fantasy.
- [Contact](https://theashleyrebel.com/contact/) - What’s on your mind? If you’d like to publish one of my stories, please reach out to me for permission. If you have a story idea and you’d like me to take a crack at it, I’m also open to commissions.You’re welcome to leave feedback, as well. If you like my stories, tell me. If
- [Links](https://theashleyrebel.com/links/) - Ashley Rebel dark fantasy + horror fiction IndieFiction Instagram Facebook Patreon newest stories featured stories FictionPodcast Coming soon! IndieMarketer Looking for someone who can develop a marketing strategy to meet your unique needs? All without using AI? Story Weaver Media
- [Store](https://theashleyrebel.com/store/) - Store Coming soon!

## Categories

- [Fiction](https://theashleyrebel.com/category/fiction/)
- [Journal](https://theashleyrebel.com/category/journal/)

## Tags

- [The Assassin Diaries](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/the-assassin-diaries/)
- [The Kinter Stories](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/the-kinter-stories/)
- [Featured](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/featured/)
- [Prompt-Based](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/prompt-based/)
- [100-Word Stories](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/100-word-stories/)
- [Zombies](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/zombies/)
- [The Guild](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/the-guild/)
- [The Seven](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/the-seven/)
- [Vampires](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/vampires/)
- [Fantasy](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/fantasy/)
- [Magic](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/magic/)
- [Not Horror](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/not-horror/)
- [Miss Gloria Morein](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/miss-gloria-morein/)
- [The Competition](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/the-competition/)
- [Raven Rising](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/raven-rising/)
- [Torture](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/torture/)
- [Sci-fi](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/sci-fi/)
- [The Castle](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/the-castle/)
- [Werewolves](https://theashleyrebel.com/tag/werewolves/)