A whole world on a single page!
The short story morsels of One Page Worlds are flash fiction adventures of all flavors. Every Wednesday will feature a complete story in one page, or the first page of what could be a novel or novelette.
Sharing the fun and geekery is the best part of writing! Please tweet or comment with your guesses on what genre, character, and job is central to each tale. Enjoy touring new universes each week with One Page Worlds!
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“What better crowd to accept a leprechaun?” Rena said to her clients. She got mixed expressions in the studio’s mirrored walls.
A man entered the glass door Rena held open, crossed to the front row, and began stretching. His shaved head and trim beard were around knee-height, giving him the vibe of a tiny, buff biker going through a zen phase in his life.
Rena snapped the door closed and pointed to the clock on the sea-green wall above the front mirror. “Six-O-Two. Let’s get cranking. Figure eights for a warm-up. Go.”
The fifteen aerobics clients stood double-wide and began rhythmic stretches. Rena’s muscles slipped into a blissful, instructional model as she pivoted her shoulders and arms. A range of conversations tinkled off the polished floorboards and high ceiling. Among them, Rena caught Karen raising her voice when she insisted their guest was a man with a disorder. Or a hell of a past. Phil disagreed, but insisted the man wasn’t human, and shouldn’t someone call some authority or other to handle this?
“I was that authority,” the leprechaun boomed from the front. He spun in place on nimble feet, scowling up at Phil and still stretching. “When human children lost themselves in my country, I returned them. The Portal Surveillance Agency did that. Your world’s milk cartons served my department well until the internet and amber alerts took over. I’ve always meant to ask. Who oversaw those?”
“A fable in uniform,” Karen breathed, tittering.
“Focus,” Rena said tersely. “Phil, everyone, this is Jaspen. He won the seven day trial package here. Just moved in from where?”
Jaspen’s accent thickened when he met her grass-green eyes. “Rotherwood. Call me Jas, please. The PSA and the children I found called me Agent Jaspen. I’m here for a new me. If any of you had lost kids and then didn’t, you’re welcome.”