Flash Fiction: Can I tell a story in 300 Words
Subtitle: LHR, AMS, VIE, DME, OVB
It was late September when Peter Symon presented his ticket
for Vienna and checked in his bag at the KLM desk in Heathrow Airport. His
breezy “I don’t expect to see that again” was met with a forced smile. The bag
was found but he wasn’t.
In Schiphol Peter changed flights. He bought a cheap raincoat
in duty free and found time to shave and discard two small packages. He left
his glasses in the wash-room. When he glanced at his boarding card he could see
it said “DME”. He boarded an Airbus bound for Moscow.
In Domodevo Peter presented his battered passport at
immigration. The woman behind the glass screen scowled. He looked nervous as he
was led away.
Peter looked around the grubby office. “Things have changed a
bit since you were last here” said the official in heavily accented English. “I
suppose they have” replied Peter.
“You were expected. Your loyalty, or lack of it, has earned
you a trip to Siberia. There’s no purpose in running” said the official. “Do
you have any luggage?”
“I expect it’s in Amsterdam” frowned Peter. The official
nodded. “In that case, here is all you need. You have 2 hours to wait till for your
flight” he said, sliding the passport across the desk between them.
Peter glanced at the back of shiny passport, inspected one of
the hundred-rouble notes and looked closely at the boarding card. It read
“OVB”.
“Novosibirsk is pleasant at this time of the year. The days
are still warm, the leaves have started to change colour, and the first frost
has not yet come. I will show you the way out” said the official.
And Pyotr Pavlovich Semyonov went to buy a cup of coffee and
live out the remainder of his life. (1st December
2016 – 298 words)
This whole story is intended to be slightly ambiguous. Also, the final paragraph/sentence is a play on "and he lived happily ever after". The LHR etc in the subtitle and the story are the IATA codes for the various airports.
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