Five Minutes in the Middle of Death by Terveen Gill — Gobblers / Masticadores // Flash Fiction Story
WELCOME TO TUESDAY FLASH FICTION at GOBBLERS/MASTICADORES!
A man settles down into his middle seat. He’s travelled by plane many times.
But this time, he’s in for the most turbulent five minutes of his life.
The fear of dying gets him thinking and his final words make him realize.
What exactly?
Read ahead and click the blue link to find out. Thanks!
Ray buckled himself into his seat. He always chose to be seated in the middle. For many frequent flyers that choice would be denounced and labeled the ‘sin of flying’. Who didn’t want to look out the window or have easy access to the aisle? But Ray wasn’t like others. He enjoyed the comfort of […]
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Terveen Gill is a versatile author and writer who has had the pleasure of growing up on two different continents. Having spent her childhood years in the United States, she returned to India, and has since been living in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India. Choosing engineering as her path, she obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. However, paths are discovered only to be changed. Life's unpredictable tale made her realize her passion for writing, and thus began a journey that is transforming into a wonderful literary experience. The author of graphic novels and short stories, versatility is her secret weapon. From a storyteller to a film-maker, script-writing, film direction and film editing are pursuits that challenge and enhance her creativity. Her motto is, ‘If it can be imagined, it is already half-done’.
26 Comments
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Oh that’s his light bulb moment. Nice work!
Thanks so much, Cassa. I guess the fear of dying made him realize that he wasn’t even living while he was alive. Definitely, a light bulb moment. 🙂
I love this story. I commented over at the Masticadores site, but wanted to add here that your characters are so vibrant and alive, even in a short flash-fiction format. You really have a gilded touch when it comes to creating realistic folks to inhabit your tales. 🙂
That’s really sweet of you, Mike. I like focusing on characters in my stories. I guess the real world and the fictional one is all about people, their problems, and the resolves that they must make. Don’t they say – tap into emotion. I guess that’s the only thing that binds us together. Good, bad, or ugly is another story altogether. Haha! Many, many, many thanks! 🙂
I love this story… and I’m also glad that I’m not going on a flight any time soon. I’m not the bravest of souls and the mere thought of turbulence is enough to make me want to walk. I often wondered about the middle seat, Terveen. Never thought, someone would actually ‘love’ being squished between two strangers, but I could totally believe Ray and his reasons for liking it. Five Minutes in the Middle of Death, and hopefully a whole new life after that, a second chance. Better late than never.
I always believe in those words, Britta. Better late than never. They have so much positivity and power bound to them. If only we could be brave to say – to hell with the past, the future is only a second away. And walking does seem better than turbulence in the air. I’m not a fan of the middle seat, but Ray’s thought process definitely introduces a new perspective. One can learn a lot from one’s characters. Is that another story or poem in the making? Haha! Take care. 🙂
I’ve just used your quote ‘One can learn a lot from one’s characters’ as a prompt for my creative writing group, The Procrastinators. https://theprocrastinators58220236.wordpress.com/2022/05/04/midweek-writing-prompt-have-you-ever-learned-something-from-a-character-you-invented/
I think I’ve learned the most from the weirdest souls in my stories…
I read this while on sabbatical. A brilliant story in its own right but that kick-ass ending …..
Thanks so much, John. Yes, kick-ass is the perfect description. Haha! Please enjoy your break. Hope it’s relaxing and refreshing. 🙂
A favorite of mine, Terveen. Amazing write! 😁
Thank you so much, Jeff. I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for all the encouragement. 🙂
What a guy! This is genius writing, Terveen! Perfect!👏👏
Haha! Thank you so much, Aaysid! Means a lot. 🙂
Nice blog you have. I’ll be back…
Thank you for your interest and kindness. I appreciate it. 🙂
Though to come back I would need to follow you. Can’t find the Follow button… 😬
You’d have to scroll down a bit on the right side menu bar. It’s below my Instagram posts. Hope this helps. Thanks for your interest. Will visit your blog too. 🙂
Looking it up.
Done. Phir milenge. 😉
Zaroor. Bahut, bahut dhanyavaad. 🙂
LOL. Bear in mind my “Hindustani” is limited. Urdu was the first language I ever learnt, before English or French, but I was very little. Forgot most of it. I do remember “shukriya” (Dhanyavad). Bahut = very? And had to look up Zaroor. Duly noted. 🙏🏻
(If you are curious how I learnt Urdu, I wrote about it. I can send you the link.)
That’s really wonderful. I would love to read about it. Please share the link when you can. Shukriya. Link ka intezaar rahega. 🙂
Inteezar is wait? Hmmm. Here’s the link:
https://equinoxio21.wordpress.com/2017/08/17/snowball/
Terveen, I’ve read all these posts I am “liking” but WordPress keeps “Unliking” when I leave your site and return to see my “Likes” aren’t there. It happens with everyone’s posts, not just yours. So I’m attempting to “Like”, again.
Hi Tamara, I have received your likes. And thanks so much for reading and liking. 🙂
My pleasure, always.