Hysteria
On the birthday before he started school, he received a pencil case from his paternal grandparents. The violet, oblong pouch contained a pencil and a pencil sharpener in the same color. He didn't remember what had happened with the pencil or the sharpener, but he had kept the case for years. He clearly recalled its rough fabric and the school-smell of pencil graphite inside it.
A small, bipedal black cat with a large head and eyes was printed on the case. The black cat's world was a solemn sky of violet. The cat stood gazing up, holding a lamp with a flexible neck in one paw. Above the cat flew a tiny black submarine with its periscope peeking out.
Beneath the cat, the word “Hysteria” was written in thin, curving letters; the name of the line of children's stationary products the pencil case belonged to.
For a long time he thought that was the cat's name, or the word for the surprise a small black cat feels when it sees a submarine in the sky. Only years later did he learn that hysteria was considered neither cute nor funny.
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Author's Note
This is chapter 27 of The Empty City.
Digital and print formats forthcoming.
Yes. This is flash fiction at its best.
Great presence to the imagery. "A small, bipedal black cat with a large head and eyes was printed on the case. The black cat's world was a solemn sky of violet. The cat stood gazing up, holding a lamp with a flexible neck in one paw. Above the cat flew a tiny black submarine with its periscope peeking out." Good piece.
dig your shapes and colors. a black cat. a violet landscape. a submarine. good times!
masterly set up for god knows what else could happen here following this scene. eerie, how you veer off into philosophy at the end. wholly believable.
Wonderful to read, visualize, and think about. * (and welcome to fictionaut!)
Quite nicely done, Berit! Images so effective. *
Thank you very much for your kind comments; James, Sam, Mike, Marcus, Jane and MaryAnne! :)
It's very good to be here on Fictionaut!
I'm looking forward to reading your stories!
Veering off into philosophy is a very commonplace occurence for me. ;)
I really like what you did with this, Berit - very well done. *
Thank you so muc for reading and commenting, Foster! :)
Looking forward to reading your stories.
Spare and concise, terrific ending.
You made it strange. And then stranger.
Thank you Andrew and Alex! :) Strange and stranger is my aspiration! :) Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
It's the strangeness that makes this piece work so well, and makes it so believable. Ultra-real. Love the sensory touches: the scent of graphite and the rough fabric. The wild colours. Also, the bipolar title and the ending. *
Very glad to hear you like it! :) Thank you very much for the thorough reading and the generous comment! :)
This is one of my favorite bits of The Empty City. I may have read it aloud to Em. I don't recall. I often do when I read something wonderful. And he's a sucker for little black cats.