Basics
by Gabe Durham
The game begins with a ball at center court. The ball is an egg. When the whistle drops, do not take any guff. Whatever an opponent whispers to you, project confidence. There are baskets, usually five or so. Don't feel like you need to run unless you just want to. When you spot a basket, fake, pivot, fake, and see if there's anything in there you could love some day. If you can't, move on. If you can, try not to come on too strong. Signal a teammate. Have your teammate flatter you. If an opponent is hovering around the same basket as you, fake, roll, fadeaway, and appear disinterested in the basket's contents. If your opponent sees through this, claim firsties. Failing that, let what's in the basket decide. Brace yourself. Remember your heart is large, feral, fanged. If the basket chooses your opponent, remind yourself that none of this has anything to do with the object of the game. Somewhere on the court is a gun.
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Author's Note
This was published, with my gratitude, by Matchbook.
Other stories by Gabe Durham
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This is great. It flew past me (I'm dense) and I had to reread to pick up the subtleties, but that's easy enough - this is one I could read and read and read.
I missed it on the first go. That's just the nature of Fn, I think, stories can get shoved off the main page w/out reads.
You should post this to the Matchbook group, the flash group, and/or the flash group, and it may get more reads.
PS thanks for the Believer article - good stuff.
great short-great read....
Thanks for the tip, John--I just posted to those groups. Glad you like that article--it's one of my favorites.
Really glad to hear it, Scott. When I get my act together, expect a wigleaf submission with some pieces from this series.
Oh, excellent.
Duh...there it is on the main page. I got here a roundabout way and assumed I'd missed it and it went by...
Very cool.
"If your opponent sees through this, claim firsties. Failing that, let what's in the basket decide."
Best part, in this reader's humble opinion.
Thanks, Cami and Sheldon!
Gabe, I especially like the last line. Great flash.
--Richard
I love the line Sheldon picked out by to me the best line has to be: "Remember your heart is large, feral, fanged." That's the kind of line I re-read, wishing I'd come up with it, inspired and overwhelmed.
Thanks, Richard! Thanks, David!
It's satisfying like pub darts going thunk thub thunk--all center hits. It's also a store with many floors.
That's downright blurbable, James. Though I can get a pretty tired in multi-floored stores--malls especially.
wonderful use of language. basic, yet brilliant. thank you sir.
Oh, I like this A LOT. Great pacing & tone.
Thanks, Finnegan and Marcelle! I'm glad you liked it.
I really liked this piece. It's hard to play as well with language in a non-referential way as you did here. To use common parlance, I "faved" it.
Hey Lorissa, thanks for saying so!