So, there’s a contest for flash fiction out there and the details are below if you want to check it out yourself. I’ve never been spectacular at flash fiction, but I figured I’d give it a shot.
So, this is my piece for the Unexpected Fairy Tales Flash Fiction Contest, just squeaking in at 349 words. Enjoy.
A Grim Tale
Jared’s steps echoed off looming, moonlit buildings, their darkened windows like the eye sockets of grinning skulls. He had not planned on this walk home, or the trek down the alley, but a broken carriage wheel forced him into both, and now terror screamed silently that someone followed him.
A scrape echoed behind and he quickened his pace, clutching his cane like a club, or perhaps some magical warding device. Silly notion, he thought. He would have chuckled if he were not scared witless. His sister was the one who believed in such magical nonsense. He had never seen anything to suggest its existence and doubted he ever would. Shivering, he pulled his collar tighter and glanced over his shoulder, knowing that just as before he would find nothing.
The dark form struck, knocking him to the cobblestones. His spinning gaze rose to find a hoodlum looming over him, knife glinting, face a leering patchwork of teeth and shadows.
“Yer valuables,” the thief growled. “Now!”
Jared tore at his frock coat for anything that might keep him from the business end of that blade. He found his money purse and pocket watch, thrusting both at the assailant, pleading.
Steel flashed, splashing dark streaks into the moonlit sky. The hoodlum gurgled, knife clattering away, his body slumping to the cobbles, a dark pool spreading about the feet of Jared’s almost petite savior.
“Th…thank you!” he blurted, heart hammering. “If you hadn’t come—”
“Oh.” His savior turned, grinning, adjusting a faded stocking hat, red, Jared thought. “Wasn’t here for him.”
Jared’s soul froze and he crab-walked to unyielding stone.
“Ye see,” the man continued, “it’s m’ cap. ‘Tis a bit faded, an’ you’re gonna help me fix it. It needs t’ be red, an’ I chose you. Needs t’ be you, it does.”
Red cap’s blade glittered, crimson coated, dripping. Clouds crawled over the moon, and Jared’s final thoughts as glowing red eyes descended were of his sister and how he would never get a chance to tell her that at least one of those fairy tales were true.
Theme: Unexpected Fairy Tales
Length: 350 words or less.
Details: yearningforwonderland.blogspot.com & www.sjiholliday.com
Timetable: Contest open from April 4 till midnight, April 29th
Twitter: @ruanna3 & @sjiholliday & #ouatwriting
Well woven, well told, well done. The suspense builds perfectly…”wasn’t here for him”. This was literary ‘grim’ of the most wonderful kind!
Thank you!
I’ve always found flash fiction the most difficult to write.
That’s a really nice little story! I seemed much longer than 350 words — you really took me somewhere else.
Thanks!
It kept trying to grow by one word so that it became a juggling act. Let’s see what other extraneous word can I drop or how can I reword it to keep it at 350. 
Wonderfully grim. The final sentence was a great way to end this lovely little piece. Fantastic!
Thank you! Especially in shorter works, I always feel the first and last sentences are most important. I’ve been a big fan of the Twilight Zone and quite a few of my short stories reflect that. This evidently did, as well.
Wow. I adore flash fiction that can go through a plausible beginning, middle, AND end within the allotted word limit. I am so jealous.
Well paced, well threaded, well worded. Loved this!
Awesome, thanks! It’s always a juggling act for me with flash fic and this one was like tug of war. It originally came in at around 450-500 words and I had to cut the chaff to the point where it was coming down to cutting one word, adding a word, cutting one, adding one, etc.
I wasn’t expecting the ending – and yet the atmosphere throughout led directly to it, a great, dark ending and loads of energy throughout. For someone who finds flash fiction hard you’ve mastered it beautifully!
Thank you.
I do try. It’s difficult for me to try encapsulating an entire story in such a small space. It’s why I work more on novels than short stories. I’m glad this one worked out. 
Oooh, nice description, Daniel. You really bring the story to life! Excellent job.
Ooh, suspenseful and creepy, and such a great take on the myth of the red caps! Well done!
Thanks!
I’ve always gotten a kick out of the Unseleighe side of the sidhe and have had redcaps visit my imagination a couple times.
Dark and delicious! Thanks for entering
Thanks to you and Anna for hosting!
Red Caps are seldom used, so I always forget how insanely creepy they are! Great story. I feel terrible for Jared and his poor sister who will never see him again!
Thanks much! The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if I could one day revisit this from the sister’s perspective, perhaps make her a main character in a Victorian urban fantasy.
I’ve always liked the legends of the redcaps. Never wanna meet one though.
I had to look up redcaps after these comments, I hadn’t heard of the myths…but now I have, your story is certainly creepy and easy to visualise the dark streets and terror!
Shouldn’t be so self-deprecating, enjoyed it a lot! Thank you for entering!
That certainly is a grim tale. Your vivid imagery and great sense of pace make this an excellent piece.
Very cool! I was hooked from the first sentence, which is very hard to accomplish! Great payoff as well!
Thanks much, Dave! It was a fun write, though it originally came in at around 500 words. Talk about an exercise in excision for concision!