"So, what's yr tag?" She asks the new boy with the crazy hair and retro clothes. She caught him checking her out across the floor of the lab hangout and thought, big mistake bub.
"Escape" he answered in a shy way that she actually found quite cute.
"Ya mean yr the famous Escape?!" she feigns excitement followed by a deadpan, "Never heard of ya." Then asks, "Why 'Escape'?" But cuts him off before he can reply, "I bet ya crack the probots an' bolt before they can get a lock on ya? Or maybe ya speciality is throw'n escaped op codes in t' patch vuls. Or maybe is a throwback to the esc key on those ol' keybees m' Gran used t' use. After all yr dressed like from the 20s. Or maybe"-- She makes a face trying to think of some other reason he'd be called Escape -- "Well am I right?"
"Ah, not really."
"No?" He was making this a challenge.
"OK. Ya stole some really valuable dakit an' when the boss came lookin', ya escaped, like vanished in t' thin air an' hooked in The Environment™ at some blind spot where theyz can no find ya?"
She didn't notice his pupils dilate as he thought, Whoa! This is not possible! Does she really know about me?
"Well?"
"Look. I'm called 'Escape' because I hate peeps, and every time I hook in, I escape from all the in-your-face, nosey ones like..."
He draws ring shapes in the air and lands an accusing finger in her direction.
She's shocked by this and thinks, Damn. He *is* cute.
After a moment, he asks, "So, what's your tag?"
.fin
(283 words, prompt)
<◕.◕> so there's been a couple of easy tasters for yrz. next, let's get into some real, classic-style science fiction in "Thelma and the Man in Black"
YOU ARE READING
FLASHed
Short StoryDon't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds ... this is just a few of my flash stories. Each write around 1000 words from a range of science fiction, fantasy and horror genres (22 SF, 2 F, 1 H).