Flash Fiction

In English class, the documentary project involved flash fiction, a short story. Flash fictions are designed to be short and meaningful. For my purpose of this project, I did a 700 word flash fiction that describes the adventure of a musician who went out into New York city and expanded his world. The main character decides to go into the world and show his musical talent on the piano. During the performance a girl is drawn by his music. After he packs his stage up, realizes he made no money, he starts to walk home sad. His goal was to make money and live independently. The girl catches up with him and shows him a new perspective and future in life.

Jimmy Kernal did not experience the lavish life of wealth and abundance. He was shy, self-conscious and stubborn as a banana slug, never giving up its position when being yanked off a tree. Jimmy wanted the rich lifestyle. Having a girlfriend, a close relationship with family or even a couple of trustworthy friends, was not his craving but his need that he ignored with a strong passion.  He was strongly opinionated and no one could convince him otherwise. Jimmy did not want to work for wealth, but to gain fortune from fame or becoming an icon of entertainment. Getting off the couch would be a good start towards his goal of a carefree life.

There are plenty of meaningful things to do in life. Spending life on the internet is really a waste of existence. The internet was full of distorted influence. Jimmy was prone to such fake reality and surrendered a productive living. He spent most of his days on his inanimate computer searching and reading news about celebrities. It was almost as if the computer was his extended liver. Jimmy couldn't live without it.

Jimmy had one special, unique attribute, his piano talent. Talent was one thing, but Jimmy had the connection to his piano like no one else. Daily mornings for Jimmy started off with a lonely breakfast in his cozy yet small apartment he had been renting for seven years. A large electric piano was in the corner of his room and that was where Jimmy would play the most charismatic tunes. It was quite a shame no one flooded his house and embraced the beauty of his music.

If you met Jimmy, you would say he was anti-social. It was more like he never felt satisfied with his life and could not confront the outside world. Relationships and friendships rarely crossed his mind. When Jimmy went outside to buy groceries, go to the bank or complete any task, he made no eye contact and put on a forced appearance of vitality.

A beautiful night captured Jimmy’s attention. It was rare that beauty would emerge from this dreary vicinity. Amazed with the view of the illuminated town lights penetrating a glow through the milky white clouds, Jimmy sprung vigorously from his comfortable chair and looked out his window with a dreamy glaze. Jimmy grabbed his piano and musical equipment, stuffed them in his case, and vanished into the ambitious city surrounding his home.

“It’s a nice night,” he said to a random pedestrian. “I am going to be somebody important today”

Lights flashed onto the shiny white keys of Jimmy’s piano. Jimmy played until midnight, crowds of people materialized. The massive clock built into the town’s skyscraper struck twelve O’ one and he was alone yet again. A hat laid in front of him, once overflowed with money, but when Jimmy reached for it, there was not a dime to be found. Jimmy’s smile sagged into infinite wrinkles of disappointment. Lacking motivation to take a step further, he struggled to put his hat on and walked slowly to his car with nothing but his piano and an empty velvet-lined hat. As he walked, the lonely wind jimmy was accustomed to no longer blew against him, but with him. Jimmy embraced a new desire. He wanted people in his life. Realizing that his quest to make money left him with just the feeling that, for a couple of hours, he was famous, Jimmy knew that it was relations with other people during the night that brought him satisfaction. Seconds from reaching his car, a beautiful young woman approached him.

“Hey wait up!” she said enthusiastically. “Your music was excellent!”
“Thanks! It wasn’t much really,” Jimmy said with a clumsy tone.
“We should get to know each other,” the young woman suggested. “I think you're a pretty amazing guy.”

Jimmy was too distracted with her beauty he instantly discarded all of his conflicts regarding the rich life, just hours ago, he dreamed obsessively about experiencing.