I enjoy story prompts. Havok, a flash fiction site, provides just the sort of prompts to inspire me. Every six months, they present a theme to authors with sub-themes each month. The subjects may be color, music, or vices/virtues. For January through June of 2023, the theme was the continents of the world.

I primarily write novels, but I also enjoy different challenges so I also construct short stories. Flash fiction (one thousand words or less, usually a five-minute read) is an even larger challenge. I love prompts because they constrain, and I enjoy pushing the boundaries of those constraints while still staying within its borders.

I decided with this theme, World Tour, I would write a few connected stories. I’ve tried this before, and while some of the stories were published, the thread running through them was lost. This time, I vowed to do better.

I think I succeeded.

My story “The Cement City” was published March 20, 2023 (https://gohavok.com). Note: If you’re reading this after that date, it will take you to a different story. After the date of publication, Havok puts their stories behind a paywall.

My short tale establishes the pattern of my series. A secret agent who travels the world looking for supernatural creatures to bring them “home” struck a chord with me.

I have entitled the series “DEED,” short for “The Department of Extraordinary Emmigration Delivery,” and the stories will chronicle an agent’s, Rebecca’s, attempts to “bring them home alive.” The variance occurs in the settings and the quarry. Some of the fantasy beings are caught in “human” trafficking, but others are happy to remain where Rebecca finds them. Rebecca’s mission is always different, and she must leverage a variety of skills to rescue, convince, or educate her targets to accompany her to a safe haven.

“The Cement City” is set in Greece and Rebecca has her hands full with this mission. The target is highly dangerous to everyone around her, including Rebecca herself. Worse, this creature has run away on her own. Why did she leave the safety of her sanctuary? That’s a mystery that the DEED agent must unravel.

Enjoy!

Spoiler alert. If you want to know the identity of the supernatural creature in the story, scroll down to the bottom of this page.