Time has run out on the little town of Verymany. Or has it? Have a Flash Fiction from your ol’ pal Hersch.
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, is a college student who loves to write. I’m an autodidact young man. I just figure it out as I go along, and I write about it. Then, I write about writing about it. The origin of thought is definitely a theme of this podcast.has a cool podcast. Like mine, it’s pretty short. I’ve enjoyed the few I’ve heard. It’s a news show with a unique flavor. We’ll be sharing spots and links and networking to grow our podcasts. Please check him out. Remember, I don’t use any BlewitTube or social media, so please share my stuff if you can. When people share my links, even a little, I get a lot more views.Verymany doesn’t live up to the name. This small bay town had a population of 3,004 at the time of this writing. The people here are from a long line of hard-working fisheries.
They were running out of time. The Verymanies, as the town calls themselves, were scrambling all over town, whispering and panicking, and hardly keeping their wits.
“What are we going to do?!" I can’t believe this is happening!”
These were the types of things shouted over the cacophony of cars screeching and the general laborious activity of people in fight or flight mode. Doors were slamming, windows shuttering, and storefront gates sliding and being locked.
They had received startling and horrifying news in the early hours, and it’s not the kind of thing that most people would think of. As a bay town, they were prepared for a lot. There were plans for everything, from tidal waves to floods to hurricanes. All of these things had plans. How could they plan for this?
There were looks of shock and dismay all over town. There were people hooking up all over the place. Secret affairs were revealed. People spoke their minds. They said things, and they did things they'd always wanted to do. There were apologies and punches in the nose. There were kisses and kiss-offs. Their were confessions of love, and boasts of treachery and clandestine revenge. There were people in that town who had known each other their whole lives. That morning, many of them saw each other for the first time.
There was a silence settling into Verymany. The realization of what was happening was kicking in. It was hitting home. The frivolity and futility of life were dominant in the zeitgeist.
In the wee early three AM hour, the announcement came over the local radio station. Since then, the town has been in a whirlwind of a tailspin.
We have received this public service announcement:
At roughly ten AM, time will end indefinitely. The future is unknown.
The panic had resigned itself to somber acceptance. People were observed in several states. Despondence, contemplation, meditation, shock. There were toasts, and there was public carrying on that people seemed to be overlooking considering the circumstances.
Suddenly, a car comes screaming down the main street from the direction of the local radio station. A man emerges from the car. He runs from person to person. He’s telling them something. People are responding by stopping whatever they are doing and running. Presumably to their homes.
As word filtered through Verymany and was later announced on the radio, the message that had come so early in the morning was misinterpreted.
We have received this public service announcement:
At roughly ten AM the town clock will be paused. It’s unknown when repairs will be completed.
Stupid AI.
The End.
AI title:
Title: The Clock That Stopped Time: A Tale of Verymany
Subtitle: When a Misinterpreted Message Sends a Town into Chaos
Not a bad summation.
Little Time for Verymany [FF]