Janet Flash: A Deal With The Devil(s)

by Michael Seese

I just remembered I owed you my catch-up from the July 3 Janet Reid flash fiction contest. 

In this case, instead of prompt words, we were to use one (or more) of three prompt sentences, provided by blog followers (in a different contest, if memory serves).

"When you spot an orchid cactus at the grocery store, you bring it home." —Luralee

"Do the laundry or die!" —french sojourn

"Holy cow, that's a lot of empties." —nightmusic

That last one just spoke to me, though it took me a while to come up with the "A Deal With The Devil(s)."


The off-gray three-piece pinstripe, welded to his eternally hollow core, glummed through the door. 

"BUZZ!" blared the beleaguered buzzer.

"RED!" flashed the fidgety light.

"Negative!" called out the monitor, counting the days left until infinity. "Next."

Practiced smile plastered to her vacated visage, the pastel pantsuit waved involuntarily to imaginary followers in corporeal form as she lilted through the scanner.

"Another negative!"

"Holy cow, that's a lot of empties. I don't get it. Where are their souls?" asked the minion in red.

"My bad. And that's the last time I make a bulk deal with the Congress," muttered Satan. 


In hindsight, I'm not too happy with the last sentence. I wish I had written
"Holy cow, that's a lot of empties. I don't get it. Where are their souls?" asked the minion in red.

Satan sighed, singing the minion's fur. 

"My bad. That's the last time I make a bulk deal with the Congress." 

Oh well. I still made the long list.