FLASH FICTION:-- HORROR, SCI-FI, HUMOUR, CRIME, SLICE OF LIFE, ETC.

Friday, 2 March 2012

Folded

I was truly saddened when I heard about Jimmy Chang going down for murder.

I never knew a more gentle person in the whole of my life.

T'ai Chi was his thing, and origami, he just loved to make all kinds of wonderful and intricate shapes with paper.

It is said that when the thugs broke into his home and threatened his family something inside him just snapped.

I shudder to think of the shape those thugs might have been in by the time the cops got there.


©2012 Stephen. J. Green.
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36 comments:

  1. Helen A. Howell2 March 2012 at 03:40

    Well, T'ai Chi is a defensive art and coupled with origami obviously was really deadly! I don't know if I'm supposed to be smiling but I am ^___^ tee-hee

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 13:41

      Yes Helen, it's okay to smile, my tongue was so far into my cheek when I wrote this that it made my face hurt. :-)

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  2. John Wiswell2 March 2012 at 05:24

    Wouldn't that be justifiable self-defense? Even if your body was a registered weapon from all your martial arts training.

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 13:44

      You may be right John, but I think folding the thugs into the shape of swans or giraffes may be viewed by the courts as a bit extreme for a defensive measure. :-)

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  3. Tim VanSant Writes2 March 2012 at 05:28

    Nice one. I know some T'ai Chi. I could tell you whether this could happen... but then I'd have to kill you.

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 13:45

      Haha! I'm afraid to google it Tim, in case I have to kill myself afterwards. :-)

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  4. tom gillespie2 March 2012 at 06:47

    Ha ha ..that's funny..

    sorry I've been out of the loop Steve, will try and catch up with some of your previous stories this week.

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 13:50

      Hiya Tom, no worries, I hope everything's good with you.

      I'm glad that the story gave you a chuckle. :-)

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  5. John Xero2 March 2012 at 08:35

    Less than a hundred words, Steve! But you don't need any more, this is slimmed down to perfection. A nice little hook -> set-up -> punchline. =D

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 13:53

      Thanks John, I almost inserted a short foldy-type fight scene in there, but decided it wouldn't add anything to the story. :-)

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  6. Sulci Collective2 March 2012 at 08:53

    reminds me of the old joke, "he's got a black belt in origami"! Very good pithy tale

    marc nash

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 13:55

      Haha! Thanks Marc, to make good use of it you would need to be a comPLEAT master though. :-)

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  7. Peter Newman2 March 2012 at 11:37

    I always tend to think that it's the serene ones you have to watch. I've seen T'ai Chi used in combat and it's powerful stuff!

    Just like this flash it uses minimum energy for maximum effectiveness.

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 14:14

      Thanks Peter. I think T'ai Chi is magical to watch, it is a far deadlier martial art than it would appear to be too.

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  8. Eric J. Krause2 March 2012 at 21:36

    Excellent last line! Good story!

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 14:16

      Thanks Eric, like many of my short stories, it does rely on the last line for the impact.

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  9. Cat Russell3 March 2012 at 02:22

    Hehe, I love that you made origami threatening. :D

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 14:16

      Thanks Catherine, I hope it gave you a good chuckle. :-)

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  10. Unknown3 March 2012 at 03:40

    Tai chi and origami make a great combination. I don't think I could convict.

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 14:18

      Hi Aidan, I smile each time I think of how the fight scene might have gone. :-)

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  11. liminalfiction3 March 2012 at 14:43

    I think the bad guys got what they deserved and Jimmy should be spared. Good story, short and sweet.

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 15:01

      Thanks Richard. I agree too, it wouldn't take many cases like this before burglary started becoming a rarity.

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  12. Anonymous3 March 2012 at 15:04

    I actually think that was beautiful.. The quiet guy comes out on top... I hope he gets away with it..x

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 17:52

      Hi Rosalind, and thank you. It is said that the quiet ones are the ones to watch, they usually have hidden depths. I would like him to get away with it too. :-)

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  13. Craig Smith3 March 2012 at 19:55

    Brilliant stuff Steve. Made me laugh.

    You should come out with your own Christmas crackers line. About time the jokes you get in them were actually funny :).

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    1. Steve Green3 March 2012 at 20:59

      Haha! Thanks Craig, glad it gave you a laugh.

      I may think about taking up the Christmas cracker thingy as a bit of a sideline. :-)

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  14. Unknown4 March 2012 at 01:27

    Killer origami. Makes the paper ninja stars my son likes to make seem more lethal now.

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    1. Steve Green4 March 2012 at 11:13

      Hiya Janel, and welcome. Them paper stars can be deadly weapons, but the really lethal ones are nunchucks made from empty kitchen-roll cardboard tubes and string. :-)

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  15. Brinda4 March 2012 at 20:19

    Hi Steve -- what a great flash -- sparse and full of tension. So he folded those thugs up good and proper then.(I don't know much about Tai chi but do know origami).

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    1. Steve Green5 March 2012 at 10:27

      Hi Brinda, and thank you. I'll bet there would have been problems at the morgue, trying to unfold them so the autopsy could be performed. :-)

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  16. Larry Kollar4 March 2012 at 21:45

    Ha, great piece and what a punch(?) line!

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    1. Steve Green5 March 2012 at 10:28

      Haha! Thanks Larry, I hope you were "Creased" with laughter. :-)

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  17. Anonymous4 March 2012 at 22:39

    Dear Steve-
    Just popped by to thank you for visiting my stories as always I appreciate the effort.
    Im sure you have noticed that my writing is rather extended however the FLASHFRIDAY is a great vehicle to put ones self out there.
    Cheers Mate.
    Colin.
    P.S. I added your crossword answers into the text - seemed to make sense!!

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    1. Steve Green5 March 2012 at 10:30

      Hiya Colin, and you are quite welcome, your writing style is very powerful, and always worth the read. :-)

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  18. Icy Sedgwick5 March 2012 at 15:43

    He's a black belt in origami ;-)

    Love this. So fun!

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    1. Steve Green5 March 2012 at 21:33

      Thanks Icy, yeah, it's the paper cuts that get 'em. :-)

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