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40,000
Sunset washed the hillside in golden pinks rays, making the fallen bodies below burn brightly in the evening light. The two leaders stood on the crest staring at the distorted faces of their friends and countrymen. Tears rolled down the man’s cheeks heavily while the robot grieved internally.
“This could have all been avoided.” The robot’s Australian accent was crisp and clear. If not staring directly at it, one wouldn’t have any idea the sound didn’t come from human vocal chords.
“Yes,” the man sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “It could have.” There were limbs—both flesh and metal—spread across shining crimson and black patches, where blood and oil covered the rich green of the grass. No one twitched, no one took their last breath or computed their last thought.
Death was the only thing that lived in the valley below now.
-Flesh & Metal
40,000 is a collection of 800 to 1,300 word short stories ranging in genres but focusing primarily on fantasy, paranormal, horror, and science-fiction. In the original version of the book (40,000: A Rough Draft) each story was written in one hour and lightly edited in thirty minutes, before being published online. This version has been edited for grammar to make it an easier read, while trying to compromise as little of the content as possible. Meant to be quick reads, Hofmann speaks volumes in every story leaving the reader haunted by the surreal worlds and the very real characters that dwell in them.
“This could have all been avoided.” The robot’s Australian accent was crisp and clear. If not staring directly at it, one wouldn’t have any idea the sound didn’t come from human vocal chords.
“Yes,” the man sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “It could have.” There were limbs—both flesh and metal—spread across shining crimson and black patches, where blood and oil covered the rich green of the grass. No one twitched, no one took their last breath or computed their last thought.
Death was the only thing that lived in the valley below now.
-Flesh & Metal
40,000 is a collection of 800 to 1,300 word short stories ranging in genres but focusing primarily on fantasy, paranormal, horror, and science-fiction. In the original version of the book (40,000: A Rough Draft) each story was written in one hour and lightly edited in thirty minutes, before being published online. This version has been edited for grammar to make it an easier read, while trying to compromise as little of the content as possible. Meant to be quick reads, Hofmann speaks volumes in every story leaving the reader haunted by the surreal worlds and the very real characters that dwell in them.
131 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2018
About the author
Chad Hofmann
3 books7 followersA Virginia born fiction author who has spent much of his life in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and currently calls central Florida home. In third grade, his mother got him a typewriter and it was love at first sight. He has published two short story anthologies (The Bird Room and 40,000) and has countless works in production. Specializing in the speculative, science, fantasy, horror, and paranormal fiction genres, Hofmann has a little something for most fiction lovers.
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