Choices

Robots Contest Entry:

The salesman gently touched the ‘sale completed’ icon.

“Lovely. I have your choices.

Color, size, and finance.

As you know, the ‘AI Whoosh’ will be delivered preloaded with all your personal preferences.

Music, regular routes, and recharging stations.

That just leaves us with your safety level preferences.

Six questions for you to answer, A or B.

Ready?

Your car sensors detect that a child is about to step in front of you.

How do you want your Whoosh to react:

A. Ensuring your own safety; continuing in a straight line?

B. Putting your safety at risk; swerving across the road?”

From Guest Contributor John Holmes

John, based in the North East of England, is a writer of short fiction. Winner of the The Times Short Crime Fiction Story prize. In the last 12 months has appeared in Paragraph Planet, 101 Words, Fragmented Voices, Pen to Print, Glittery Literature, Globe Soup, Drabble, Bag of Bones and Ellipsis Zine. When he’s not writing, he’s out cycling - soaking up new stories.

The Sobbing Lady

It was about 2 am. I was on my way home. Again, as expected, I heard the same old sobbing of a lady that I have been hearing for a month on that particular road. I know it’s creepy and haunting, but I’m pretty used to it and have nothing to do. This is the only path I can take. No shortcuts, long routes, nothing! I couldn’t even tell anyone. After all I was responsible for all the things happening to me. Yeah, I was the one who ran her over with my truck and killed her a month ago.

From Guest Contributor Prapti Gupta