Flash Fiction: April 15, 2025
The writing prompt: Suddenly every lie a person tells ages them five years.
You would never know that Marlene had just received her latest round of Botox injections last week. The wrinkles on her face seemed to age her at least five years, but the other shoppers at the grocery store likely didn’t notice. They were too occupied with trying to hear what Marlene was screaming about while in line.
“We were supposed to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary that weekend!” she yelled at the woman behind her. “I was looking forward to dinner at our favorite restaurant!”
As Marlene’s wrinkles grew deeper, the woman – Deborah, her long-time neighbor – began to blush deeply. She had finally been caught sleeping with Marlene’s husband, and she knew there was no way around it.
Since the beginning of the confrontation in aisle 12, Deborah had aged about a decade. She didn’t know why Marlene had used this encounter to air out their dirty laundry, but she was somewhat relieved. All of the sneaking around Marlene’s house to find opportunities to be together was exhausting, and the sex was hardly worth it.
“I can’t believe you!” Marlene continued. “You were my best friend!”
Deborah watched her neighbor’s face sag with sorry eyes.
Truthfully, the only thing she could apologize for was the stress she caused Marlene’s husband. He wasn’t exactly the most tactful when it came to tiptoeing over to Deborah’s house. To some degree, she always knew they would get caught.
As Marlene continued to scream, Deborah gazed at the other shoppers around the grocery store. Marlene had drawn so much attention that a small crowd had developed around the checkout line. When Deborah looked into the eyes of the people staring back at her, she realized it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. While her appearance had aged about five years, she marveled at the thought of how time would treat the faces around her. Lying was only as difficult as your appearance let on, and Marlene had begun to disintegrate before reaching the cashier.