Can you give some examples of sad flash fiction?

Sure. One example could be: 'The Last Leaf'. In a cold winter, an old artist sees a young girl ill in bed, staring at a vine outside her window. As the leaves fall one by one, she believes she'll die when the last leaf drops. But the artist paints a leaf on the window in the middle of the night. When the girl wakes up and sees the 'last leaf' still there, she regains hope and gets better.

Sure. One example could be: 'The little goldfish in the bowl stared at the outside world. It dreamed of vast oceans. One day, it leaped out, and in that brief moment of flight, it felt free.' Another could be: 'A school of sardines swam swiftly. A shark approached. The sardines formed a tight ball. The shark left, baffled by their unity.'

Sure. One example is the six - word story. Ernest Hemingway's 'For sale: baby shoes, never worn' is a famous one. Another is the micro - story. For instance, 'She opened the door. Darkness greeted her.' There's also the slice - of - life flash fiction like a story that just shows a man waiting for his coffee in a busy café and his brief thoughts during that time.

Sure. One example could be a story where a person travels back in time to witness the signing of the Declaration of Independence but accidentally changes a small detail that has far - reaching consequences in the future. Another might be about a future scientist who travels to the present day to retrieve a lost technology blueprint.

I'm sorry, I don't have specific examples of Meg Pokrass flash fiction on hand. But generally, in her flash fiction, there might be stories about everyday encounters that suddenly take on a deeper meaning.

Sure. 'She found a letter. It was from her old love. Memories flooded back. But she tore it up. Some things are best left in the past.'

Here's a different one: 'The Strange Light. In the forest, there was a strange light. A hiker saw it. He was curious. As he got closer, the light seemed to dance. It was a group of fireflies. But they were so bright and in such a strange formation that it felt like magic. He watched them for a while, then continued his hike, the memory of the light in his heart.

One example could be some of the works by Chuck Palahniuk. His books often have dark and disturbing elements. Another might be Bret Easton Ellis' novels which can be seen as exploring 'sick sad' themes at times.

An example is 'The Gift of the Magi'. It has an engaging voice that is both warm and sad. The theme of selfless love is clearly defined. It uses concise language to tell the story of the couple sacrificing their most precious possessions for each other. The unexpected ending, where they both end up with gifts that seem useless at first but are full of love, is a great example of the kind of twist that good flash fiction often has. This also shows how it can convey a complex emotion like love in a short and effective way.

One example is 'A Very Short Story'. It's a brief yet poignant tale that shows Hemingway's ability to capture complex emotions in a short span. Another is 'Hills Like White Elephants' which is known for its masterful use of dialogue to imply a deeper story about a relationship and a difficult decision. There's also 'The End of Something' which is set against a backdrop of a changing landscape and a relationship coming to an end.