I take part in the #vss365 prompt daily on social media, writing across multiple genres but leaning mostly into horror or sci-fi.
Not all that is spun is gold, so I’ve made a home here for the entries I particularly enjoyed writing.
You can find my daily contribution on Bluesky here.
Flash Fiction Favourites Archives
Older favourites can be found in the following Archives:
Archive XIII – Jan-Jun 2026
Archive XII – Oct-Dec 2025
Archive XI – Apr-Oct 2025
Archive X – Jan-Apr 2025
Archive IX – Nov-Dec 2024
Archive VIII – Apr-Nov 2024
Archive VII – Jan-Apr 2024
Archive VI – Sept-Dec 2023
Archive V – Apr-Sept 2023
Archive IV – Jan-Apr 2023
Archive III – Oct-Dec 2022
Archive II – Aug-Oct 2022
Archive I – Jul-Aug 2022
400 Words
Way back at the start, in February of 2022, I took a weekly approach to the prompts, composing a 400-word story over the course of the week, writing daily and editing as I went to ensure the final story was exactly 400 words. Those stories can all be found here.
#VSS365 Host – February 16th to 29th, 2024
I enjoyed the opportunity to host the hashtag from February 16th to 29th, 2024.
It truly is a wonderful and supportive community.
Those posts and some reflections on the journey are on the One Word Blog here.
Most Recent
Some of the more recent entries the muse owls and I have enjoyed:
“You could be king here, Charlie,” his mother whispered over the wind. He was so cold. They’d been running for so long. The #temptation to just give in and finally rest was very strong. Portia and the Fox huddled near the fire, shivering. They couldn’t hear her voice. Was it even her? #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) August 1, 2026 at 7:24 AM
We had a little place down on the #coast. Sea foam memories come in and out like the tide. I can see her on the beach. Crying. Calling for help. Pointing to me. I wave back but it’s like she can’t see me anymore. And every time I try to swim, I can’t. The water moves through me, now. #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 29, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Our basement has a basement. A small hole, dug into the rock behind the furnace, covered by boards. Steps. My phone is our only light. We #descend quietly then stop suddenly. Noises ahead. Rushing towards us. It’s us. “Turn back,” the other me says, panting. “We’ll explain later.” #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 28, 2026 at 8:25 AM
– I don’t think humans respect our worldview, hooted the first owl. – I think it’s because we are always looking down on them, said the second. – So they think we have a bad altitude? – I guess we don’t peak their curiosity. – Our ideas are too lofty. – #Summit like that, yeah. #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 27, 2026 at 12:51 PM
Sal was a sceptic, but as the hypnotist spoke in a slow #cadence, she felt herself slipping. “Sleep.” Her eyes closed. “Forget.” She forgot the room, the audience, the year. “Remember.” Her eyes opened. The hypnotist was ninety years dead. And she was still sitting in his lap. #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 26, 2026 at 7:22 AM
His Lite-Brite eyes dim. He’s had a good life. I built him out of old parts found in grandpa’s garage, powered by something I found in a box labelled “the war”. “Shall I #ascend now, young sir?” B4 asks me. I nod and hold his hand. He shivers, then collapses. I cry as thunder rumbles. #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 25, 2026 at 3:52 PM
“The best #tailwind is earned long before it’s felt.” Grandad rocks in his chair, I nod along as he drops these pearls, half to himself, half to anyone close enough to hear. It’s like he hears my thought. “Listen twice as long as you speak, that’s why you got two ears and one tongue.” #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 22, 2026 at 4:15 PM
When the dead are at his door, the old man is sharp, alive. Doesn’t take much to kill them, and he’s a heck of a shot. In the quiet days between, his mind idles. He forgets things, like how long a body takes to #turn. He wonders where his wife is. And why there are noises in the closet. #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 21, 2026 at 8:13 AM
The Galway Papers also state that gravity is the universe’s #unabashed insistence that everything attend the same awkward reunion. “It is inevitable to fall,” the papers insist, “it is our push against gravity that defines us. We seek to rise so that we may fall from ever greater heights.” #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 13, 2026 at 7:37 AM
The Galway Papers explain #magnetism as the universe’s passive-aggressive way of introducing strangers. Most meetings are entirely forgettable; however, the people you love somehow remain lodged in your trajectory, despite several perfectly reasonable attempts by the cosmos to move them. #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 12, 2026 at 9:05 AM
The children #frolic through waist-high grass, chasing each other with the wands they’ve found, casting words that sound like spells. The long road back to the campsite at the end of the day, shadows growing long, four wizards are hungry for dinner. The fifth shadow goes unnoticed. #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 9, 2026 at 8:27 AM
The weather in Ireland is controlled, unknowingly, by a toddler in Peru. After days of sunshine and birthday parties, she is upset. She does NOT want to go to the dentist. Furrowed brow, arms crossed in total #defiance, storm clouds gather and there’s thunder in the distance. #vss365
— Lee Zanello (@lima-zulu.bsky.social) July 8, 2026 at 6:59 AM