The Dragon's Bargain
Starting off the year with some epic flash fiction!
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Happy New Year, Gigglers!
(Yes, it’s still okay to say “Happy New Year” until February 1st-- ask around if you don’t believe me!)
If you’ve been wondering where I’ve disappeared to these past few months, the answer is: cranes.
Seriously! I finally finished folding 1,000 cranes for my wedding (happening in May—can you believe it?!) and have spent the last few weeks staying up late reading like an irresponsible teenager to compensate for all that time hunched over meticulously creasing three-inch square foil paper. Honestly, my lazy break from folding cranes has been pretty great, lol.
But now that it’s 2025 and just a few days until my 30th birthday (which also happens to be this newsletter’s birthday!), I can’t help but reflect on another year of The Giggler. And you know what? I have hardly published any new original fiction for you! Sure, my posts about real-world shenanigans—like learning to draw—have been surprisingly popular (more so than my full-length novel Over the Top Secret!). But I intended for The Giggler to be a place where fellow goofballs could be entertained by humorous, adventurous fiction, and I’ve fallen short on that front.
So, this week, I sat down to brainstorm a new approach. In addition to entertaining you with my real world shenanigans, I want to write more fiction. My biggest challenge? My Energizer Bunny Brain has many story ideas; there’s never enough time to turn them all into full-length novels.
But who says I have to write full-length novels?
Cue the drumroll, Gigglers—because here’s my plan for 2025:
Instead of making you wait ages for a new book, I’m diving into flash fiction to entertain you more frequently.
Yes, you read that right! The Giggler will be a hub for humorous, bite-sized adventures. Imagine quick, fun, snackable stories that’ll make you laugh, dream, or gasp—all in just a few paragraphs. Or less!
I’m so excited to see which of these short stories and scene snippets you love most—and who knows? Maybe one of them will grow into something longer or spark a new world for us to explore together.
Without further ado, here’s my first flash fiction story of the year. This one is more of a scene snippet— an interesting fantasy idea... Let me know your thoughts in the comments or by hitting “reply” to this email!
I generated the image for this story using ChatGPT and then turned it into an animated clip using KlingAI! One day I hope to use my own drawings as story images, but for now I’m still a very very young drawing padawan…
The Dragon’s Bargain
Captain Harlo’s secondhand ship groaned as it reached the edge of the world—a jagged cliff where the ocean spilled, cascading into an endless void. Tightening her grip on the ancient map, its ink glowing faintly in the moonlight, she smiled. The treasure was here.
Before she could take another step, a massive shadow rose from the abyss. The figure unfurled its wings and roared, emerald scales shimmering with the vibrations of its fiery core.
A dragon. A primordial dragon.
Harlo smirked. “I assume you’re here to stop me from taking your gold.”
The dragon’s perceptive eyes narrowed. “Gold?” Its deep voice rattled her bones. “You mortals are obsessed. No, pirate. I guard something far greater.”
It opened its claws, revealing an iridescent teardrop swirling with sparkling clouds and shrouded in flickering flames—small yet radiant.
“The last spark of magic,” Harlo said. Her voice was barely a whisper, carried away by the roaring water before her.
“Yes, indeed.” The dragon rumbled knowingly.
Harlo’s heart raced. This was far greater than gold. This changes everything, she thought.
“Solve my riddle, and it’s yours.” The dragon’s grin widened, its teeth like crescent moons. The spark wasn’t just glowing; it was alive, tugging at the deepest parts of her soul, demanding action. It was a call she couldn’t ignore.
The longer she stared, the stronger the magic pulled at her. It was as if the spark could speak to her… and it was asking to be saved.
The dragon patiently waited, its smile growing larger by the minute. It was confident that Harlo would submit to the temptation of its bargain, just like all the other greedy pirates before her.
But Harlo was unlike any pirate before her, for she alone could hear the Magic’s call.
Harlo didn’t have time to wonder why the spark spoke to her, if this was part of the dragon’s plan, or whether she was out of her mind. She listened to her instincts, like any great pirate would do…
…and jumped.
What are your thoughts? 👀 Do you like this style of flash fiction? I think you’re going to get a kick out of my next story. It’s an absurd comedy… muahahaha!
Until next time,
Alexa (AKA The Giggler)
P.S. Do you have any fun plans or resolutions for 2025? I’d love to hear about them!
Thank you for being a paid subscriber, my lovely Giggler! 💖
I do enjoy flash fiction. It's been a while since I did any myself. 1000 or less. 500. Those 6-word flash fiction contests from various websites. Always fun to do. It's the challenge that I like the most -- can I tell an entire story in X amount of space? Love it.
Flash fiction is so fun! I already have so many questions!! I can't wait to read more.