Theodore Jerome Cohen is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. (In the case of a tie, the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.) Without further ado, here’s the winning story:
Yo!
by Theodore Jerome Cohen
“Yo! Whaddaya doin’ up there?”
“Oh, geez! Now you went and spoiled the shot I was about to take of the most beautiful yellowtail I’ve ever seen.”
“Well boo hoo. Cry me a river. If you ask me, those fish are nothin’ but an annoyance anyway, always gathering in schools and makin’ a nuisance of themselves. They’re all over the place. Why not head north to British Columbia or south to Chile? You’ll find them there, too. Then, you can leave me in peace.”
“Nice. Really nice. Look, I happen to live not far from here. This is the most convenient spot for me to photograph Pacific Ocean species. So, if you don’t mind, please get out of way so I can finish my work before the sun goes down.”
“Sheesh, what a grouch. Okay, but before I go, mind if I ask what film you’re using?”
“What?”
“The film you’re using; what brand is it?”
“Kodak Gold 200, if you must know.”
“Hmmm. Frankly, I think Kodak Ektar 100 and Fuji Reala are better; they’re great fine-grain films with outstanding color rendition. Ektar produces warm colors; Reala’s are cooler.”
“So, now you’re a film connoisseur? How ’bout you letting me decide which film to use while you swim away and find someone else to bother.”
“Wow! You don’t have to get huffy about it.”
[Several seconds pass in silence.]
“So, what type of camera did you say you were using?”
