A few microfictions, very much inspired by Quiet Pine Trees. I hope to add more over time. No LLMs.

1. It’s dangerous to meet someone from a world with mirror biology, even by hologram. You might fall in love, and your heart’s desire to be with them will push you to visit the ancient sorcerers of Ceres, whose dark rituals can swap you with your reflection at terrible, terrible cost.

2. Curiously, only left-handed people could operate an Everstone. Many right-handers trained themselves to be ambidextrous in hope of touching that power. Not one fooled the Stones.

3. A month ago, his desk plant was a cute little fern in a cute little pot. He left it unwatered on vacation and returned to find it climbing up the wall. Two days later it reached the ceiling. Now the fern is locked in a dark closet, and every day he trims the new growth creeping under the door.

4. January 2047 was the last January; after that, we had no need for a month of icy winds and silent snows. Between July and August we now have the 31 days of Nocturne, when all polite business is conducted under the cool cover of night.

5. The scientists were sad at the goodbye party they threw for Spirit. This confused the little rover covered in an ever-growing pile of cold Martian sand. Didn’t they see how proud it was?