A Flash of Fiction

“I told you I didn’t steal it,” I replied for what seemed like the millionth time.

“Just tell them Timmy,” my mom pleaded from behind me.  They caught me taking a candy bar without paying for it, but I managed to get rid of it before they confronted me. Now I was simply telling them small flashes of a fiction that would help me out of the situation.  

“I am going to ask you again,” the manager of the store began, “did you take the candy bar?

“I will tell you again, I did no such thing, and you have no proof,” I immediately responded.

“Then why when we approached you, you began to fake being ill, ran to the bathroom, then came out with a smile on your face,” the manager countered.  

“You see, I was suddenly attacked by an invisible goblin so I had to run away. Then in the bathroom I was saved by a fairy who granted me with a happy mood,” I said another tiny flash of fiction, I wasn't hurting anyone.

“I can easily tell that was a lie, now tell me the truth,” he said without even waiting for me to finish.

“Fine, my mom and I are homeless and she told me to steal a candy bar, but I didn’t dare”  I said, “but when you approached me I got scared and ran to the bathroom to cry.  I did not want to get my mom in trouble so I put on a fake smile.”  This “lie” was maybe too far, but it was just still a small flash of fiction.

“What?!” my mom exclaimed.  “Timmy just tell them you stole it, please.”

The manager was getting confused and frustrated and shouted, 

“Stop!”  Then asked, “Is this true boy?”

“Yes, she is hostile toward me and scares me sometimes,” I responded.  The manager then reached for the phone and called security.

“Timmy, what are you doing?” said my now crying mom.

“It’s ok Timmy we will get you help come here,” the manager told me gently.

I don’t know how I got here; it was just a small flash of fiction, how could it do so much harm?

“And that is why I shouldn’t be punished for my crime,” I said as I finished my fictional story about some boy stealing and lying.

“Interesting parable,” the judge began, “but a candy bar and billions of dollars in fraud are two different stories.”

Lying Boy. Digital image. Multiplemayhemmamma.com. Multiplemayhemmamma, n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.