The New Landlord

This was my first story acceptance. It’s a lean and mean little piece of flash fiction in which a man is confronted by an unusual home invader.

(I included a little on the origin of the story below, but it would constitute a bit of a “spoiler” so I suggest you read the story first)

 

Read The New Landlord on Weirdyear here.

 

Years ago, I spent a few months teaching English in South Korea. At one point, realizing that the students in my more advanced class were bored with the provided teaching matrials, I suggested we discuss creative writing. We began exchanging “What if…” scenarios as a means of brainstorming story ideas, and I suggested “What if an invisible man came to live in your home and wouldn’t leave?” Though they tried, none of my students could come up with a solution for ridding themselves of their unwanted, invisible guest. The idea gave rise to two stories, one humorous, titled “How to Lose an Invisible Guy In Ten Days”, and this more serious and creepier one, “The New Landlord.”