2025 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 11

For today’s prompt, write about exhaustion.

(Note: If your story gets flagged for review, be patient—we will be releasing comments every few hours throughout the weekdays of this challenge. Our system randomly flags comments for review, so just sit tight and wait for us to set it free! If you run into any other issues with posting your story, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.)

Here’s my attempt at a story about exhaustion:

Regression

Livvy had never been a good sleeper, but this regression had been them hitting especially hard. By the time her mother was able to get her into a deep enough sleep to leave her room, it was nearing midnight. Bleary-eyed, she brushed her teeth, took her pills with a slurp of sink water, stripped down to her panties and a tank top, and collapsed face-down on her bed. She heaved a gusty sigh, her whole body turning to mush against the mattress.

After a few blissful seconds, the sound of the cat puking filtered in through her closed bedroom door.