The Gangsters of Little Moscow

This photo, by Clemens Kalischer, was the inspiration for a free writing project I did recently. I sat in during a writing seminar given by a fellow presenter at a Young Writers Conference in Las Vegas. Cindie Geddes of Flying Hand writing services, www.flyinghand.com, had us write for three minutes after looking at a random image. She had a pile of postcards and she gave me this one.

This is what I wrote in three minutes. No editing has been done to my story, which I guess is flash fiction. Enjoy.


The Gangsters of Little Moscow

By Paul Genesse


Grandfather was a killer. Father was a killer. I am my father's son. The family business is complicated, but our methods are simple. People pay us or we cause them pain. My father is a master of this. He learned from the best. The Russian way is not a way of niceties and kind words. It is a way of suffering and winter. We provide a service and for those who cross us we provide a different service. I will continue the family business and if I'm not gunned down like a dog, my sons will be gangsters of Little Moscow like me.