Hugh J. O'Donnell

The magical forest was home to a vast mycelia network, an intelligence that connected every tree and moved with the speed of a glacier.
It sensed that a darkness was coming, and that the lighting-quick creatures that moved through its paths needed to be warned. So it gathered up its energy and budded a myconid to be its messenger to the human world.
The child slowly pushed their way through the soil, and broke from their mother network with a pop of fungal threads.
But by the time the myconid reached the palace, it had been many years a ruin.

“mushroom I” by blumblaum is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

Ooze burbled its way through the dungeon, trying to find a quiet place to puddle and feel sorry for itself.
It never got the respect it deserved. It wasn’t strong, or fast. It didn’t have huge claws or strange magics. It didn’t have a terrifying or majestic visage. But it had its own techniques.
It would lay in wait, dripping down from above or pooling to strike from below. By the time an adventurer felt the sting of acid underneath their armor, it was already too late.
But it was always that cute dope Slime that got all the attention.

“DnD Gray Ooze” by LadyofHats is marked with CC0 1.0.

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Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

The hellhound prowled the halls of its abyssal home, leaving smoldering footprint that smelled of brimstone.
The damned watched the creature pass warily. A few quaked and hid. But there was always one who would run, overcome with terror. He chased them down with sharp fangs and fiery breath. He fetched the shredded soul back and put it where it belonged, whiplike tail wagging.
There was a contradiction deep in the hellhound’s heart. All dogs are good dogs, even him.
But he decided long ago it was better to be a good boy in Hell than a lapdog in Heaven.

Hellhound by N Stjerma is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles is now on Patreon! Join the free feed to get stories in your email inbox, or support at $1 or more to get fun perks!

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

The jester sat at the foot of the throne, ready to alleviate His Majesty’s woes with a cleverly worded quip or jape. He sat on the steps as the king met with messengers, petitioners, and even other heads of state, watching to see when a well-executed pratfall or tumble would lighten the mood.
Late into the night, the jester would hone his skills, writing down the best jokes for the approval of the seneschal.
The seneschal made careful study of the jester’s submissions. He’d made sure the boy was sharp and observant. And the seneschal made notes of his own.

“Jester- Joker Card” by GoShows is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

The psychic detective had his own struggling agency. He was a joke among ‘serious’ law enforcement, but he had a surprisingly high success rate.
When a client came in, he’d know immediately if he should take their case. He specialized in violent crimes because they gave him a stronger impression.
He would visit crime scenes and wandered around. He didn’t look for clues, but occasionally stumbled across things the police missed.
Then he would go home and go to sleep, reconstructing the events in his dreams.
It would be a perfect system if he didn’t wake up covered in blood.

“Psychic” by Gamma Man is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

When the company announced a new round of layoffs, Roma wasn’t worried. It was true, her last few quarters had been a bit rough, but she’d been with the company forever, and expected that her seniority would carry her through, just like it had before.
But when she was called into a meeting with the Transition team, she started to get nervous. She sat in front of the pair, with their pale makeup and black dresses, as they talked about workforce reductions and belt tightening, and knew the axe was falling.
But Roma never expected to be sacked by goths.

“After Layoff – Empty” by texas_mustang is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

He’d been a star. A famous gourmand whose impeccable taste made him a celebrity. But time had moved on.
To stay relevant, he listened to his remaining fans. They told him it was the public who was wrong, seduced by foreign influencers and trendy cuisine.
He started pushing traditional fare and comfort food. It wasn’t political, he said, just good taste. The new tastemakers faded from the spotlight and he was on top again.
But it was a hollow victory. His favorite restaurants had closed. The markets stopped carrying fresh and interesting ingredients.
The spice had gone from the world.

“<div class=’fn’> Chef’s hat</div>” by David Ring is marked with CC0 1.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

She had given herself to the swamp, and the swamp had given back in exchange. She still occasionally had to deal with civilization, such as the travelers who claimed they were just passing through.
Their gear and weapons told her a different story.
There’s always someone so afraid of a strange old woman that they’d pay to have her removed. But she was a part of the swamp now. They couldn’t kill her and make it stick.
She cackled as she promised them safe passage. The swamp would do its work for her, and she would grow on the rot.

“Somewhere In The Swamps of Jersey” by James Loesch is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0