Nanofiction 02

The briefcase lay threadbare at his side. He’d carried it for five years, locked, the code forgotten until now. Inside, his daughter’s painting: a gift from her first day at school. Smudges, fingerprints, laughter; her utter beauty finally remembered. Tear-streaked face suddenly static; he noticed the address on the back.

Nanofiction 01

The blade made only brief contact with his forehead, but within seconds, his face, neck and shirt were drenched in blood. Eyes locked, composure, stillness. No pain yet: the sword too sharp for the mind, but his skull a now clearly visible white flag of surrender. Relieved, they both smiled.

Academic fencing, called "Mensur", is still practised in Germany, and is the origin of the iconic "badge of honour" scar of the late 1800s/early 1900s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_fencing