"The Flowers" is a short story written by Alice Walker, published in 1973 as part of the collection In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women. It is only two pages long—565 words total. "The Flowers" describes the carefree life of Myop, a ten-year-old African American girl, whose innocence is suddenly shattered when she makes a grisly discovery.
This story is considered a classic example of flash fiction (i.e. very short stories, usually 500-1000 words or fewer) and is often required reading in literature courses.
