Lets get a list of peoples' favorite short stories going here. I'd always like to check out some new ones...they are great lil reads during a lunch hour, etc. Many can be found at the ipl.org or other etext sites. I used to love John Updike's A&P when I read it at 16
You mean like a novella? I loved the shawshank redemption, which only took me about an hour or so. Xx
Anything from "pixel juice" by jeff noon. 50 of the greatest short stories ever. I also really liked "desiree's baby" by Kate Chopin, her descriptive lexical techniques have made this story a classic.