tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85962001263454489462024-03-13T01:24:14.912+00:00Flash Fiction and Short StoriesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15533890633297225449noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596200126345448946.post-23498338745260072352014-12-03T09:17:00.002+00:002014-12-03T09:21:16.091+00:00Lost Sparkle<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">It wouldn't have happened if Marjory hadn't left the Christmas party early. If Frank hadn't employed his wife in the same office as him and Gemma, it may have happened earlier.</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Marjory was no fool, she'd seen the way Frank looked at Gemma. She would have stayed to keep an eye, but she had caught the winter bug that had gone through the office.</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">The low turn-out due to illness meant the party was over early. Frank stayed on to tidy the office. Gemma, with a sparkle in her eye to match the glittery make-up on her cheek, stayed to help.</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">On his return home, Frank left his clothes in a crumpled heap near the laundry bin and washed at the bathroom basin, taking care to wash the glittery make-up off his face. Then went to bed. </span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">In the morning, Frank had some sobering up to do. </span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Marjory had recovered enough to get her house in order,</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Bastard!'</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'What?'</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'You bastard, Frank.'</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">She was holding up his trousers. Frank had never been in this much trouble before, for failing to put them in the laundry bin. Then he saw that either side of the zipper were shimmering patches of glitter. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15533890633297225449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596200126345448946.post-64045856829679920262014-11-14T23:02:00.002+00:002014-12-03T09:18:39.346+00:00All Over the Newspaper<pre class="western"><tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Marjory grasped that day's paper, shaking with rage and frustration, </span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'Frank, you bloody idiot!'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Her son, Peter, upset at the fate of his step dad, but ever pragmatic, reasoned with her,</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'He must have known the risks.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'Typical of him. Always a gambler. Only ever saw the gains; never the losses.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'At least the fee was paid to you; we won't lose the house now.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'The house wouldn't have been at risk in the first place if it wasn't for the gambling.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'But he tried to make good, by signing up for the experiment.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'Being a guinea pig is not a normal way to head a family.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'Yes, but it's provided for us: The fee for a start, then all the media attention and the film rights.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'How can you talk of money, when my husband is, is </span></span></tt><tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>that?'</i></span></span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Frank looked back at Marjory, dumbly, and flared his nostrils a few times.</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'Mum, there's still a chance the effects could be reversible.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> 'A chance? A chance! You're beginning to sound like him now. Just don't say any </span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">more. And feed Frank some of that Kale.'</span></span></tt>
<tt class="western"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Marjory topped up Frank's water bottle, re attached it to the cage, and wept.</span></span></tt></pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15533890633297225449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596200126345448946.post-73160836868225431162014-11-08T22:13:00.002+00:002014-11-09T12:23:23.692+00:00Last Orders<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Last orders called,
swiftly followed by the obligatory loud signal sounding out. Time
for the lads to get the rounds in. A big surge forwards. Have to be
quick. No one wants to be late. Get the shots in. All lads
together. One lad: down in one. Then another. And another. And
another. Your turn: nearly down in one, you stumble, you fall, and
now you're down. You didn't even get a shot in. You're late. Over
sixteen million are late. A hundred years on, the memory of the dead
lives on.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15533890633297225449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596200126345448946.post-89332735605863476872014-11-08T21:13:00.001+00:002014-11-09T12:24:12.753+00:00Owned<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the darkness, Jim loaded his gun; he was fiercely protective of his girls. Not that he didn't take advantage of them himself; he did subjugate them and had in his mind a rough kind of plan to do away with them when they were no longer of use of him, but he still objected to <i>him</i> sniffing around, trying to get a piece. Jim smiled to himself as his quarry was unaware of the cross-hairs aptly about to crucify the little bastard. The gentle squeeze of the trigger, violently squeezed life from the pursuer of Jim's girls. He relaxed as the muscles of the dead body relaxed. Soon after, looking forward to a good night's sleep and his breakfast the next morning, Jim slung the fox in a ditch.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15533890633297225449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596200126345448946.post-29307258083688553472014-11-08T21:03:00.000+00:002014-11-09T12:23:57.894+00:00First and Last<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Well, Monty, you've lead a prosperous life, with every luxury that money can buy.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Have I?'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Yes! Look at this house of yours; walls boasting fine art beyond the scope of the common man.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'I hardly give the paintings a glance.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'And the house is full of bespoke furniture and technology.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'It's empty.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Twenty bedrooms, individually decorated, with no expense spared.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'All spare rooms.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'And what a career to look back on: The successful businesses with all those staff from whom you commanded respect.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Fear.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Can't you see that you have, and have had, what most people can only dream of?'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Huh.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'You're not happy?'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'You know I'm not.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'But you've lead a full li-'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Empty.'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'Empty?'</span><br style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">'As empty as this house! A life void of life, of love, of friendship. What good was it, amassing the millions, acquiring the objects, the things, the stuff, this inanimate stuff? It's all nothing. Who have I shared it with? Who have I, to pass it on to, now I'm at the end of this worthless life, facing the void ahead of me with a void behind me? A sad old man, alone in an empty house, talking to himself.'</span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15533890633297225449noreply@blogger.com0