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Gone in a Flash

  Flashes of Light - Book 1

  A small collection of flash fiction

  By Christine Brand

  Copyright 2014 Christine Brand

  Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favourite authorised retailer. Thank you for your support.

  Also available: Book 2 Flash in the Pan

  Flash Player

  Luck be a lady today.

  Flash Cleaner

  Flash Cleaner was written for a challenge on a writing website to create workable writing beginning with the word "And".

  Flash Harry

  Tense thriller in 408 words!

  Flash Card

  Confused and embarrassed!

  Flash Point

  What is the point?

  Flash Player

  It's a beautiful day outside, sun shining, birds singing, children laughing. You get the picture. Hugo stretched, yawned and stood up. "Time for some gardening methinks."

  As Hugo passes the door of the dining room he glances inside and spots his laptop in the table. Looking at his watch Hugo decides there is plenty of time later for doing the garden, and he goes in and wiggles the mouse. An online Casino site appears on the screen, lights flashing enticingly.

  Hugo checks his balance, '$4K'. "Hmm," he thinks, "maybe I'll get outside sooner than I thought."

  Hugo clicks on the roulette icon, minimum bet $1K. He watches the numbers for a while, 2, 21, 33, 11, 31, 31. Six numbers in a row, black. Hugo grins to himself and places a $1K chip on red. He sits back and watches the wheel spin. 6, black. His chip disappears, one of the other player’s rakes in $54K from betting on 6, another $30K for low numbers.

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks yes. The wheel spins and the ball hovers on number 5 before jumping into 00. Hugo smiles, nobody won that time. The table is cleared.

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks yes. The wheel spins and the ball stops on number 31, again.

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks yes. His balance shows $0. The wheel spins for what seems like a long time and then stops on 5, red. "Yes!" Hugo jumps up and does a little jig. Pleased as Punch now that he has half the imaginary dollars he started with.

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks yes, and puts his second chip on even. The wheel spins and the ball hovers on number 5 before jumping into 12, red. Hugo chuckles and collects $4K.

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks no, and places all $4K on 13-24. The wheel spins and stops on 16. Hugo repeats his silly jig as $12K comes his way.

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks yes. The wheel spins and stops on number 16, again. Another $12K!

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks yes. The wheel spins and the ball stops on number 13. Hugo now has $28K in the bank. Just as he reaches for the mouse, the alarm on his mobile phone beeps. "Argh!" Stacey will be back in an hour! Unwilling to leave with money left, Hugo places all $28K on red. 10 comes up, $56K.

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks yes, and then adds all his chips to the pile. The wheel spins and the ball stops on number 1. $112K!

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks yes, and then adds all his chips to the pile again. The wheel spins and the ball stops on number 32. $224K!

  "Repeat bet?" Hugo clicks no, and places all $224K on 1-12. The wheel spins and the ball hovers on number 31 before jumping into 4. $672K! Hugo nearly cries with frustration. In desperation now, Hugo places all his chips on number 31, and closes his eyes. Click, click, click. 31!

  Again.

  Hugo states at the screen, lights are flashing everywhere. $24.2M.

  Hugo stands up and backs away from the laptop, bumping into the door frame; he turns and runs into the garden locking the door behind him.

  ~#~

  Flash Cleaner

  "And another thing, young lady! If you think you're going anywhere before that room's clean, you've got another thing coming! I didn't spend all day yesterday cleaning the whole house, just so you can bring your delinquent friends in here the minute my back's turned.

  And don't think I don't know what you lot get up to! Are you listening to me? You'd better get that mess cleaned up before your father gets home, that’s all I can say! Slaving away to feed and clothe you, no respect, that's your problem. Hanging around with that Tracey, no wonder you don't know how to look after the house. I've seen where she lives, her mother's a disgrace! I'd be ashamed to have visitors if our house looked like that. Only need to look at her front garden to tell they've got no pride. Weeds and Mud! Your father makes our garden look nice, even after a hard week at work, that's pride in where you live, nobody has pride anymore. Just like respect, it's gone out the window!

  And make sure you do the window sill too, there's ash all over it! I've told you before not to let people smoke in there. I'll have to wash the nets now, won't I? Don't think of that do you, when you flout the rules of my house, treating the place like a hotel! Except you're not are you? You wouldn't smoke in a hotel, it'd set the alarms off! Worse than a hotel, that's how you treat this place! We'll leave it all to the Cats Home, you see if I don't! Can't be trusted, you can't. Leave you here alone for two hours, and when I come back, it looks like a bomb's hit it! A dirty bomb! Or maybe that means something else, anyway I'll not put up with it! If you can't clean up after yourself, I'll take your door key away and you can sit on the step until I get home. What do you think to that?"

  "Are you listening to me?"

  She hears the front door slam.

  "Ellie?" Ellie's mother emerges from the kitchen, tea towel in hand.

  "Ellie!" She opens the front door, as Ellie gets onto her moped. "I said make sure you clean up the front room before you go anywhere!"

  "I did, mum; it took me less time to clean up than it took you to tell me to!"

  Ellie puts on her helmet and zooms off, with a putt-putt noise like a broken hairdryer...

  ~#~

  Flash Harry

  Another cold, dark evening and I'm curled up on the sofa with a fresh cup of tea and a pile of digestive biscuits. I can hear the rain lashing down outside, the wind howling, the tree tapping its skeletal fingers on the windowpane. I shiver and pull the blanket tighter around my shoulders. Picking up the remote, I press play. Tonight’s entertainment is a crime thriller.

  Three women are sitting together in the cafe of a fitness centre, two are eating chocolate cake and coffee, the third only has a soft drink in front of her. The third one gets up and gathers her belongings. Waving goodbye, she exits into the well-lit car park. The camera follows her as she pulls away, and then returns to the others inside. They chat about nothing for a bit, then the action cuts to an unlit road. The third woman locks her car and looks around. Pulling her coat tighter and hitching her bag up on her shoulder, she starts to walk.

  I feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise as I watch the lone female walking along a dark street in the wrong part of town. I know what is coming next, I expect you do too.

  As she walks along the street a shadow falls across the camera, the woman’s footsteps become more pronounced, and the music becomes quieter, but more intense. We catch a glimpse of a tall, dark figure following her, his face obscured by a scarf, a baseball cap covering his head. The woman glances around her anxiously, but sees nothing amiss. She obviously senses danger, and quickens her pace, holding her handbag tightly. The stalker speeds up too, slowly gaining on her.

  My heart is pounding as I reach for my tea, nearly knocking the mug over, my eyes glued to the screen.

  The music rises to a crescendo. He raises his gloved hands.

  I feel his eyes watching me from
behind, boring into the back of my head.

  He brings his arms up, silently, encircling her neck.

  I feel his jacket brush my ear.

  He reaches out and moves closer.

  I feel his breath on the back of my neck, and freeze!

  He grips the woman around the throat, stifling her cries.

  I let out a strangled scream, and drop the hot tea into my lap...

  ...as I feel a small rough tongue lick the side of my face. "Purr...rr!"

  Harry!

  ~#~

  Flash Card

  The letterbox crashes, I run down the stairs to the front door. We don't often get post and I'm startled by the loudness. The newspaper boy leaves the paper on the step, having caught his finger once too often in our (dangerous) snapping letterbox. A card lies on the doormat. I smile. It's the 13th of February. I assume the card is for one of the girls I share a house with. I pick it up and turn it over.

  I frown. It's addressed to "My Hunky Loverboy"; this presents a problem for me. As the only male in the house I do not believe I am "Hunky", and as far as I'm aware I'm no-ones "Loverboy". I prop the card on the banister and walk slowly through to the kitchen. I glance at the clock on the wall; 0930. After putting the kettle on I walk back into the hallway and stare at the card again. The postmark gives no clue as it's the kind sent directly from Suncow or whatever they're called. I wander back to the kitchen and sit at the table to study.

  I can't. I look at the clock, 1150, and I have achieved nothing. I go to the fridge, but find only Kaylee's junk food and Annie's vegan health food. Sighing I look out to the hallway as I close the fridge. I'm never going to get anything done today. I take the bold decision to open the card.

  Carefully unsticking the glue (I'm a neat person); I open the flap, and hesitate. With one swift move I slide the card out, and freeze. There is a rather provocative picture of Kaylee, leaning forward in a low cut dress, winking! I drop the card as if it was on fire. Bending forward I read the front, "Remember the Peaks"?

  Remember the Peaks? I recall with horror the first year geology camping trip, where Kaylee got rather drunk and threw up over, and into my boots outside my tent. I had always considered her a good friend, easy to live with, and had forgiven her easily. But had she been harbouring a secret for nearly two years?

  As I crouch to pick up the card I hear a key in the door and freeze. Before I can think what to do Kaylee walks in, saying, "Thought I'd come home for lunch today as I've got time."

  As she shuts the door she turns to face me and I stand clutching the card and envelope, unable to speak.

  "Oh, did I forget to change the address again?" She takes the envelope, then realises it is empty and turns a nice shade of red. "You opened it?" She asks.

  I stammer a bit and produce no coherent sounds.

  "I always forget Gary's address and I meant to have it sent straight there," she giggles nervously, "Hope I didn't embarrass you."

  I feel faint as the relief washes over me. Gary. Of course. Now I know why I had the tent to myself for two nights of the trip. Kaylee slides the card back into the envelope and continues talking as she walks through to the kitchen.

  I breathe again.

  ~#~

  Flash Point

  "What is the point? Really?" Dave sighs and turns off the TV.

  "Are you ready yet?" He calls up the stairs?

  "Nearly!"

  "Okay!" Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, Dave opens the back door and steps out onto the patio. He hears a shout from upstairs, but smiles as he can't quite hear what is said. (Although he knows what it was anyway.) He light a cigarette and sits in a green plastic patio chair, with a stripy cushion. Closing his eyes he drifts off to another time and place. The sun on his arms reminds him of a holiday in Spain. He finishes smoking and sits watching a small bird pecking at something on the lawn.

  Walking back into the house he calls upstairs again, "Norah, is your bag packed?"

  "Next to the hall table, the blue one!" She calls back.

  Dave turns and surveys the suitcase, Norah seems to need a lot for an overnight stay. He opens the front door and heaves the small suitcase up into the back of his car.

  "You'll be late if we don't leave now!"

  Finally he hears the clop of Norah's high heels on the wooden stairs. A smart, not too short red dress, sleeveless, with minimal gold jewellery. Her hair looks immaculate, her face made-up like a model ready for the cameras. Even as children she had taken much longer than him to get ready, their father cursing as he stood by the open front door.

  Dave holds open the passenger door of the car and makes 'hurry-up' gestures. Norah takes her time and locks the front door, checking it twice.

  The drive is quiet and uneventful, 40 minutes later Dave pulls into the car park outside the hospitals 'Short Stay Surgery Unit'.

  Laying a hand on Norah's arm, he says, "I'll be back tomorrow at nine o'clock, okay?"

  Norah nods, "I can ring if there's any problems." She exits the car and walks round to Dave's side.

  "You'll be fine," Dave smiles as he places her suitcase down and extends the handle.

  Norah smiles back, "I know, I've had such great care here, oh look, Mr Riley is coming, he's my surgeon!" Norah waves at Mr Riley, kisses Dave on the cheek and turns to walk into the reception.

  Dave glances up at the approaching doctor as he gets back into the car. "Oh, that’s the point!" He exclaims quietly to himself.

  ~#~