Collected Stories from Contests and Events 2014 Read online

  #Gr8NFFD - Great National Flash Fiction Day - 13-21JUN14

  Writing prompt: Daily prompts leading up to National Flash Fiction Day: Rainbow, The Train, Map, 'Once upon a time…', Feet, Numbers, Elvis, or not…, Flash.

  Result: N/A

  Tomatoes, carrots, lemon, courgette... Lily wanted to create a rainbow of cuisine, but couldn't find anything blue... #vss #Gr8NFFD

  As the train puffed into the station Billy jumped up and down. "Puff, puff; toot, toot," he cried clapping his hands. #vss #Gr8nffd

  He looked at the map and did a double take: How many contour lines to climb?!? #vss #Gr8NFFD #ThePush

  "Once upon a time, there lived a princess in a castle. She had lots of puppies and a pony..." "Oh, she's asleep already!" #vss #Gr8NFFD

  These feet were made for walking, and that's just what they did. Now retired, they rest and help others. #vss #Gr8NFFD

  Numbers rule the world. If we took away the numbers what would be left? A world without numbers would be nothing. #Gr8NFFD #vss

  Cindy sighs, "Elvis or not, you can't come in here wearing Blue Suede Shoes. Didn't you read the sign?" "Uh, huh." #Gr8NFFD #vss

  As the walkers emerge into the early morning gloom I wait with my camera. Flash! Click! Flash! Click! "WTF!" "Morning!" #Gr8NFFF #vss

  Great National Flash Fiction Day Facebook Flash 2014 - 21JUN14

  Writing prompt: "Flash", Less than 100 words

  Result: Not placed

  Tuesday Morning

  I slide out of bed making almost no sound. Grabbing my head torch I put it on, accidently setting it to flash. I turn toward the next bed, a figure glowing intermittently in the light. She opens one eye and grimaces, rolls over and falls back asleep. I adjust the torch, dim red light shining on the pile of clothes I laid out ready the night before. Slipping into practiced routine I dress almost silently and pick up my bag. A quick sweep round with the torch shows nothing left behind and I walk lightly out of the hall.

 

  Edinburgh Book Festival - 15-31AUG14

  Writing prompt: Daily prompts during the festival #StoryShop. Beginning, Pool, Phone, Stone, Countdown, Bugs, Game, Door, Myth, Garden, Water, Letters, Dogs, Shoes, Mountains, Radio, Light, Figure, Score, Gold, Clip, Sharp, Cast, Double, Present, Rose, Well, Switch, Change.

  Result: N/A

  Lily's Summer

  (I have merged all the tweets into a story; the original tweets are included in Eighteen Weeks of Tweets)

  Dad glares; Lily decides that now isn't the time to mention that it's already the beginning of the holidays. She slips quietly away and leaves him to his afternoon nap. Later on Lily sneaks downstairs, out the back door and over the fence to next doors pool. Dad is still inside, snoring. After swimming a few laps Lily grabs her towel and tiptoes back to the house.

  Lily's phone rings as she enters the living room. She answers it as Dad wakes up, staring at her dripping wet hair. He raises an eyebrow; Lily stands frozen, as if turned to stone.

  "Why aren't you at school?" he asks, smiling.

  "5..."

  "Um..."

  "...4..."

  "Well..."

  "...3..."

  "School broke up yesterday."

  "Oh, okay," Dad closes his eyes.

  Lily sighs with relief and waits until Dad snores quietly again. She puts away her phone and turns on the computer. He's so laid back it bugs her.

  The best thing about the holidays? Playing The Game with Dad. Lily logs off and sets the board up on the coffee table. Dad's awake now, and as she shares out the tiles she hears the front door open and looks at Him, "who is that?"

  Dad looks embarrassed, "oh, the cleaning lady?"

  A smartly dressed lady walks in.

  "Dad, the cleaning lady is a myth. I know you do it all."

  "Didn't tell me... holidays..." Dad mumbles, embarrassed.

  He introduces his 'friend'; Lily smiles politely.

  "If you need me, I'll be in the garden."

  "Okay," Dad mumbles.

  Lily walks slowly along the terrace, watering the plants and eavesdropping through the open window. It's been a long time since Mum left. Dad keeps letters from Lily's mother. She has read them but he doesn't know. He still thinks she's a baby. Lily walks round to the driveway. Susan has two dogs in her car. Lily pets them through the open window; they are soppy.

  After Susan leaves, Dad offers to take Lily shopping for new shoes. She knows he is sorry but still says yes; it will make him feel better. They get into the car and drive toward the town centre.

  "How would you like a weekend in the mountains?" Dad asks.

  "Just us two?" Lily raises an eyebrow.

  "Well, no..."

  Lily turns on the radio; "I need time," she says.

  Dad drives, silent, the rest of the way, listening to the jazz.

  Lily screams. Dad opens the door. Switching on the light, he takes her hand. She smiles.

  "It's all right now."

  "It wasn't a nightmare; I saw a figure outside," Lily says.

  "Stay here," Dad puts on his boots and investigates.

  Dad comes back in and shakes his head, "nothing."

  Lily can't sleep. Dad agrees to play The Game, but only for 15 minutes, whatever the score. Lily knows he'll relent. 42 minutes into The Game Lily wins gold.

  "Time for bed now," Dad packs up the board.

  "Okay."

  The next morning Dad prepares lunch. Susan arrives with a bottle of wine and a gift for Lily, a blue hair clip. After lunch they take a walk in the garden.

  Dad stops to collect some roses.

  Lily cuts another one from the bush.

  "Ow, sha-arp!" she sucks her finger.

  Dad chuckles and takes the rose, adding it to the bouquet for Susan.

  Dad and Susan go back inside and Lily picks up Cinderella. She sits on the lawn and reads her script. Next term she'll meet the whole cast. But who will play the Prince?

  The last weekend of the holidays they all set off for the mountains. The weather is dark and wet. In the hotel bar Lily finds a box of dominoes. Halfway through the game they realise the double five is missing. They give up and go out to dinner.

  "Your hair clip is very pretty," the waitress tells Lily.

  "Thank you, it was a present from...my Dads...friend."

  As they walk back to the hotel they pass a flower stall.

  Dad buys both of them a single rose. At the hotel Dad and Susan go for a walk but Lily feels tired and goes straight to her room.

  In the hotel garden Dad finds a wishing well. He drops in a shiny penny.

  "I wish Lily will always be happy..."

  The next morning the sun is shining as Lily gets up to make tea. She pushes the switch on the kettle. Nothing. Off, on. Nothing. She plugs it in and tries again. Red light. While it boils Lily gets dressed, wearing Dads favourite jumper. She drinks her tea and picks up her bag. Walking down the stairs Lily spots Susan over the bannister. She looks down at herself. Red striped top, blue jeans, black trainers. Same as Susan... Should she change?

  Paragraph Planet - 15SEP14

  Writing prompt: Any subject, exactly 75 words including title, open for submissions all year round

  Result: Featured

  September Muse

  I can hardly believe Summer is gone. Rain and wind replacing sunshine and laughter. My helpful student has returned to school and I no longer have the constant chatter to distract me and inspire me in equal measures. I place a fresh sheet in the typewriter and raise my hands; I pause and wait for inspiration. A small sigh escapes my lips as my hands drop to my lap. Where are you, September Muse?

  Brighton Digital Festival, Geo-Writing - 01SEP14

  Writing prompt: Location: Midhurst - There is an abandoned pushchair in the middle of the road

  Result: N/A

  I stand in silence, watching two oranges roll slowly down the gentle slope. The taxi is stopped diagonally across the road. In the crowd people are talking
loudly but I can't hear anything coherent amongst the chatter. A young lady is crying. I recognise Michaela from the post office and a wave of sadness engulfs me. It is her pushchair lying abandoned in the middle of the road. There is a small patchwork bear on the tarmac a few feet away, looking up at me with an anxious expression.

  I hear the ambulance sirens as the vehicle turns into the street. The crowd parts as the ambulance crew come forward. I can see the taxi driver now, he has blood on his face and someone holding his head still. Michaela's husband pushes his way through the crowd. I am relieved to see their son, Gordon, cling to his father's hand, running to keep up. Michaela kneels and embraces Gordon, sobbing.

  Her husband pulls her up roughly by her hair.

  "I don't have money to throw around because you can't look where you're going; you can replace the pushchair with your own money. I'm going to the Crown; I'll be in at seven. Make sure dinner's ready."

  He pushes Gordon towards his mother and walks down the hill without looking back.

  I turn my attention to the broken pushchair which I had so far avoided looking at. The front left wheel is missing and the frame bent beyond repair. There's a ripped carrier bag in the seat, with broken eggs oozing over cheap sausages lying on the ground.

  I take forty pounds from my wallet and approach Michaela. I hold it out and as she shakes her head to refuse my donation her hair falls back and I see the bruising around her face, her left eye swollen almost shut, the make-up unable to conceal the extent of his anger.

  "Come home with me," I say on impulse.

  She smiles slightly and shakes her head again but takes the money from me.

  "You're kind," she says and turns away. She stands up the pushchair and I watch her walk to the bus stop, carrying Gordon on her hip and dragging the pushchair behind with the other hand.

  Great Halloween Facebook Flash - 31OCT14

  Writing prompt: Elderly Mutant Yoga Lizards

  Result: N/A

  Elderly Mutant Yoga Lizards

  Jenny and I are going to a Halloween party. Jenny's my flatmate. Matt from work organised it for a kid's charity, it's big and it's going to be awesome!

  Jenny dances into the living room wearing a super spider costume with extra legs waving about but before I can comment my mobile rings: Gran. I look at my watch; her yoga class should be finished now.

  "Hi Gran"

  "Rachel? That you?"

  "Yes, Gran," I raise my voice a little more.

  "Henry can't drive us today, his back's playing up. Could you come and get us from the gym and take us to the community centre? There's a party going on!"

  I look at my watch, "are you ready now?"

  "Gwen and I are, Agnes is just rubbing some ointment on Henry's back, they'll be ready by the time you get here."

  "It'll be a squeeze to get four more in the car," I say, semaphoring Jenny with my eyebrows. Jenny smiles and nods enthusiastically.

  "Okay," I supress a sigh, "about ten minutes?"

  "You're a star!" Gran hangs up without saying goodbye and I tuck the phone into my pumpkin shaped trick or treat bag, I grab my pointy hat and stand by the front door.

  "Gran and her friends are going to the same Halloween party," I tell Jenny, "Matt did a brilliant job selling tickets!"

  Jenny finishes her glass of wine and rearranges her extra legs. "Matt hired a minibus for later, so David's picking us up in it, come on!"

  David was waiting and we arrive at the gym in no time at all. I stare, am I seeing things? Lined up along the curb are four luminous green anthropomorphic reptiles demonstrating the tree pose (except Henry who has both feet firmly on the ground)! Gran steps forward and slides open the door.

  "The Rex costumes were reduced so we all got one!"

  "Rex?" Jenny inquires.

  "You know, from Toy Story, the dinosaur."

  Jenny looks at me and we start to giggle. Gwen and Agnes start giggling too, trying to help Henry clamber aboard. In between giggles Gwen bursts out, "You can see why they were reduced! It was Henrys' idea!"

  Henry settles himself back in the seat and cackles, "Ty-ran-o-four- of-us Rex!" He slaps his knee.

  "Rex? Rex?" I repeat in disbelief, "I thought you were Elderly Mutant Yoga Lizards!"