The Silver Song of the Lark The karaoke bar was heaving, so they went to the back, where proper music could be played – through a proper record player. Let the youngsters, gangstas and Beats-wearing hipsters sing what they thought passed for music these days. Shankly sat at the bar, ale in hand, smiling. …
“Pyro” – Poised Pen – Frightening Flash Fiction Competition – Shortlist
The Poised Pen are a writing group from Liverpool. Two of the FlashDogs (A.J. Walker and Catherine Connolly) are also members of the group and they convinced the group to hold a prize winning flash fiction competition, with the chance to appear in an anthology afterwards. There wee no prompts - just the theme of …
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“The Cherub Hitman of Cambridge” – Flash Frenzy Round 40 | The Angry Hourglass
The Cherub Hitman of Cambridge Things got worse after he’d messed up the millennium gig. It was supposed to be… something much bigger. He’d been banished to Earth, and of all places, Cambridge. People tend to think of cherubs as porky and cute. Cedric was a carrying a bit of timber, sure, but to call …
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“A Prayer on All Hallows Eve” – Flash Frenzy Round 39 | The Angry Hourglass
A Prayer on All Hallows Eve I am but a man of weakness, frailty and betrayal. I kneel before Him, my cassock rumpled up as a sea of fabric against the shore of my weekend knees. I adjust my dog-collar with my rosary beads hanging off my clasped hands, like a modern-day rapper’s bling. I’ve …
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“ReignBow” – Flash! Friday–Vol 2 – 44 | Flash! Friday
+ Include Surgery ReignBow Red bulbous noses, menacing clowns, harlequin hats and jesters dance in his hallucinations now. Orange doctors speak of complications of surgery and difficult times ahead. Five minutes here, five minutes there, then jocular chats about rounds of golf and luminous-orange spray tan top-ups. Yellow jaundice creeps across his skin and eyes …
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“An Aspirin A Day Keeps The Doctors Away” – Flash! Friday–Vol 2 – 44 | Flash! Friday
+ Include Surgery An aspirin a day keeps the doctors away They’d tried everything. Sharp syringes containing liquid colours from Barbie-pink to camouflage-green. Foul smelling pastes. Tablets they stuck places that tablets shouldn’t be stuck. Even surgery. Through their clumsy yellow spacemen suits and Vader masks, they muffled words at me. They said I had …
“The Lift” – Micro Bookends 1.02 – FACE [micro] LIFT • Micro Bookends – Shortlist
Week Two of Micro Bookends, and my final submission (sadly). Face battered and numb. His bloodied hands almost fractured; skin rips as it’s shed from glove. He has seen this moment. He has seen every moment. He’s like a writer at keyboard, perfect plot in mind. He has smelled dankness of old sweat. He has …
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“We Will Fight Them With Speeches” – Micro Bookends 1.01 – FIRST [micro] BORN • Micro Bookends – Shortlist
So, Micro Bookends was a new Flash comp launched in October. I loved the concept. A photo prompt. A mandatory first and last word (hence the bookends). A word limit. Mega hard - but highly enjoyable. This was the very first week. First, we will fight them on the beaches. That’s what he thought he …
Three Line Thursday – Week Two – Shortlist
The image was one of a chain hanging on some railings (click the link below to see the prompt). Three lines is the requirement (which is kinda hard as width of screens varies). Iron fangs protrude from the Tower, death’s doorway is Traitor’s Gate. Chained political enemies, innocents and monarchs; their blood colours stone. Now the tourists, …
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Sarajevo Spring – Flash! Friday–Vol 2 – 43 | Flash! Friday
Metropolitan Dreams 