A FORK IN THE ROAD by Lesley Bungay

She followed each sign as told, her life a map of paths well-trodden by her ancestors. When she reached a fork, she paused. The right road bore familiar footprints, the left – unused. She hesitated, removed scuffed shoes, and stepped barefoot into the unknown.The paths ran parallel for a time, but foliage frustrated her progress. … Continue reading A FORK IN THE ROAD by Lesley Bungay

HEADS OR TAILS by Tim Kirton

She’d never been what you’d call unwavering in her decision-making. Indecision, she’d convinced herself, was the last emotion before genius kicked in. Proper research and an ordered approach to the bigger choices in life were necessary; a prerequisite to a successful outcome. She looked again at her comprehensive list of pros and cons. They equated … Continue reading HEADS OR TAILS by Tim Kirton

SUGAR IN COFFEE by R. D. Brown

I haven’t taken sugar in my coffee in fifteen years, I can’t drink it if someone puts sugar in it, or even worse one of those syrups people like so much. Fly buzzing around, always reminds of the South of France. I stare into the coffee, willing it to cool down. The first coffee of … Continue reading SUGAR IN COFFEE by R. D. Brown

LETTING GO by Jackie Meekums-Hales

Butterflies land their luring cobalt blue on wavering stems, bowing them beneath the shimmering sun. They flutter, hover, lift again as straightening blooms release them to the air. Like them, she vows to let temptation go, unbending to the broken promises and lies. She’ll set him free and cherish what she has, resist delusions of … Continue reading LETTING GO by Jackie Meekums-Hales

WHO NEEDS PRINCES ANYWAY? by Sarah Barnett

Rapunzel was 12 when her hair fell out — about the same time the witch locked her in the tower. Soon, her hands began to warp into fearsome talons, and her tongue stretched till it could dart chameleon-like from her window, to catch the food her captor left far below. However, with her mouth reshaped, … Continue reading WHO NEEDS PRINCES ANYWAY? by Sarah Barnett

ON THE SHELF by Cath Barton

It was too quiet in the house. Alarm jagged at Ted and he sprang out of bed faster than he’d done in a long time, was down the stairs in big leaps and into the kitchen, staring round at the emptiness. No wife, no dog. He made coffee, stood with his back to the cooker … Continue reading ON THE SHELF by Cath Barton

LATE SHIFT AT THE MUSEUM OF SMELLS by Chris Cottom (1st place, Flash, Feb24)

I’m working afternoons on our enquiries desk. ‘Old leather walking boots?’ asks a raincoated lady who reminds me of Gran. ‘Freshly buffed with beeswax dubbin?’ I’m gagging for a cup of tea. ‘Sorry, madam. The museum’s banned bee-based treatments.’ Across our cavernous hall, kids are staggering out of our ‘Monarch Immersion Experience’ clutching their heads. … Continue reading LATE SHIFT AT THE MUSEUM OF SMELLS by Chris Cottom (1st place, Flash, Feb24)

THE UNIVERSAL SOUP by Richard Hooton (2nd place, Flash, Feb24)

Our anniversary meal was plodding along same as the previous thirteen when I noticed there was a universe in my soup. Eddying in the centre, a vast blackness teeming with galaxy clusters that reflected and refracted like diamonds. I tore my eyes away; the restaurant’s walls, plates and tablecloths as clinically white as a hospital … Continue reading THE UNIVERSAL SOUP by Richard Hooton (2nd place, Flash, Feb24)