THE SEVEN YEAR SPELL by Rowan Evans (2nd place, Flash May22)

Caroline Richardson hasn’t moved for seven years. Today is her thirteenth birthday, but she’s still only five years old. When it rains, she’s beneath the puddles she would have liked to jump in. When the sun shines, it can’t reach her face to warm it. She can’t gather the conkers and chestnuts that fall above … Continue reading THE SEVEN YEAR SPELL by Rowan Evans (2nd place, Flash May22)

POST MORTEM: THE PROLIFERATION OF LIFE AFTER DEATH by JP Relph (3rd place, Flash May22)

There are five discrete stages of decomposition that summarise post-mortem physiochemical changes. For the entomologist, there’s a predictable succession of arthropods. Orders Diptera (true flies) and Coleoptera (beetles) provide the families most valuable to medico-legal investigations. --- Seminar Speaker Notes: 1. Fresh StageFamilies: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae Following death there’s a cascade of processes: Pallor, Algor, Rigor … Continue reading POST MORTEM: THE PROLIFERATION OF LIFE AFTER DEATH by JP Relph (3rd place, Flash May22)

SOME OPENING SENTENCES by Rachel Robbins (1st place, Apr22)

“I don’t know where to start.” Felicity’s fingers found Michael’s hands across the table. “Me neither,” said Michael. “I’ve been thinking in fragments most of my life. You know, short sentences, questions that can’t be answered.” Michael nodded, but Felicity knew he didn’t understand. She had meant to behave, but there had been so many … Continue reading SOME OPENING SENTENCES by Rachel Robbins (1st place, Apr22)

THIS IS HOW IT WILL BE by David Hartley (2nd place, Apr22)

A few hours after his birth, the child was shown his whole life in a picture book. The title was This is How it Will Be, and the author was CN Strathroy. It took a short while for the boy to realise that his own name was not CN Strathroy and when he eventually went … Continue reading THIS IS HOW IT WILL BE by David Hartley (2nd place, Apr22)

LINDISFARNE, 793 by Alex Hawksworth-Brookes (3rd place, Apr22)

It was the dawn of an age of wolves and ravens. It was the eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord 793. The bells tolled out across the sacred island of Lindisfarne. Today, they sounded different. The usual coordinated and tuneful chiming, echoing off sea and shore to God’s delight, was replaced … Continue reading LINDISFARNE, 793 by Alex Hawksworth-Brookes (3rd place, Apr22)

INSERT VAGUE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE HERE by Keith Henderson (1st place, Prompt Mar22)

It’s a pencil keeping him from sleep tonight. Not an actual pencil, obviously, a metaphorical one. Or should that be a metaphysical one? One or the other, anyway. There are the usual thoughts keeping him awake as well, of course. Has he saved enough to retire? Is that lump on the side of his foot … Continue reading INSERT VAGUE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE HERE by Keith Henderson (1st place, Prompt Mar22)

PAWN TAKES KING by Jonathan McLaughlin (2nd place, Prompt Mar22)

As I sat in my office, stumped over a crossword puzzle asking me for a six letter word for a legendary Greek king, my leg couldn’t stop shaking. My eyes wandered aimlessly over the six blank spaces, unable to focus, lost in my overwhelming urge – no, obligation - to finally visit my old friend, … Continue reading PAWN TAKES KING by Jonathan McLaughlin (2nd place, Prompt Mar22)

EMILY AND THE GIRLS by Alison Wassell (3rd place, Prompt Mar22)

Emily’s colleagues, not one of them under forty, refer to themselves as the girls, as in "girls’ night out", "all girls together" and "girl talk". Girl talk, as far as Emily can see, consists mainly of discussions about men; husbands, both errant and loyal, ex-husbands, potential husbands, men who are sadly not husband material. None … Continue reading EMILY AND THE GIRLS by Alison Wassell (3rd place, Prompt Mar22)