Violet built four walls. A brick for every critical word, each hurtful taunt entombed in mortar. She whitewashed the outside, decorating the facade with fake sunflowers and painted gladioli. On the inside, she grew climbing roses and carnations, tending each bloom with love. She sowed a chamomile lawn, surrounded with jasmine and lavender. At night … Continue reading A LIFE IN FLORIOGRAPHY by Lesley Bungay

He hasn’t touched his guitar in a long time. It’s intrinsically linked to drinking. So much so, that the thought of strumming one, putting fingers and thumbs near a fretboard, sends shivers down his spine. He writes, this is true, but words alone can sometimes lack the excitement that a backbeat and bassline bring to … Continue reading EARWORMS by Steven Holding

There was nothing Audrey enjoyed more than an outing to the prom. They sat watching the waves, licking their ice creams. The air was scented with donuts, candy floss and salty seaweed. Audrey wiped ice cream from her chin and rubbed sticky fingers on her skirt. ‘Behave or I’ll take you home.' Audrey pouted. ‘Want … Continue reading ICE CREAM ON THE PROM by Kathy Goddard

Photos showed the “fabulous second-hand satsuma couch” was huge and horribly orange. Zoë bought it straight away.The delivery men turned it on one side, backed up and tried again. ‘Don’t worry, love, we’ll take the legs off.’ They unscrewed its ponderous paws and pushed it through the doorway, as far as it would go. Zoë … Continue reading NEW OWNER COLLECTS by Anne Eyries

He calls me an ungrateful bitch, the parrot escapes its cage, perches on the tap of the kitchen sink, its beak slightly open and the dark little tongue showing. The argument escalates while the neighbour practises her scales on the piano. My husband and I stare at each other, me in disbelief, he with hatred. … Continue reading NOTHING I CAN DO, OR I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT by Nora Nadjarian

Floyd got Shannon’s name inked on his left shoulder—which stunned Shannon because she and Floyd had gone out only seven times. Four dinners. Two movies. One ballgame. But there it was in capital letters: SHANNON. The perfect camouflage for his previous tattoo, the name of his ex-girlfriend, Ann. Lori Cramer’s short prose has appeared in … Continue reading CAMOUFLAGE by Lori Cramer