Writers Victoria is back with its third flash fiction competition. This year, the theme is ‘Unfold’. For 30 days, they will post a single-word prompt and entrants write up to 30 words in response.
Here are my second 10 stories. I won Day 13, with the prompt ‘Manifest’.
April 11 Elaborate
Ants cavort along cracked earth.
Dark clouds whirl, but azure sky wins.
Heat shimmers.
Thunder rumbles.
A squall flounces in.
The ants march to higher ground.
Nature’s elaborate dance.
April 12 Unravel
‘I’m no gossip, but…’ Mrs Jessop stitched a tale about her new neighbour’s constant stream of female visitors.
Her story unravelled when he erected a sign, Boris Swanson, Psychologist.
April 13 Manifest
She always thought love would be loud: fireworks, violins, skywriting. But true love arrived unannounced, manifest by nine-to-five drudgery, peeled potatoes, a kiss goodnight.
April 14 Scrunch
The squeal drew her gaze, eyes scrunched against the noonday sun. A crow wheeled upwards, jet black wings, beady blue eyes, a mouse clutched in its talons. Lunch.
April 15 Consciousness
It gnawed his soul, a constant fetid presence. He hid his jagged shame beneath layers of benevolence, but no penance, no altruism could wash his guilt clean.
April 16 Burst
The signs were all there: whispered conversations, no eye contact, a forgotten birthday. She burst inside, bracing to catch him in flagrante.
Her friends jumped out. “Surprise!”
April 17 Learn
In Kindness 101, the professor rewarded helping others and charitable ideas.
Parents complained the class wouldn’t help their employment prospects.
The next year, he taught Biggest Mistakes in History 101.
April 18 Explore
Zac, eyes sparkling, stepped into the shed and back in time. A rotary dial telephone, floppy disks, rusty spanners.
Mum huffed. ‘A hoarder’s mess.’
Grandpa smiled. ‘My life.’
April 19 Reveal
She didn’t plan to reveal the Santa secret, at least, not yet. But when she absentmindedly signed the gift card ‘love Mum and Dad’, the game was up.
April 20 Origami
His finest choreography.
Arms folded. Head bowed. Human origami.
A dying swan.
A silent heart.
The casket lid closes and flames roar.
His final dance.
Next Time: an interview with Lisa Darcy on Writing, Flowers and Inspiration and her latest novel, Lily’s Little Flower Shop
Next flash fiction: Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2021 – Part Three
Brightside Story Studio 
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