Guilt – Furious Fiction October 2021

It’s that time again. The Furious Fiction results are out. I didn’t make the longlist, but I think I failed to satisfy one of the criteria. The setting was to be a court, and with the results, they said over half of the story had to take place there. The other criteria were: under 500 words, have a character who measures something, and contain the words balloon, rock, and umbrella.

Regardless, I’m really happy with my entry this month. I’ll strive to improve further next month. Please read my entry below.

CONTENT WARNING: Contains descriptions of a car crash, blood, and injury.

Guilt

My first shower today was scalding – an attempt to feel something. My second is icy, a barrage of rain soaking me through while my umbrella hangs limp beside me. The nothingness only deepens. I’m not really there as I stare through the drab grey bricks of the courthouse. I’m lost in another rainstorm, on the day that shattered my world like a rock through a window.

At twilight that day, I pressed my chin to the steering wheel, peering through driving rain. Headlights dazzled me between furious sweeps of the wipers. I should have gone slower, but I fussed over irritating everyone behind me. If I’d listened to my gut, would I have seen that one car without lights? It sped out from the junction, but I didn’t see it until the terror in her eyes had me slam on the brakes.

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The Clean-Up Guy – Furious Fiction September 2021

It’s the last Wednesday of the month, with means the September Furious Fiction contest results are out. Sadly, I didn’t make the long list, but the winning story was incredibly good and topical. My entry, The Clean-Up Guy, is below. This month’s prompt: include a basement or an attic; include some kind of insect; include the words earth, wind, fire, and water.

CONTENT WARNING: Contains gruesome imagery and swearing.

The Clean-Up Guy

Maggots. Always maggots. The job would be a damn sight better if they stopped sprouting near worksites. Leo descended into the dark basement, jaw clenching a little more with each wriggler that popped underfoot. He could’ve used spotlights, but the boss said he was better working blind. A familiar stench explained why – ruptured bowels. Great.

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The Crisp That Opened a Door

Just yesterday, I ate a crisp for the first time in a long time. The taste and texture were just like those my nana served when I was young, throwing me into memories of time spent on the family farm. I wrote the piece below while lost in these unlocked moments. I hope you enjoy my fond recollections.

The Unlocking of Memories

The crisp crunches in my mouth, transporting me to a Sunday afternoon twenty years ago. At the family farm, Nana has laid out the weekly feast. Soft, buttered bread, platters of meat, sliced egg, salad, crisps, and so much more at the savoury end. And the sweet end? Chocolate buns, Victoria sponge cake, rock cakes, and, if I’m lucky, a trifle. No one frowns when I heap up my plate, nor when I go back for more. It’s always savoury then cakes, and perhaps a slice of bread after that.

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Furious Fiction August 2021 Entry

Each month, I join thousands of other writers in entering the Australian Writers’ Centre’s Furious Fiction contest. Unfortunately, I failed to reach the long list again, but I shall continue with that aim. I have, however, decided to publish my entries here on my blog once the results are up. Find the prompt rules after the story.


Her Hope

Wind tousled her hair. She wrapped her arms about herself, wishing she’d taken a blanket as she fled. In only her shift, she risked succumbing to the autumn chill before meeting Sir Logan. The gods were already painting the sky with a wash of black, but she dared not continue until darkness reigned.

Huddled against the Owl Oak, she wandered through childhood memories of that place. Logan had called her Sophie then, not Lady Sophia, and she missed life before rank divided them. Before she’d married a man wearing a mask of kindness.

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