tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55168735658640693782024-02-08T11:36:48.467-08:00Ramsgate Women's FictionKarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-58787819154763106702012-11-23T02:55:00.000-08:002012-11-23T02:55:10.165-08:00Flash Fiction IIIThe next piece of flash fiction is from our overseas member Francis Guenette. Her snippet of conversation was:<br />
<br />
<strong>"Yes well she said she wasn't drunk, but I don't know"</strong><br />
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<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">"Yes</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> well she said she wasn't drunk, but I don't know."</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">Shit – why had she tacked on those last three words – </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">I don’</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">t know</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> – in </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">that tentative, weak tone? </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">She sounded </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">like she didn’t have a clue, like her client would have been better off telling her problems to the first passerby she saw on the street. Shit.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">Monica clutch</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">ed at the file in he</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">r hand and told herself to </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">breathe. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">The weekly </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">peer </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">supervision sessions with one of her</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> graduate scho</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">ol colleague</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">s always rattled her composure</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">They were supposed to share case notes </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">from their practicum counselling sessions </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">and try to help each other identify blind spots</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">, work on their edges – what </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">a load of shit</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> It was the blind leading the blind –</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> one-upmanship</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> spurred on by mutual insecurity. The first person to show a hint of weakness would be brought down like a crippled zebr</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">a before a pack of slavering </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">lions.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">And w</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">ho the hell did this guy think he was </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">to be </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">questioning her judgement in that snide tone and making her feel like some so</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">rt of imp</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">oster? The </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">thought </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">of him being </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">a counsellor someday made </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">her </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">pity anyone who might end up as his client</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">What a joke</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> this entire program was turning out to be.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> Why she had thought going back to school to get her Master’s degree was a good idea was a total mystery to her now. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">And at her age – it was laughable, really. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">She knew how to help people – she’d been doing it for years. But instead of being out in the world doing what she was good at, she was stu</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">ck in a corner of the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">graduate student lounge</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">being gril</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">led by an egotistical smart aleck</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> who was young enough to be her son – peer my ass. </span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX147907050" paraid="156933775" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">When she let herself dwell on what her graduate school experience had been so far she felt like vomiting. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">Insecure professors</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> who were, by the way, also younger than her, n</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">itpicking over ridiculous crap – academics who hadn’t had an original thought in</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> the last twenty years, people</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> so busy cannibalizing any real work they had ever done </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">and stealing their own students’ ideas </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">for more publications and </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">research grant money, </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">they had no time or inclination to give a shit about teaching. Her fellow classmates had either come into the program thinking they already knew everything or they were so busy spewing back every work the prof said like it had just come down from God on high they couldn’t possibly open themselves up to really learn anything. The </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">curriculum </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">for the entire program </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">made her question when the last time anyone designing this bullshit had been in the real world. What a colossal mistake </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">it </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">all was.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">“Moni</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">c</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">a, can we drop the peer supervision roles</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> for a minute? I really need to talk to someone.”</span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX147907050" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX147907050" paraid="1508363179" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">The tremble in his voice propelled her out of her spiral of negative thoughts as she sat up straighter and met his pleading eyes. “Sure, Jeff – what’s up?”</span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">“I haven’t slept for a couple of days – I can’t keep up. Work is crazy right now and I need the job – I’</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">ve got to pay for school</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">I don’t have that</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> old silver spoon in my mouth </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">like some people in this program</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">My girlfriend is on my back every minute about how much time I’m spending on campus and I’m behind in </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">readings for every course. Forget about that bloody theories paper for Mr. Dickhead – it’s not going to happen.”</span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX147907050" paraid="298247455" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">Monica watched him drop his head into his hand and rake his long fingers through his hair. When he looke</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">d up his voice shook, “I </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">admire you – you’re the one person in the whole frig</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">ging cohort who seems to </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">care about anybody else or </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">even slightly </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">have her shit together. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">I watch you and I wonder what the hell I’m doing here. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">I feel like such a bloody imposter every second – like it’s only a matter of time before they find out what a total incompetent I am and kick me out of the program. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">Sorry </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">to dump all my crap out like this</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;"> – I </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">just </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">feel like I’m </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">drowning</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">.”</span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX147907050" paraid="125984962" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">Monica took a deep breath and reached across the space that separated them to put her hand on Jeff’s knee, “Let’s take things one at a time – OK? Maybe </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">together </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">we can figure out where </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">you can </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">get a little </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">room </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">to move </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">in all of this.” She </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">smiled warmly at him and she </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">could feel her </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX147907050" style="background-color: inherit;">world pivot back to where it was supposed to be. </span></span><span class="EOP SCX147907050" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-63395192477001603432012-11-19T07:07:00.002-08:002012-11-19T07:07:36.856-08:00Flash Fiction IIHere's another piece of flash fiction based on snippets of conversation, this piece was written by Liz<br />
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<strong>"Can I get the bus to Sainsbury's from this stop"</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was an absolutely crap day. It was cold, wet, miserable and I had a hell of a journey to work. Added to that, I had got in late from a disastrous date, my cat was sick and my feet hurt - I love those shoes to pieces, but boy! do they pinch.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">At lunch time, I went to the cafeteria with my best mate, Claire, and we had a couple of lattes and what passes for a salad. I have to lose some weight, and Claire is just a big fat mare these days, but says she is dieting. I stirred sweetener into my skinny latte, and watched her shovel sugar into her full fat one. I think she had hazelnut syrup too. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘You going out tonight?’ I asked her</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘Nah. Staying in with Pete and mum’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pete is her god awful boyfriend, still I suppose she’s lucky to get anyone, the way she looks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘Washing your hair?’ I commented</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘No, doesn’t need it yet’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">That’s what you think, I mused, gazing at the lank ponytail dangling over her shoulder. Poor lamb - definitely behind the door when looks were given out, in my opinion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Luc from accounts strolled over - Claire and I had been eyeing him up for months - and I once sort of cornered him in the stationery cupboard, and hinted as hard as I could with out actually taking my clothes off that I fancied the pants off of him. He sat down next to Claire. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘Hi, gorgeous’, he murmured ‘Still on for later?’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Claire giggled. ‘Oh, Yes! meet you at the bus stop?’ And off he went, to get his power shake and diet coke. ( He has got the most amazing body - I had felt his muscles under his shirt that day in the cupboard...’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘CLAIRE! You said you were staying in with you mum and Pete.’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“I am. But I’m going to see an exhibition with Luc first. It’s supposed to be really good. That one in the gallery in town’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I sniffed. “Load of rubbish. I think I’ll go to the flicks. That boy from Morgan Stanley asked me - you know, the one Amanda used to go out with?’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘Oh damn, look at the time...we’d better dash’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I spent the afternoon at my desk, looking out over the Thames. I was really upset this time. Plain Claire, with her spots, greasy hair and fat, was going out with Luc. I’d fix her..and him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I made a few phone calls and smiled to myself. That would teach them. I hadn’t been born in the East End for nothing...I even went and made old fatty a coffee, and bought her a doughnut - I’m nothing if not all heart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fancy going shopping on Saturday? I asked her ‘I thought perhaps we could go up west and have a real girly day out?’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘Oh, sorry, Tara, Pete’s taking me to Paris for the night. Eurostar’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Oh, lucky you...’I went back to my cubicle. Well, that fat bitch wouldn’t be gong anywhere near he champs Elysee, if I had my way. And that’s what I always get, MY WAY!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I clock watched all afternoon - at 6 o’clock, we put on out coats and walked down to the lobby. Luc was there, looking gorgeous, with a bunch of flowers. I saw who I was waiting for and winked at him. he followed us out to the bus stop and stood next to me. I turned to him and then grabbed hold of Claire’s arm </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">‘Can I get the bus from Sainsbury’s from this stop?’</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The man behind me smiled, and I saw the merest hint of the outline of a cosh in his hand - we all got on the bus, and I leapt out as soon as I decently could. I knew that I would not be having to listen to Claire’s bragging again.</span> </span></div>
KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-21242473975846630752012-11-15T02:58:00.000-08:002012-11-15T02:58:05.315-08:00Flash Fiction NovemberAt the first of our November meetings we held another flash fiction night. This time we all provided snippets of conversation we had overheard.<br />
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This is the first piece of flash fiction from Maggie.<br />
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<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">The class was</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">n</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">ew to me. I had done several st</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">ints of supply teaching at this school, but this class, the drop-outs, the pull-outs, whatever words they used to describe the pupils, was a challenge.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1954997006" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"></span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1293009311" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">The kids would not sit down. I did not dare yell at them. That would have been a negative start. Surviving the forty minutes lesson time was all I wanted to achieve. So thought I would try a trick, or rather, a technique. I took up some </span><span class="SpellingError SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">coloured</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> pencils, some paper, a ruler a protractor. Sitting down next to the quietest boy in the class---they were all boys except chardonnay, who might have been a girl, it was difficult to tell with all the piercings, the loose sweater and the short hair.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1104193429" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">"So what's your name?" I aid to my victim.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="766127613" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">"Gordon, Miss." I could hardly hear him because of the noise the others were making.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="570529025" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">"Right, Gordon. I'm going to show you some interesting patterns with these pencils and stuff here." I used their vernacular insofar as I</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> was </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">familiar with it, which was not very, "and I think you could do some too. It's quite easy."</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="344211121" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">"Yes, this,” he said, very submissive. What on earth was he doing in this class with a bunch of psychopaths?</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="998200676" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">I left him to seek another victim. Hardly had I left then Chardonnay moved over to Gordon.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1833079229" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">"W</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">hat are you doing, called? Can I</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> have a go?"</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1325912414" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">Gordon was compel</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">led to share his materials so I </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">supplemented them discreetly.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1708262913" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">I surveyed the class. The pup</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">ils -hardly an apt title-</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> were milling around, imitat</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">ing or</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> re</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">-enacting television </span><span class="SpellingError SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">programmes</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">, war-</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">g</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">ames or something else</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> quite out of my experience.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="2111475772" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">I </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">tried my technique on a</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> couple of others and it seemed to work on them</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> too</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">. A few were resis</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">tant to absolutely anything so I</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> resigned myself to being the next best thing to a prison officer and smiled sweetly </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">or </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">shouted sternly as the occasions arose.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1781032851" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">Char</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">donnay's voice became loud. "You mean you are a Christian, </span><span class="SpellingError SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">Gord</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">? </span><span class="SpellingError SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">Cor</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> blimey, you don't go along with all that stuff to you?"</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1738224393" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">"Well," said </span><span class="SpellingError SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">Gord</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="158760184" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">"I</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> suppose you do because you're white."</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="387742881" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">Chardonnay w</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">as black. She did not trust white</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> people, teachers of any </span><span class="SpellingError SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">colour</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">, or anyone in authority and in her mind that included religious people.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX241238672" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX241238672" paraid="1570179177" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">“</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">I </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">mean, you went to Africa and them places and</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> stop</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">ped</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> them eating each other and now </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">they got nothing to eat and they’re</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> dying</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX241238672" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX241238672" style="background-color: inherit;"> see?"</span></span></div>
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KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-3330581502875182752012-10-26T05:57:00.000-07:002012-10-26T05:57:38.814-07:00Flash Fiction VIIFlash Fiction September<br />
<br />
This is the last of the flash fiction from September and it's mine.<br />
<br />
The Snake by Karen Bellamy<br />
<br />
The old man stared at the snake in the fish tank. Its tail rattled ominously. We're both getting old he thought pulling the dead mouse from the battered fridge on which the snake resided. Maybe it was time to go. He slipped the mouse into the tank and turned away. He never could bear to watch the snake eat.<br />
<br />
Shuffling over to the smaller tanks he lifted one of the lids and Oscar slid up his arm. The pearlised scales shone despite the solitary bulb which hung in the middle of the room.<br />
'There's my boy.' He sat down in the battered leather armchair and allowed the snake to slide across his shoulders and settle in a curled up pile at the back of his neck. The old man hit the TV remote and noise exploded into the room. He shifted in his seat and lifted his arthritic fingers to stroke the snake's head while he stared blankly at the screen and wondered - how long? His eyes began to close and he drifted, his tired brain jerking and spluttering like a worn out car until he reached that place that always brought him peace - the vast plains of white sand where he'd grown up.<br />
<br />
The old man woke to the sound of the snake's menacing rattle. He felt it inch its way over his worn out shoes, he smiled - it was over.KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-35599311481775231352012-10-22T09:37:00.001-07:002012-10-22T09:37:41.663-07:00Flash Fiction VI<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX166590084" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX166590084" paraid="1593544999" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX166590084" paraid="1593544999" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">Birthday present for Dad?</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> by Francis Guenette</span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX166590084" paraid="1593544999" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"></span> </div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"></span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX166590084" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX166590084" paraid="1786842352" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">She’s standing </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">in her kitchen </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">holding a tattered</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> yellow</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> stickie note t</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">hat was stuck to a page</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> and buried under yet more paper – all held to the fridge with a heavy duty magnet. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">Yes – she was one of those people who used the front of her fridge as a make shift bulletin board – for all the use it ever did her. She was never organized anyway. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">What could that question mark have meant? Did it mean she wondered if she should get him gift</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> or if she should mail it</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">, or if it would get to him</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> on time. She had no idea.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"></span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX166590084" paraid="1798729965" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">He</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">r d</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">ad </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">had died almost two years ago – prostate </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">cancer </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">which had moved into </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">a tumor in the bladder. Her one fear, those last months with him, had been that he would lose his mind in some way – maybe not recognize people or start saying odd things. But nothing like that happened – he was himself right </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">to the end, b</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">ut a different </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">self</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> too. He was polite and grateful for the care she gave him, that she </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">had </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">rearranged her life to be with him, that she made it possible for him to stay at home to die. They had a difficult relationship over the years but he ended things well. </span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"></span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX166590084" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX166590084" paraid="1430111587" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">She remembered thinking people who were dying would want to mend fences and have serious talks with family members and friends. After all, her dad knew he was dying and that gave him an</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> advantage over people who dropped dead out of the blue</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">. But </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">she had been wrong about </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">that. He had used all his energy to go to the end with dignity – managing to be polite on the way. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">It had been a</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">mazing, really. </span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"></span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX166590084" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX166590084" paraid="228135217" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">She remembe</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">rs the day he looked out at his prized</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> roses her hus</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">band had just trimmed and said</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">, “Well, they’</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">ll bloom nice next year</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> . . . but I won’</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">t see them</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">.” One day he wanted to drive across the line – in their family the American border was always called</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> the line. He wasn’t really supposed to drive but she wouldn’t stop him. Behind the wheel of his truck he looked at her and said, “What a great feeling to get out on the road – I could go anywhere.” They both knew he couldn’t go anywhere – his morphine was back at the house and she didn’t se</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">e that he had packed extra </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">pads</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> to deal with the issue of incontinence</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">. </span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"></span></span><span class="EOP SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX166590084" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX166590084" paraid="2107850712" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">That last day – sitting by his bed – wondering if he </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">could still hear her</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;"> – she said, “Dad – maybe death is like going </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">out </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">on big road trip – maybe it’s like </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX166590084" style="font-family: Times New Roman,Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX166590084" style="background-color: inherit;">getting in the truck and taking off on the wide open road. Maybe it’s like that.” The tears slid silently down her face. </span></span></div>
</div>
KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-7923722826760083792012-10-19T02:55:00.000-07:002012-10-19T02:55:17.101-07:00Flash Fiction VBreaking Up by Scheherazade Pesante<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">He fiddled with his glass then looked into her moist eyes.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“It’s just that I can’t go on like this.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">She turned her head away from him and stared into the tank that held live lobsters.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Please, try to understand, this hasn’t been working for a long time,” he reached out and</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">touched her wrist,”don’t you feel it too?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tears trickled down her cheeks dripping from her chin and onto his hand. He drew his</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">hand away shaking off the offending wetness. She saw the reflection of his distaste in the</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">glass of the tank.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“ You started this, I wasn’t looking for it,”she whispered,”you started it!”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">He sighed, “Yes, and I’m finishing it.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">She turned at the cruel twist of his voice and he winced.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Don’t look at me like that, we’re both adults, you knew what you were doing.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Did I?”she asked.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">He pushed back into his chair and reached for the bottle of wine. Pouring some into his</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">own glass he then offered her the bottle but she just stared at him. Shrugging he put it</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">back in the cooler.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Does he know?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“That doesn’t matter.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“But does he?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“No.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Will you tell him?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">”I think I must, don’t you?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“But why?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Because I feel dirty, a cheat.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“But he’ll never forgive me!”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“He’s your brother, he loves you.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“No, not this. Not with you.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re blowing this out of proportion.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">She leaned over the table, her eyes wide, her hands gripping the sides.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“You don’t understand, it took so much for him, to admit to the family, to admit he was gay,”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">she began to cry again,” This will destroy him.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Alright, alright,” he said looking around the restaurant,”Please just stop this horrid</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">display!”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“You won’t say anything?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“No.” he said taking some bills from his wallet and placing them on the table,” Look I have</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">to go, we’ll talk about this later.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">She grabbed his arm as he rose from his seat,” You promise?” She sniffed.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Patting his hand over hers he replied softly,” Yes, yes of course.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“You’ll call me?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Soon, don’t worry.” he said and left.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">She watched him hurry away then took a sip of her wine.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pulling out her mobile phone she pressed the fast dial button.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Hi, it’s me. There’s something I have to tell you, it’s important. Can you come down to the</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sea Palace Restaurant? Right now. No, I have to tell you face to face. Five minutes, ok,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">see you then.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">She put the phone away poured herself some wine and settled down to wait for her</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">brother.</span></span>KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-47304548229902755282012-10-17T01:50:00.000-07:002012-10-17T01:50:02.630-07:00Flash Fiction IV<br />
'Find location of Grave before W<span style="background-color: transparent;">eekend' by Elizabeth Lee</span><br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I have to confess that I did not feel my best when I awoke. I was fragile, you might say, rather frayed around the edges, as you might put it. I was also cross. Mainly with myself, of course, this was not the first time it had happened and although I hated to admit it, it was probably not going to be the last, but I was still annoyed.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It was Tuesday evening when I poked by head out from the cellar door and realised that I had got lost AGAIN. Oh Damn that last bottle of absinthe and the tempting offer of a bed for the day! I went back down the steps and sat fuming on the side of the bed. With a sigh I poked the sleeping figure. It sat up - or would have if I had remembered to undo the handcuffs.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'Oh. You'. he groaned.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'Yes,' I snapped 'Me. Get up. I have to go home'</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
He rattled the chains impatiently. I bared my teeth. He looked at me warily - he did have a couple of nasty nips I noticed, but that's all par for the course. I unlocked the cuffs and stood glaring at him.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
' I have to go home; where are we?' </div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
He shrugged. ' My place'</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'Which is?'</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'A long way from yours'</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
I threw his clothes at him and buckled up my boots.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'I'm off. See you around. Give me a call'</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
I conveniently forgot to give him my number and stalked out.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
The moon was a mere sliver in the autumn sky and the dry leaves scuttled around my feet. There was a pretty chill to the air, and the merest hint of woodsmoke drifted in the stillness. I strolled through the churchyard to spit on a couple of graves in passing and sat on a large mid Victorian tomb to light a joint. I heard a squeal beside me.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'Oh, come out, whatever you are. You shan't be able to scare me'</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
A diminutive ghost scuttled into view - it was the size of a child, but much like a very old pig in appearance. I blew a smoke ring at it. It pulled a face and glared. I kicked it.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'I want to go home' it wailed.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
I waved my hand around majestically.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'Well, take your pick. Plenty of nice cosy graves'</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
It sniffed and a tear dripped down its snout.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'But I must get to my own grave. And before the weekend and I don't know where it is....It ended on a high pitched shriek and gurgled back into tears.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
I peered at it, furious at having my peace disrupted. I wanted to go home, have a bath and snuggle down in my nice warm coffin.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
'If I can't get back to my own grave, the other ghosts won't let me go to the Hallowe'en party on Sunday night.....'</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-58663311297099657282012-10-15T03:42:00.001-07:002012-10-15T03:42:44.982-07:00Flash Fiction IIIHospital Appointment by Sandra Reynolds<br />
<br /><br />
<div dir="ltr">
'Look, I never said I didnt like her. She's my sister and if she wants to cometo the hospital that's fine by me. It's just ......well take this cotton waffle bathrobe. Can't deny it's nice. Tasteful,appropriate. BUT THERE'S ABSOLUTELEY NOTHING WHATSOEVER WRONG WITH MY ORANGE PAISLEY CAFTAN. Been everywhere with me, that has. Work of art, that caftan.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
(And while I'm on the subject, my purple velvet cape - who (else) could complain about that? Listen, I've had strangers stop over that!) <br /> So there we are then, me, Sarah and the bathrobe are going to the hospital together. Why? you ask. Just in case. Because you never know. In case of what? Never know what? RIGHT. DO NOT TELL ME.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
So it's no big deal this appointment. But she will delve. I've heard her delve. "Train,did you, Doctor, over there in Beirut/Baghdad/Burundi? Good facilities, are there, Doctor? Over there, like?"</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
And we haven't even got to my problem. "Genetic, do you think, Doctor? Be tested, should I? Oh I see. Caught it somewhere? Or from someone? OOOOH I see." </div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
As though I'm not squirming enough up there in the bloody stirrups!</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Lovely though, Sarah. Kind , helpful. Very. Saved the playgroup singlehanded. Cold in the winter, mind, that shed. And that girl with the dreadlocks? "Still needs her mum, I bet...." Sent her straight back to her family. Family weren't best pleased, mind. Few effs and bs flying about. Turned out well though. Last brief glimpse of family life was more than enough. She's in the Argentine now, with a team of gauchos and teaching a really funky tango. </div>
KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-41006875915950473402012-10-11T08:41:00.001-07:002012-10-11T08:41:33.184-07:00Flash Fiction II
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></b> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Empty
cartons do not belong in the fridge . . . by Lynda Piper</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sally
grabbed her keys and handbag, ignored the plaintive look on the cat’s face and
headed for the front door.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">She
came to an abrupt halt, went back into the kitchen and threw open the fridge
door. A couple of fridge magnets clattered onto the floor where they would have
to stay until she returned from work. She wasn’t going to scramble about in
pencil skirt and high heels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
double cream and ‘philly’ were there, apple juice, goat’s milk and cheese –
check!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Okay.
She sighed with relief, took a deep breath and left the house for work.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today
was the day or rather this evening was the evening. She was going to cook for
the new man in her life. She had tolerated the teasing of her grown up family
concerning her culinary skills: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Maybe
I ought to text Paul that if he doesn’t like digestive biscuits with peanut
butter he ought to bring over a take-away,” This was the not so funny comment
from her son. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She pointed out that his
strong six foot frame was an indication of how he had survived.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">This
evening was going to be great. She had all the food she needed for the lasagne
and cheese cake. There were a couple of items on her list that she would buy at
the supermarket during her lunch hour.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
afternoon dragged by but as soon as the clock hit five Sally had logged out of
her computer, enjoyed the encouragement from her friends about her hot date and
was in her car heading home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">To
cook now or to shower? If Paul arrived early it would be better to be cooking
than stinking. She dumped the shopping on the kitchen side and bounded
upstairs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sally
shook the empty cartons again in horror. Her encouraging son had finished off
her food and put the empty cartons back. How many times had she told him empty
cartons do not belong in the fridge?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Paul
arrived with a beaming smile, flowers and wine. Heart pounding, Sally motioned
to the array of empty cartons and grabbed her coat. In response to his raised
eyebrow, she smiled sweetly and said,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">“The
Indian is on me!”</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516873565864069378.post-76893133219748511232012-10-09T02:37:00.000-07:002012-10-09T02:38:23.161-07:00Flash Fiction Hi<br />
Welcome to the first post of the Ramsgate Women's fiction blog. The group has been running for about six months now and we are growing steadily. Last month, for the first time, we held a flash fiction evening and it prompted me to think about a blog. Every month we will be hosting a flash fiction event, after which all of the entries will be posted on this blog.<br />
<br />
If you would like to find out more about the Ramsgate Women's Ficiton, Writing Group you can find us on facebook. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/RamsgateWomensFictionGroup">http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/RamsgateWomensFictionGroup</a> <br />
<br />
Our writing prompt was a post it note. Each member had to write a message on the post it, one would pop on your fridge door, they then passed it to the person sitting next to them. We had 20 minutes to write a story based around the note. So here's the first flash fiction from the Ramsgate Women's Fiction group.<br />
<br />
"Pick up sausages on Monday" by Niamh Mac Mahon<br />
<br />
Fred fumbled in his dressing gown pocket for his glasses and polished them on the end of his pajama top, in preparation for reading the lime green post it note that had been placed in a prominent position on the door of the fridge. As he looked down he noticed that his legs were bare. There was a long deep scratch on his left calf and his feet were filthy, the toe nails broken and bloodied. He bent down to touch the dried blood on his calf and winced in pain.<br />
<br />
He straightened up, reaching out with shaking hands to steady himself, peering at the note."pick up sausages on Monday". He realised he had no idea what day it was. He stretched out his arms to steady himself on a kitchen chair as he tottered across the kitchen to the window. The sky was icy blue and a watery winter sun burnished the smeared window. Was it morning or evening?<br />
Fred lowered himself into the nearest chair, he supported his quivering head with his hands, elbows leaning on the cluttered table. He tried to order his jumbled thoughts.<br />
'Dad! Dad!'<br />
The shrill female voice roused him. He opened his eyes to find himself staring at a scattering of bread crumbs. His cheek ached where it was pressed against the wood of the table. He attempted to raise his head but found his muscles paralyzed with cold. Someone was shaking him, a hand on his shoulder. A plump female face he did not recognize came into view. He attempted to say 'can I help you?' But his throat would not move. Only a guttural gasp escaped his slack slips.<br />
'Oh Dad what has happened?'<br />
The eyes of hte moon-like face filled with tears. He was embraced tightly.<br />
'Quick Toby, get your grand dad a blanket.'KarenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06715543885162924842noreply@blogger.com0