“I like you. I want you to be my girlfriend.” As the girl on the other end of the phone launched into a response, he stared intently at the mirror opposite his bed. “See, you do remember, yeah. I work with Mark at the Oriental. He gave me your number.” Looking down from the mirror he continued tapping out a text. "Okay, I’ll speak to you later." Glancing back at the mirror he zipped up his black tracksuit top, pushed the white earbuds in a bit further and scrolled down on his phone. “Hey girl, you know who this is?” First published on Searchlight Magazine Arts... … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2015
100-Word Fiction: Cuddling Panda Babies
July 24, 2015 by 1 Comment
They were giant, fat bundles of soft-toy-fluff and all Sarah wanted to do was cuddle them. The trouble was, the panda babies were in China somewhere – on a breeding program – and Sarah was stuck in the accounts office in Macclesfield. “They’d nip you,” said her daughter, concerned over the phone, that evening. The next day, back in the workplace, Sarah tried to hone in on her spreadsheets. Only now the columns were ladder rungs, and half a dozen nearly-extinct baby pandas were clambering up from that bottom line. She found it hard not to focus on their big, blunt cuddle-paws. First published on Searchlight Magazine Arts... … [Read more...]
100-Word Fiction: Flight Check
July 24, 2015 by 1 Comment
The new equipment had arrived. This time Harry was certain of success. Normally he would have filmed the unboxing for his YouTube channel, but he was far too excited for that. "Power: 98%." "Camera: secure; infrared on; record activated." "Monitor: picture and sound, affirmative." “Flaps: working.” “Rotors: activated.” “Go for flight…” Gingerly, the young pilot edged to the open window and carefully released the drone. Taking the controls with both hands he dodged the craft hard left through the darkness, around the side of his building, and sent it soaring five floors up… "Damn,” he spat, “her curtains are shut." First published on Searchlight Magazine Arts... … [Read more...]
Michelle Thomas: Tinder, Click-Bait & Stupid Fake Journalism
Nobody appears to care about fact checking anymore. We live in a world of appalling click-bait rubbish and now obvious nonsense is getting picked up by the UK nationals and run with all the way to Australia… Hey, sorry darling, been stupidly busy at work, Thanks for a fabulous evening last night. Your company was brilliant - you're witty, fun and just the sort of man I would love to go out with if only my woman’s body was up to it - but unfortunately it isn’t No crap here, you’re a gorgeous fellow: I love your style, dress sense and marvellous humour. But I just don’t get turned on by blonde men, however hard I try. It’s not your fault you’re blonde, or that it instantly makes me think of Nazi SS guards. But physical honesty is all about letting go… and I could never do that with a man who made me think of the Third Reich. I’d always want you brunette with less cold-blue (and only in my mind) Jew-murdering-eyes. … [Read more...]