Libby

Just got back from a lovely day out culminating in finally seeing Stars Wars nine to this. First time I have ever won anything! Thank you Janette for the competition and thank you everybody for the comments. I love the way these competitions inspire so many different takes on the same prompt and I am feeling very honoured that Janette chose mine.…[Read more]

Well done to Janeshuff – well deserved. And thanks for the competition, Janette.

Slipping through the door at (nearly) the 11th hour. 400 words with title.

The Tent

When I was eight, my parents gave me a tent for Christmas. Of course, I insisted on spending the night in the garden. The coldest night of the year, but I wore them down with my relentless pleading until finally, with three pairs of pyjamas, two sleeping bags, a…[Read more]

Slipping in at almost the last moment… with 395 words:

On the last day of the old year, the family always walked to Rock Island. Chivvied by our mother and wrapped up well in woollen jumpers, tights, hats, scarfs and gloves. The time of day when dusk was falling like a dark chiffon scarf over the landscape. We’d walk the sandy path along the t…[Read more]

“… confounded me with his disturbing narrative…”

To explain a little in case this wasn’t clear: Four Ling leaves 🙂

Well done, Jeanette – super piece. Great comp, John!

Congratulations, Janette – nice work! And thanks John for the prompt.

Congratulations Jeanette. It is a stunning piece of writing. And thanks John for provoking such a great collection of stories!

Well, I’ve read your entries with great enjoyment. Jeanette gave a beautiful allegorical rendition of the passing seasons, Athers made me laugh with his tale of Norman, the folium-phobiac hoist by his own petard, Sandra found a silver lining and Barney completely confounded me with this disturbing narrative – I’m still asking myself, what the h…[Read more]

Untitled
I sit on the park bench under the pines whose needles clog the spaces between its wooden rungs and whose scent mingles with the faint smell of urine and of the sweet green mould that covers the wood.

Children race around me, chasing after the leaves that whirl on the wind. I look for you in their faces. I look for me too. But we are not…[Read more]

Captive No More

Immovable behind a wide table, the five children sat strangely motionless. From tallest on the right to smallest on the left, they patiently faced an audience seated on ten rows of scarlet-topped hotel ballroom chairs.

The tallest child spoke first. “My name is One,” he said quietly, but loud enough. “I am the oldest. I am…[Read more]

Steps of passing ghosts

‘Trees are at their best when they’re turned into timber,’ said Norman as he picked the large golden leaf from his decking, crushing it in his hand. He had searched for ages to find this house with no trees in sight. There had been a spruce in the garden when he moved in, that the previous owner said had been a Chris…[Read more]