OK, so this is my house. Your house isn’t very far away, you’re quite safe. Here’s a cheese sandwich and a drink. It tastes funny? It’s OK, drink up.
You thought I was a woman? Yes, I was wearing my wig then, but it’s OK…
Gordon Lawrie |
|
Disturbingly, this is based on a real case. Mummy asked me to collect you from school at lunchtime for your dentist appointment. She didn’t tell you about it? It’s all right, you don’t know me, but I live nearby and I’ll look after you until Mummy comes. Make yourself comfortable in the back of the car and fasten your seatbelt. Happy? We’re off.
OK, so this is my house. Your house isn’t very far away, you’re quite safe. Here’s a cheese sandwich and a drink. It tastes funny? It’s OK, drink up. You thought I was a woman? Yes, I was wearing my wig then, but it’s OK… Once upon a time there were morals.
Morals were conventions where people tried to be honest, treat one other nicely, and respect diverse opinions. When your neighbour needed assistance, you tried to help. Then everything changed. People were told that if your neighbour was down, it was a sign of strength to stamp on their throat and finish them off. The worst were businessmen and politicians, but some claimed to be “religious”. You called those with whom you disagreed “liars spreading fake news.” Some became rich; most became poorer. Morals ended. Nowadays you can’t even find the word in dictionaries. Once, I had a “writing buddy” – she and I traded advice about books we were writing. No subject was off limits, and I valued her advice. Perhaps you know her: she’s a well-known writer of ghost stories.
Then one day it ended. Out of nowhere, she announced that she wouldn’t be contacting me again. I’ve no idea why, she never said, and these days you can’t ask too persistently, for fear of being accused of harassment. So she and I became mere ghosts to each other. The other day, I think I caught a glimpse of her shadow, online. Maybe. |
Flash FictionFlash fiction is very, very short fiction indeed - short stories of any sort of length from a Haiku to ten minutes' reading. Good for when you're in a hurry. This series is a selection of contributions to Friday Flash Fiction, where there's a limit of 100 words. I try to make all mine exactly 100 words. Collections
|