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Gordon Lawrie

The Price Of Love

30/11/2014

 
They'd met on the internet. Their first date really couldn't have gone any better; glorious food in a wonderful restaurant. He paid, and they made to leave.

"Your place or mine?" he asked at the door.

"Not tonight, not yet," she breathed softly. "Next time, I promise. Let's part here tonight."

He sighed, then smiled. "Spoilsport," and hailed a cab for her.

"Kiss me," she said. "Kiss me like we're making love. Now." The taxi driver waited.

Later, alone in the taxi, she reflected on her evening: a wallet, credit cards, a Rolex watch and four pounds twenty-six in change.

Lost And Found

23/11/2014

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The newspaper editor fretted. Friday's story deadline had passed; only three journalists had submitted copy. "Where are they?" he wondered aloud.

"Sack them all," said Fred, a gnarled veteran who'd submitted punctually.

"I'll consider it," said the editor.

But on Saturday and Sunday, stories arrived; late perhaps, but excellent. The editor was thrilled. "Crack open the cava! Send out for pizza! Spliffs for everyone!"

"But they were late!" raged Fred.

"Yes, but we should rejoice that stories that were lost are now found," said the editor, who happened to have a divinity degree. "They are prodigal stories!"

"Hrrmph," Fred grumbled.
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Hit Squad

21/11/2014

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OK everyone, gather round one last time.

We break down the door and waste all four of them plus the dinosaur, it's not a guard dog, OK?

The little boy barely speaks. He won't be much of a witness but can be noisy when he panics. The parents are just slow. Take them out later.

The real brains of the operation is the little girl. She's a know-all pig who remembers everything. Take her out first, don't miss. OK?

(Heads nod)

Ready?... GO!

(Machine-gun fire)

Success! Got them all!



"Good story, Grandpa," says the little boy, "Again? Pleeease?"

Grandpa sighs.


Picture
Peppa Pig ©Entertainment One/Freepik
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Seals

14/11/2014

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PictureSource: Katie The Random (Wikipedia)
Albert, George, Harry and Ted stretched out on the beach.

"Bootiful day," Ted said. "Bootiful day," George agreed. Not to be outdone, Albert and Harry added that it was a 'Bootiful day'.

After a pause, Harry said, "Some business this in the Balkans. Some business." George, Albert and Ted all agreed it was "Some business".

Some golfers were playing up on the headland, and George, who'd once been a professional golfer, reckoned they were quite good. Then they discussed the quality of fish, the recent cold weather, then the length of Albert's whiskers.

Then it was time for another swim.


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Free Kick

7/11/2014

 
Free kick! Twenty-five yards out from goal. Me, me, I'll take it!

OK, up, over, down, in.

Up, over the defensive wall, down enough to beat the goalkeeper in the corner.

The defensive wall's too close, so the referee's pacing ten yards from the ball. The five defenders in the wall – edge back with him. The referee skooshes some paint to show where they mustn't cross.

Up, over, down, in.

I bounce the ball to calm my nerves.

Up, over, down, in.

The referee blows his whistle – we're ready.

Up, over, down, in.

Up, over, down, in.

Ah.... Row Z.

The Door

31/10/2014

 
Originally posted as a single Halloween story but there were demands to find out what happened next.

Part I: The Door

They'd lived there for three years but never once opened the third bedroom's cupboard door. When they'd bought the house, they'd been told that a dark secret lay behind it.

The door was locked – the key long-lost – and painted over many times. Henry was convinced the door was a trompe l'oeil. There simply wasn't space for a cupboard, there was simply nothing there.

Jennifer wasn't so sure. One evening, determined to discover the truth, she instructed Henry to open the door with a crowbar. Fully ten minutes later, it finally gave way.

What they saw made their blood run cold.


Part II: Behind The Cupboard Door


Before them was a small human skeleton, suspended in mid-air.

Henry and Jennifer stood transfixed as the skeleton transformed into a brilliant vision of a young girl in ragged Victorian clothing.

"I knew you'd come eventually," she said. Her lips formed the words but the sound came from behind the couple, causing them to spin round. The girl's laughter filled the room with laughter before her wide smile became a piercing scream that consumed them completely.

Suddenly, all went black. Henry and Jennifer realised that they themselves were now in the cupboard. They heard the key turn in the lock.

    Flash Fiction

    Flash 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
    (FREE!)
    Click on image

    If you enjoy these stories, why not download Gordon's first two collections of these, called '100 Not Out' and '200 Not Out'? Available for all types of e-readers including Kindle and iPad, for free. Completely free, no strings.

    Click on one of the images below...

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