Worthing Flash

  Bleary eyed, little Daniel poked his breakfast. "What's troubling you, Danny?" mother asked. Pulling a crescent stone from his pocket, Daniel blurted, "I found the Moon under the Mulberry Bush yesterday. It fell!" Tears welled. "May I see it?" All serious, his mother examined the rock. "Don't you worry, Danny-jo, I’ll take care of this." Thrilled, Daniel gobbled his eggs and ran outside, freed. Some evenings later, mother said, "Come DJ." On the landing, she pointed into the sky. Daniel beamed like the crescent moon hanging low on the horizon. "Mommy, I love you!"   Daniel Cryns      

  MY FATHER’S SECRET John bought me a drink and we sat down; he had asked to meet me and I was intrigued. “Steve; your dad has just died?” I nodded uneasily. “For the last eight years your dad and I were lovers.” “That’s ridiculous.” “We were very discreet.” “Now you want to claim under his will.” “Too late; I am dying of aids. I caught it from him; my first lover. He made me happier than I ever thought possible. I thought long and hard; I knew what to do. I would get the will varied and help John through his final days. HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS? The phone rang and woke me. I was tempted to ignore it but I picked it up. “Hello?”I said. “John it’s Sue here.” From her excited and breathless tone I guessed some latest gossip was swiftly heading my way; and I was right. And she was always the first to know. “Peter and Jane have split up and the rumour is that she is already seeing someone.” “Really,” I said. “Let me know when you know something.” “Will do, must dash.” With that s...

  Driving home from library  That car in front It's going toooooo………….. S*** it's hit Happens in real time Seems like slow motion  No sound heard  Before commotion  Brings back times No warnings given  On life's course Not  expected  Waiting in emergency  Feeling faint headed I'm going toooooo………… S*** I fainted Happens in real time Feels like slow motion  No sound heard Before commotion Doctors bending down Taking charge  Voices heard He's got a pulse No sound heard My voice no motion  I'm out of car Taking charge        Andrew Ballard is a 60-year-old living in South Australia  and only recently started writing flash fiction and free verse poetry.     

 Battle of the Ball His gun unloaded — in the face of being captured, and killed — Corporal Rathers looks to the “truck”... the ball at the top of the flagpole. Artillery fire blazes in the distance. Or is it nearer? He climbs quickly, breaks the ball off the top and slides down. The contents inside aren’t as expected: there’s the razor blade to cut off the flag’s Stars and Stripes, the match to burn them, but the bullet to take his own life is MIA. He does his duty, then thinks about the bullet. Until one shot – through his right temple — takes all thought away. Double-Edged Sword She holds two swords of societal success. Her career of achievement, her marriage of love realized. Nice house, nicer car. The look men look at — even her husband. Meditative dreams on summer days under a comforter of cool breezes. Still, one regret reflects the swords’ sharp edges. Cut her caesarean style — deep as you like; take out the child she cannot carry… his son. The single thing sh...

  ‘Come here,’ he said, slipping his arm around me. ‘I’ve something for you,’ smiling, he pulled his fingers through my hair, pushed it behind my ears; his eyes twinkling, he twisted a flower into it. I giggled, swayed my hips like the sexy senorita I imagined myself to be. ‘A spring flower for my May,’ he said, nibbling my ear. ‘That hurts.’ ‘Sorry,’ he whispered, his lips tickling my cheek. Then it wasn’t his lips, but a feather. I laughed, threw my head back. The flower fluttered to the ground, petals scattered everywhere. ‘Stupid bitch,’ he yelled, pulling my hair.    

 I have been asked about this. My reply is as follows: I am usually published by Amazon but for "Brev" I decided to produce a CD of the stories. If you have a PC you may need to buy a good microphone because the built-in ones are not powerful enough. "Audacity" is an excellent (and free) program for this and that is what we used. It is straightforward to burn a CD using Power2go or any of a number of other audio CD burning programs. I released "Brev" in three ways. The most successful was eBay. I also sold directly to customers. Thirdly I gave links to the WAV files to overseas customers so they could either use Audacity or burn their own CDs.  Derek McMillan https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/audio-books-cd-flash-fiction-Brevity-short-stories/164361970913

  My mobile flashed with a WhatsApp message from my friend who was on vacation. ‘I am sick and need a (A positive blood group) Kidney donor’. My hands shivered and mind shattered. After confirming the truth and assuring him the support, I called Dr. Ram in Kerala and Mohan who underwent kidney transplant a few months back. Mohan promised to console and guide Abhi for the treatment. My pleading with charity groups helped and collected some funds and luckily got a kidney donor also. Flight announcement awoke me. I got into a prepaid taxi and gave Abhi’s address to the driver. By Rajan V Kokkuri  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZD9XVHC/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_6ZoBFbKM6JA3V https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLHQFZ4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_L1oBFbTA3TVN1 https://www.amazon.in/dp/8194564131/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_b3oBFbMJYDZ5J    

  Delivered Supine on the floor, I gaze up from our bed. Rose towers above me, ebony body a clear night sky writhing in a silken swirl dance of rainbow scarves, waxing moon smile moist, reflecting my rapture. Tomorrow became an unmet dream relinquishing its shackles on now. "The veils," I whispered. They fell—amorphous satellites drifting to earth—one on each rotation of her heavenly planet spinning in orbit around me. In splendor she whirled, unadorned, eyes blazing stars, feeding my naked hunger. Delilah pranced for the Baptist's head. Rose shimmered. I found my head and I surrendered my heart.   Evolutionary Quirks "Too much Dragnet as a kid, lady?" I jabbed. "Stuck in, 'Just the facts ma'am'? Truth is, facts lie, change. In the end, meaningless. Of course, that's conjecture too." "You a magician?" She blurted, eyes wide, sparkling. "No, what makes you ask?" "Didn't you say you ...

  She came bursting in through the front door as she always does, laden with shopping bags of dubious content. Says ‘can’t stop, got a hundred and one things to do today’ Says that every time. Today would be no different from other days. Takes her shoes off that are ‘killing her’ and sits by the window blowing smoke out from her Vape while her right foot taps out an agitated rhythm on the carpet. Starts to go through the bags giving a running commentary. ‘It’s all paid for you know, not thieved.’ I know—a different addiction.   by Janet Hardacre Author ( Taking Care of People with Dementia- an A-Z of practical help and caregivers' stories) 

 Andrew Ballard, who has written for Worthing Flash, now has a website. Go along and have a look. https://wordsbyandrew.com/ Any other contributors who would like their website listed here for free, have only to email me on worthingflash.blogspot.com  This is in addition to appending website addresses to stories which can also be arranged.