Worthing Flash

I checked my watch and looked again at my colleagues. They too were hoping and yet still not quite believing. Could this really be the end after so long or was it just another lie after so many lies before over the last few years. But the rumours were there and they were strong rumours that peace was about to break out. The Armistice had been signed and soon they would not be trying to kill each other as they had been for so long. Soon we could go home but to a different world and a different way of life. And we would be asking had it been worth it, had the constant slaughter achieved anything or had it been just a pointless, evil waste. Then came the news; it was official, it was all over. A few men cheered, a couple were quietly sobbing but most us sat quietly saying very little and staring into space I think we all had difficulty in grasping or even believing the truth; it really had come to an end and it really was time to go home. Soon it was hailed as victory, not just for the Al...

Happy Mayday Everybody. Thank you very much to the people who entered the 100-word challenge. The stories have been a pleasure to read. The winner of the 100-word challenge is Tony Roberts and the winning entry follows: MISSING MOBILE   It was the morning after the party and the house resembled a battlefield. I had the task of clearing up while Judy went to work. “Bye then,” she muttered. I sighed; things were not good between us. Later I found a mobile. I shrugged; I knew its owner would ring to track it down.   It rang at lunchtime; I pressed answer. Before I could speak I heard a voice harsh and strident; it was Judy. “You bastard, where are you? I’ve wasted six months of my life on you.” “Hi Judy, who do you wish to speak to?” I said.  

Here are four 100-word stories. I am a retired civil servant and local government officer and live in Shoreham. I write mainly short stories but occasionally lapse into poetry.    Tony Roberts   AFTERMATH Dr Jones was on his house calls when he heard that a bomb had gone off nearby; he went to help. He treated several of the injured the best he could. Then he found another; he recoiled in horror as the man was clearly dying in a pool of blood. He gave him a pain-killer, and held his hand. “Doctor can you help please.” It was one of the emergency team calling in some exasperation. “I’ve checked him; we can’t do anything.” Dr Jones nodded. He brushed away his tears, kissed his son goodbye and hurried over to the waiting medic.   MISSING MOBILE   It was the morning after the party and the house resembled a battlefield. I had the task of clearing up while Judy went to work. “Bye then,” she muttered. I sighed; things were not good between us. Later I fou...

  I felt guilty about dumping Tom all those years ago and I still feel guilty now but there was no other way. He had asked me to marry him and I had agreed but as we were fixing the day I realised I could not go through with it. At the start I had high hopes of marriage, a home and even a family but then I began to have those doubts; I knew by now we were unsuited and needed to call it off while I could.  We had known each other for a few months having met through mutual friends but had taken little notice of each other. Then at a birthday bash meal out with the same friends we found ourselves quite by chance sitting together. We started talking and talked all through the meal and rather ignored the others and then there was that mutual attraction. We sipped away and probably raised a few eyebrows but I lived nearby and he had asked if he could walk me home; I agreed but I suspect we both guessed where it was heading and sure enough after a couple of glasses of w...

I was deeply saddened when I heard that Tom had died of a heart attack, even though it was 15 years since I ended our relationship. My regrets and guilt had never gone away and it was not helped by the fact that I knew I had taken the only possible decision; to have gone on what have brought disaster and by the fact that Tom was a kind decent man who deserved better. We had sat together by chance at a meal out with friends but at that stage we hardly knew each other; by the end of the meal when he asked if he could see me home we both knew where it was going. There had already been those subtle looks and questions asked and not asked. I was surprised and shocked at myself; even with my ex and more recently a failed relationship we had gone on at least three dates before we slipped into bed together. When we got back to my flat we went through the motions and had a couple of glasses of wine, almost so we could blame the alcohol later, before getting into bed. I had had a bad time; a n...

I glanced across the bed; Angie was still sleeping. I sighed I knew I would need to tell her very soon and there was no easy way. I had been putting it off for a couple of weeks and I could not go on this way; it was simply unfair on her. I had gradually come to realise that I did not want to marry her. I suppose we had not specifically agreed and I had not proposed to her, but I felt sure there was that understanding that we had reached that stage. I suppose I had been foolish, some might say selfish, but she had been my first lover. I had been nervous at my first real sexual encounter, but she had been so kind, patient and loving with me. Now after all this I was intending to thank her by easing her out of my life. I hoped it would at least be of some consolation that there was no one else involved and that I was not treating our relationship as part of my sexual learning curve before moving on. We met through mutual friends and I had walked her home. I cautiously asked if I could s...

Tom gradually became aware that he was no longer asleep and his eye-lids fluttered open. He looked around and saw his hospital room. I’m still here he thought, what goes on. He felt a gentle touch on his hand and with some difficulty looked round at the familiar face by his bedside. “Jane” he whispered. “Good to see you; why can’t I go home?” He noticed how pale her face was and he could tell she had been crying. “What on earth is the matter; what is happening?” She started to cry again and tears rolled down her cheeks. “Jane please tell me.” He tried to move but his limb would barely respond. “My dearest Tom; I am so sorry. The doctor has news for you, but I asked to tell you myself.” Tom’s mind flashed back; he was beginning to remember. He had been at home and started to feel very unwell. He had taken some paracetamal and gone to bed hoping to sleep it off but in the early hours he was feeling truly dreadful and barely able to speak. He had woken Jane and within mins she was spee...

The line went dead; the call had been curt and to the point. “Sue you are not welcome at Ann’s funeral; please stay away.” But it was not unexpected; her family had always disapproved of our relationship in general and of me in particular. They regarded me as an evil influence who had led Ann astray from a properly ordered life into a world of shame and decadence. As result they rarely came to our home and so Ann would go to see them. I thought back three days when I was sitting by her bedside and holding her hand at the hospice when they came in. They gave me a venomous look and I knew they would dearly have loved to order me out but they had no authority to do so. They sat down as well but they ignored me. After a few mins I could not take it any longer; I got up and to their horror kissed her on the forehead. “Ann I’ll pop back very soon” and left the room. I went back to the car and sat down to read my book. Luckily, I could see the entrance very easily and so kept a watchful eye ...

We had been lovers for three months when I noticed that subtle change; somehow things were not the same. I knew it was over and I knew there was nothing I could do. She wanted to move on; there was no reason to suspect she was seeing someone else but she needed to ease me out of her life. We both had high expectations of something long-term but perhaps mine were higher than hers and perhaps she realised she could not go on with it. But being realistic it was better now than later when perhaps marriage, house purchase and even children made life more complicated. We had seen each other a few times when I was meeting up with friends but not taken much notice of each other. Then it was at a meal we happened to sit next to each other and we talked all evening; on impulse I asked if I could see her home. She’d mentioned in passing where she lived and it was a couple of streets away from me and. She agreed and when we got there she asked me in for tea; I feel sure it was for us at first ju...

BAD NEWS 100 I was busy with tissue samples for testing. I know that even if it is bad news prompt treatment will usually save them or prolong their lives so I had to get it right. I glanced at the name and I gaped; it was for Pete Jones. I checked the address; yes it was him, the man who stole my girl all those years ago. I held my breath and finished the test. Then I punched the air in delight; it was cancer. I had sworn revenge one day. I sent him the all-clear letter saying re-test in two years. FLY LIKE A BIRD 100 His father smiled as he showed his son the wings he had made out of feathers and wax. “We can escape from this accused island,” he said. They hurried to the headland and stood at the cliff edge. “Follow me,” his father said; “but not too low in the sea spray and not too high in the sun.” Soon they were flying towards their freedom. The son could not believe it. He was swooping down and flying higher and higher. He felt the hot sun but then saw his feathers float away ...

There was absolute silence in the bar for a second or so and then people were screaming and diving for cover; the general panic was understandable as I had just shot dead one of their number. But I suspected that for most of them, violence was not exactly unusual. Then one of men came lurching towards me; I levelled the gun at him. “ Don’t even think about it, mate,” I said. Fortunately he stopped; I was relieved as I had no wish to kill him as well. I left the pub and glanced around. It seemed clear so I whipped off my black anorak and stuffed it in my back-pack. I set off to walk to the tube station. I walked briskly but not so quickly as to draw attention to myself. It was only five mins walk; I knew that as I had done it the day before but I leave nothing to chance. Soon I could see the familiar underground logo. I ducked down a side street; once again it was clear. I took off my dark sweater leaving me down to my white shirt and also my plain glass spectacles and my wig. I smi...

Tom Jenkins woke early and stretched out in his bunk; he winced in pain at the backache it always gave him but it was a POW camp in Germany and he could not expect comfort. He thought hard about which day it was; not easy as every day was the same and he suffered from mind-numbing boredom. He decided he would write a letter home; this would need some caution as any comment on the conditions would be at best deleted but more likely the entire letter would be destroyed. And he always looked forward to letters from his wife Sue, his brother Peter and his parents. And better still perhaps a parcel from home might come. He was always asking for more socks, T shirts to help in the coming bitter winter and food in the form of chocolate and biscuits to supplement the modest rations. He accepted the parcel was always opened and knew they had to check for weapons smuggled in, but he was saddened that food was regularly stolen as it often didn’t come in the quantities promised. But he shrugg...

  Steve Jones coughed as he got out of bed and he felt a twinge of pain from his chest. He smiled; Corona, not very likely. He was a fit 40 year old and very keen on running; he could often show the youngsters in the group a clean pair of heels. And he knew he needed to visit his elderly father in the care home. He sighed; dad had been there for two years after a serious illness and instead of being the kiss of death that Simon had hoped and prayed for, thanks to the home’s loving care, dad was healthier than ever.  It was very frustrating for Simon; his ex-wife was bleeding him dry and he strongly resented keeping her in the lap of luxury. His dad’s money was the answer but the care home was even more expensive than usual. Of course he’d gone through the usual charade of 'nothing is too good for you, dad' but there were limits and these had been exceeded some time ago; enough was enough. Then halfway through his breakfast he stopped; suppose I do have Corona;. I am very like...

  Sue put on the nurses uniform and admired herself in the mirror. It belonged to Debbie, her house- sharer who was safely away on holiday and thankful to be so far away in these difficult Coronavirus times. And she was of similar size so it fitted Sue reasonably well not that anyone was likely to notice and so she could sneak into the supermarket on the NHS hours. Shopping was a nightmare at present and anything that could make it just that bit easier was most welcome. OK it was bending the rules but so was everyone else and on the scale of things she took the view that hers was only a minor infringement and most were doing far worse. She looked again in the mirror and went in the bathroom and rinsed away her makeup before adding some dark under her eye-lids. Then she carefully ruffled her hair and then she smiled. Yes Sue, she said to herself .You look suitably tired and weary; they will feel so sorry for you. She did a final check on her smartphone that she had the NHS hour co...

  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...

Sarah and I reluctantly volunteered to clear Steve’s house after his death because no one else was prepared to do it. He was single with no close friends, just a few people like us he met up with from time to time, mostly in the pub. His remaining relatives after swiftly taking all valuables and financial papers, indicated their intention to send in a large skip but gave us a couple of weeks to take or dispose what we wanted first. Poor sad Steve; he wasn’t that old and was younger than all our circle of friends. But he went downhill very suddenly. For some years now he hadn’t taken good care of himself. He took little exercise, his diet was poor and he drank far too much. It was not really a surprise when he collapsed and died.   So we began the task of sorting his stuff. The first part was easy; any books were bagged up ready for the charity shops and his clothes went straight for recycling as they had probably all come second-hand some considerable time ago. But at the ve...