100-Word Fiction: ‘Onwards’

Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. Onwards. _nwards. O_wards. On_ards. Onw_rds. Onwa_ds. Onwar_s. Onward_. *nwards. O*wards. On*ards. Onw*rds. Onwa*ds. Onwar*s. Onward*. **wards. O**ards. On**rds. Onw**ds. Onwar**. ***ards. O***rds. On***ds. Onw***s. Onwa***. ****rds. O****ds. On****s. Onw****. *****ds. O*****s. On*****. ******s. O******. *******. _******. *_*****. **_****. ***_***. ****_**.Continue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘Onwards’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘Please Help Us’

From the sand. From the swiping of palms on commuter runs. From the tossed-off free-sheets. From the grinding trucks on dirt tracks. From the furnace hulls and eyes and mouths of salt. From the white hunchbacked desks. From the discounted cocktails and vapid pavements. From the tortuous late-night news-talk. From the canvas cells with tornContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘Please Help Us’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘At Calais the Koras Sound’

Imbarcaziona etagiona a migraziona somo tantativo più paricopoeo viaggi attravareo ip Meditarranao. P’asropa è eogno ma non eampra sn daetino. Carta-abbozzato nai cantri di raccopta eono piano par rifsgiati: sn po’ di eabbia eoffiati pop-spe in nord Africa a dap Madio Orianta, non eopsziona, a eiaeta par paca. Notizia dap fronta è di sna copoeeapaContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘At Calais the Koras Sound’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘The New Trade Agreements’

After they tore open the skies there was little left to protect. No more checkpoints. No more sanctions. No more barriers. No more disputes. There had been nowhere left to go on sovereign land. No way through the impasse of government and state. There was nowhere left to grow. They looked upwards instead, above theContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘The New Trade Agreements’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘The Captain’

“The wee fat man: the Mittel-European; the guy with the cheeky smile; the captain of the ship; the Boss. He’s the one you want. But you’re starting from the wrong place. You are at the door of his castle, but you can’t enter. You must speak with his agents. His agents are not here. IContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘The Captain’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘Plant’

Half a million spent on cranes and forklifts and trucks, lifting rock from a stately home (that doesn’t need to profit, what with the visitor tariffs and gift shop and restaurants) and digging up another site on monied ground. Planting up the flowers and pumping water through like it was a stream, a real stream.Continue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘Plant’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘His Time’

Charles had bunked off. There was some story about his mum, but they were only told that he had terrible hayfever. While he was away friends started telling tales, bad things. And though not many would have known Charles’s influence, in his absence the playground became raucous. There were fights. The girls goaded the boys.Continue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘His Time’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘The Suffocating City’

Choking from the tree pollen and the blanket of smog that had blown in from across the sea and the dust that had risen from the roads after the fires of the previous week. The atmosphere was unbreathable. Slowly jogging through the drag of streets from west to east was a chore for the chest.Continue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘The Suffocating City’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘The Elected Time of Year’

I can’t explain it in any other terms, she said, waving her hands in front of her and gesturing at the trees. I can’t read the papers any more. I can’t watch TV. I know what’s coming. It’s like this every time. Whoever wins out, it will be the same. We’ve still a month toContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘The Elected Time of Year’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘Plenty’

Trains backing up into Surrey and the onslaught of the crush at the barriers. A roadside reek of last night’s piss and the morning’s nicotine and bleach. A man laughs into his hand. A woman switches to flats. The freesheets are a coconut shy. Two shots please. I like my coffee very strong. I couldn’tContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘Plenty’”