100-Word Fiction: ‘The Sycamore’

Nails hammered into the trunk let him climb to the tree’s big branches. He edged out and hung his legs over, swinging them in the air. The sun was on his face. Then he pressed his palms down into the branch, feeling the tension, lifting himself up and pushing out, out, into the sky. HeContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘The Sycamore’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘The Truth Tied Down’

Tie the history down. Me and little Kenny running in the dewy fields under the crackle of electricity pylons. Tie the family down. Aunts and uncles filling up my grandfather’s little sitting room with their cigarette smoke. Tie the present down. Me and my lonesome workplace banter and the nights drinking and looking at girlsContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘The Truth Tied Down’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘So Early In the Year’

She came back inside at three, just as the light had started to fade fast. Andy was boiling the kettle. She kicked off her boots and stood them on the mat, took off her gloves and placed them on the ledge. No coat? You’ll catch cold, said Andy. It’s warm. You’re kidding? I’m in aContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘So Early In the Year’”

100-Word Fiction: ‘Towards a New Year’

There are people here, but not many. An old man sighs a joke as his grandchildren try to raise a kite into the still air. On the grey banks of mud a wiry bird stands still, too tired to prod for worms with its thin beak. Reeds have been blackened by the winter across theContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: ‘Towards a New Year’”

100-Word Fiction: New Term

Outside the school leaves were on the ground, all green and orange and yellow. A group of adults were talking on the corner by the bench that you could jump from. They had deep, grown-up voices and were saying things about stuff – countries in the world and money and things. Oh, the world isContinue reading “100-Word Fiction: New Term”