Flash Fiction - Inheritance

Inheritance

The ice clinks. Jocelyne Farrow-Montague swallows her gin and looks at us frostily. My mother-in-law will announce her death and our freedom. Finally! We have prepared looks of shock and sadness.

“Another, Richard,” she orders. Oh, she plays the dying old lady well. Richard runs off; I smile sympathetically.

“So, your test Mother?”

“I have the results.” She takes a sip, eyes closed.

But wait. The lines around her mouth are twitching. Her colour has returned! How could we not notice? There’s always a sting in the tail with this woman, she was supposed to –

“I’m in remission, Darlings.”

We sit, shocked and despondent, trying to smile. 

100 words + prompt

You can find the prompt we had to include and other 100-word stories at Julia's Place. Click here.

Flash Fiction - Summer Heat

This week, the prompt is the photo below.

Summer Heat

I never returned. That’s why the dream is so special. I wake up smiling because we’re together and happy again; if only for moments of my dream.

   The picnic was for Mummy’s birthday and the heavy summer heat followed us to the lake. We were desperate to get in. 

   “After lunch, girls, after lunch,” Mummy said.

   We wolfed down our sandwiches and crisps and stepped in.

   The cool water slipped over our lobster-like skin and made us giggly. We kicked and splashed. We dived and laughed. We paddled too far, too far.

   In my dream, Katie can swim. 

99 words, excluding title. 

Please go to Julia's Place for more 100-word stories on the same photo. 

Visa Line

Visa Line

Behind the men behind desks fans whirred.

Akoko sat still, hands clasped to appear calm. Impossible, with war raging in the streets; her war at home with the man who said he loved her, but raped her.

“Akoko Magero. Desk four.”

Nineteen hours waiting. Legs numb. Heart pumping.

The man didn’t look up. He read her form with the face of someone who cared for nobody. He lifted his pen.

“Sir, please,” she whispered.

The pen made one line. She peered at the box. Could be a tick!

As the line was crossed and stamped red she fell away: from the chair, from hope.

This story was brought to you by the prompt at Julia's Place. We had to include 'as the line was crossed'. 

104 words. Click on the picture to read more entries and check out the 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups.

Lucky Day

Another flash fiction post from the prompt at Julia's Place. The prompt this week was 

I don't believe it

Lucky Day

“I don’t believe it!”

“What, what don’t you believe?”

“Oh at last, after all those years toiling, some payback.”

“What? Come on, tell me. What’ve you got there?”

“What will I spend it on? Ooh, Jean, we could go on that cruise you we saw in Chat.”

Jean ripped the piece of paper out of Mary’s hand.

“Oh, for god’s sake, Mary. It’s twenty-six pounds seventy they’re giving you back, not two thousand odd.”

“What?”

“Wear your glasses, dear. Here.”