This week’s a bit different. Instead of the normal flash fiction, there’s a short story. I’m planning to release four a year, for free, forever.

Short Story - Black, No Sugar

'It's a straightforward job, Tommy.' Jim lounged behind his desk, cigar in one hand, whiskey in another, a girl half naked on his lap.

'Why do you need me then?'

'Lookout.' Tommy stiffened, they'd been working together a long time, and he'd graduated from lookout decades ago. He fingered the ancient, balding rabbit's foot on his keys.

'Take Mick, his eyes are better than mine.' Jim scowled, pushed the girl aside as he stood, leant over the desk and pointed his cigar inches from Tommy's face.

'I've asked you.' Tommy nodded, and Jim flopped into his chair, smiling. 'Tomorrow, 8am. We'll pick you up on the corner of Front and James.'

Read the full story here.

Quote of the Week

“A story is a journey. Every word is a footstep. Every sentence, paragraph and page carries you a little further. You might know where it starts and where it’s headed, but you can never be certain if you’ll take the right turnings, or what you’ll see and who you’ll meet along the way. And, of course, a story is a life.” David Almond - Half a Creature From the Sea.

Book recommendation - Half a Creature From the Sea by David Almond

Almond weaves a tapestry of thought-provoking tales against the backdrop of a small northern town. He captures the essence of the locals while bleeding in the supernatural, creating delightful stories that land with a thud of insight on the human condition. Almond introduces each story with biographical snippets, which are as fascinating as the works themselves.

Final Words

Short stories are strange beasts, holding an entire world into just a few pages. They seem to spool out with possibility, before snapping taught a cup of tea later. For me, they’re the movie equivalent of books, punchy, fast moving, and consumable in a single sitting. Do you have any favourites you’d recommend?

With Love

Joe

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