Tag: Short Fiction

All Stories, Crime/Mystery/Thriller, General Fiction

Stumpy by Diane Dickson

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They call him Stumpy. Not his mum, she calls him by his real name, Ryan, but the others call him Stumpy. Nobody remembers where the name came from. It’s not as if he’s particularly short and he has all his limbs intact. The name seems to have grown around him and there it is.

His limbs are intact but his mind, well his mind is a different thing. If the kids who teased him had possessed a modicum of intelligence it could have been that they realised his brain is stumped but that’s probably a bridge too far for them.

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All Stories, General Fiction, Story of the Week

Chipped Trivets by Elizabeth Swann Lewis

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A greeter stood in the driveway wearing a black T-shirt, jeans, a set of Halloween cat ears atop his head, and had pulled a ladies negligee over his clothing. “A smile, that’s what I like to see. That’s why I do this. What a weirdo you say. But you’re smiling. Everything priced over a dollar today half off.”

Roy clutched the handles of the dog-eared backpack slung over his shoulder. “This is my father’s house.”

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Latest News

Literally Stories Week 32

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This week’s Fab Five was made up of one old boy, two Literally Stories Editors and two newcomers.

Des Kelly began the week briskly, setting a good pace with Running. James McEwan commented: “A clever and metaphoric piece, that is absorbing from within the character.”

Tuesday saw LS newcomer Jon Beight — welcome Jon — introduce a rarity to this neighbourhood of cyberspace. Namely a love story. Elizabeth Swann Lewis commented on Miguel, Lola and Ted – A Love Story: “I will probably never ever get the image of the guy melding with his chrome out of my mind. HILARIOUS.”

Wednesday, yet again, occurred in the middle of the week. I suspect, Wednesday’s author, Nik Eveleigh, couldn’t give two hoots whether or not you clicked on his story, Apathetica. Des Kelly wasn’t so indifferent when he observed: “Enjoyable and trippy stuff. You’ve gained entry into the magic lands of Terry Pratchett and escaped to tell the tale.”

Hugh Cron posed a question that felt more like a plea in his gritty tale Why Can’t She See The Difference? Diane Dickson remarked: “By approaching this from a less usual angle – that of one of the less obvious victims of a crime – you have produced a powerful piece of writing about the aftermath of a dreadful deed. Uncompromising and heart rending.”

The week finished on Friday in a not too distant future with another addition to the LS fold, Jaclyn Adomeit. Welcome Jaclyn and thank you for writing Drafted. Hugh Cron said: “This caught my interest very quickly. You have crafted a futuristic story with the recognisable attitudes and problems of today.”

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All Stories, General Fiction

Running by Des Kelly

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Down the street the girl with bright hair ran. She’s running still, in her own way. Trying to avoid the thing she was made to do.

It’s been years, and nobody knows. Except for her.

Hair streaming in the sun.

It reminds her of blood. She’d like to wash it away.

Slowly scrub the stain.

‘Salt.’ Granny would insist. ‘Use salt.’

There’s salt in her tears. It’s not the same.

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Editor Picks, Writing

Editor Picks by June Griffin

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We invited Literally Stories author and friend, June Griffin, to be Editor for a day and choose three great short stories from the site. Here is what June had to say about the three stories she chose and why she felt they were special.

The forces of nature, human and otherwise, are at work in my three top picks, which I heartily recommend to every LS reader and writer, past and future.

Without a shade of murkiness, each story reveals these forces in their own distinctive way and pays tribute to the human comedy with clarity and precision. Each of the writers has perfected a beautiful writing style, and their intriguing plots and characters keep us engrossed from start to finish.

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All Stories, General Fiction

The Starling Fashion by Todd Levin

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For years after I retired I couldn’t change out of the freshly pressed suit that I always relied on to get me through the day, looking and feeling the best I could be. The only things that changed were the fit and the age of my hands when I looked down on them. Theresa had died a few years after I left the company and as such that left no-one but our sons Samuel and Beckett to tell me if my trousers were too long over the tops of my shoes. I was always indecisive about things and other people’s opinions mattered to me more than they should. Back when I was younger it was okay if you could feel the drag of the cotton of a tailor-made trouser leg way longer than it ever should have been behind you as you walked those long, glass framed, shimmering hallways looking over all of that success. I missed looking over it.

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All Stories, General Fiction

Sam by Hugh Cron – Adult Content

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He wanted the whisky on his breath. The cigar that he had just smoked lingered, he was happy about that. It would remember both those details.

He considered sexuality. He considered power. He didn’t give a fuck about either. It wasn’t as simple as that.

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All Stories, Science Fiction

Educated Fishwives by Adam West

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I decided to check again. For the last time. No point keep on hoping the consignment would make it here before the twenty-second.

It wouldn’t. No choice but to proceed before it was too late.

A hologram whirred up and out of the console in a lazy fashion, like a half-cut genie who could not care less about being emancipated.

The soon-to-be-re-incarcerated figure intoned: ‘UPDATE: Next consignment due eighteenth of –’

I jabbed a finger at an ephemeral terminal button. Cut the genie’s damn circuits.

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All Stories, General Fiction, Humour, Story of the Week

Obsession by Paul Griley

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She had initially thought him a good enough guy, someone she could see dating, perhaps with long-term potential. Sure, they had drank too much and had sex on their first date, but it wasn’t like he drank too much and then masturbated while she watched in horror. No, she was a willing, although inebriated, partner in the act. An adult capable of her own decisions. And she thought his reply to her question of what is left if we have sex on the first night was incredible. Everything, he had said. Of course, later, when he had moved into her apartment four months into their relationship, that seemed a little fast in retrospect. But she hadn’t said no, and the decision had made at least financial sense. The rent at her apartment was a fraction of what he had been paying. Now they would be splitting her fraction. A bed monkey, and cheaper rent. She could overlook small issues, focusing instead on the big picture. Besides, she loved him. They were both adults, and could make their own adult decisions. And, importantly, he had two kids from his previous marriage, so he would understand her struggles raising her own son as a single parent. Then there was the fact that he had an actual career, a teacher in fact, he drove a new truck, and, she thought, they made a nice fit.

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