Inside STRATA - Slices through the human landscape
Short extracts were read by the authors at our book launch in November 2018. A limit of 350 words was set for each story, so in the true spirit of microfiction, here's a quick 'flash' from six of them.
If you'd like to read more, the last few copies at £6 inc P&P are now availabe from our online shop.
Jayne Block
Triumph and Tribulation
After an hour of praying for help, meditating to quell the rising panic and wishing I had stayed at home, I searched for my emergency pack of cigarettes.
Jayne Block
Yvonne Hennesy
Selkie
A sea-fret rolled in; with each new wave it billowed across the sand till it lingered just below the footpath, shrouding pebbles, rocks and fishing boats, even threatening to seep further into the village.
Yvonne Hennessy
Judith Bruce
The Little Prince
‘I want to BE a tadpole, Mum,’ he would say. ‘I want to understand how a tadpole actually feels.’ Yesterday he had eaten one. Popped it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed it.
Judith Bruce
Samanthi
Munasing
Fantasy
I made up a whole history for us, the first in my class to have a boyfriend. The other girls mostly envied me, but a few called me a slut.
Samantha Munasing
Stuart Condie
The Little White Dog
She brushed an imaginary insect off her golden arm and lit two cigarettes, one for her, one for me.
I mumbled a merci and took a few puffs where her lips had just been.
Stuart Condies
Danielle Sensier
Ted and Moira