Twenty-five tales spring to life, right at you, in your face, jumping off the page in an array of genres. The choices are divine. Volume One contains short stories ranging from a few hundred words or less, to over a thousand. Some pose a moral dilemma or contain a twist in the tale. Others focus on relationships - the good, the bad, the indifferent. Yet more delve into the universe of fantasy, science fiction, mental health and living in the now. FLASH FICTION 25: VOLUME ONE - FIRST LINES NIGHT JOURNEY: The curtain drawn, the outside world felt so very far away. A SLIP OF THE TONGUE: A painting of sadness still brushed a veil over her face.
RETIREMENT AT THE LAKE HOUSE: Not far from the shore, we built her. SOUP: I should have listened to my senses, have allowed the slipstream of indifference pull me past the cafe, which it did initially. DESERTED VILLAGE: Strange looking back now, I used to live here. THE FROG: He was unevenly pear shaped from a balding head to spreading buttock muscles which occupied, it has to be said, a large part of the circular stone's diameter. THE PRECINCT: He must hide. THE MONKEY ON MY BACK: How he skimmed, my son, gliding along the sand upon his board across a thin film of sea water. BIRTHDAY PARTY: My boyfriend, Josh, has organised a fabulous party. GEORGE: I watched as events unfolded, as I knew they would.
FIFTEEN SECONDS: In fifteen seconds. I'm going to stand up. Pick up the dice and throw them through the open window. THE BOWL: Minute crumbs provide the only organic still life on the table. INTRUSION: You phoned today. MINUS ONE: Samantha's voice floated down the stairs into his office. BLIND MAN'S MARK: We had all heard of Midas. THE PROPOSAL: The red flowers pregnant with fruit, bobbed as if fish were tethered to some unseen line.
VOICES: 'You will open the door. Now, ' he said, his voice booming in her ears. THREADS: Power never returned. CHANGE: 'So, you're looking to change too. So difficult, I know.' MIND THE GAP: Sometimes in life the world you went to sleep with isn't the one you wake up to. MAD DOGS: Just behind you, out of reach, off your guard. PIPES: Imagine a cooling tower upended and lying on its side, even then you have no idea what I'm going through.
IT'LL BE ALRIGHT: The sun was impressive. THE SHOE TWITCH: The shoe twitched a few times. THE PRESENT MOMENT: The alarm demands me to get up.