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The Casket of Fictional Delights

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Heavyweight Dreams

by Louise Mangos

2017 Flash Fiction Competition Runner-up

PodcastFlash Fiction Reflective, Thought-provoking

“The PureConnect 4 from Brooks is designed as a lightweight running shoe.”
“Lightweight’s good,” I say. “It’s just… Do you have the model in any other colour than black?”
She smiles and shakes her head. “We can give you neon laces though, if you want to brighten them up.”
I wince.
“I’ll try them anyway,” I say.
She lifts my leg and places the foot on her thigh to remove my soft leather boot. The heat rises to my face as I watch her do this for me. Her burgundy lacquered nails slip deftly in and out of the laces, and her slim fingers splay around my ankle as though she is holding a  newborn baby. She looks up at me and smiles as she carefully works off the boot. I want to tell her that her hands on my slightly puffy foot feel wonderful. I want to tell her about the dreams I have of entering the marathon, training with my friends on a twenty-week rigid programme. We would increase the distance not more than three miles a week, pushing ourselves on a pyramid schedule to achieve the longest run of twenty miles a month before the race. I want to tell her about the dietary requirements and the cross-training to balance the rigours of constant running. I want to describe the euphoria of a thousand hands banging the barrier boards each side of the homeward straight as I run through the finishing line, arms raised with clenched fists above my head, tears of achievement streaming down my face. Instead I thank her for her patience and kindness, and ask her to put the shoebox on my lap as I manoeuver my Invacare Lightweight Tracer EX2 Wheelchair towards the checkout.

 

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You are listening to
Heavyweight Dreams
by Louise Mangos

https://thecasket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Heavyweight-Dreams.mp3

Story read by Shash Hira for The Casket of Fictional Delights.

About Louise Mangos

Louise is a compulsive writer and drinker of prosecco. Louise was a runner up in The Casket of Fictional Delights 2017 Flash Fiction Competition.  She lives on a Swiss Alp with her Kiwi husband and two sons.
Visit Louise Mangos on the web

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One response to “Heavyweight Dreams”

  • Tina E Anton says:
    October 16, 2020 at 9:49 am

    Such a gorgeous story. I love it.

    Reply

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Everyone at The Casket is hoping 2021 will be a better year than 2020.  We have some great short stories and flash fiction lined up for your delight.  We kick of the year with a story by Lydia Unsworth “The Smallest Boxes” and then for Valentine's we have a story by Dylan Brethour which will also be available as a podcast. Later in the summer we have a new Flash Fiction Summer Collection which will be published online and as podcasts read by Menna Bonsels and Richard Hodder.  We hope you enjoy the stories we have for you and look forward to welcoming you back regularly.

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Text & stories © Joanna Sterling 2021
Stories © various authors
Audio by Menna Bonsels
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