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Mastic Lady

by Tina Pisco

Flash Fiction Thought-provoking, Weird

There was once a woman who lived alone.  She never went out. She lived in a small flat on the seventh floor where every seam and crack was sealed with mastic.  All the windows were blacked out with paper. Each morning she would check the seals and each night she would reapply mastic to the cracks and seams. It was the only way she could sleep.

One morning she heard a scratching, pecking, and twittering sound in one corner of a window. She was terrified.  But at the same time intrigued. She picked at the black paper and saw a blue tit.  She tore off a pie wedge of paper and watched the bird.  Holding her breath when it flew away, not noticing she was smiling when it flew back and started pecking at the window again.

The next day she took off the paper from the whole window. She wanted to put some crumbs out. That meant peeling the mastic from the bottom of the sill and opening the window.  Once she opened the first window she knew she would open all the rest letting the air outside in and the air inside out.

Now she sits by the open window. She still checks her flat every morning and puts mastic around all the seams and cracks every night (especially on the electrics because that’s where they put the microphones).  She still gets her groceries delivered, but now she occasionally chats with the delivery boy through the door. She tells him about the birds.

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About Tina Pisco

Tina has been a writer for over 25 years. She has written two novels ‘Only a Paper Moon’ and ‘Catch the Magpie’ and two volumes of poetry and a collection of newspaper columns. She is working on her first short story collection, to be published by Fish in 2016.

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The Casket is a platform for new, fresh and enjoyable short reads. We don’t receive any grants and your generosity helps us provide FREE accessible ad-free content. Any donation is hugely appreciated. If you would like to contribute, donate by PayPal by submitting your name and an amount.

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2 responses to “Mastic Lady”

  • Thomas O'Mara says:
    May 29, 2015 at 11:23 pm

    This feels like the start of a longer story. Why does she think they are listening. Was she a spy?

    Reply
  • Lisa says:
    October 24, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    Wonderful. Was completely in the room with her.

    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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Stories © various authors
Audio by Menna Bonsels
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