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The Casket of Fictional Delights

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Sync

by Mark Farley

2018 Flash Fiction Competition Second Prize

PodcastFlash Fiction Sinister, Unsettling

The woman next door smiled at Cameron, so he listened to her through the wall. YouTube helped him build an amplifier and soon every sound she made was beamed to him through wireless headphones.

He began matching her schedule – rushing to the oven if she lit a hob, or straining in the bathroom when he heard the clack of her toilet lid. Eventually his metabolism synchronised with hers. He’d never felt closer to anyone.

Cameron looked for other ways to blend their lives. He timed her shower and stood in the water for exactly the same number of minutes, even though his bald head required much less shampoo. A thermometer taped to her outside drain allowed him to make a rough calculation of the water temperature she preferred.

At the sound of her television, he flicked his on too, surfing on mute until he found the correct channel. They watched Friends together and he cuddled the sofa cushions whenever she giggled. On bin day he searched her garbage bags, then hurried out to purchase quinoa, almond milk, and specific brands of coffee, toothpaste and mascara.

He listened to one-sided phone calls. A cousin in Brazil was fighting thyroid cancer – a 5cm tumour throbbing in his throat. Her father was in a care home, convinced the nurses were meddling with his meds.

Once, she mentioned a ‘quiet neighbour’. Cameron’s skin tingled.

But then she saw him in the sunflower dress. He’d admired the way the floral print clung to her breasts as she left for work, and it’d taken two days to find the right shop. He’d been much too large for the dress so he’d bought three and sewed his own.

On the day she moved out, he sat silently in his living room, unable to eat, unable to go.

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Sync
by Mark Farley

https://www.thecasket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Sync-mini-version.mp3

Story read by Malk Williams for The Casket of Fictional Delights.

About Mark Farley

Mark was raised in Africa, a childhood spent running wild and barefoot in sunny scrubland, during which he survived two dog maulings, a swarm of killer bees and being run over by a horse. He lives in Swindon UK and is currently helping a tree dragon write her autobiography.

Mark Tweets @mumbletoes
Visit Mark Farley on the web

You’ve reached the end of this story. Please do explore further. And if you’re feeling generous today, donate to The Casket and help keep the fictional delights flowing. Want to know when more stories arrive? Make sure you sign up for regular updates.

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2 responses to “Sync”

  • Diane Blagburn says:
    October 22, 2018 at 12:08 pm

    I have always thought that this FLASH FICTION was senseless and rather silly to be honest but this STORY was GRIPPING and I can relate and almost see into the mind of this writer and I loved it.

    Very well written.

    Reply
  • Douglas says:
    October 25, 2018 at 9:44 am

    This story was less satisfying for me than Mark’s third placed flash. It’s not that this is not well conceived or not well written – it is both of those. It’s just that this feels bigger than this flash word limit can accomodate and so the ending feels a little less than it could be and a lot less than the story deserves. A pretty good read for the most part.

    Reply

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Starting in June and through to the end of September  The Casket of Fictional Delights presents more Susan Tate adventures.  Enjoy following a year in the life of Susan Tate the quirky librarian who lives in Canterbury with her cat Charles Dickens written by Joanna Sterling, read by Menna Bonsels and illustrated by Michael N Green.

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Text & stories © Joanna Sterling 2022
Stories © various authors
Editing by Joanna Sterling & Alyson Faye
Audio by Menna Bonsels
Brooch photography by Mark Colliton
Other photography by Rosie Marks
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