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The Casket of Fictional Delights

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The Bubble

by Anna Nazarova-Evans

Flash Fiction Mischievous, Playful

Pop is our favourite word. We listen to pop music, eat popcorn, suck popsicles and lollipops. You pop over to mine and we watch TV until we fall asleep on the sofa, bubble gum wrappers stuck to our faces.
It was the lipsticks that gave it away.
“How can you afford them all?” you said looking at their glistening bodies scattered along the bottom of my draw like seashells.
“I can’t,” I said and your eyes flickered and your skin was powdery and smooth like a mannequin’s.
We dare each other to go one step further on our weekly missions. I walk into a department store and walk out in a new coat. You lift a bedside lamp and put it in your shopping bag. The closet in the attic spills ‘borrowed’ clothes onto the carpet. We parade in front of each other, sucking in our cheeks, pretending to be supermodels.
“What do you girls do up there?” Mum shouts up the stairs. When we giggle in response, it sounds like happiness.
This is how this will end. We will be called to the principal’s office. Our mothers will look concerned. We will be embarrassed. We won’t be allowed to speak to each other. I’ll be relieved. But, when a new class mistress sits us at the same desk, you will write the word awkward in my notepad and I will flop it closed – the sound of a bubble popping.
Or perhaps this will never end and, when I come to your baby shower, I’ll bring a dozen pocket sized items as a present. You will then ask with your eyes only. I will wink and, for the first time in my life, I will know exactly what I want to be.

 

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About Anna Nazarova-Evans

Anna won the InkTears Flash Fiction prize in 2017  and the TSS competition in 2016. Her fable Big Blue Eyes is one of ten winners of Word Factory’s Fables Competition. She was also published by the National Flash Fiction anthologies, Spelk Fiction, Café Aphra, Reflex Fiction, Spontaneity and Firefly magazines.

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News

Christmas is Coming

We are gearing up for Christmas here at The Casket.  We have two stories by Morgan Parks  in December

A Bigger Tree Each Year

Lucky Elf

And the Brooch of the Month comes from Estonia.

Don't to forget to let us know what you think of all our stories and our brooches  @casketfiction.

 

Check out other short stories on The Casket of Fictional Delights

The Goldsmiths' Fair

Journeys through Jewellery

Rue Pigalle designs women-only trips around the world, for intimate groups of art, jewellery and culture lovers.  Isabelle describes herself as having three passions; jewellery, art and craftsmanship. She takes her clients on journeys of discovery around the world, destinations include Paris, Barcelona and New York.  There are trips to London planned in 2020 and as a prelude Isabelle asked me to write two pieces on this year’s Goldsmiths’ Fair. Followers of my Brooch of the Month blog will know I regularly visit and shop at the Goldsmiths’ Fair, so I was delighted to take up the challenge and report back all the highlights for readers of Rue Pigalle.

Goldsmiths' Fair Week One

Goldsmiths' Fair Week Two

Tweetings

  • It is Christmas time here at #TheCasket, this festive #Brooch is from #Estonia https://t.co/BVIWvoxtAY https://t.co/hwDetseGUB, 8 hours ago
  • New Brooch of the Month from The Casket of Fictional Delights - https://t.co/EsB8HYHqI1, Dec 10
  • RT @WordFactoryUK: Don't miss @RazzMag's brilliant interview with @cathygalvin1. She talks controversial novels, finding your voice, and championing emerging writers. https://t.co/fLy0EdWBMp, Dec 10
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Podcasts

Prefer to listen? - from the beginning The Casket of Fictional Delights has specialised in producing high quality podcasts of short stories and flash fiction compilations. The podcasts are recorded by actors and voiceover artists and produced by a professional studio manager ensuring we maintain a consistent high standard. I’ve chosen three to highlight the variety and quality of work we have to offer - visit our Podcast page for more. I hope you enjoy listening to them.

Casket podcast highlights

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Text & stories © Joanna Sterling 2019
Stories © various authors
Audio by Menna Bonsels
Maintained by Brighton WebTech
Brooch photography by Mark Colliton