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The Casket of Fictional Delights

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The Girl with Pearls in her Eyes

by Fanni Suto

Flash Fiction Philosophical, Thought-provoking

There are ghosts on the Underground.
You don’t notice them because they look just like you, or a ticket inspector. They clutch their lost life as though it was a briefcase full of important documents. Their faces flicker dead-white against the recycled pages of the free newspapers. You don’t notice them. They are just passing annoyance; you start for a free seat just to find that somebody is already sitting there although you could have sworn the seat was empty. They read your Evening Standard over your shoulder. They are everywhere. There is one, you might remember though. She is different, not one of the usual suit-skinned lot. She is a fleeting bright colour, so strong you can only look at her from the corner of your eye. If it is a day when you are proud and feel like the king of life, she makes you pensive with the smell of chrysanthemum and ashes. When you are desperate and broken, shredded by the weight of every day, she giggles like a child and blows daffodil petals in your face. She has pearls in her eyes; they look like tears but you can never quite see well enough in the half-blind neon light. She is cruel but kind. Those who deliberately ignore her or frown at her flamboyance, get punished by the small spikes of life: the train shuts its door in their face; somebody stomps on their feet or a remarkably bony elbow makes its way into their ribs. But those who are kind and have a second to spare for the girl with the tear-stained eyes, they will find a tenner on the street or a forgotten Cadbury bar in a pocket.

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About Fanni Suto

Fanni is a writer in her mid-twenties. She writes in Hungarian and English; poems, flash fiction and countless unfinished novels. She tries to find the magical in the everyday and likes to spy on the secret life of cities and their inhabitants.
Visit Fanni Suto on the web

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Sending

3 responses to “The Girl with Pearls in her Eyes”

  • Ross says:
    March 11, 2016 at 5:31 pm

    A lovely, diverting piece, that says a lot, in a very few words, about the atmosphere of the underground. Thanks for sharing it.

    Reply
  • RebeccaHJ says:
    March 11, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    Such a beautiful, moving story!

    Reply
  • I.Horsburgh says:
    March 11, 2016 at 7:43 pm

    Really enjoyed this. Not just being kind, but wouldn’t say no the tenner.

    Reply

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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

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  • It is Christmas time here at #TheCasket, this festive #Brooch is from #Estonia https://t.co/BVIWvoxtAY https://t.co/hwDetseGUB, 7 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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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.

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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