I don’t mean to go on at you, you know. It’s just, I’m scared you’ll leave me if I’m not interesting and how can I be interesting if I’m not talking?
When I look back, I can see other times it might have happened. “I wish this queue would go down.” “I wish it would stop raining.” “I wish someone else would clean the kitchen for a change.” I’ve said all those things. I didn’t really notice when they came true. I’ve never wished for anything like this before – and it wasn’t even that I really wished it. It’s just one of those stupid things you say. Heat-of-the-moment, you know?
It was out before I’d even thought about it. I talk such a lot of crap. What do I do now? Call an ambulance? The police?
“I wish your breath would just drain out of you.” What was I thinking? I only wanted you to be quiet for five minutes.
It was definitely the wish. I checked. I tested it on a glass of water. It was amazing: like one of those slow-motion reverse films, every droplet going backwards in the air and vanishing. I tried it with the punnet of strawberries in the kitchen too. They were beautiful – rising like helium balloons and then disappearing into dots – like when you stare at a light bulb for too long.
I wish you were still alive.
Why doesn’t that work?
During July, August and September The Casket of Fictional Delights will feature the Flash Fiction Summer Collection. There are seven stories in this summer's collection from Susan Carey, Shirley Golden, Alex Reece Abbott, Rosie Canning, Gina Headden and Louise Mangos
Short and sweet, no unnecessary words in this story!
I am Sajjad Amin Bangash in Dubai, UAE, an aspirant writer and teach students creative writing skills. I love writing, reading and learning. I liked her writing as I have read her this story for the first time and I loved it. I would love to read her stories more and more as she writes. So beautiful and so much to learn from.