Loveday Writing

The brief of the AWC Furious Fiction – November 2024 short story competition was as follows:

• Your story must include a character who arrives somewhere LATE.
• Your story’s first sentence must contain only four words.
• Your story must include the words SKIP, KICK, BLUE, and DISAPPEAR.

***

Late

Stuck on the highway.

I’m running late

why didn’t I set my alarm today?

Oh…I remember:

I took the test and the stick turned blue,

hoping the result wasn’t true,

but I couldn’t deny that my period had skipped

it’s usual visit, it was running late too.

Stuck on the highway,

I’m running late,

the cars aren’t moving,

how long will it stay this way?

I wish they’d all just disappear.

Stuck on the highway,

I’m running late,

when I get to work,

I’ll just have to say sorry and kick straight into gear,

today is not going to be a great day.