Stars photo: Denis Degioanni on Unsplash I have been a contributor to Flash Frontier since 2014. Back then, flash fiction wasn't as popular, and competition to have a piece accepted was less fierce. The team from Flash Frontier have done an incredible job at developing the site, which now has a world-wide audience. These days, having a piece selected is a thrill. My story 'Little Sparks' started life as a larger piece. I chopped it down for this issue and was pleased with how it came out. See what you think. To read the whole Matariki edition go to https://www.flash-frontier.com/july-2020-matariki/ Little Sparks
On Saturday evening at the couples’ retreat, Jack and I fled outside before the intimacy session began. “It’s such a clear night,” I said, “let’s go stargazing.” Jack flicked on his phone torch and strode two paces ahead. Our boots crunched on the gravel road. As I tightened my scarf, the smell of wood smoke and pine mingled with the scent of the damp earth. I called out, “Does the Southern Cross look upside down to you?” He stopped and tilted his head. “It is for part of the year. Did I ever tell you I once did an astronomy paper?” “No.” Who was this man? Jack walked back and put his arm around my shoulder. With his free hand, he pointed to a bright cluster. “See there? That’s Matariki. If we had a telescope, we’d find hundreds of stars in that group, not just seven.” How long had it been since he’d touched me like this? “Doesn’t the galaxy blow your mind?” he gushed. “We observe stars as they were thousands of years ago; it takes that long for their light to reach us. We don’t know,” he swept his hand across the sky, “how many of them are still alive.” I discovered glow-worms under a rocky outcrop on the way back. We crouched together, mesmerised by their gleaming sparks. Shuffling closer, I took his hand and gave it a squeeze.
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BioI am an author and artist. I enjoy writing short stories, flash fiction and am currently working on a Biblical Historical Romance series. Categories |