Not Quite Right features discussions that are unfiltered and uncensored,
and may include themes that are inappropriate for younger listeners.
Also, I swear a lot.
Something doesn't seem quite right.
Welcome to Not quite right.
It's your boy Eduardo.
Coming at ya with my sidekick, Amanda.
Excuse me.
I'm a front kick.
We can both be hero and sidekick in this situation.
Do you wanna introduce yourself?
Amanda, what the **** are you on, is my question.
It's your girl.
You might be girl.
Is that the right term or is that highly offensive?
I'm a massive BI.
Think that's probably appropriate in the circumstances.
Anyway, all that aside, welcome to the shortlist episode for the
April 2026 Not Quite Right Prize for Flash Fiction,
in which we will be revealing our six shortlisters, reading out six stories,
and of course, our winner for the April round of the
prize, who'll be receiving 1500 Australian
dollars and all of our shortlisters.
This episode will be receiving publication in this year's Not Quite
Right Prize anthology coming out at the end of the year.
Don't forget, there's one other special thing that the
winner will be taking away.
What could that be?
I've actually got it here.
And yes, it's heavy and it's pointy and it's ready
to just like to someone.
Yeah, it's ready to be involved in some sort of
crime.
And I'm super excited to reveal the winner at the end of this episode.
I think they will be stoked to receive this trophy.
I agree.
But even before we get to the stories, we have actually four wild cards to give
away.
Mm Hmm.
One for you and I, Amanda, and also our two guest judges this round,
Elise and Dean, each have a wild card to give away.
Those four people will will receive a $100.
We'll be speaking to Dean and Elise very soon to hear who they have nominated.
But also stick around after the stories too,
because we've also got our bonus prize.
Now that's open at this stage to anyone who entered the April round of the
competition, whether you made the long list or not,
you have to be a member of the winning team.
And you then get drawn out of a hat.
If you recall, we left things on, well, almost a cliffhanger.
Your team.
Team Amanda.
Mm Hmm.
Being ahead by one single story, one in the popular vote,
but also the long list, which was only like two Storey different.
So it could be anyone's at this point.
The shortlist will make all the difference.
So we'll find out at the end of the episode not only whose team won,
but who's gonna win that lucky door prize as well.
And this round, the bonus prize is a coaching session
with me and a copy of Flesh Fiction hot off the press.
And we actually have a box, 2 boxes over here ready to be signed and
sent out.
I've already accidentally started posting some out.
Sorry about that.
But we have more to go.
So with all that being said, let's get straight into it.
We've got a lot to get through.
So let's get Dean on the line.
Sounds good.
Hello, Ed.
Hello, Amanda.
Hi.
Now, Dean, you helped to judge Team Amanda this
round.
Hashtag team Amanda, the best team.
So tell us about your experience.
How'd you find the dance theme overall, the dance.
It was a lot of fun and I and I will have to hand it to the writers because when I
first I will be honest with you guys when I first saw it because as we know,
you guys don't tell me in advance.
I find out like anyone else.
What I mean like that I was thinking people might paint themselves into a
storytelling corner with some of the things you're asking them to do,
some of the yeah, contort themselves, if you will get themselves in a in a
heads spin.
My point being, I thought they they would end up if they
were going to write a good story.
It might be despite the dance, the dance problem,
not necessarily because of it, if you know what I mean.
Like almost like overcoming it.
But I was impressed because I, I guess I expected hundreds of just wacky.
We got a lot of wacky stories for sure, but we also, yeah,
nature finds a way and they found ways to get that emotional resonance.
Oh my God, are you talking about emotional resonance?
Have I, have I brought you over to the the light
side?
Have I?
Look, look, emotions could be laughing out loud as
well, you know?
No, I do know, Yeah.
So it was interesting to see how everybody approached the brief.
I thought there'd be a lot of comedy.
There was.
But it was impressive the number of people that bought that, bought the feels,
as they say.
You wouldn't really think the feels and break dancing work together.
We had breaking out was the action, so that obviously doesn't have to have
anything to do with break dancing, but it did.
Something did though.
We actually had like full zombie apocalypse and something just breaking
out and dance.
I know there were a couple of stories I enjoyed Anthea Jones and Elder Roscoe.
So they they had these kind of, it was like, yeah, like a zombie outbreak,
but people were break dancing instead.
So those ones stuck up to me.
We also had zits breaking out on people's faces.
We had prison breakouts, potatoes breaking out of pantries.
That was very punny.
Actually.
I think Sheridan Bell might have written that story as we had the pantry.
We also had some more sort of serious ones.
I remember Avril Robertson wrote one about an ex breaking out and kind of
quite a traumatic event happens in her one.
This is what I mean.
There were a lot of other kind of serious takes on, you know,
grief or loss or abuse or perhaps sickness.
Couples stood out to me.
Penny A Nichols had one.
Louise Walton, Chris Doty Dunn, That one was really powerful about a sort
of a crooked clergyman.
So yeah, that was a bit dark.
Harry Humber, Jennifer Anne, Georgina Maxine That one had a reveal
that I thought was really handled really well.
So there there was some serious ones that really did stand out to me and I thought
that was pretty impressive.
1 that didn't make the long list but was on my favourite list of favourites was
called Beatbox Genesis and that was by Dead Kakosar.
It was very blasphemic, but it retold the first book of the Bible
and it's with a break dancing vibe.
And I don't know, I was just in the mood for it and I
thought good, good, good.
You know what's funny, Dean, is that there was a story in my group,
in the disco group that had the same theme.
It was the exact same thing.
It was the the Book of Genesis told from disco standpoint.
Isn't that freaky?
Yeah.
That story was the Book of Groovy Chapter 1 by Shawnee Alsop Pukahi.
And I also found that very bizarre.
Yeah.
That on each team there was someone who went there with that.
That is, that is about very, very funny, I guess.
Yeah.
Both of them.
Yeah.
Went to that place because music.
Music like a religion to a lot of people, I guess.
So it's very true.
Couple of very, very quick shout outs for sort of the
funny take on things.
And Henry Hayden wrote a story called Carpet Men, which was completely bonkers,
but it fully committed to the idea.
So very memorable story.
Slow claps all the way for that one.
And there was so many more other silly takes.
There was some understated ones.
One particular one I do want to call out because it was on my list of really kind
of top stories, was by Nicola Bell.
And that was an understated story, just about two siblings.
It took place between 2 lines of dialogue and it was just really beautifully done.
So well done on that one.
But look, there's lots of other ones and a couple
of them are actually going to be making an appearance in this episode in this
pointy end.
So I won't call those ones out, but just know that I was with you all the
way.
But it's wild card time.
I get to have a pic, which I'm very excited about.
I enjoyed this one as the more I read it up, the more I enjoyed it.
It was just a really authentic workplace setting.
It had comedic notes that were really strong, lovely sense of realism.
And it's, it's sort of an unusual situation and had
some very good scene changes, kind of three scene changes been a nice
message at the end.
So I'm, I'm teasing it up a little bit.
The message is kind of a little bit about you never really truly know.
Sometimes you don't really know who the people you work with are outside of work.
And the story is called How I Learned My Desk Mate was a backup dancer for the
Backstreet Boys.
And that's by Christy Hartman.
And that name is quite familiar to me.
She's very accomplished writer.
But obviously we judge these things blind and we award them blind.
But congratulations, Christy, you are my wild card winner.
And it was a great story.
As I say, it's always interesting the places people
go with these wacky prompts.
Very ironically, that's about 5 Christy Hartman stories
together wrapped up as one, which is like a Backstreet Boys band.
You know, Christy likes to write in the much
shorter format, right?
So she's the 100 word master.
That's it.
Other in other format.
So you're right.
She's probably gone away and written five stories and brought them all together.
You've got a whole boy band's worth of stories wrapped up together then.
That's very true.
Yes.
Very, very nice visual.
Yeah.
So Congrats, Christy.
Congrats to everyone else.
And yeah, thanks for getting your groove on.
And if you wrote for the best team, which was hashtag team Amanda, correct.
It was a pleasure reading your story.
Thank you so much for all your help, Dean.
Really appreciate it.
Thanks, Dean.
Right on, right on.
So thank you, Dean, and congratulations, Christy on your wild card.
Well done.
And now let's speak to Elise, who was guest judge for Team Ed this
round.
Hi, Elise.
Hi, it's good to be back.
Thanks for having me.
Now you helped judge Team Ed this round, which is the best team 'cause I'm sure
you'll agree.
Yes, of course.
Tell us about your experience.
How did you find this round set of prompts?
Well, so this is my first time judging
something not steamy, yes, so it was very different.
But I thought that the ways that people responded to the prompts were absolutely
fascinating.
It was an honour and a joy to read these stories.
And there were a lot of elements in different stories that excited me or were
different for me.
So I, I was overjoyed by the whole experience.
I just loved it.
So happy to hear that.
I'm so glad.
And as always, I loved your comments.
Like I came into the T Med stories later.
I'm reading your top picks basically of both of you.
And I have to say that so many times you came in with these comments that were
just adding all this value.
It's like you'd gone off and done this research to find, you know,
the essence of what these stories were about.
I remember one story where you were saying like you'd done an hour's worth of
research, went down very rabbit holes and added
like paragraphs worth of context to the story, which really helped.
It does help.
I think it helps too much sometimes.
I think maybe you you might be lending a helping hand to these authors,
but I really appreciate it.
Well, thanks.
Yeah, I loved that.
Actually.
That was a fun experience for me doing all that research and learning something
new.
So tell us about some of the trends that you found and some of your favourite
responses.
OK, so for the action prompt, the Freak Out,
I was surprised that I didn't see any stories that leaned into the Let Your
Freak flag fly energy.
I thought that would be super fun to have, like let the freak out be, speak out,
you know what I mean?
And I didn't see any stories that did that,
but there was a take that I loved and I saw it in three different stories.
So three of our not quite writers wrote stories where for their freak out they
wrote a neuro divergent or autistic meltdown.
And so those three stories were Rosetta Stone by Chloe Page and Tourist Trapped
by Nina Miller and Hot Chocolate by Margaretta Toribio.
And I thought that was a really fascinating take because most of the
freak outs were like people panicking.
And although a neuro divergent meltdown is a little like that,
it's also quite different.
And each of these stories took a look at that as part of what they were doing.
So I really loved that.
I love seeing which prompts people choose to centre in their story as well.
Sometimes it's the word that people latch onto and sometimes it's the the action or
the kicker.
And in this case, you know, the freak out became the central theme
for the story, and there were quite a few stories that
did centre and really focus in on that freak out.
Yeah, there were a lot.
Yeah.
And you're right.
It's really fascinating to see what inspires people.
It's one of the things that I really liked when I was writing for this
competition because there's much more nuance and complexity in between the
different elements.
And I think the kicker really adds to that, too.
So I loved that.
Yes.
And we didn't.
We neglected to mention that you are the reigning champion.
Not quite right until the end of this episode, the shortlist episode.
Yes, will be superseded.
Someone will steal my crown and I can't wait to see who.
All right.
So do you have any other call outs?
Any other shout outs?
Oh, yeah.
There were a lot of beautiful approaches to the writing and there were lots of
places where people's prose really moved me.
But there were two in particular that I wrote down,
and one was from the Point by Calum Graves.
And it says our official greeting contained Bach prime numbers,
a child laughing, and a diagram explaining that we were
mostly water but trying.
And this is, of course, like a message going out into space for
any other lifeout there to say like what the planet is all about.
And I was totally charmed by that.
Do you know what's really interesting, Elise,
is that one of our not quite writers, Chad Frame,
who has won the Not Quite Right prize before and shortlisted before,
he's actually got writing on the moon, apparently.
So some of his poetry, I assume he's a poet,
has made its way to the moon.
What?
Yeah.
I just want to change, like, actually.
So if we talk about sending humanity's kind of art out into space and other
things, like parts of humanity out into space,
Chad Frames stuff is out there.
Wow.
Oh, wow.
Go, Chad.
That's amazing.
That's pretty cool.
I love that.
Yeah, and then I also had a submission that had
a really non standard form that I was really moved by,
called after the cyclone Alice Springs by John Schultz.
And the way it opened just caught my attention immediately.
And that was the earth vibrates under his boots, music bucks across the Oval,
bounces through miles and ghost gums to the moon hatted escarpment.
And like the I just wanted to roll the words around in my mouth over and over
again because of the ways that the sounds bumped up against each other was so
satisfying.
That was one where I enjoyed reading it, but I enjoyed it even more when I read it
aloud.
It's funny how they can differ sometimes, even when we have our rankings right and
we choose our favourite stories.
And then sometimes when they come in the audio format,
you might rank them completely differently just based on how you receive
them as an audio story.
Yeah.
And I had a couple titles that I found really enjoying.
Again, like they ran the gamut.
So here are three, just three that kind of like I loved for
very different reasons.
The first was **** Farts and a Penis by Tom Brodkin, which is great fun.
Yeah, there are a couple like that, that just,
you see them and you just want to dive in, but so to speak.
And just for a moment I thought maybe I was back in the realm of flesh fiction
again.
And then the second one was Elvis is alive and living in Meemaw's Disco Ball
by James Desik.
Amazing.
And then the last one is just lovely and poetic and immediately resonates for me
with the moment in which it's deployed in the story.
And that is the grammar does the rest by Maria Solbecker.
And in the story, there's a female character getting
dressed for what turns out to be her, like, big opportunity to shine.
And the male character who's helping her get dressed says Linda, which is, like,
lovely or beautiful in Spanish.
And she turns and looks at him.
And then the next line is the grammar does the rest.
And I just, like, I had to stop for a minute and just take
that in because that is so lovely.
Very clever.
Yeah.
So for the kicker prompt, I had two stories.
So the kicker was the disco move.
By the way, I never had a significant connection with
like disco culture.
I never danced in any disco themed parties.
I don't think I've ever even seen Saturday Night Fever.
Like, I'm familiar with concept, but yeah, so I had no idea.
I was worried when I first started reading that I wouldn't recognise the
disco moves.
But thankfully, people explained to themselves in the
little box, and that helped me a lot.
And I learned so much.
The names are wildly evocative, and that's why I felt it was such a good
prompt.
You know, the hustle and the bus stop.
Yes, so many options.
And that was the further I got into it, the more excited I was because at first I
was kind of like, what was Ed thinking?
But then when I started reading, I saw your brilliance shining through.
It was great.
So were there any standouts in particular for you?
Yeah.
There was a story called The Steel Slide by Matthew P Davis and it's about a old
condemned steel slide and a person who is suicidal.
And then at the very last moment, the slide gets struck by lightning and it
melts the like plastic stay away tape that he's trying to use.
It's a dark take on it, but it was a literal electric slide that
saved the character.
Well, yes, some great call outs.
Let's get to your wild card.
Who have you chosen as your wild card?
So my wild card is Rosetta Stone by Chloe Page, a familiar name.
Yeah.
So I myself am the people say neurodivergent.
My daughter says neuro sparkly, which I think is really cute.
And so she and I both are neuro sparkly.
And in the Rosetta Stone, the main character has this moment of
massive overstimulation in the market and she has this meltdown and she goes
nonverbal and she like, and she's having all these vivid
imaginings of like being hauled away and her daughter not having anywhere to go.
And like when things are going horribly wrong for me,
I'm really great at that catastrophizing, thinking like,
I'm going to be hauled off to prison forever and my daughter's going to end up
in social services and then she's going to go to a bad foster.
And your mind just goes to like every dark place.
I was so deeply invested in the journey of this character.
And I found that experience so personally relatable of like a solo neuroatypical,
solo parent of a neuroatypical kid, like forcing yourself through such a like,
heightened situation and then like everything falling apart and then somehow
the world wrapping itself around you in a way that allows you to like,
rediscover your joy and your hope again.
It was, I was bawling by the end of this story.
It was so beautiful.
So it's so nice to feel seen.
And I think that that's the beauty of storytelling, right?
When we can connect as an author and a reader,
and we can't ever really connect with every reader.
But when you find the reader, the one who matches your story,
that's such a special moment, I think.
Yeah, I do, too.
It's great that you found a story that you've connected with so strongly as your
world.
Good.
Well, very cool.
Always good to see a familiar name on these lists.
So well done, Chloe.
And thank you so much, Elise, for helping us.
And.
For relinquishing your crown as you will at the end of this episode.
It's been a good run.
Hope you've enjoyed your reign as not quite right prize winner.
Yes, the pointy trophy is sitting on my desk
and I can't wait to find out who its newest younger sibling will be.
Amazing.
Well, thank you so much again for helping judge
my team's stories.
And we'll see you.
I'm sure we'll speak to you again very soon.
Absolutely.
And thank you so much for letting me.
It's been it's been wonderful.
And go team Ed.
Yes, thanks, Elise.
So thank you for chatting with us, Elise, and congratulations,
Chloe on your wild card.
And Chloe's actually a Daredevil as well this round,
so we'll be reading out her story in a little while and talking about it so
you'll have a chance to hear what Elise loved so much about the story.
That's right.
It must always be a little bit reassuring when you make the long list with your
Daredevil story and you know one of the judges calls it out as something that
they really loved.
I think that may set Chloe up with a sense of security.
Let's find out.
That's right.
All right, so it's time for us to nominate our own
wild cards for this round.
Why don't you go first, Amanda?
All right, Thank you.
Well, from team Amanda, this was a story that stood out to me on
the initial read.
And my comments are now usually my comments are like full of critique and
it's like, oh, I wish they'd done this or the way the
ending just didn't really like, I've usually got a few points in there.
The comments for this story, which I posted on social media was
literally just OMFGGGGG, that's like 14 GS because I was so
shocked.
Shooketh.
Whatever you might want to say about this story, I was very happy to read it.
And I guess I was just really proud of this author for just completely taking
that risk and throwing it out there.
And the story was Wash Your Mouth Out by Malcolm McCabe.
And this was a little bit of flesh fiction overflow.
I feel a bit of a kink about having one's mouth washed out with soap and trying to
find the local ***** basically to oblige on that front by offending them.
And I just thought, A, that's just the dumbest and most
wonderful premise I've ever heard in my life.
And B, it was just very well written as well.
And it absolutely shocked me, absolutely made my jaw drop.
And for that reason, I wanted to award it the wild card.
Fantastic.
And yes, we are seeing a lot of Flesh Fiction
Overflow and I am here for it.
So thank you, Malcolm, appreciate you.
And I really enjoyed picking up what you put down.
All right, so my wild card is going to Amanda
Tedisco with first of all acknowledging the name Amanda.
You could have written for either team with his name.
So thank you very much for writing for my team.
And Amanda, your story was called 5 finger discount,
not you, Amanda, the other man.
Okay, thank you for clarifying.
I was like, did I write that?
And yeah, I really like this story.
It was a a character study of a character called Uncle Gary.
And I thought that that character was really brought to life in a in a very
rich and compelling way.
So I really enjoyed that story, Amanda.
So you get my wild card nomination this round and $100 coming your way.
So thank you very much.
All right, so now it's time for the shortlist.
But we've just got one small order of business before we get there.
And that is unfortunately, very sadly, to everyone's dismay and disappointment,
A dishonourable mention.
We always seem to have one, don't we?
One person who just can't help themselves.
They just cannot help themselves.
And this particular round, our dishonourable mention comes from Team
Amanda with the story WWAD or What Would Amanda Do?
By Laura J Rain.
Now, this was a story that I actually really
loved.
I don't know how you felt about it.
I felt a little bit maligned, a little bit story.
I felt a little differently about this story.
This was a story in which a whole busload of women is basically fangirling over me
and just lamenting the fact that there's some guy who's always trying to interrupt
me when I try and say very wise, insightful, wonderful things.
So thank you so much, Laura, for the laughs.
I'm not sure that particular story is going to do so well if you take it out on
sub to the lit mags, yes, I'm not, I'm not sure where in particular that
story might find a forever home.
But I will say it does have a forever home in my heart.
So thank you so much, Laura, for the laughs.
I did laugh out loud, so congratulations, there is a badge for you on the honour
roll and I don't wish to encourage you further, but it was good fun.
All jokes aside, I do love reading some fun fan fiction.
I do love it when my name comes up and your name comes up and there's a some
antics going on.
It's a lot of fun.
And you have to know that behind the scenes we're immediately on the group
chat, like you've got to read this one.
Yeah.
So it does make it fun.
We've got quite a lot of dishonourable mentions at this stage.
I think we might need a separate trophy cabinet to put them all in.
Maybe on the website.
That's a little lock and key maybe.
Yeah, yeah.
All right.
But all that being said, let's move on to the shortlist proper and
we'll start with 6th place.
In 6th place will win of course, as all of our shortlisters do,
publication in the Not Quite Right Prize Anthology 2026,
as well as cash prize of $200.
And now in 6th place for the April 2026 Not Quite Right Prize for Flash Fiction
for Team Amanda Almonds by Philip McGann.
Ezzy and I got hitched in 1990 and we split up in 1992.
The funny part was, we'd dated for four years before that,
but there was something about being in the same space where all the little
invasive species kept creeping in between us.
She didn't like that I showered with soap, or that I liked having so many bottles of
different sources.
It was always stuff like that.
But this morning I was killing time crossing the street outside my place,
stepping up as the little guy was blinking red, and there she was.
I hadn't seen her since all the court stuff,
but I knew it was her even without really looking at her.
Of course, Ezzy wouldn't have known that I live here,
or that I took this crossing sometimes, but she was reading this big book where I
am now or something, by the front window of the cafe,
with her foot crossed over and tapping in a circle the way she does.
But I was there, right in front of her, and I knew that she'd see me.
I liked the way she looked, the little peek into who she was becoming.
Even back then.
Her features were darker now, like she'd become part Italian.
And she didn't like long dresses, even though this one was long and dark
blue and almost black.
I clopped up the steps.
She might have been surprised to see me.
Izzy, I said.
You look fine, pundy, she said, almost laughing the word out.
Izzy, I said again.
You ******* she said, smiling.
You're still wearing our wedding ring.
Not for you, she said, raising her hand an inch and flopping it
back onto the table.
Well, there weren't a whole lot of people there.
How have you been?
I asked.
A panel of frosted bank teleglass seemed to close over her eyes.
It's been 20 years, she said, like that was all there was to it.
I was trying to think how to say it, that seeing her here and now,
those two years and the four years before that felt more real than the past 20
years.
But I noticed that the little girl was leaning in and smiling at us.
Your oat piccolo and almond croissant, she said, arranging them before Ezzy.
Thanks, Ellen.
So it was something about the arrangement, the way the plates were angled like a
barricade between us.
Almonds give you hives?
I said.
Not anymore as he picked up her knife.
Thanks for stopping by, Bundy.
I wanted to say that thing I've been thinking about,
but it didn't feel right anymore, so I just said 20 years,
just like she'd said over the buzz of the coffee grinder.
How'd you find out about the almonds?
They got my order wrong and made my coffee on almond milk.
She smiled and I was fine.
Just like that, I said, standing and not believing it.
You can eat almonds and be fine.
So thank you, Philip, and congratulations on making the
shortlist.
Well done.
So we've actually just been discussing this story before we started reading it
and trying to agree on on what it all meant because there's a couple of things
there.
I think it's a very subtle story.
It's definitely got subtext right.
And I think we can both say this with confidence.
It's not really about almonds, is it?
No.
So you know, it's not always satisfying to leave on
that kind of hanger like where nothing is really resolved.
But in this case, it worked really well because the idea is
just like, you're left with this feeling.
And the feeling is kind of for me, you know, we weren't talking about it,
this frustration of like, we went through all that ****.
Obviously they've been to court.
So it was an acrimonious divorce.
And there's a lot of pain that's gone with that because of living together and
because of all the little ****** arguments they had about how many sauce
bottles they had and all that sort of stuff.
And now he's like, oh, and now you're just fine.
Like, after all that **** you put me through,
you've moved on with someone else and you're just fine now.
You don't have those problems with sauce bottles anymore, by the sounds of things.
You don't have problems with almonds.
You don't have problems with anything.
You're just fine.
And that's what I took from it.
And at the end of the story, we're just left with this frustration of
like, well, why did you treat me like **** then?
Like, that's the kind of the vibe that I got.
What about you?
Yeah, No, I I agree with that.
And I think what drew me to this story was the fact that there is so much
characterisation in there in between the lines.
And we talk about, like, drama and stakes in a story.
This is very low drama.
It's a very low stakes story.
I wouldn't call it low drama.
I would definitely call it low stakes.
This is the kind of **** I would unpack for, like,
months with my friends after it happened.
Yeah.
Exactly.
Like, And then she was like.
And then he was like, you know.
Yeah.
But nobody died, right.
No, like, it wasn't that low stakes.
Definitely.
Yeah.
But I would also say in addition to all of this history and didn't mean something
to you.
And there's also from the protagonist perspective,
this idea that they haven't really moved on from the person that they were and the
person that as he was 20 years ago.
And the fact that as he has managed to move on and they haven't is very apparent
here as well.
And I think we talk often about like a vignette or stories that feel very
interior.
So these things that we challenge as criticisms in a story where nothing sort
of really happening in the action of the scene.
Now, in this story, all that happens is that he crosses the
street, walks in, she gets served a croissant, you know,
and then that's it, right?
Like literally there's just a croissant being served.
However, all of that action is used to such great
effect, like even him pausing outside the window
and what that feels like to see her and and know that she can possibly see him,
but not know if she did and whether she's ignoring him or not.
And then to go in and the croissant to be this whole like crux of the emotional
journey that happens in this story is also very compelling.
So I think this is a really good example of a story that takes a very small moment
and takes a very emotional and potentially interior moment where you're
reflecting on this whole past relationship,
but actually makes it an active scene in the moment.
There's all this powerful dialogue laced with subtext actions that are simple,
like she places her knife down, the plates get placed in front of her
like a barricade.
All of these things contributing to that emotional impact that the story has.
And so I loved it for that reason.
Just everything was sort of pointing towards this emotional experience.
I, I guess this has like a quite a complex
emotional payload that is delivered like it kind of trauma dumps on you basically
this whole history between this couple and gives you just enough detail that
you're left with, wow, that was pretty intense.
That was subtle, but intense.
But I think you do also.
And we were sort of disagreeing, I think sort of talked you into agreeing.
Now, we might be on this story both in there.
Yeah.
But like, we were having our own view of exactly
what was happening here in this relationship.
And I think that's because you do bring yourself into it.
And that's the beauty of storytelling as well, when as a reader,
you get to take away what you took away and what that means for you and your
relationships in your past and your future relationships.
Like what impression did this leave me with?
And I think this story has the potential to leave a different impression on
different people.
And you sort of have to do that, right?
Like once you write a story, you have to kind of let it go and then it
becomes the reader's story.
So thank you, Philip, and congratulations.
Well done on your 6th place.
And 200 Australian dollars will be coming your way.
And now we come to 5th place.
And 5th place takes home 250 Australian dollars as well as publication in our
anthology.
And in 5th place, representing Team Amanda,
we have The Pale Blue Dot by Ruth Lord.
I'm strapped on top of 2. 8 million litres of rocket fuel,
hoping I'm not about to join the combustion process.
When my mind stills in the confines of my suit,
I catch the familiar scent of sweat and tobacco.
That you, Dad?
I think it's either that or I'm having a stroke.
Josie, it's control.
Your heart rate's elevated.
Everything OK?
I'm fine, I respond.
The smell, your smell, lingers, I'm sure.
Now you're with me, A silent companion in these moments
before ignition.
The Force roars, pressing me back into my seat.
It's 1000 hands, a heaviness I've been trained to bear.
The whole capsule vibrates.
Hard to believe we're flying, punching up through the sky.
I think of when you spun me in circles through the air in the backyard.
Don't let go.
I would scream, laugh.
You always answered, don't worry.
And I knew you had me.
I wish I had the same faith in this rocket.
I know we're streets ahead of where aeronautics once was, but Even so,
we're still tool making mammals riding a modified bomb.
You showed me all the old designs.
Of course we debated our favourites.
You admired the ingenuity of Apollo 13's repairs.
I liked the wing shape of the decommissioned shuttles.
One day, kiddo, you said one day you'll leave us all in
your dust and you'd point straight up to the stars and smile that eye crinkling
smile that made other people wonder if you might be joking.
But I always knew you meant it.
The shaking slows separation, dull booms as we shed weight when it
served its purpose.
One section after another, letting go.
I thought I'd done this.
The ache in my throat tells me otherwise.
There's chatter from control.
Something's wrong with the sensor outside.
There's nothing I can do.
I steady my breathing.
I remember talking you through a similar sequence at the end.
The morphine in the drip helped.
I wish I could have done more.
The capsule jutters again, another part jettisoned.
We're getting close now.
Orbit.
We level out.
An upwards tug pulls my body against my restraints.
Weightlessness.
It's like being spun in the backyard, only my hands aren't being held this time.
Out the window, earth hangs below.
It's marbled in blue and shrinking.
Vastness on all sides.
Everything, the entirety of humanity, is there underneath me.
Almost everything.
My suit smells crisp again now.
Mission ready.
You might be gone, Dad, but I carry you with me always.
So congratulations Ruth on 5th place and thank you so much for such a beautiful
story.
I can say this one struck a real chord for me and in fact gave me goosebumps
while I was reading it just now.
So you know, it speaks to me on a really personal
level as someone who is a bit of a daddy's girl.
Lost my dad over 10 years ago now and it's always there on the surface.
And I think if I was shooting off into space,
I'm sure it would be front of mind for me then as well.
I love the parallels in this story through like what's happening in the
current action as well as like the history,
all of the the details that make the protagonists think about their father as
they jet off into space, and especially the detail of the father
being the one who inspired the love of becoming an astronaut in the 1st place.
So I, I felt that really closed that loop
nicely and kind of made the whole thing more poignant because of course you would
be thinking about him in that moment as well.
Yeah, I think if you had that shared history.
I'm getting emotional.
This is the thing about grief.
I think that it can just hit you sometimes many years later.
Sorry.
But I think what's also really interesting in this story is how we've
got these headings, right?
We have ignition, separation and orbit, and of course those are elements of this
space journey that we're taking.
But it's also reflective of that feeling of separation from your parent and orbit,
like feeling like you're just out there in space.
And I think, you know, it's a pretty common meme these days of
people sort of saying, how am I an adult?
Like I'm supposed to do adult things and I when did I become the adult?
And that's what this story is sort of like, you know,
you've you've successfully got yourself into a situation where you are like
captaining a ship or whatever it might be to outer space.
And yet you're still like, how am I the adult here?
Like, where's my dad?
You know, I need my dad to come and hold my hand.
And I think that's a really universal experience, you know,
for a lot of people to feel like lost without guidance,
either from a parent or from a trusted mentor in your life and and to sort of be
facing something very difficult and challenging and just wishing you were a
baby again so someone else would handle it for you.
Like, I feel like this constantly, to be honest,
in much less challenging circumstances than shooting off into space.
So yeah, I think it was really beautifully handled.
I liked the subtlety of how those, the ignition separation orbit was sort of
handled in both ways.
But also it's kind of like nice little happy ending too.
It's like I carry you with me always.
Really beautiful, very moving.
So thank you and well done, Ruth.
Congratulations on your 5th place.
God, imagine like making me cry and you only
get 5th place.
It's not all about me, obviously.
But yeah, thank you so much, Ruth.
That was very beautiful.
And it's a story that will stick with me for a while, I think.
So we've had two Team Amanda stories in a row.
It's time for some Team Ed stories.
All right, I think.
OK, well, so in fourth place and taking home 350
Australian dollars along with publication in our anthology,
we have representing Team Ed.
Where do I See myself in Five Years?
By Chad Frame?
Curled in an overstuffed chair by the shade drawn window,
knees hugged to my chest, I'm acutely aware of hurtling through the
void at thousands of miles an hour, relentlessly spinning like a heel turning
roller skater, and I can feel the full tilt lurch of the
earth in every atom of me.
Countless tiny particles.
I read somewhere largely empty space, meaning nothing technically ever touches
anything else.
Meaning the sensation we perceive as contact is just a series of fields
commingling.
Meaning I never really sipped the tea I made from that ayahuasca I worked up the
nerve to buy, then brew, then bring to my chapped lips so our
respective fields touched, swallowing a sludge of muddy water or a
bark and twig soup that tasted like tannic regret poured out of a floral
painted mug with the horrors persist, but so do I print it on the side,
steam twisting out of it, braiding with lavender candle smoke from
the bath and Body Works.
Three Wick burning on the end table next to my plate of untouched lunch.
With its funky chicken and its rank Brussels sprouts and its hardening pile
of dried mash, I fork sculpted into a rough
approximation of an Easter Island mower, then promptly ignored coagulating gravy,
pouring like an untreated head wound frozen mid ooze down the side of its
angular off white face.
Below me, the tufted leather cups my *** like the
overeager hand of a 60s businessman, and below that the hardwood with its
nailed down floorboards under foot, where scattered crumbs from my morning
muffin have attracted a hustling line of ants.
Tap, tap, tapping their tiny feet, vomiting chemical trails to excitedly
announce to the hive mind the treasures they've discovered,
communicating something to the effect of Luke, Anton, or over here, Antoinette.
Followed by Can you believe somebody actually left this incredible banana nut
bounty behind?
And finally, don't let that ************ Bryant Bogart
all the good bits.
And then below all the **** leather and the banana crazed ants and creaky boards,
I can sense the moist dark sponge of the earth, it's green seeds and loamy secrets,
wriggling worms and untold wonders.
And below even that it's deep chambered magma and it's miracles crust and mantle
and worked out core and the root cellar of its musty undercroft where maybe mole
men are sipping at their own mud drug tease and dreaming of whatever they
imagine lives above them.
Miss Thompson, An annoyed voice says, and I feel myself reeled back into my
body so violently I'm surprised the chair doesn't rock.
And all I can answer is sorry.
And against the black background of a Zoom window on my laptop screen floats
the star pale face of a man who's not really there, not really anywhere,
just particles and fields, judgmental eyes and questioning mouth,
bald Pate and black rimmed glasses repeating his last interview question.
What would you say is your greatest weakness, if anything?
I mumble, voice leaking through the seam of my
lopsided green.
Probably too reliable.
So congratulations Chad and it's lovely to see you back on the shortlist after a
little break.
We have seen you on our shortlist twice before now and he's a winner,
a winner indeed and back again with what I have to say was a very difficult to
read story.
So thank you.
I mean, what's not evident probably on the other
side of listening to this story is that basically this is a story comprised of
about 5 sentences.
The first two very long paragraphs are just single sentences.
That's it.
This person's obviously on a drug trip, so they're thinking at 1000 miles an hour,
which is way too fast for me.
So.
But thank you so much, Chad.
That was good fun to read.
And and Chad is a poet.
He loves to play with form.
So it's unsurprising that we find, you know, an unusual form here,
especially for a piece of flash fiction.
What drew me into this story was, I guess, how different it was as a submission this
round.
I think that can get you very far, get you noticed at least.
But really, I just love this getting really deep into
the weeds of, like, all of these details about what the
universe is comprised of in the first couple of paragraphs.
And we don't really know where it's going.
And in the end, like in the last paragraph or so,
we just snap back into reality just like the protagonist does.
And we find out that we're in a job interview.
And it's it's as big a surprise to us as it is to the protagonist,
which is a funny effect.
I know this person is on a a drug trip, but it also speaks to just for me,
rant about corporate work for a second.
Yeah.
But just the fact that, like, sometimes you do get into this stage
where like, Oh my God, I'm so lost in the meaninglessness of of
all of this.
And I am thinking about just anything and then all of a sudden snapback and you're
in the middle of a Zoom call.
So that was relatable, even if the ayahuasca was optional.
But well written as always, Chad.
Yeah.
I mean, it probably also mirrors the experience
of someone with ADHD.
I feel like, you know, you kind of just drifting up like we're
all we're all just particles, really.
And now I'm thinking about the ants and what they're what they're doing.
And then I love this sort of Close Encounters moment of the mash that's part
of High as well.
And it's all just good fun.
And like, it is very internal as well.
And we do often criticise stories for being too internal,
but there's stuff happening and we're kind of getting so immersed in that voice
and we're on a ride.
We're on this ride with this protagonist.
It's a funny kind of internality because sometimes,
usually when we say internality, it's the protagonist being in their own
thoughts and being in their own emotions while this is all happening in their head.
It is full of description and it's full of action really.
So it's internal, but it's not.
So there's ants moving around that they're talking about the feel of sitting
in this chair, hugging their knees to their chest.
All of this stuff is happening, and it's what keeps us grounded in the
scene, which I think is important because even
though all this is crazy, we kind of still need to see that
character sitting in that chair so that when we get the reveal later that they're
on a Zoom call job interview, it all falls into place.
But yeah, I mean, this was Team Ed and a freak out, right?
And they were absolutely freaking out.
And I loved it.
I mean, it's the worst possible time to get
really, really high.
But listen, I also can relate to that feeling of like,
do I even want this ******* job that I'm having an interview for?
Probably not.
Will I self sabotage?
Why not?
Because the horrors do persist.
They do.
We're injecting ourselves a little bit.
Just a little, a little.
But that's the sign of a good story, right?
When it connects with you on an emotion level.
So thank you so much Chad, and congratulations on taking up 4th
place.
And congratulations to our neighbour who has decided to Was the ******* lawn not
short enough?
Do you need another round?
Good time and now we're at the podium.
3rd place, 500 Australian dollars in publication.
It's a nice place to be.
It is, and this one is also from Team Ed.
We're evening the score.
The score is dead even in shortness so far, so we'll see what happens.
But so now in 3rd place for Team Ed, the point by Calum Graves.
When the aliens asked humanity to explain its purpose,
we sent them 17 seconds of John Travolta pointing at the ceiling.
This was not technically my fault.
I was junior cultural attache to the United Nations Committee for Interstellar
Tone, a department created because nobody
trusts the military, the poets, or Sweden to speak first.
Our official greeting contained bark, prime numbers, a child laughing,
and a diagram explaining that we were mostly water but trying.
It was dignified.
It was moving.
It had been approved by 6 governments, 4 religions and one billionaire who
wanted his signature hidden in the hydrogen line.
Then Dave from Transmission leaned on the wrong console while eating a falafel.
The message that crossed 12 light years was a corrupted disco archive from a 70s
themed Morale night.
Travolta White suit, black shirt, hips loaded with legal confidence,
one finger Spearing heaven.
For nine months, nothing replied.
Then the sky blinked.
Every screen on earth filled with a creature like a chandelier trying to
remember a nightmare.
It spoke through every speaker at once.
We have received your declaration.
The Secretary General made a noise normally produced by kettles.
You understand, The alien continued the above in
conference room 4B47.
Diplomats began quietly freaking out.
The French ambassador crossed himself.
The American general whispered.
Weaponized the trousers.
Dave dropped another falafel.
I was pushed towards the microphone because my dissertation had been on human
gesture in pre algorithmic dance forms and because everyone senior had gone pale
enough to be legally classified as stationary esteemed beings.
I said there may have been a small file selection issue.
The chandelier shimmered.
Viewpoint upward, you acknowledge that meaning resides
beyond reach.
Well, you place the other hand upon the hip.
You confess the body as temporary equipment.
That is 1.
Interpretation, you rotate the pelvis.
I closed my eyes.
Attribute, it said, to gravity, without which longing would drift away.
Nobody breathed.
On the screen, a second alien appeared, wearing what looked horribly like a
glittering waistcoat.
It performed the .1 arm up, one arm down, the entire civilization,
evidently studying us with fatal seriousness.
We have travelled the dark between Suns, said the first alien,
and found empires singing of conquest machines, reciting efficiency, dead words,
still broadcasting prayers for exemption.
You sent us this, a creature trapped between dust and
distance, indicating both ashamed of neither.
Behind me, someone sobbed.
It might have been Sweden.
The alien inclined its thousand little lights.
We accept your philosophy.
At the peace ceremony, I stood before delegates from 200 nations
and seven impossible geometries.
The Bee Gees played softly.
Because history has no mercy.
When my turn came, I raised one finger to the stars and 1
towards Earth, with terror and both ankles already
regretting it.
For once, humanity was not asking to be saved,
admired, forgiven or understood.
We were only admitting where we stood, between the impossible above and the
ridiculous below, still pointing.
Well, thank you, Caleb for your story and congratulations
on your podium.
Finished third place.
Excellent achievement.
And what I really loved about this story, you know, I love some absurdist humour,
Amanda, and I love how this one really leaned so
hard into the disco move there, the point, the iconic one.
In fact, it was the move that I was making on our
little artwork for this round and the one you're making right now in real life
right now.
But I love how you came up with this whole philosophical spin on this idea of,
like, being caught between 2 worlds and what
that might mean to an alien.
And I think that's one of the things that you can really do in flash fiction is
come up with an idea so crazy and absurd and just go there and like, be unafraid.
And you did it, and it paid off.
So well done.
Yeah.
I mean, when you do it confidently, Right.
And I think something that happens in this absurdist humour and that needs to
happen and maybe is where some other stories might have dropped the ball a
little bit, is that you start with this really absurd
premise from a comedic perspective.
Everything else in your story needs to be really serious and really normal, right?
So we've got like someone in this room, we can imagine it, we picture it.
Everything that's going on in that room, while dramatic,
is realistic and believable.
Their reaction, they're like, they've just accepted it and they just
have to run with.
And in doing so, that heightens the feeling and the comedy
of that really absurd premise.
So I think sometimes it's tempting to kind of just throw everything at it and
everything's absurd, but then there's no balance.
There's nothing to kind of contrast the absurdity with.
And so it kind of ends up landing a bit flat because as readers,
we're just thinking, well, that was just kind of mad and stupid and
unrealistic or something like that.
Whereas this, you're like, I mean, of course it's unreal,
but is it unrealistic?
I don't know.
Who knows?
Like you can sort of imagine.
In a scenario, yeah, where these things would happen.
And So what you're saying is even if the premise is ridiculous,
like the way it plays out is realistic.
Yeah, it could happen that way.
But, you know, we've got an absurd premise,
but we've also got some real heart here and something that resonated really
strongly for me and, and may do for many others because we're
all artists here is this idea of how we can just take ourselves so, like,
way too seriously sometimes.
Like, yeah, what are we sending out into space?
We're sending out our prime numbers and what have you,
what is the essence of humanity?
Is it the prime numbers?
You know, is it, is it what we've discovered or what
intellectually we have come to understand about our world?
Or is it the other stuff, the crazy stuff, the dancing, the art, you know,
that makes us who we are.
And I would suggest that it is that other stuff.
That's how we as humans connect.
You know, we connect over what makes us unique in
our particular interests and how we express ourselves.
And I think that that's what Calum did here.
He expressed himself in this story, and we got to receive that.
And it wasn't logical.
It was wild.
And I enjoyed it on that basis.
And I agree, I think that's kind of what we should be
sending out into space.
So I wonder what Chad thinks about that, having some of his own work up there on
the moon.
Yeah, absolutely.
All right.
And so for anyone who's following along on the points at this stage,
trying to work out which team is in front, I am you are.
Yes, your team is in front.
We've we've just had two shortlist entries from Team Amanda and two from
Team Ed.
So shortlist is neck and neck, but you were already 2 points ahead
before we came into the shortlist.
So it all comes down to these last two.
Now, as we know, it's two points for a shortlisting and
three points for the winner.
So essentially because the authors who we will be reading now in 1st and 2nd place
have already got their one longlist point, we've actually just got three more points
left to dish out.
So an extra 1 for second place and an extra 2 points for first place.
So basically it all comes down to this moment and these final three points.
I'm ahead, but you could still win it depending on
how these last two stories play out.
That's right.
Well, we're about to find out because we're
about to reveal the second place story.
So now in second place and winning a juicy 1000 Australian dollars.
Wow.
You know I'm jealous of you because I really love this story.
And in fact, this was the story that I mentioned in
the long list episode that was chock full of favourite lines for me.
So I'm a little bit jealous that you're going to read it,
but I will sit here and enjoy listening for sure.
And in second place, representing team Amanda is.
The Bogan by Liv Stenhouse It was a yokel kinda local where he orders rum and cokel
receive a swift and very vocal La Dee da.
Where's the albino known as Dino?
I asked the barman who said Kino while pointing out a dim casino past the bar.
And from that blotto punter's grotto there came the blaring of the Lotto.
And in a vocce, not so sotto.
Yeah, Nah.
Among square metres of wife beaters in worn blue singlets,
all three sheeters was one who'd best them by 5 litres.
At the bar, some furtive hustle and a bustle beset
his stocky arm of muscle, the type with which I'd never tussle.
Inshallah.
His hand went hit her, then went thither as though he'd plucked
some redneck zither, exclaiming loudly as he dither.
Yeah, Nah.
Thus he'd selected and corrected his numbers while my pluck collected,
and soon I softly interjected with an So I'm the quarter of your daughter,
and I have a question that I thought a man like me really ought to ask Kapaa.
His hands abandoned their meander.
His blue eyes gave an icy gander.
Then came the unexpected candour.
Yena that he was proving disapproving in such a manner unbehaving had me aghast
and barely moving, mouth ajar.
The born persistor.
I said, Mr, you've blessed the bow of every sister.
Why tell me 9 I must insist upon a yar.
My failed impressing had me stressing as he returned to number guessing with
nothing but a soul depressing.
Yeah Nah, I know you've stricture in your picture
of maleness.
I then croaked through richer.
But your own daughters don't depicture as a * as each new Missy and the ***** would
drink until he'd Chuck a hissy is why they see you.
Just a Chrissy Nikva, no more submissive and permissive of my
belaboured verbal missive.
He stood and spat me his dismissive.
Yeah, Nah, I coaxed.
I'm puny and a ***** to study languages at uni, but your idea of class is gooney.
Coolabah.
Then lentai ducking, arms a tucking and leg all set for
frontal bucking.
I pose like ray gun for this ******* Benoit.
Why don't you suckle on some knuckle?
I'll get some hits in before I buckle.
I broke out.
Then he gave a chuckle.
Yeah, Nah, my heart a thumping and a bumping with
mongrel blood in our set of pumping.
I said I'll take a backstreet jumping you Galah and bring you Hurley ******* burly.
I hope it's not too bloody early, I said to give a runty girly man a spa.
But instead of closing, he was frozen.
His eyes were wetted and unclosing as gently.
Said he unimposing.
Yeah, Nah.
What seemed once really rather steely was now more surely touchy feely.
I twigged he loved his daughter dearly and would care.
You act all nettle and gun metal because you don't want your girls to settle the
spineless blokes who've got no metal.
So, Claire, So I erated now, elated about the OK I've awaited.
And with a hug, he simply stated, Nah, yeah.
Once again, a slow clap for you, Liv.
That was ******* amazing.
Yeah, this one was an early stand out.
Obviously the word play is great.
It's so ******* great.
It's not just great, it's like absolutely amazing.
I'm not sure all the foreigners, all those from elsewhere will get or even
understand all these references.
It's all easily Googleable, but it's just so clever.
Yeah, and obviously the rhyme scheme and and
the the yen reminiscent of a certain Raven home.
Very PO.
It's extremely PO.
So instead of the Raven, hmm, quote the bogan.
Nah, yeah.
Oh yeah, absolutely.
Don't think we didn't notice that.
Amazing.
You managed to get ray gun in there, like without it feeling weird.
This whole thing of like he's doing the other languages at uni,
which is very convenient for a poem.
I love that you're able to just bring in other languages to fill those blanks for
you.
But but you paid that off.
Like he's doing multiple different languages and it fits into his characters,
obviously, like not the tough guy and he's trying to
live up to these expectations.
Absolutely.
And I sort of wondered at whether as well, there was a bit of a like a cultural
difference here.
We've got Inshallah mentioned at the start of the poem and whether that was
something that came between his father and the potential bow for his daughter.
But probably a lot of people do know this now because it's out in memes or whatever
that.
Yeah.
Nah means no.
We should clarify.
We should clarify in, in, in Australian.
Yeah.
Nah means no, and Nah, yeah means yes.
And that is very clear to all of us.
So he's basically saying yeah, Nah, IE no, no, no,
throughout this poem until right at the end he flips it and he's finally saying
yes, which is so clever.
Just on its own.
That one little moment, I think on its own is very,
very hilarious.
But all these other things like lines like in worn blue singlets,
all three sheeters, so 3 sheets to the wind and the other one
I loved your idea of class is Goonie Coolabah.
Yeah.
So goon bag basically of wine, like a big box of wine, a box of wine,
boxed wine.
And even just those first lines.
It was a yokel kind of local where he who orders rum and coke.
I think it's really great scene setting in those early lines.
We can picture exactly the kind of pub that they're at and you know,
the keno area of the pub, it's all very visual.
Yeah.
So that's the gambling area, which is a huge thing in Australia,
where the world's biggest losers, as they say,
gambling is a big issue here in Australia.
So all of it's just playing so well into like an Australian version of the Raven.
And the more you read it, the more impressed you become with how
Leave was able to just keep that tempo and keep because it's very easy,
especially with such a short time frame to write your story,
that poems often do miss the mark.
And we have this, we have poems that come in and they're
just not quite right.
The syllables are just a little bit off and it ruins the experience of reading
the poem.
But in this case, it was all hits, no misses.
And I, I really am very impressed by that
because I know that the amount of fiddling it would have taken.
Absolutely.
And also a poem that tells the story, a complete story from start to finish.
We have a scene goal and a problem being overcome and a satisfying conclusion.
So all of that's in there.
So I guess this one, it is quite sweet.
It's not super deep emotionally, but it's extremely entertaining.
And I think that's what made it land.
And one thing I mentioned on social media, which is very interesting in this
shortlist, particularly in a shortlist where we're
talking about dancing, where you often have a dancing partner or
perhaps a counterpart if you're having a dance battle in the street.
So it's often this interplay between two people.
And the shortlist had pairs, right?
A couple of pairs in it.
So we had two stories about space.
We had one from Team Ed, which was the point,
and we had one from Team Amanda, which was the pale blue Dot.
And now as we come to our first place story,
this particular story is going to make a couple of extra pairs with the other
stories in the shortlist.
So I don't know if that means anything to anyone out there.
If you're guessing, second guessing yourself, perhaps.
But we are very, very excited to announce the winner of
this round.
The very talented winner will win a juicy thick wad of cash,
1500 Australian dollars.
Can you not with the juicy thick wad?
I forgot where we were for a second listen.
Yeah, Nah to that.
And the winner will of course receive 1500 Australian buckaroos.
They can put that straight through Keno.
They could, you could double your money so quick.
And also the pointy trophy.
The pointy trophy on the planet.
It will be coming your way.
And the accolades, Yeah.
Most importantly, like you won.
You won the whole bloody thing.
And the validation that comes with that, I feel, is not to be sniffed at.
That is huge.
The validation for someone like me, that's sort of what I'm seeking.
Yeah, well, you can't win, so too bad.
I know.
I'll just live vicariously so, at the very tippy top of the podium in
first place for the April 2026 Not Quite Right Prize for Flash Fiction
representing Team Amanda is Waiting.
By Athena Law, I'm waiting to feel happy.
You tell me, swinging your chair violently in our
small shared cubicle.
Corporate prison, according to you.
Taking up all the space, I press forward into my desk,
hard plastic meeting flesh softened by office life, and keep typing my report.
I can't breathe here, you say, and I know you'll be looking out the
window again, staring at life in the streets below or
up into the sky, watching for the planes that are headed
to the places you talk about, dream about, have posters of them packed up in a Halo
around your computer.
Once you're living elsewhere, you tell me, I'll forget you were ever really here at
all.
You aren't really here now, not when your days are spent wishing for
otherness, not when every hour you say that true
untethering from corporate prison would be cutting your headphone cord with a
knife then hitting send on the email waiting in your draughts folder.
You let me read it once, but made me sit on my hands in case I
pressed send even though I promised I wouldn't.
It was the grenade throw resignation that others joked about writing but never,
ever would, even though the Khalil Gibran quote about
money was nice.
You've been saving up for years to get out, but between orphans,
rhinos and water pumps, you can't decide where you should go
first.
Choosing where to go keeps you tethered, keeps you caught in the cords and calls
and computers up here behind glass, above the life but below the planes.
I've sent you deals for flights, articles I've read on villagers that need
hands, children who need help.
I stopped sending you things once your posters broke their Halo and spread to my
walls.
Could I explain to you again I wasn't dreaming your dream?
I was waiting to become a mother.
But every time I mentioned IVF, you'd say #trad wife and welcome to
Gilead.
So I stopped telling you stuff about my life and just waited.
I've been waiting for you to cut that cord and break out of our two small
cubicle so we can both begin to breathe.
This morning you weren't here, and all day I've wondered if your email
was being read by our bosses.
Capitalist overlords, he said, and if you were sitting on every plane I
saw, managing to share a space in calm silence.
But they just told me you were found last night on the train,
at the end of the line, sleeping but not sleeping.
Someone from HR has been to take your posters down.
I have so much room to swing my own chair now I'm waiting to feel happy.
So congratulations Athena, you are our very first,
second time winner of the Not Quite right prize.
The first time was back in January 2024.
That's right, over two years ago.
Very excited to see the queen reigning once again back in her throne.
She has of course been topping the leaderboard for some time as well.
So it's really unsurprising to see her back here, but very, very exciting.
And I know Athena's probably careened off the road squealing somewhere.
I saw it.
No, I hope you pulled over or listening at
home.
But I'm so excited to see your name there.
And it must be nice, too.
We talked about validation before we read the story.
But you know, you win.
And you just think, oh, is that a fluke?
Like that's how my brain works.
Like, was that a fluke?
Oh, I just got lucky.
And of course, there's an element of luck and connection
in there as well, and subjectivity.
But it doesn't get much more affirming than winning twice, surely?
So really, really happy to see that.
And I hope that you feel that in your bones, very deserving of this win.
And what a great story this is, one that really grew on me the more I
read it.
If it's not apparent in the structure, this is like a poem.
In fact, Athena notes in her general feedback that
Amanda and I generally say that we hate poems and tell people not to submit a
poem.
But she has submitted a poem.
But she wants to clarify that it's technically an abbreviated form of a
crown of sonnet.
It's a free verse poem.
So it's definitely written in a verse form.
But it's like, more like a prose poem, I guess.
Doesn't really read that way in audio format.
Yeah.
But, you know, regardless, I mean, I sort of accepted a long time ago that I
was wrong about the poetry thing.
We do love it.
And I was speaking before about this Pears thing.
So Pears being the two poems that made our shortlist this round.
We had the bogan, of course, in second place and this one in first
place.
So I think that's a resounding yes for poetry, excellent poetry.
But the other pair that this one creates is another story about basically hating
corporate life.
So we had Chad's story about the job interview, and now we've got this one too.
So I guess we're all in the same wavelength here in this particular round.
And I found that particularly interesting that those stories should rise to the top.
And what I love about this one as well, it's not merely about hating corporate
life because it's like, it's about this duality.
And this is really like fundamental to the human experience,
like this idea of living for the moment, I guess,
and just being who you are in the moment versus building for the future or having
ambitions and goals.
And there's pros and cons.
And I think it's something that we kind of gloss over or maybe don't realise.
Like absolutely you should build for the future,
but at the same time realise that like it could be over at any moment.
And we have two characters here in this story.
One of them is like, I want to get out of here, You know,
I'm planning to live my life away from this hell hole.
You all suck.
You're a you're a trad wife.
My corporate overlords suck.
And I can definitely get behind some of these opinions, but at the same time,
he's not able to achieve those goals.
And meanwhile, our protagonist is living in the moment,
like having a family.
And it's obviously up to you, but as people,
we have to choose and we have to balance those things constantly.
And I think this story really captures that idea very evocatively.
Yeah, I agree really, very strongly.
I think I've.
I mentioned my dad passing away and just other things that have happened in my
life, big significant traumatic events that
have happened in my life that have made me realise how short life really is.
And something else that happened in my extended family.
Very recently, a very young member of my extended family
passed away very suddenly.
And this is a person who was living life to the fullest and who absolutely left
nothing on the table.
And that's something that I aspire to.
And I know from reading commentary in the Not Quite Right community online that in
part this story was inspired by someone who had said to,
I think someone quite old who had said to Athena,
I'm waiting to feel happy kind of thing.
Like I'm not happy yet.
I'm not happy yet.
And, and I just think that's so sad.
And as you said, it's kind of part of the human condition
basically to always be seeking and always be wanting more and never kind of having
this satisfaction with where we're at now or never taking what we have now.
We just sort of feel like it's out of reach and we just keep reaching for it
without ever actually grabbing it for ourselves.
And there's something incredibly resonant in that.
And I don't know if I did the story justice in audio.
I know the Bogan's very fun, like in audio format,
and this one was probably one that might be more satisfying to read and just sort
of absorb that yourself.
And I certainly absorbed it and I found it quite moving.
This was also the story that gave me goosebumps this round and there's
something to be said for that.
It's funny, I get goosebumps.
I've mentioned it before, like in live theatre, at musicals,
listening to music in the car sometimes and sometimes when people, you know,
up on a stage just speaking or, and in this case reading a story.
I don't know what it is.
Is it like a 6th sense that I'm just getting this really fundamental truth and
it's resonating with me?
I think that's really fascinating how a physical reaction can come from what's
happening in my mind as I read this story.
So deep, deep emotional connection there and
something to be very proud of if you can communicate that effectively in in your
storytelling.
I think it's also worth noting that Athena has now won the competition with
two incredibly different stories.
So very, very versatile author.
And I think that speaks to like writing what's in you at the time,
like when the prompts drop, just sort of letting go maybe of some
expectations and just coming from the heart.
And that's really what I was challenging Team Amanda to do this round,
to just kind of put your ego aside and just write from the heart.
And I think that's what Athena did here.
And I think that's what pays off.
You can feel that truth coming through.
I really find that's satisfying in stories that sort of speak the truth.
So well done Athena.
And a second pointy trophy is coming your way.
So you'll be the only person in the entire world to have two trophies.
2 not quite right prize trophies on your mantelpiece.
And so well done on that.
And of course, as Amanda mentioned, you are already at the top of the
leaderboard, equal first place with Emily Rinkema.
But now you have cleared the top of the leaderboard and you stand alone in the
number one position, but Chad Frame will jump up a couple of
places and also being now in equal second.
So a few changes there at the top of the leaderboard.
Go and check it out in the community when you get a chance and see a little bit of
shuffling up there, but a little bit of hustling,
a little bit of shuffling.
That's right, a little bit of pointing and so on.
But let's let's talk about teams.
Only one team can win, as always.
So who won?
Listen, I won not only on the popular vote, OK,
also on the points, but also the moral victory once again,
of having the winning story on Team Amanda.
So not to rub it in or anything, but I think it was a decisive victory.
To see it was decisive in that you won all of the categories.
Yes, yes, OK, fine.
But but it was also very close because we were within one story on the overall
popular vote.
We were within 2 on the long list and in the final points tally it is 26 points to
Team Amanda, 21 to Team Ed.
So very close.
So close, but look.
But no cigar.
I'm afraid of congratulations and well done.
You do deserve it.
And I'm just taking all the glory from myself despite having as if you wrote all
these stories yourself, but well done, you've inspired them.
So that's the important thing.
So thank you so much to all the Team Amanda contributors.
And as a little reward for joining my team,
those of you who did not just win a cash prize are now going into the draw for the
bonus prize.
So get excited if you're on Team Amanda.
We're about to do the very fancy bingo ball pool.
Yeah, it's time to fire up that machine.
Crank it up as he clicks open on the Excel spreadsheet.
Well, and the random number that's been
generated here out of our ball machine is 86.
Now let's look up our little spreadsheet.
86 is The Yellow Door by Chrissy Driver.
Well done Chrissy.
Yay.
You win a coaching session with me and a copy of Flesh Fiction Volume 1 Hot off
the press.
And we've got some copies here now, so we'll sign one of those and send it
out to you just as soon as we get your address.
So once you have learnt that you have won the prize,
please reach out to us by email, let us know that you know and then we'll
arrange to send you your prizes.
So congratulations Chrissy and congratulations Amanda on your decisive,
thorough vlogging of me.
So it's one a piece, one round, a piece.
So next round will be the decider.
Well, I mean for now.
So as with the bonus prize for all those shortlisted authors and wild cards,
do please get in contact via email and let us know that you've listened or that
you've sneakily checked the website or the transcript to find your name and that
way we'll be able to send that prize over to you right away.
Also make sure you jump on the honour roll section of the website and grab your
updated badges with your placings listed on them.
And do feel free to share those with your friends and family.
And as always, thanks everyone who entered this round.
It was AI really enjoyed this shortlist.
It was actually quite a challenging shortlist for us.
You know, we love to be challenged.
We've said in the past that you're taking a risk when you send us poetry,
but like we reward risk sometimes as well.
And we put two of them in the number one and two spots basically this round.
And I'm really quite proud of the fact that in the Not Quite right prize,
it really is any story and any author that can rise to the top because it's
really about what you give us on the day.
And, you know, while we might have our own personal
preferences about what we might read if we were to go to a bookshop and pick up a
book, we also just really appreciate excellent
storytelling.
And so when a story comes through and whether it's something that we would have
thought we liked before we picked it up, we're able to see, you know,
the heart of that story.
And it really does make me so proud that our shortlist represents such a range,
a diverse range of different stories.
And to me, what that means is that anybody entering
the not quite right prize can do so with the confidence that whatever they have in
them to deliver on that weekend will be received well.
Yeah, It's not about genre or theme.
We've had comedies win.
We've had really serious stories win.
We've had dark stories.
We've had like stories with twists.
We've had all manner of variety.
It's had erotica make the shortlist as well, too.
So yeah, absolutely.
It is about all of those things that we always talk about on our Daredevil and on
our longest episodes of things that make stories great.
So thank you everyone who has entered and especially thank you for everyone who has
entered for Team Ed.
And so for those of you who are perhaps feeling a little bit disappointed in your
own result, either we're really hoping for a short
listing this round or hoping for a long listing or a wild card prize.
I hope that when you listen to these stories, you can, like we did,
appreciate why they rise to the top and recognise in them the qualities that make
those stories stand out.
And hopefully, you know, in some cases, you might learn something from those
stories or you just continue and persist with your own writing style and wait for
the day that your own story gets recognised.
But thank you very, very much to the shortlisted authors and
congratulations.
I really look forward to publishing your stories in the anthology at the end of
the year.
And you know where else our listeners can learn a little bit about story writing?
That's from our Daredevils, and they'll be coming up next.
We have 5 Daredevil stories this round, one of which was actually a wild card
winner as we heard earlier on in the episode.
So looking forward to all of those.
We'll be reading out those five stories and talking in more depth about those
stories as we always do.
Breaking them down, saying what we liked, what we didn't like about them and just
generally making the authors feel very uncomfortable,
which is our main goal really when it all comes down to it.
I just also wanted to note the coaching sessions that I have coming up.
I'm really looking forward to those.
So I'll be getting in contact with those authors to just double check the timings
are all good for you and to start preparing my notes.
A little bit of a private daredevil perhaps, and in some cases,
just a really lovely chance to talk about writing goals more generally.
I always really enjoy my time talking to those authors.
So I'm really looking forward to it.
And if you are interested in some coaching with Amanda,
I believe as of time of recording, there are still a few spots left for the
July round.
They may be selling out quickly.
Yes.
And Speaking of selling out, it's actually shaping up to be our
biggest comp.
Yes.
So I don't, you know, it's a bit early to make the call,
but as of now, it's looking like everyone's jumping on
board for July.
So I'm really excited.
I'm hoping that we get a bumper crop of stories to read.
And if you haven't already signed up for the July prize, then please do so.
Just jump on the website notquiterightprize.
com and keep your eyes peeled.
We'll be revealing the theme for this round,
the theme image for the July round early this time around,
so you have a chance to think about what kind of prompts we might be hitting you
with on the day.
Basically to think about absolutely all the wrong stuff.
Yeah, exactly.
And the other thing to announce is that Flesh Fiction is now officially out and
available on our website.
So head over to our website, notquiteright.
com and grab yourself a copy of the book.
Click the books link there in the menu.
It's a good time this book.
It is a very good time.
We were just talking about the diversity in the shortlist of the not quite right
price.
Talk about diversity.
Like, yes, volume one, it's just got and intentionally so just
this amazing mix, a random different takes on the idea of
what it means to be to make the unsexy irresistible.
I'm very, very excited to see what everyone thinks
because of course, most of these stories haven't been read
before.
We've got a few of the winners in there, like a few of the podium placing stories,
but we've got all these other juicy stories that we've got to read so far,
But that will be new to you.
So check it out.
And, and when you do, please let us know what you think.
Let us know your favourites, whether there was anything surprising in
there.
Yeah, hit us up.
And so that's available in E book and paperback format on our website.
And thanks to Blanche del Puget, who has blurbed that book for us.
I'm, I'm thrilled that there's a spite of your
in spite, maybe because of my huge gaff.
And it's funny to think that she has a copy of that book in her house right now.
Yeah, that's right.
And she's read all of these stories and enjoyed them, enjoyed them too.
So if you want to enjoy them as well, go grab yourself a copy.
But that's it for the shortlist episode.
Of course.
As I mentioned, we'll be back with our Daredevils very
soon and stick around after the closing theme song for vague tweets.
As always, mostly Amanda's vague tweets, let's be honest.
But until then, right on, right on.
Thank you for listening to Not Quite Right.
If you'd like to reach us via email or follow us on social media,
you can find all the links on our website notquiterightpodcast.com that's WRITE.
And if you enjoyed the show, we'd love it if you could leave us a five
star review on your favourite podcasting app.
Something doesn't seem quite right.
So we're back and it's time to reveal the stories that inspired our vague tweets.
And as always, I dropped the ball.
Put it simply, the disco ball.
The disco ball indeed.
I'm not a big tweeter, and I try.
I do try.
I'm working on bettering myself.
As I've said, I did tweet three times, but one of them was more general.
There are a couple of tweets.
They're related to specific stories, so I'll just call mine out and let Amanda
fill in all of hers.
My first tweet was some Ed and Amanda fanfic has snuck its way into my team
stories.
Will it earn a dishonourable mention or more?
And it did.
And a dishonourable mention that was WWAD.
Or what would Amanda do by Laura Raine, who has submitted.
What would Amanda do to Team Ed?
Just to add like insult to injury, I guess.
But thank you for doing that, Laura.
And by the way, adding insult to injury is what Amanda
would do.
My other tweet was seem several of you are hoping to stand out with some very
provocative titles this round.
And the two stories referenced there were **** Farts and a Penis by Tom Brodkin.
So thank you Tom.
It definitely got my attention with that story title.
And the other one by Louise Sutherland was rode hard and put away wet.
Both are kind of echoes of flesh fiction there a little bit.
But Amanda, tell us all about your many vague tweets.
Well look, I restrained myself a little bit this
time but I will go through them kicking off with Douglas Maccabees.
Poor Eddie.
I said thanks for the literal lols.
And it was about a dead goldfish.
We mentioned it in the longest episode and I also quoted A favourite line which
was basically about driving to the hospital but dancing while driving to the
hospital.
And I did laugh out loud at that.
So thank you so much Douglas.
And then hello to the potty mouthed author who delivered a stunning tale of
revenge.
Hope you're doing OK.
And I said don't reveal yourself yet.
Just go and read the Cask of Amontillado and tell me if it doesn't make you feel a
little better.
And that was Gin Leo with Philodendron Pink Princess.
And this was basically about a homicidal plant, which was pretty fun.
And I don't know how you're feeling, Jin, but I'm feeling a lot of need to exact
some revenge out IRL out in real life and, and, you know,
enjoying a little bit of fiction on that front in various directions for you,
Amanda.
There's a there's a several recipients.
There's always someone on my **** ****.
But you know, there's there's a few names that have,
well, one particular name that's risen to the
top of late.
And then I said, Oh, well, little flesh fiction overflow has made
its way to the April comp.
You owe the jar a dollar.
And that was Adam Wolf with premature Freeze.
And that was a fun story about a guy who like has the power to to freeze like time
basically, and prevent himself from prematurely a
jar.
That's a great premise.
I love that wonderful little fantasy coming to life.
So that was great.
And next I said my first Yes for the Long List features a fun usage of the street
word prompt that I was not so secretly hoping to see this round.
And of course that was a Backstreet Boys reference.
And the story I was referring to was JD Hodley's When Your Dead Best Friend
Communicates via the Spotify playlist.
So Fresh greatest hits, 90s and 2000s, which did mention the Backstreet Boys in
there as one of the songs.
And there were five stories specifically written for Amanda.
I believe they always are.
Speak to my heart.
Absolutely.
And yeah, there were I think 5 Backstreet Boys
stories from memory and I did enjoy them.
So thank you so much to all of those authors.
And then I posted swiftly followed by another, yes,
Australiana vibes on this one.
And that was of course Liveston Houses the Bogan,
which was our second place story and about as Australian as you get next.
I said, and it's another yes from me.
And not just a yes, but a shortlist contender.
It might be yours if your story took a big picture approach and it did in fact
make the shortlist.
And that was the Pale Blue Dot by Ruth Lord.
And then I said to Marissa Hanley with Tombstone Windmills,
you're the type of crazy I can get on board with.
I'd love to see your story on this round's longlist.
It may be you if you featured a break dancing move in your title.
More than one break dancing move.
In fact, both the tomb stone and the windmill.
Next I said my first goosebumps of the round.
Always a sign of deep emotional resonance.
It's subjective always, but it's a yes from me.
This could be your story if you centred the idea of breaking out of both a
physical and emotional place.
And that was of course Athena Laws winning story waiting.
So just a few more.
I said sometimes my highly professional and well considered judging comments look
a little something like this.
And that was of course the OMFG comments.
I said I'm not even tagging this one because if you wrote this story you
already know who you are.
And that was of course my wild card winning story Wash Your Mouth Out by
Malcolm McCabe.
Next I said, oh more flesh fiction overflow.
Seems you guys just can't get enough.
And that was from Ryan Naume with one play.
Now, I didn't mention Ryan before, but I've just remembered Ryan's coming to
the book launch as well.
So I look forward to seeing Ryan again.
We have met in person for an in person coaching session,
which is a wonderful advantage of living close on the Central Coast.
And I look forward to meeting Ryan's wife.
I'm not sure if this is how much fact is in the fiction here with one play.
We'll just have to ask.
Like right up front Guardian Leviosa.
Next I said, what?
No cherry blossoms?
And there was a little nod to Robert Fairhead with his story.
A headspin.
A little haiku, which I'll read for you now.
Narrow streets, strange sights breaking out in sweat,
footsore travels.
A headspin.
And Robert had already flagged with us that he was going to be travelling in
Japan when the prompts dropped and that he probably wouldn't have the headspace
to write a whole story.
But of course he had a an annual pass and he didn't want to miss the chance.
And.
And in submitting that did put himself up for the bonus prize.
So, yeah.
So that was great.
Absolutely.
And I hope you enjoyed your trip, Robert.
I do love Japan.
I hope you had a lovely time.
Just a couple more, I said.
I've just encountered a very fun closing line that fully stuck the landing of his
story's premise and was both punny and ridiculous.
I appreciate you, mystery author.
Thanks for the lols.
And this author is no longer a mystery to me.
It was Sheridan Bell with Lord of the Fries,
and this was a story about potatoes and like, root vegetables.
And the line I particularly noted was.
She glanced back at Russ, panting in the dust.
Sorry, Spud.
I guess he's the better route.
So a lovely punny little story there about a judgmental beetroot.
And finally, I said this round I'm seeing so many
stories attempting some really bold and frankly irrational things.
Some succeed in delighting and some lose the plot.
In more ways than one, this one was a success in my books.
It could be yours if your story had a happy ending.
And that was Sam James's round trip, which was actually quite a dark story.
It featured a character who logs every car journey, writes every book,
writes every beer.
He feels the need to document everything, and he's sort of trying to make the
decision whether he's on this round trip, whether it's going to be a round trip or
whether he's going to drive to the bridge and not come back.
So it was actually quite a sad story and I just want to read a line from it.
There was a comfort in looking back and seeing where he had been.
On bad days.
He could look at the charts and remind himself of the good ones.
Right now, it felt like there were only bad days.
Good days were a figment, or so his brain was telling him.
But his brain couldn't be trusted.
And I think that's a really resonant feeling as well,
like when you are in a dark place, not being able to see the positive things
in the world, in your past or even in your present.
And I think that's a lovely idea, logging things and being able to look
back on it and actually bringing yourself a little bit of joy,
if indeed that's what you need.
And in fact, Sam has actually uploaded audio of his
story, and he's got such a beautiful voice,
and it is a beautiful story.
So why don't we play it now?
Why not?
Yeah.
A little bonus.
Take it away, Sam.
Round Trip by Sam James.
Eric kept track of things.
Every book got a review, every beer a rating.
He logged each car journey in a spreadsheet, the miles, the fuel,
the destinations.
24th of April 2026.
Home to supermarket.
2 miles round trip equals yes.
There was a comfort in looking back and seeing where he had been on bad days.
He could look at the charts and remind himself of the good ones.
Today was a bad day.
Right now it felt like there were only bad days.
Good days were a figment, or so his brain was telling him.
But his brain couldn't be trusted.
Look.
12th of April 2026.
Home to sea houses, brackets, Farne Islands.
98 miles round trip equals yes, refuel equals £63.51.
The puffins were back for the season and he'd gone on a boat tour.
Rapid fluttering wing beats, sand deals wriggling in bright beaks.
Sea salt in his eyes and on his chips.
That was a good day.
**** he was tired.
Eric measured out his beans, 3 1/2 stars, a little dark for his taste,
and poured them into the coffee grinder.
Routine was another way he coped with these dips.
Days when there was no motivation to do anything.
Only the rhythm of habit made him put on pants.
24th of April 2026.
Home to work.
5 miles round trip equals no.
He placed his travel mug on the desk and opened his emails.
One was read, he didn't remember opening it.
Another sat.
Half replied, a sentence trailing off mid thought.
His pocket buzzed with some unimportant notification.
When he looked up from his phone, the lights were dimmed and the cleaners
were in.
Where had the day gone?
That had been happening more and more lately, losing time.
Sometimes it was lost to scrolling, sometimes he had no idea where it went.
He could only hope that the last time wasn't having too detrimental an effect
on his spreadsheets.
How could he trust the data if it was incomplete?
The first thing he did on arriving home was update the trip log.
Round trip equals, Yes.
He didn't much feel like eating, but it was Friday.
Pasta.
He reheated A portion, set it on the counter, blinked,
and it was cold.
****.
He blinked again.
His car keys were in his hand.
Blink St lights, blink wind.
Eric was standing atop A railing, holding onto a cast iron lamppost.
How had he gotten here?
His car was parked haphazardly behind him, and far below him the river was at low
tide, exposing grey mud at the banks.
This should have sparked something in him.
Fear, perhaps, or anticipation, maybe relief.
But there was nothing in the face of emptiness.
He fell back on rhythm.
24th of April 2026, home to Tyne Bridge.
2 miles round trip equals.
His thumb hovered over the keyboard, the cursor blinking in the round trip
column.
Wind whipped around him, Waves surged below.
And what was that shrieking Kitty wakes roosting under the bridge?
Were they back for the summer already?
Eric listened to the birds.
**** yeah.
Today was a good day, yes.
The.