Flash Fiction: Vanitas
Micro fiction: expired birds in 94 words
A crack, so loud I think it came from me. Bloody Tesco shopping bags have snapped my spine. Today of all days.
But I’m wrong: two steps ahead, a pigeon lies bludgeoned on the concrete. I search the white sky and catch a hawk cutting behind park trees.
Oh god, now I’m looking at the corpse. Three deep talon wounds puncture its chest, like my lunchtime cupcake after I pulled the candles out. Red velvet.
I sigh, and thank Nature for the birthday gift. Then, I head home to throw out the remaining cupcakes.
An apology to pigeons. You are a lovely addition to town centres across the globe.
This is an older flash fiction piece (a bit more pithy and silly than my usual stuff!) that needed a new home. I’ll be sharing more flash fiction and short stories soon, along with blogs about my writing process and journey as a 2025 debut author. If you enjoy my writing, please consider sharing Fictive Figments. Thank you!