Friday 11 January 2013

Friday Flash Fiction - Week 31


My Best Friend

"Go on!" she urged. "You know you want to."

I did and I didn't in equal measures, but she always knew how to convince me. She'd been getting me into trouble since I was eight years old. She'd also told me smoking was cool and that Jamie would dump me if I didn't sleep with him. She certainly was wrong that time; he dumped me anyway. 

Recently she'd got me into the heavy stuff and I loved and hated her for it. We'd go in search of it on a Wednesday night when we told my mum we were going to art class. "What a joke!" she'd said. But my mum believed us. 

Today we went too far and Mum found out. I was lying on my bedroom floor in a pool of my own urine and vomit. My body turning against me. 

Later as I lay in bed, sandwiched between clean sheets, my friend came to me. "Next time I'm not listening to you," I whispered. 
"Oh yes you will."
"I won't! I've had enough."
"You can't live without me." 
"I can!"
"No, you can't. You've tried it before and you didn't last long."  
"That was different. I was younger, stupid and lonely." 
"And now? Who else do you have but me?"
"I could make more friends." 
"I'm not actually sure that you could. It's been just you and me for so long." 

"Darling!" she heard her mother shout up the stairs. "Who are you talking to?" 

Laura Besley


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Flash Fiction diary

Happy New Year! I hope everyone's had a wonderful holiday season and I wish you all the best for 2013. I'm back with my weekly flash fiction. This week's story was inspired by a piece of writing that one of my writing buddies submitted to me a few weeks ago. It's strange how that was the inspiration, but the pieces couldn't be more different. 


This week saw the fifth installment of Flash Fortnightly on the Artipeeps website. Click here for 'The Almost Perfect Plan'. This piece started out with the line: We definitely hadn’t thought about all the blood. Initially I had planned to use that as the opening line, but that’s the not the way it turned out. I love it when the story has different ideas to the writer. The story always wins!

A couple of weeks ago I set up a facebook author page and I've already had loads of 'likes'. If you haven't yet, I'd be very grateful if you could 'like' the page! Click here for Laura Besley Writer

I've also stepped, rather gingerly, into the 21st century and have set up a twitter account! If you'd like to follow me, I can be found bumbling my way through this technology @laurabesley 
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Flash Fiction is short enough to read whilst you're waiting for the kettle to boil. It's fairly quick to write too, but with it being so short, every word has to count. 

On 4th May 2012 I decided to embark on a project: to write a piece of Flash Fiction every day. I'm hoping this will keep the creative juices flowing and ultimately help me hone my craft. Every Friday I'll be posting 'the best of the week' onto my blog for you to read. If you have anything to say (good or 'constructive'!), I'm open to comments.  

Thanks, as always, for reading.

25 comments:

  1. I love this! The imaginary friend twist at the finish is perfect -- I have a huge soft spot for imaginary friends.

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  2. Imaginary friends can be most untrustworthy. Jettison!

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  3. How clever, that twist at the end! I really thought there was another person until that last sentence. Loved it.

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  4. I twigged it was an imaginary friend quite quickly, but that didn't spoil the pleasure of reading your tale any! :-) Nicely done.

    marc nash

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    1. Well, somebody was going to! ;) Thanks for reading and glad you enjoyed it!

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  5. I loved it too! Great twist but would have been great without the twist too. The first couple of lines made me think of Sahar :) (un)fortunately this situation is all too common so it is current and realistic. Xxx

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    1. At least Sahar didn't get you into THAT much trouble! ;) xxx

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  6. An imaginary friend who tells you to sleep with someone is a dangerous friend indeed. Mum is quite right to ask! The first line almost gives the game away at the outset..did you intend that?

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    1. Indeed! I think I wanted there to be hints throughout, so that people would get to the end and think 'Aah, I should've/could've seen that coming'! ;)

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  7. I thought it was an older sister until the reveal, those inner voices of ours can certainly get us into trouble, can't they? Especially the one that says "Well... what harm can it do?"

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  8. I didn't see it as an imaginary friend, more the "bad side" we all have...don't we? Or is it just me :-)

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  9. Oh wow, what an ending - excellent, sent shivers down me. I'm not fooled very often but this was one of the best twists I've seen in a long time. ^_^

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    1. Thank you so much, Helen! That's very kind of you :)

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  10. With friends like that, who needs enemies? Nice twist at the end.

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  11. The imaginary friend that overstays their welcome - that's a great idea. Love how you revealed it at the end.

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  12. Nice...didn't see the end coming. Your stories always make me want more!

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