Miramichi Flash showcases four outstanding flash fiction: “Monsters in the Closet” by Paul Thompson, “The Man Behind the Mask” by Mary Thompson, “Giants” by Steven John, “The Secret Life of Spoons” by Phebe Jewell in its May 2022 Issue, today. — Enjoy!
“MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET” BY PAUL THOMPSON
We spend our days playing in the closet.
‘THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK’ BY MARY THOMPSON
I heave the enormous metal globe up over my shoulders and squeeze my head through the aperture. I wish I could descend into the deep blue sea, but instead I position myself alongside my wife, who’s sitting ever so elegantly on the brocade divan in the studio.
“GIANTS” BY STEVEN JOHN
For you, the best part of our honeymoon was the Giant Tortoises. You’d collect lettuce leaves off the hotel’s buffet table in your handbag, then go to the tropical gardens that surrounded our bedroom veranda. You’d feed the tortoise’s neanderthal faces and stroke the warm mahogany houses on their backs, as if they could feel your pale, delicate hands.
“THE SECRET LIFE OF SPOONS” BY PHEBE JEWELL
With my round, smooth-bottomed hull, my wide-ribbed belly, I was made for love. We take turns, you and I, filling and being filled. You open a jar, lift a lid, and slip me in your mouth. Your palate favors strong flavors: garlic, lime, pepper, vinegar. Humming, you unscrew jars of cardamom and curry, peel plump mangoes, slice sun-ripened tomatoes. A perfect circle, we savor each other’s taste throughout the day.
