Today, for your reading pleasure, a bit of flash fiction written by yours truly. Enjoy!
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He offered me a cuppa. Quite decent of him, too.
“I suppose I could. Just one, as you insist…”
“I do,” he said, and handed me the cup and saucer. “One lump or two?”
I confess I was a bit slow in answering – may have actually gawped a bit. “I, um… Sorry, but is this tea?”
“Why, no,” he said. “One letter removed, as it happens.”
I held a cup of the sea.
The living sea. A breathing, seething thing. Foamy waves crashed up against their porcelain boundary. I swore I could hear a gull cry.
I said, dubious, “I’m not sure a whole sugar bowl could counter the salt. Is it entirely safe to drink?”
“Well, what is?” he said cheerfully. “Entirely safe, I mean. A proper tea might scald your tongue, set you choking, cover the taste of poison… I knew a fellow, once, who killed himself on orange juice. But never you worry about the salt. The pot will have strained most of it out.”
“Two lumps, in that case. And a spoon of honey, if you’ve got it.”
“Of course, not at all. And I’ll just be back with the biscuits.”
Sea and biscuits. Yes, quite decent of him. I sipped at my bit of ocean, and thought he and I might make rather good friends after all.
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Enjoyed what I wrote? There’s loads more where that came from! Browse the DEShipley catalogue, why dontcha – and/or holler at me if you’d like to read an early e-copy of the upcoming Outlaws of Avalon 2.5 for the low, low price of an honest review!
Ever On Word 