In fewer than 700 words, Anita Dawes tells a complete story. “Our Little Green Friend” is an excellent example of flash fiction — with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

P.S. She uses British spelling and punctuation.

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I went with Jaye to meet the strange little fellow she had found at the bottom of our garden yesterday. Sitting beside him, I wondered if he could speak.

He looked real to me.

‘I may be small, young lady, but I’m not deaf. I can hear your thoughts. They’re very noisy.’

I apologised, asking who he was.

‘You can call me Toby.’

I asked that he refrain from reading my thoughts, that I would rather speak with him.

He agreed. Immediately my thoughts burst back into action. He looked like Mr Mushroom Head. The longer I looked at him, I thought he could be Merlin in a new form. I swear to God he winked at that thought.

‘I need a favour, ladies.‘

‘Anything,’ I said, believing him to be Merlin, come for a visit.

‘I need to stay a while until the covering over my heart has grown. You see, like this, I am vulnerable.’

My words came out in a rush. ‘Stay as long as you like.’

I hoped he understood, for it didn’t sound right in my head. Calming down before speaking again, I asked if his other arm would grow at the same time. ‘How long will it take?’

‘A month or so, weather permitting.’

I had to ask if he would be safe from our cat. ‘Should I put some kind of guard around you?’

‘No need, I will be perfectly safe. Merlin will not harm me. Rather, he will keep me company.’

I was shocked to realise that he knew the name of our cat. ‘How did you come to be here?’

‘Let me just say, I am lucky to have escaped an ill wind. I landed here, exhausted, three days ago. I tire now, ladies. I need sleep.’

We both stood to leave.

‘Before you go, there is one more thing I need. If we have no rain for a day or more, I will need a little watering, as it’s the one thing I cannot conjure.’

You will have as much water as you like, I thought.

As we walked away, I heard his thought. I hope she doesn’t drown me, trying to be helpful …

Back inside the house, Jaye put the kettle on to boil. I couldn’t sit. My skin was tingling, tiny darts running up my arm. ‘Did you hear what he said, did you see him wink? He used the word, ‘conjure’. Why would he do that, if he wasn’t a wizard of some kind?’

Jaye waited for me to calm down, as she knew I would. ‘I did see the wink. One thing’s for sure. It isn’t some kind of fungus as I first thought.’

Later that evening, I snuck down to the garden to say goodnight. At first, I thought he had gone. I didn’t know what I had been expecting — for him to be standing there with his eyes closed? Of course, he wasn’t. The top hat that looked so like a mushroom, or Merlin’s wizardy hat, had collapsed. He must be sleeping underneath. I crept away, as quietly as I could, so as not to wake him. I heard his small sleepy voice whisper, ‘Goodnight.’

I answered, without moving my lips.

Our friend stayed for three months. He had warned us not to be sad, should we find him gone. ‘I will try to visit as often as I can. If you cannot see me, you will always hear my voice.’

Sunday morning I found him gone. In his place, a flower grew, one we cannot find in any book or online. It is three inches tall, shaped like a beautiful blue butterfly. A wonderful gift that we keep secret.

I heard his voice in my head, a little water is all he needs …

My heart was broken. I wanted him to stay.

The gift he left never grows old, never fades. I think it will be here long after we are gone …

© Anita Dawes

Image of The Mushroom Man © Ben Phillips

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Hi, my name is Anita and although I am 72, I am by no means a ‘silver surfer’, although not quite as young as the photograph would suggest! I have been writing fiction novels for a while now, but never picked up by the mainstream publishers. They all loved what I wrote, but found it hard to slot them into a category! It came tantalisingly close, but no cigar, as they say.

After going twelve rounds with various mainstream publishers, I realised I would have to try something else. I saved all of the rejection letters, because most of them had very encouraging comments. I even wrote to James Herbert once and he was so kind and supportive, encouraging me to keep going.

Now I am retired and with the help of my sister Jaye, (who has learned to be a ‘surfer’) I decided to dust off some of my manuscripts and try to achieve the impossible.

I am a paper and pencil girl. You could chain me to a computer for years and nothing would happen! Jaye is managing to cope with it, but then she has much more patience than I do. (And she is as stubborn as a mule!)

They say you are never too old to learn, but in my case never is another word for infinity!

I thank God for my family, for I have a second chance to find out if anyone out there likes the kind of books I write.

I love exploring all the wonderful writing possibilities and trying something new. I make all these plans in my head, knowing I am probably wasting my time, but I can’t help it.

For someone who loathes computers with a passion, and I suspect this is mutual, I have managed to master the beast to some extent, but there is still so much I don’t know. As long as there is life in this old body, I will keep on trying, and you never know, our books might just be a little famous one day!

It won’t be for the lack of trying, trust me!

Here’s where you can find me and my books:

Facebook
https://facebook.com/anita.dawes.37

Twitter
https://twitter.com/jaydawes2

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6586480.Anita_Dawes

Author Page
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anita-Dawes/e/B0034NUE10/

Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/anitajayedawes

Bloglovin’
https://www.bloglovin.com/@jayemarie

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