OUR FLASH FICTION WINNER - ‘HOVERING’ BY DAISY WANNOP
Congratulations to Daisy Wannop!
A huge congratulations to Daisy Wannop, the very first winner of The Writers’ Nest Flash Fiction Competition!
I first began this competition as an invitation for beginner writers to share their creativity and let their stories out the closet. Among all the fantastic entries that I received, Daisy’s truly stood out. It was a story so poetic in prose with a confident voice, one that has shown great potential for future writing endeavours.
Daisy’s writing captured my attention from the very first line and lingered long after the final word. One thing I enjoy about beginner competitions is witnessing the fresh talent emerging in real time. Reading ‘Hovering’ was a reminder of why I began this website, which is to celebrate new voices and the confidence and courage it takes to leap forward and put your words to page and to others.
Now…Enjoy the story below:
Hovering by Daisy Wannop
I hover near your fresh, velvet bloom.
The one I cannot quite claim.
One soft petal of yours, so sun-kissed and blushed with quiet grace. Whispers roam us like a secret hymn only we can hear. The bee, he hums low, claiming loud and persistent. His shadow is vast, stretching over your beauty. His wings are invasive, and it alarms my heart. For you, it beats again as your eyes twinkle in the moon's cast, as time begins to fade.
Yet, you still dance, you laugh, you swish your hair. Though you are barred from your freedom and peace.
Do you dream of my amber wings, brushing gently against your lilac seed? Do you long for my shade, as his fierce sun consumes you?
Love. Oh, it’s a meadow that is too small, too wild for our freedom. It's too tight for our restless hearts to roam freely. Yet, here I hover still, silently pleading for just one touch, one moment with you.
Your laugh breaks the hush of the evening, vivid and unafraid, though it doesn’t echo long, being swallowed by the intoxicated crowd. He dances beside you, clumsy in his boots, lumbering to keep up. God how you move like air, caught only briefly, always out of reach. Your hair is unbound, crimson and replete with ribbons that trail behind you like unforgotten secrets.
The music quickens, you spin faster, your hands reach above you, blood rushing to your plump cheeks.
I’m watching, abiding at the edge of the square, behind a crooked stall, my eyes fixed only on you. Not on the ale that is being spilt, not on the shoes or the steps. Only on you. The preacher's daughter, barefooted and beaming, dancing like she has no hidden sins.
Wow.
Thank you again to all who entered, and if you did not get to enter this time, there is always next time! Who knows? The next winner could be you!
Congratulations again, Daisy! Your story has set a beautiful tone for what’s to come!
What did you think of our winner this month? Let us know through our contact page!
