Front Page Splash #flashfiction

London, May 1965

All his fears had come true. Had it been worth it? Yes. But here it was splashed all over the front pages of every newspaper.

As a single, 33-year-old, man who had just been elected as a member of parliament, the woman he had slept with had done all the hard work in persuading him to have a sexual relationship with her. He wondered how long it would be before the police came to arrest him.

As he lay back on the bed, he questioned if there was a parallel universe where heterosexuality was not illegal.


Written in response to the 99-word flash fiction challenge with the theme of ‘splash’, hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.

Image Credit: Charli Mills

Click here to join hundreds of other writers who have taken up the challenge.

Note: The Sexual Offences Act 1967 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom (citation 1967 c. 60). It decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men, both of whom had to have attained the age of 21.

Copyright © 2019 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Fediverse reactions

Discover more from Hugh’s Views & News  

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

38 responses to “Front Page Splash #flashfiction”

  1. Norah avatar

    Now there’s a thought, Hugh. I was surprised by the year, though. :)

    1. Hugh's Views and News avatar

      1965 was the year before homosexuality was no longer a crime in the UK, Norah. If the guy in my story had waited another year, maybe he too would not have been arrested for being who he was. I got the idea for this piece of flash fiction from one of my short stories in my latest short story collection.

      1. Norah avatar

        It’s amazing to think it was ever a crime, Hugh. So much has changed in our lifetimes, but there’s still a ways to go.
        However, I think I’m still missing a nuance in your story, but that’s probably just my lack of comprehension ability. Have you simply turned the situation around?

        1. Hugh's Views and News avatar

          Exactly, Norah. The story is set on a parallel Earth where the laws on homosexuality and heterosexuality have been switched. Charli’s 99-word allowance can sometimes be a real challenge, but that’s how it’s supposed to be. I like your comment as it tells me I didn’t quite get over what was happening. I need to tweak a few words to make it known exactly what is going on. If this story goes into my next collection, I’ll have more words to play with.

          1. Norah avatar

            Maybe you did tell it well enough, Hugh. It might just have been my comprehension. I find the 99 words a challenge. It is good to have a few extras to play with. I can see it now that you tell me it’s set in a parallel universe. :)

            1. Hugh's Views and News avatar

              Your feedback is excellent, though, Norah. It tells me that I need to tighten up my words and make more use of them. In fact, I appreciated the feedback you and your judges gave in the competition held at the Carrot Ranch last year. It was precious. I’ll be back to the 99-word challenge when I return from my blogging break.

            2. Norah avatar

              I’m pleased you found it useful, Hugh. I have to tighten up my writing too. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the unnecessary and the missing necessary. Enjoy your blogging break! :)

Feel free to leave a comment. Engagement helps keep blogs alive and forms community.

I’m Hugh

Welcome to my blog. I’m delighted to have you here. This is the place to discover tips on blogging and WordPress, flash fiction, photography, and more. I enjoy engaging with my readers, so please feel free to explore, join discussions, and contact me. I’m happy to assist! Find out more about me and my blog by clicking the ‘Meet Hugh’ button.

Let’s connect

Subscribe to Hugh’s Views And News

Latest Posts

Looking for your next quick read? Try my books

An image of book covers, book, tablet and mobile phone, for the book Glimpses.
An image for the book More Glimpses - showing a book cover, tablet and mobile phone.

Follow Hugh in the Fediverse

Hugh's Views & News  
Hugh's Views & News  
@hughsviewsandnews.com@hughsviewsandnews.com

WordPress & Blogging tips, flash fiction, photography and lots more!

300 posts
6 followers
A widget with the words 'Team Effort - Story Chat Digest - Where Authors Meet - Author'

Recommend Blogs To Follow


Boomer Eco Crusader
Boomer Eco Crusader
Live Green | Declutter | Simplify Life

Jacqueline Lambert
Jacqueline Lambert
Award-Winning Travel Humour Writer

Spo-Reflections
Spo-Reflections
To live is to battle with trolls in the vaults of heart and brain. To write; this is to sit in judgment over one's Self. Henrik Ibsen

Anne R. Allen’s Blog… with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.

Fancying France
The musings of a ‘femme d’un certain âge’ who divides her time between SW France and SE England

SONGS AND SCRIPTS AND DUNKING BISCUITS
Every day tales of a winging-it creative

Marsha Ingrao         Always Write
Marsha Ingrao Always Write
Having fun blogging with friends

Curiosities, Castles and Coffee Shops
Curiosities, Castles and Coffee Shops
The musings of a curious mind

WrookieSchU
WrookieSchU
Live life 🙌🏼

WPcomMaven
WPcomMaven
Helping you make the most of your free WordPress.com website since 2011

Second Wind Leisure Perspectives
Second Wind Leisure Perspectives
Fun, Photography & Friends

Share Your Light
Share Your Light
You are a miracle – Let it happen

No Facilities
No Facilities
Random thoughts, life lessons, hopes and dreams

Esther Chilton
Writer, Tutor and Editor

Roaming About
A Life Less Ordinary

Saying nothing in particular
Saying nothing in particular
Jan … JT Twissel

The Chicago Files
The Chicago Files
A Canadian Perspective on Living in the Windy City!

Thank you to all my visitors

471,541 hits

254,500 visitors

Most Viewed Posts & Pages Over The Last 24 Hours

Copyright Protected Blog

COPYRIGHT ©2011-2031 Hugh’s Views And News BLOG – All Rights Reserved.

This work by Hugh W. Roberts, and/or Hugh’s Views And News blog, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material (text and images) without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. If you want to use posts, excerpts, photos and links, you may contact me first. You must give full and clear credit to Hugh W. Roberts and Hugh’s Views And News dot com with links to the original content.