March 21, 2022, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story to reflect the theme, “ready for a change.” Who is ready and why? How does the change unfold? What happened to initiate the change? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for more details.
The Other Side Of Change – by Hugh W. Roberts
Having looked after her sick mother for the last fifty years, Shanaya looked forward to the change in life she’d often craved.
Caring for her mother had taken its toll on her. She’d missed out on making friends, having somebody she could call her lover, but most of all, having the company of different people.
Standing up, Shanaya looked change directly in the eyes and waited for it to reveal itself.
“You have been charged with the first-degree murder of Evonne Simmons, your mother. I sentence you to life imprisonment, Ms Simmons. Take the prisoner down,” declared the judge.
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Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
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Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love Glimpses

Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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Oh my! THAT was a twist. Delightful!
Hope she looks good in an orange jumpsuit…
Thank you. I wonder if people in prison worry about how they look? I’m guessing not, but who knows?
Well, maybe she will make friends in jail. It’ll certainly be a change!
I’m sure she will unless she is placed in solitary confinement.
She’d better behave then, eh? 😉
How was I surprised by this ending Hugh? 😳 😄 I should know you by now.
I’m glad it got you, Gloria.
Hugh …..I am shocked 💜💜
Not too much, I hope, Willow.
Lol no , 😉😁😁😁😁
Question, Hugh..how do you get your Twitter widget to look like yours? I like it!
Hi Terri, if you’re referring to the Twitter button in the main body of the post, when creating the Social Media Icons from the Social Icons widget, there’s an option (under ‘Styles’) for ‘Pill Shape.’ That’s the one I use. You’ll find it under the settings options for the Social Icons block. However, if you’re referring to the Twitter widget in the sidebar, it too has several options you can choose for how the widget looks. Does that help? Feel free to ask more questions.
Thanks, Hugh, yes, it is for the sidebar widget area. I’ll play around more this afternoon.
That widget has a few options, Terri. But let me know if you still can’t get it looking like my Twitter widget.
Will do! Many thanks!
Now I have another question (it could be theme related). I’ve noticed in other bloggers’ comment sections that some pingbacks leave a nice box rather than just the URL. I didn’t know if that was a setting on the host blog or something the commenter has set up in theirs. In any case, it really looks nice. Perhaps a future investigation for you, Hugh 🙂
I’ve had a look at the pingbacks in the comments section of my posts, and they’re just links, Terri. However, I have seen some links that look like they are in boxes and all neat and tidy. I see them on the Carrot Ranch blog where I do my 99-word flash fiction challenge, but these tend to be links somebody has copied and pasted into the comments section rather than using a pingback. If you’ve any examples, I’d be happy to check them out and see what I can find out.
It may be a cut and paste, Hugh. If you get the time, check out the comments section of today’s SS post. Scroll for Natalie’s comment, it’s in the box. Thanks!
Hi Terri, now I see what you mean.
I tested it out on one of my posts. What she has done is click the kebab menu next to the post she wanted to share (from the page that includes all her posts), and clicked ‘Copy link’ in the menu that appears when clicking the kebab menu. She has then pasted the link in the comment she left you. I wrote a post about the kebab menu some time ago.
I hope that helps?
Ooohhh! how cool, Hugh! I remember your post, thanks for sharing it again. I will try that, I just like how it looks for some reason! You’re a genius!
Aw, that’s sad, Hugh. That’s not quite the change she had in mind, I’m betting. Well done!
Thank you. She was hoping to have gotten away with the murder, Terri. She had a 50/50 chance of that happening. Imagine how different the change she craved would have then been.
OMG! That’s so mean. Great twist, though 🙂
Thanks, Aimer. Change could have gone either way for her. Unfortunately, it landed on the wrong side.
Desperation leads us to do strange things
It does. And she had a 50/50 chance with what she did to change her life.
In real life this happens and it’s very unfortunate
Hmm, that went in a different direction than she hoped…
Had she gotten away with it, life would have been so different. But I expect she’d have been forever looking over her shoulder.
Hmm… that is what a good author achieves: activating the fantasy of the readers. You always get there, Hugh.
Thank you, Erika.
Change comes in many forms. Good one, Hugh.
It does, but perhaps not always how we want it to come. Thanks, Darlene.