September 5, 2022, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the word “swimmingly.” which means “smoothly or satisfactorily.” What is the situation? Who is involved? Let the word take you into a story. Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.


Kate’s Date – by Hugh W. Roberts

Kate couldn’t believe how swimmingly her date with Vera had gone.

They may have both been in their eighties, but sixty years ago, when they first started dating people of the same sex, life was more difficult. You could hold hands without drawing much attention, but a passionate kiss on the lips was a no-go area. Murdering someone was easier.

Looking at Vera’s lifeless body, Kate carefully removed the poisonous lipstick from her lips and took a swig of the antidote to be on the safe side.

Murdering someone was still as swimmingly as it was sixty years ago.

***

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.

***


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.

Available on Amazon

Paperback – £4.99

Kindle – £0.99

Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.

Copyright © 2022 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.


Discover more from Hugh’s Views & News  

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

34 responses to “Flash Fiction Friday – Kate’s Date”

  1. D. Avery @shiftnshake avatar

    Wow, Vera must have really made an impression to still be on the hit list sixty years later.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      I guess some of us have it, D. Or some of us are just prime targets for the kiss of death.

  2. Liz H avatar

    “(Don’t) Kiss Me Kate” would make a great goth Broadway show…and William Shakespeare would heartily approve.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Lol, thank you, Liz. Broadway and Shakespear in the same sentence is excellent.

  3. pedometergeek avatar

    What a gotcha, Hugh! You do know how to do the “twist” don’t you?

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thank you. As a big fan of shows like ‘Twilight Zone’ and ‘Tales Of The Unexpected,’ I love writing twists at the end of stories.

  4. Swimmingly Collection « Carrot Ranch Literary Community avatar
  5. Urspo avatar

    Clever fellow as usual.

  6. dgkaye avatar

    Omg, hilariously ruthless :)

  7. Norah avatar

    Good one, Hugh. Maybe life will be a little more swimmingly from now on.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      I think Kate has been lucky in that life, and murder has gone swimmingly for her for the last sixty years, Norah.

      1. Norah avatar

        Good to hear, Hugh.

  8. Terri Webster Schrandt avatar

    Egads, Hugh, I hope kate is not going on a kissing spree! Well done!

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      I think she’s probably been on a kissing spree for the last sixty years, Terri.

  9. JT Twissel avatar

    Some things change but not poisonous lipstick!

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Be wary of anyone wearing lipstick.

  10. Colleen Chesebro: WordCraftPoetry avatar

    Nice twist, Hugh! The kiss of death with lipstick!

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Yes, be careful when anyone wearing lipstick approaches you, Colleen.

      1. Colleen Chesebro: WordCraftPoetry avatar

        LOL! I haven’t worn lipstick in years! A bit of lip-gloss maybe? 🤣

        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

          I guess that if it can be applied to the lips, it can be used as a murder weapon, Colleen.

          1. Colleen Chesebro: WordCraftPoetry avatar

            It’s a great twist for sure. You come up with great ideas, Hugh!

  11. Brenda avatar

    Agreed, unexpected twist

  12. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar

    Haha. I am snickering…

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      About the deadly lipstick?

      1. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar

        Nope. About your last sentence. “Murdering someone was still as swimmingly as it was sixty years ago.” I think it’s perfect for the story.

        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

          Glad you like it. Thanks, Liesbet.

  13. WebbBlogs avatar

    Well I sure wasn’t expecting that Hugh. Great use of the word 😁😁

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thank you. I’m always happy when readers don’t see the twist coming.

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

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!

402 posts
6 followers

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

469,358 hits

252,769 visitors

Most Viewed Posts & Pages

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.