Hugh's Views & News  

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

,

Flash Fiction – Leaks

Published by

Hugh W. Roberts

on

March 12, 2024, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about leaving a leak. What (or who) is leaking? How can you use the leak to create tension? Expand the idea of leaks. Go where the prompt leads!

Leaks – by Hugh W. Roberts

‘Janie tried all she could to stop the leak. It was hopeless. 

Should she call for help or hope the leak stopped?

Damn, I never saw this coming, she told herself. If only I’d been better prepared.

After an hour, the leak stopped. However, Janie saw some of her surroundings ruined. If only insurance for mishaps like this had been available.

Standing up, Janie removed her wet trousers, blouse, and shoes before being shocked. The body she’d plunged the knife into twitched.’

Taking her fingers off the keyboard, Janie hoped this best-seller she was writing wouldn’t leak before publication.

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

***

Image of a water pipe bursting and leaking
Image Credit: Charli Mills

Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’

***

32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take readers to the edge of their imagination.

More Glimpses

Available on Amazon

Paperback – £4.99

Kindle – £0.99

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

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Discover more from Hugh’s Views & News  

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

33 responses to “Flash Fiction – Leaks”

  1. avatar
    Anonymous

    I thought it was very clever how you slipped three surprises in there at the end. Well done!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thank you so much. I’m thrilled you enjoyed this piece of flash.

      Reply
  2. Carol anne avatar
    Carol anne

    Exellent story Hugh! Good twist to it! Xo

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thank you Carol anne. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  3. To Leave a Leak Collection | Carrot Ranch Literary Community avatar
    To Leave a Leak Collection | Carrot Ranch Literary Community

    […] Leaks by Hugh W. Roberts […]

    Reply
  4. Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up - March 2024 avatar
    Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up – March 2024

    […] Flash Fiction – Leaks […]

    Reply
  5. Edward Gough avatar
    Edward Gough

    Loved that!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Any reason(s) why you said that? Please leave me some feedback on what it was. It helps so much.

      Reply
      1. Edward Gough avatar
        Edward Gough

        I find it difficult to write under such a limited word count, but you have done so masterfully.

        Didn’t expect the twist ending and just overall this story has stayed with me.

        The first piece of yours I have read, but this has got me interested in more of your work.

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          Thank you so much for the great feedback, Edward. It’s always great to hear that a story has stayed with a reader.

          I enjoy writing flash fiction and only found out about it when I came to the blogging world ten years ago. Since then, I’ve written hundreds of pieces of flash fiction. Thank you for also subscribing to my blog. A very warm welcome awaits you here.

          Reply
  6. Urspo avatar
    Urspo

    Good for you! Clever man!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  7. Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com avatar
    Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com

    Fun! (If we think of a possible murder as fun, that is.) Nice twist.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Murder can be fun when it’s fiction. Glad you enjoyed it, Janis.

      Reply
  8. V.M.Sang avatar
    V.M.Sang

    Love it.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Was there anything in particular that made you say that? I’d love to know as feedback is great.

      Reply
      1. V.M.Sang avatar
        V.M.Sang

        It was the clever twist at the end.

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.

          Reply
  9. Terri Webster Schrandt avatar
    Terri Webster Schrandt

    Nice twist to the leak, Hugh! Sounds like a lot of blood—eww!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      That first leak kept giving, Terri. But it’s the second leak Janie is more concerned about.

      Reply
  10. My Mindfulness Journey Blog avatar
    My Mindfulness Journey Blog

    Nice twist!

    Reply
  11. Author Jan Sikes avatar
    Author Jan Sikes

    Wow! I didn’t see that one coming. Great response to the prompt.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Good to hear. I like my twists to be invisible right to the very end.

      Reply
  12. JT Twissel avatar
    JT Twissel

    Hugh Stephen King Roberts strikes again!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Aww, thanks. That’s a huge compliment.

      Reply
  13. Colleen Chesebro avatar
    Colleen Chesebro

    Fabulous twist, Hugh. I didn’t see that coming!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Good. Just how I like it, Colleen.

      Reply
      1. Colleen Chesebro avatar
        Colleen Chesebro

        Same here. It feels good to create the surprise!

        Reply
  14. Dan Antion avatar
    Dan Antion

    Yikes! I’m always impressed with the scenes you can paint in 99 words, Hugh, Well done.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      High praise, thanks so much, Dan. I do love these 99 word challenges. They certainly help keep my ageing brain ticking over.

      Reply
  15. Brenda avatar
    Brenda

    So many turns and twists. You had me captivated right til the end. Brilliant work Hugh

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      I’m glad you thought so, Brenda. Creating twists and turns are what I like most about my flash fiction.

      Reply
      1. Brenda avatar
        Brenda

        It’s amazing how you can do it so much in such short stories

        Reply

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

Hello,

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

Latest posts

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!

301 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

471,656 hits

254,574 visitors

Most Viewed Posts & Pages Over The Last 24 Hours

You're Not Stuck: The Surprising Power Of Finally Changing Your Blog ThemeYou're Not Stuck: The Surprising Power Of Finally Changing Your Blog ThemeApr 20, 2026Hugh W. Roberts
Meet Hugh - Updated April 2026Meet Hugh – Updated April 2026Aug 12, 2022Hugh W. Roberts
True Stories: Gay Memories - Going To A Gay Bar For The First Time #LGBTQI #LGBTTrue Stories: Gay Memories – Going To A Gay Bar For The First Time #LGBTQI #LGBTJan 17, 2022Hugh W. Roberts
What Kind Of Comments Are The Best To Leave On Blog Posts?What Kind Of Comments Are The Best To Leave On Blog Posts?Sep 4, 2023Hugh W. Roberts
From Box Cameras to iPhone Cameras: Why Photography Plays an Important Part in BloggingFrom Box Cameras to iPhone Cameras: Why Photography Plays an Important Part in BloggingApr 13, 2026Hugh W. Roberts

Copyright Protected Blog


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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.