August 2024 Flash Fiction Winner: Music

Billboard Hot 100
By Aaron Agostini

I love pop music. And bubble gum. They’re chewy. And they lose their flavor right away. Just like the gas in your car. You always bought $5 worth at a time, never willing to invest too much. You never learned the lyrics either. Just mumbled along, pretending to understand what I was saying. Now I sit alone, chewing the last piece from the pack you’d bought me. The flavor’s nearly gone. I spit it out the window and watch it bounce away, disappearing into the night, as the music plays on.

Aaron Agostini is a 23-year-old scientist from New Jersey who’s pursuing graduate school in Melbourne. In his free time he also writes!
@who.tf.is.eal

Our monthly Flash Fiction contest is co-hosted with Melbourne writing collective, The Provocative Inklings. This contest is free to enter, and writers of all ages, from anywhere in the world, are invited to submit! Follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date.