November 2024 Flash Fiction Winner: Utopia

Kaiju
By Ian Arguilles

Everything on my desk is placed with purpose. The length between my keyboard and mousepad. The distance between my pencils and notebook. The area of light the lamp illuminates, to not clash with the light of the monitor. Where others saw a minimal desk. I see a city. My city. Complex and orderly. Full of productivity and efficiency.

A spider terrorised my city today. Spindly hairy legs crept over the metro, clawing at my mouse and tapping at my keyboard. Exploring the colours of my pencils before criticising my screensaver.

“I will not work today. No thank you.” I squealed.

Ian Arguilles (@ianarguilles) is a writer based in Naarm, watching seasons go by with his beautiful wife as their daughter learns to crawl. When he’s not working in hospitality, Ian enjoys telling stories through TTRPGs or short fiction.
@ianarguilles

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.