James Montgomery

rec

noun (informal)

a recreation ground

‘It’s dark when we walk, hands clasped, past the rec to our home.’

re–

prefix

again, anew

‘It replays in my mind, endlessly.’

very

adverb

intensifies

‘They surround us suddenly, hateful faces so very close to our own, their breaths hot, words dangerous.’

–er

suffix

draws comparisons

‘They want us smaller quieter lesser.’

cover

noun

protection sought by people in danger

‘We try to cover one another, but a body is not a shield.’

recover

verb

return to a normal state

‘To recover takes time, we’re told.’

over

adverb

finished

‘But it’s never over.’

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This story was shortlisted in the April 2021 Monthly Micro Competition and then won the Best Micro Fiction Prize at the 2021 Retreat West Awards.

About the author: James Montgomery’s stories appear or are forthcoming in Truffle Magazine, Retreat West, FlashFlood Journal, The Hungry Ghost, Ellipsis Zine, and Janus Literary. He won ‘Best Micro’ at the 2021 Retreat West Awards. Find him on Twitter at @JDMontgomery_