Sea View – Unicorn Challenge

Copyright Ayr/Gray

The Unicorn Challenge.

A magical new weekly writing opportunity from her – Jenne Gray – and me.
Visit her blog every Friday to see the photo prompt, and post your amazing story in her comments section.
Or on your own blog, and stick the link down in her comments.
The rules are:
Maximum of 250 words.
Based on photo prompt.
That’s it.

To hear me read my story, just click here:

Sea View

The apartment is perfect.
Well, she thinks, just about.
It’s nearly, just not quite, big enough for two people.
They can almost, just not quite, afford it.
It is in the area they want, or more or less pretty much adjacent to it.
And it has a balcony.
Okay, the balcony is tiny, with exactly enough space for one not very comfortable chair.
And, because of la clim – the very large, very ugly air conditioning unit which takes up around 80% of the space – it isn’t exactly relaxing.
The wretched thing makes an appalling racket, clanging and creaking and hissing, every time it chunters into action.
But there is a sea view!
Not a very good sea view, admittedly, not one you can enjoy while you sit not quite seeing the sun because of the massive, Siberian-grey building opposite.
Which is also Siberian chic in its architectural inelegance.
An office block – ha, block, how very apt – towering skywards, full of busy men who drape their jackets over their chair-backs, roll-up their sleeves, and make suggestive faces and provocative gestures to the pretty lady on her balcony.
Ah well, at least it is empty on Sundays.
But the sea view!
If you lean out just a bit, well, quite a lot, there it is.
La Med.
The Mediterranean Sea.
So he leans out, pointing, laughing, excited.
She thinks, then she bends and catches his ankles.
He is, after all, very well insured.
The apartment is perfect.


Unknown's avatar

About ceayr

A Scot who has discovered peace in a small town he calls Medville on the Côte Vermeille, C.E. Ayr has spent a large part of his life in the West of Scotland and a large part elsewhere. His first job was selling programmes at his local football club and he has since tried 73 other career paths, the longest being in IT, with varying degrees of success. He is somewhat nomadic, fairly irresponsible and, according to his darling daughter, a bit random. So, nobody’s perfect.
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29 Responses to Sea View – Unicorn Challenge

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  2. ladysighs's avatar ladysighs says:

    No long critique of your story this week. Just an alternative ending. Returning from la mer a lovely lady had left her rubber raft underneath the balcony of said perfect apt. HE tumbled and bounced into the raft and found a note: ” I have gone to get a bite. If you would like to send me a note look into your comments for my address.”

  3. I enjoyed the diabolical ending to this!

  4. Chris Hall's avatar Chris Hall says:

    Nice one!

  5. Margaret's avatar Margaret says:

    Ah no! An apartment ‘not quite big enough for two’, but perfect for one. And he was so excited about that sea view. You leave us suspended at the end, C.E. 🫣

  6. Sally's avatar Sally says:

    Hahahahaha — this is almost, just not quite, amazing.

    No, I take that back. It’s amazing.

  7. The apartment is perfect – now!

    I can see La Manche if I lean out. Hardly La Med, but it’ll do.

  8. Brillante finale twisteroni, caro.

    La Med …. that glorious sea of love.

  9. I’m wondering if she has administered a club Med?

  10. Sounds like heaven to me, I’d put up with a LOT for a glimpse of The Med in the morning.

  11. jenne49's avatar jenne49 says:

    Wondrous fun with words!

    All the clues there – but spotted in hindsight.

    And the mischievous smile in the reading.

  12. Pingback: Stories – Tales from Glasgow

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