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Jolley Prize 2013 (Shortlist): 'The Accident' by Kim Mahood

by
October 2013, no. 355

Jolley Prize 2013 (Shortlist): 'The Accident' by Kim Mahood

by
October 2013, no. 355

Later, Katherine seemed to remember a run of light around the box, the way desert air shimmers on the horizon. What she did remember clearly were the two women walking, flat-footed and rolling-hipped, dark limbs like animated hieroglyphs inscribing the space through which they moved, an inflated plastic bag capering at their heels like a family pet. It was one of those ubiquitous white supermarket bags that festooned the low wattle scrub surrounding the community. Simon said they were the deflated skins of white people who had been sucked dry and discarded. The bag bounced and leaped, higher and higher, until it could no longer resist its own euphoric elevation and went on up into the deep of the sky. She watched it until it had blown far out over the cliffs, as if out to sea. When she dropped her eyes, she saw the blue truck from the Twin Lakes community with Adam Sinclair at the wheel, wearing the wide-brimmed black hat that made him look like an extra in a spaghetti western. He swerved to avoid a cluster of children playing in the road, one wheel clipping a discarded cardboard box on the edge of the road.

Comments (4)

  • Thanks Antoine, both options sound painful but I'm willing to suffer for my Art.
    Posted by Rhys Winterburn
    22 October 2013
  • Hi Rhys, I'm glad you liked my story, but I should correct the misapprehension that I've done a creative writing course. I do teach them from time to time however. Maybe you'd like to sign up...
    Posted by Kim
    14 October 2013
  • Yep, Rhys, the creative writing academic judges know what they are looking for. To prepare for next year, perhaps you should enrol in a creative writing program and have a sex-change operation.
    Posted by Antoine
    14 October 2013
  • Sour grapes, as I entered the competition, and said "It should of been me" three women and me a man, Christ they've all done creative writing courses, but swallow my pride give credit where it's due,for me Kim Mahood was a standout, nearly as good as me, the other Australia and honest... well done.
    Posted by Rhys Winterburn
    04 October 2013

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