Before the end, Flora liked to dress in boys’ clothes and catch the train to the city, just for the hell of it. She wore trainers for speed, put her hood up, and slouched. She practiced saying ‘yeah’ and ‘nah’, as if she was bored by everything. Sometimes she even painted stubble on her chin using stage makeup.

She only stole small things – lighters, matches, pocket torches, one-size-fits-all gloves. She was a fast runner and never went back to the same shop a second time.

Then, when the end came, she was lucky: Flora was a boy, with items to trade.

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Another Friday Fictioneers 100-word story, inspired by the picture, provided this week by Rochelle herself. Click here to read other people’s or here to join in. And do let me know what you think about mine.

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Click here to find out about my novel, published early next year by Fig Tree / Penguin in the UK, Tin House in the US, House of Anansi in Canada, and various other publishers around the world.