As he opened the lid, a billowing cloud of steam burst from the rice cooker. He lowered in a spoon and pushed around the sticky, soggy grains. “Honey, did you make congee?”
“No.” Her voice came from the bedroom.
“How much water did you add?”
“How thin is the ice you’re standing on?”
Afterword
The mission: to write a story of exactly 53 words about a “combination”.
There are some incredible food combinations. Personally, I’m a fan of dark chocolate and raspberries, or an apple and Swiss cheese.
Then there are some contentious ones. Dare I say… pineapple on pizza?
Of course, the use of “combination” extends far beyond food, from combination locks to people feeling a combination of emotions, for example.
But, I kept coming back to food. I wanted something relatable and it needed to be contained.
After a walk, inspiration finally struck and this piece was born.
This flash fiction piece won Press 53’s July 2023 competition, was published online and features in Prime Number Magazine.
Photo attribution: thanks to 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash.