The home-delivered lunch attracts flies, their buzz mingling with meaningless TV chatter, the remote beyond the reach of stiffened limbs. She smiles from the photo, her satin shoes skimming the floor, dizzy with love. It’s been nine years since they danced. The clock chimes. Another three hours until supper arrives.

Lesley Bungay grew up in the North-East and now lives in Hampshire. She writes short fiction as an antidote to querying her debut novel. Her words are published in ‘Time’ HG Wells anthology, The Rabbit Hole 5, and online with Wensum Lit, Paragraph Planet and 101 Words. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram at @LesleyjayneB.