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James Montgomery

@jamesmontgomery.bsky.social
1.1K followers 1.1K following 1.9K posts

Flash writer ✍️ | Latest: Crow & Cross Keys, Fictive Dream, FlashFlood, The Bulb Region, 100 Word Story, NFFD Micro Comp ‘26 | 📖 Best Small Fictions ‘25, Wigleaf Top 50 ‘25 | 💫 Welkin People’s Prize ‘25 | He/Him 🌈 www.jamesmontgomerywrites.com

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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
‘After school today, Mikey played his guitar on Hallie’s front porch while a group of us held signs that spelled P-R-O-M-? I was the question mark.’ First flash I’ve read in a few weeks, and wow…! @lathamwithapen.bsky.social in Milk Candy Review 🪩 milkcandyreview.home.blog/2026/08/20/p...
milkcandyreview.home.blog
Prom ~ by Kathleen Latham
All the boys say it’s dumb. We roll our eyes when the girls talk about the Insta account they’ve set up so no one gets the same dress. We smirk at the way they shy away like nervous ponies when we …
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
‘…the swerve of pedestrians around our coats, our bags, my baffled delight.’ Such a deeply human story from Amy Luxton, winner of the Joy Prize in @welkinpress.bsky.social; tinged with a bittersweetness that makes the joy all the more palpable 🏙️ www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Spring, Seven Years Later | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
‘That somehow I’ve been able to break free from that dark-throated bird…’ @sarahillswrites.bsky.social, the north star that you are! Three sentences that speak to so much; winner of the @welkinpress.bsky.social Body Prize 💬 www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Dear Walt Whitman | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
‘She always knew there was a mean girl inside of her.’ Brilliant new 100-word micro from @dawnsteffler.bsky.social in the always-brilliant @100wordstory.bsky.social. Love the combination of that structure with that title… 🧍‍♀️ 100wordstory.org/therapy/
100wordstory.org
Therapy - 100Words
Dawn Tasaka StefflerShe always knew there was a mean girl inside of her.
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
‘Prairie dogs and insects go to ground. Their whistles and clicks muffled by an angry ocean of grass.’ This crackles. @tomljanovic.bsky.social, winner of the Earth Prize at @welkinpress.bsky.social, every single sentence working hard ⚡️ www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Nose Hill Park | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
‘He regretted how, as she lay on her back on the scaffolding, Heaven saw petticoats and pantaloons he did not.’ One of my favourite titles from the shortlisted stories, and this does not disappoint! @kawalker.bsky.social in @welkinpress.bsky.social 👼🏼 www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Behold the Adam and Eve of Huntingfield | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
‘I hesitate in front of a small cube made with cherry wood thinking how she might like living next to Ah Ba on the same shelf at my home…’ Beautiful new CNF from @csquareh.bsky.social in @claudineliterary.bsky.social ❤️ www.claudineliterary.com/christinehchen
claudineliterary.com
Christine H. Chen | And afterwards,
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
‘…it’s like having a skinned knee, fine at first and sore after you notice all the damage.’ So much written between the lines in this wonderful new flash from @sarpsozdinler.bsky.social in @claudineliterary.bsky.social 🌧️ www.claudineliterary.com/sarpsozdinler
claudineliterary.com
Sarp Sozdinler | We Only Rest in the Storm
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
‘…the word may be alien unknown untranslatable and not even a word but a magic spell because I’ve seen these girls smile wipe tears laugh frown all at once…’ Love how this new one from @noranadj.bsky.social in @claudineliterary.bsky.social evolves 🟨 www.claudineliterary.com/noranadjarian
claudineliterary.com
Nora Nadjarian | YOLO
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Laura Besley @laurabesley.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
'Clear your mind. Light the tallow. As your infant mewls from his nest of rags, shrink from his hunger...' Tender & evocative piece by @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social @crowkeys.bsky.social #fiction #historicalfiction #amwriting #writingcommunity #flashfiction crowcrosskeys.com/2026/07/11/h...
crowcrosskeys.com
Hellcat, They Call You—James Montgomery
Clear your mind. Light the tallow. As your infant mewls from his nest of rags, shrink from his hunger; how the skin has tightened to the skull, its frame as slight as a sparrow’s. Continue reading&…
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
‘You remember the oaks. The pines. The spark.’ This, from @karenc.bsky.social in @welkinpress.bsky.social, absolutely tore me to pieces. 🌲 www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
The Boy Wraps His Arms Around You | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
‘You’re [eleven years old]/[forty-five] when you [move]/[return] to your childhood home.’ Oh, this is so good, @thisisguan.bsky.social! One of those structures that you wish you’d thought of. Read it in the @welkinpress.bsky.social 📞 www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
The Oracle of All Wisdom | MattKendrick.co.uk
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Flash Frog @flashfrog.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
🚨There’s still time to haunt us, but our call for ghost stories closes tomorrow night at midnight pst! 👻⏰
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ClodaghO @iamagnat.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Chilling and lyrical. As usual, @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social does not disappoint. Find it in the lovely @crowkeys.bsky.social
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
‘So full of their magnesium-flash cleverness, not-a-one wonders what I see.’ A new marvel from @jmgatford.bsky.social in @welkinpress.bsky.social. I wanted to stay inside every line; that last line, I’m sitting with still. 🌒 www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
First Photograph of the Moon — John William Draper, 1840 | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
‘You’ll need spectacles to read teensy handwriting, and a whimsical letterbox for exchanging notes.’ The sweetest from @cake-girl.bsky.social in @welkinpress.bsky.social, all the way to the quiet heartache of that ending 🧚 www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Detailed instructions on how to attract a fairy visitor to your home | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
‘Great-Uncle Merrick ruled that beach once, a silver cocktail shaker his sceptre, tanned body gleaming.’ Just love how @writesofkathryn.bsky.social captures this character in @welkinpress.bsky.social 🏖️ www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Sundowning | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
‘We drew roses in the dirt, described their petaled velvet and their underside of thorns.’ I mean, it’s all utterly gorgeous, but that last line especially… @sfreligh.bsky.social in @welkinpress.bsky.social 🌼 www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
After the End Was the Beginning | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
👇 🎨 ➕ ⚡️ w/ 🧨 recommendations from @stillsquirrel.bsky.social = 😍
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
‘Kevin,’ I say gently, over a boiled egg. ‘Who is this Annabel, and must you cry out her name during orgasm?’ @sagreene1.bsky.social is good for the soul! Fabulously funny, but I love how it examines relationships too. Today’s @welkinpress.bsky.social micro 🗣️ www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Whenever My Husband Reaches a Sexual Climax, he Shouts ‘Annabel!’ | MattKendrick.co.uk
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
‘From cactus-strewn deserts to the ABC in Wolverhampton, Bill Evans—the last, quiet link in the chain.’ Love how the medium plays such a pivotal role in telling this story. @kateaxeford.bsky.social with the winning flash in @freeflashfiction.bsky.social 🎥 freeflashfiction.com/fiction/comp...
freeflashfiction.com
Competition Thirty-Four Winning Flash Fiction: Reel Lives 1972 - Free Flash Fiction
Alone in his booth, Bill threads and feeds and splices reels, but first he must clean. Meticulously. Just one speck of dirt will scratch and spoil a director’s dream. Today, Bill cleans so guns can bl...
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
‘Honeymoon, a single night in Morecambe. Not what you were expecting. Listening to the sea’s roar, trying to think of England.’ Wonderful storytelling from @alisonwassell.bsky.social in @welkinpress.bsky.social, so much happening between these lines… 🎟️ www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
mattkendrick.co.uk
Having Received His Call-Up Papers, Arthur Jenkins Invites You To The Cinema | MattKendrick.co.uk
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Kate Axeford @kateaxeford.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
‘As your infant mewls from his nest of rags, shrink from his hunger; how the skin has tightened to the skull, its frame as slight as a sparrow’s.’ So many gorgeous lines in this haunting, lyrical piece by @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social And that ending took my breath away!
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
No further for my little entry, but congratulations to everyone that’s made the shortlist! 🎉 Looking forward to reading all these marvellous micros. 🤩
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Another epic @flashficfestuk.bsky.social; my creative cup runneth over! Obligatory book haul pic, featuring @bathflashaward.bsky.social @gilloshaughnessy.bsky.social @debdanthewriter.bsky.social @pleomorphic2.bsky.social, plus @claudineliterary.bsky.social bookmark. 😻 Thank you so much everyone! ❤️‍🔥
A pile of
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
‘…the farthing didn’t drop at first…’ @sagreene1.bsky.social absolutely knocks this one out the park - a must-read in @freeflashfiction.bsky.social! 👟 freeflashfiction.com/fiction/comp...
freeflashfiction.com
Competition Thirty-Four Highly Commended: Pemberley Parkrun – Free Flash Fiction
You won’t believe who I saw at Parkrun today! Emma! From the book? Coincidence or what? We were the only runners in Regency sun-bonnets, so naturally I went over.   ‘Elizabeth Darcy’ I said, bowing.  ...
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
@shelleyr-j.bsky.social it was wonderful to see you this weekend! Sorry we didn’t get chance to say bye. Always love your company and our conversations. ❤️
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
@anneh23.bsky.social, I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to say bye to you yesterday! It was so good to meet you properly. ❤️
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Kathryn Aldridge-Morris @kazbarwrites.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Blown away by this incredible review of Cold Toast from the wonderful @aniking.bsky.social 🤩😍🙏
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
So wish I could be at East Bristol Books tonight for ‘Feminist Flash Fiction’ with @kazbarwrites.bsky.social, @gilloshaughnessy.bsky.social and @patriciaqbidar.bsky.social. I’ll be there in spirit! 💪 The @flashficfestuk.bsky.social weekend is about to begin, eeee…! 🥳
static.klipy.com
Feminist Flex: Arm with Female Symbol
ALT: Feminist Flex: Arm with Female Symbol
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
‘of a fairytale cottage where the walls are washed with watermelon and the floor is caramel crunch’ How did I miss this?! A rich beauty from @mattkendrick.bsky.social in @centaurlit.bsky.social 💭 centaurlit.com/the-man-with...
centaurlit.com
The man with a squatter in his belly dreams by Matt Kendrick | Centaur
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
‘Not our, the, we try to say. Hasn’t she ever taken a grammar lesson with all her doctorly training? Doesn’t she know the political stakes of a possessive?’ Captivating from Ellen Garard in @smokelong.bsky.social 🐇 www.smokelong.com/stories/frui...
smokelong.com
Fruit of Our Body - SmokeLong Quarterly
“Girls,” the doctor says, “we believe that you have consumed something strange.” The doctor wears a long white coat and when she raises her arm to check our vitals, we can see that she wears a pink sh...
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
‘First, she cradled it like a child, then put it between her legs and galloped like a horse, next slung it over her shoulder like a rifle, and she stood at attention, the leg at the ready.’ Surreal and haunting from Marissa McNamara in @fracturedlit.bsky.social 🦵 fracturedlit.com/she-carried-...
fracturedlit.com
She Carried His Leg | Fractured
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Will Musgrove @willmusgrove.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Oops, I submitted again I played with my heart Got lost in the submission guidelines Oh, baby, baby
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Catherine Ogston @catherineogston.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
This made me gasp.
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Pat Foran @pdforan.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
“Decide that, sometimes, your only gift is to lie.” @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social in @crowkeys.bsky.social crowcrosskeys.com/2026/07/11/h...
crowcrosskeys.com
Hellcat, They Call You—James Montgomery
Clear your mind. Light the tallow. As your infant mewls from his nest of rags, shrink from his hunger; how the skin has tightened to the skull, its frame as slight as a sparrow’s. Continue reading&…
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Jenny Wong @jenwithwords.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
“Guide her to the table. Shuffle. Deal. Hush the unlit corner.” Oooh, a dark and quiet tale deftly woven by @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social in @crowkeys.bsky.social
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Jan Kaneen. Northern Writer Granny. PhD student at York St John @jankaneen1.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Lyrical and yet sparse darkness James, what a spellbinding story - loved it.
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
‘We’d promised Tessie—Tessie who was born sick, who might not make it to seven—that she could have her good boy forever.’ Oof, @emilyrinkema.bsky.social. And that title breaks my heart. Read this 100-word blinder in @100wordstory.bsky.social 🐕 100wordstory.org/we-chose-res...
100wordstory.org
We Chose “Resting Pose” Because He Was So Very Tired by the End - 100Words
Emily RinkemaRusty was in no condition to be taxidermied, but it was too late.
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Crow & Cross Keys || SUBS OPEN @crowkeys.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
You reading this post was foretold in the tower's bricks. It didn't tell us when it would happen, only that it would. And here you are. Here we are. Here is today's flash fiction: "Hellcat, They Call You" by @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social crowcrosskeys.com/2026/07/11/h...
A muted greyscale banner for flash fiction, Hellcat, They Call You by James Montgomery published on crowcrosskeys.com, featuring tarot cards, sage and other mystical accoutrements.
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Liz Rosen @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Youch. Such a good one from @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social in @crowkeys.bsky.social crowcrosskeys.com/2026/07/11/h...
crowcrosskeys.com
Hellcat, They Call You—James Montgomery
Clear your mind. Light the tallow. As your infant mewls from his nest of rags, shrink from his hunger; how the skin has tightened to the skull, its frame as slight as a sparrow’s. Continue reading&…
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Suzanne Hicks @suzannehicks.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
“Decide that, sometimes, your only gift is to lie.” @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social in @crowkeys.bsky.social
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
I have a new flash in the gorgeous @crowkeys.bsky.social! 🐦‍⬛ Loved playing around with the imperative voice for this one. @keychild.bsky.social has been a delight to deal with, too. Send them something bejewelled and dark and bewitching. 🖤 crowcrosskeys.com/2026/07/11/h...
crowcrosskeys.com
Hellcat, They Call You—James Montgomery
Clear your mind. Light the tallow. As your infant mewls from his nest of rags, shrink from his hunger; how the skin has tightened to the skull, its frame as slight as a sparrow’s. Continue reading&…
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The Bulb Region @bulbregion.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
This is closing in a few hours, so hurry up! (midnight EST) bulbregion.com/Submissions
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
‘…you tell him you love those ridges, how they keep the cinnamon sugar taste coming, how they have a fascinating mouthfeel.’ Fantastic new flash from @claudiamonpere.bsky.social in Waxwing. Especially love that final paragraph, but I don’t want to spoil it…! 🎹 waxwingmag.org/items/issue3...
waxwingmag.org
The Summers of Deep-Fried Fair Boys | Claudia Monpere
You meet the first one when you win a purple stuffed bunny at the ring toss and give it to his little cousin who is visiting from Georgia, up past bedtime.❡
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
‘And the air’s a soup of seeds and dust and lazy flies flying quick-quick slow, tiny flies, floating on currents or hazes of heat.’ Spoiled for choice over which lines to quote… So good to have a new @jankaneen1.bsky.social story in the world, in WestWord 🌹 westword.substack.com/p/the-slakin...
westword.substack.com
The Slaking of Sorrow
A Flash Fiction by Jan Kaneen
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James Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
👀
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Anika Carpenter @stillsquirrel.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
‘He’s swept away suddenly. After a one-hour car journey became four. After two emergency toilet stops for their three- and six-year-olds, plus one more ...’ Gorgeous bittersweet #flashfiction Kyle as Kite by @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social fictivedream.com/2026/07/03/k...
fictivedream.com
Kyle as Kite
by James Montgomery HE’S SWEPT AWAY SUDDENLY. After a one-hour car journey became four. After two emergency toilet stops for their three- and six-year-olds, plus one more to refuel with bags of gia…
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National Flash Fiction Day @natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
We are thrilled to announce that our new Anthology Editor is Sara Hills @sarahillswrites.bsky.social — you can read more about Sara & read our thanks to our outgoing editor @karjon.bsky.social here: www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/index.php/ne...
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Dawn Tasaka Steffler @dawnsteffler.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
To a day captured in a frame that lives on a sideboard in their living room... This memory, sandwiched between a litany of "before before before", followed by so many "after after afters"... I love the subtle structure of this story. @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social in @fictivedream.bsky.social
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