Writing to Prompts 31 January 2026

Christian Sarti held space and suggested three prompts at our last session. The first line of each flash fiction short is the prompt.

All prompt writing below is by Sue Hall

The stranger handed me the key to navigate time and the first place I chose to go was to my garden in 2056. I thought 30 years would be enough time for my trees to grow and for me to see who was tending them. 

Landing in spring, 30 years ahead I took my healthy 70 year old body into a place where if I was still alive I would be about to turn 100. The hill I live on has not changed significantly. The house I own is still there, well cared for, and unbelievably I am there sitting on a rock watching my friend Christof tending my forest garden we planted together in 2025. 

He is nearing 70 but he has clearly still been tending and pruning the fruit trees. The red apple we planted is doing well. The almond trees lie heavy with white blossom. The pomegranate is huge maybe 20 feet high. A ladder lies nearby where an adventurous gardener can climb and collect fruit when in season. 

It is weird watching myself, examining the garden. With some courage I make my way to the rock and sit next to my 100 year old self and we hold hands. Neither of us have much to say other than a nodding gratitude for the me that planted and the me that tends the space. Christof laughs and says; “I knew you would always be present but now with two of you we can plant more, weed more and laugh at what the last 30 years has meant. To us who have ignored the drama we have been a balm to the world through creating a garden. Come and see the dragon fruit forest we thought of making. It is now here. Come and see the vegetables you wanted to test out. All is abundant.”

Ends

With my responsible self officially on strike for the day I decided to fly to Finland and watch White Nights. Years ago I sat on a beach in Russia watching the colours in the sky, but I can’t go back there. But I could be on the other side of the border and look at the same sky. I would stay in a cabin with a sauna attached and perhaps venture out naked and try and catch the deep flourescent greens and reds blending with the whiteness of the night. 

We stayed up all night in Russia as it didn’t get dark and I would do that again. We were collaborators on a project back then, all idealistic hippy types, grateful for the sensation of light when there should be dark at 2:00am. A lot of vodka was drunk and we told the world we would change it. 

We changed ourselves. It would be good to catch that energy now and always be on strike. Perhaps I can go there in my mind as snow and ice and the journey was not easy back then and now will, probably be even more of a challenge. It is good to travel through the sky of White Nights in my mind. 

Ends

My physical body has its own voice and today it is asking to stretch, not just my arms and legs but my torso and more importantly my mind. 

The voice is friendly, appreciating any little movement and effort. It attempts encouragement and then raises its voice as I head for the sofa. “No, you don’t need to do that,” it says with a gentle laughing lilt. “Get your yoga mat and lay it flat and switch on your Apple fitness App that you have paid for since last May and pull out the cobwebs for lack of use.” 

“You will feel better,” the voice says as I lay down bending my knees up to my chest. I repeat the effort saying to myself to deafen out the voice. I WILL FEEL BETTER.

The voice quietens into a giggle and then a deeper laugh. “You can do it,” it encourages as I lay on my tummy and then as I attempt to salute the sun with one arm raised the voice says “do it again tomorrow.”