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A Hermit Crab Fiction by Fiona Dignan
What does Marcie Timpson arrive in?
a.) An electric scooter
b.) A pre-booked Uber
c.) A black taxi-cab
d.) A zippered body bag
Before that, what does Lenny Timpson do?
a.) Rants at Marcie’s body, silent and still
b.) Spits on her body just for the thrill
c.) Shoves the broom handle in and says take that my love
d.) All of the above
Before that what does Betty Timpson witness through the crack in the kitchen door?
a.) Her mummy’s nose caved like a mine collapse
b.) Get the fuck out her daddy snaps
c.) Her daddy saying to mummy, now look what you made me do my love
d.) All of the above
Before that, when Marcie and Betty were in the refuge, why did Marcie choose to go back?
a.) Because she hated the idea of Betty and Lenny being estranged
b.) Because Lenny promised he would be the one to change
c.) Because sometimes she even saw the tenderness of bruises as his form of love
d.) All of the above
Before that, why did Marcie choose to leave?
a.) She knew Lenny’s threats to kill her were true
b.) She feared he would begin to hurt Betty too
c.) He’d said, I’ll enjoy slitting your throat my love
d.) All of the above
Before that, why did Marcie choose to stay?
a.) She rationalised it was only now and again
b.) That it would all be better when the baby came
c.) She thought, it’s tricky but all we need is love
d.) All of the above
Before that, what did Lenny say and do?
a.) Question why she was late home from work
b.) Question why she was wearing that slutty skirt
c.) You know I hate it when you pull that fucking face my love
d.) All of the above
Before that, what did Lenny suggest?
a.) That Marcie’s friends were a bad influence
b.) Even her family were a fucking nuisance
c.) We don’t need anyone else my love
d.) All of the above
Before that, what did Lenny say to Marcie?
a.) You are the most gorgeous girl I know
b.) You are my absolute rock, you give me that glow
c.) I’m so glad we met, I think I’m in love
d.) All of the above
Before that, what happened on their first date?
a.) They met in a bar of their town
b.) He insisted he pay for her drink, go sit down
c.) Said you can repay the favour later, my love
d.) All of the above
Before, Marcie met Lenny, what adjectives could be used to describe her?
a.) Dumb
b.) Glum
c.) Unsteady
d.) Completely ordinary
Answers: All ds. Congratulations if you’ve answered correctly and have determined that this is not a love story. Yet it is a story that happens every single day across the world.
Un-fun fact: The latest UN figures show that 137 women across the world are killed every day by a partner or member of their own family – a total of 50,000 women a year murdered.
This story was a finalist in the 2024 West
Author: Fiona Dignan writes short stories, poetry, flash and microfiction. She won The London Society poetry prize (2023), the Plaza Prize for Sudden Fiction (2023) and was a finalist in the London Independent Story Prize (2023). Recently her short story won the 2024 WestWord 1000 Word Photo competition.