Backstroke by Guy Arnold
Jasper swam past the buoy, which rose above him like a great hollow mine. At first, he could still hear wisps of sound from the shore, surfacing the flat water in secret harmonies, but now there was only sky and silence. He had swum further and deeper than he had ever known.
He carried the letters in the band of his shorts and felt the bundle press awkwardly into his torso. He pictured Clara writing them at her desk, her neck arched forward, her eyes bright with fervour; her prim hand scribing brutal finalities, as though breaking a precious vase to dust.
Now he flipped on his back and strewed the letters across the glassy surface, releasing their monstrous narratives. They held the surface like a flotilla of boats before slowly sinking. Then he treaded beneath the water with puffed cheeks and open eyes, floating in a room of falling letters.
Pages curled like jellyfish in the stillness, before breaking at the weaker folds, and ink, as faint as a blue wraith, seeped into the clear sea.
On the surface, new currents surged, and the line of coloured beach huts seemed a distant toy land. A seal briefly formed an escort, making his heart thump as raw, unscheduled possibilities opened under the endless sky. The whiskered nose passed him by a matter of feet, fronting a foamy Vee, then, curving like a shiny tube, the seal dived, and vanished.
He fixed on the spur of rocks which tumbled into the sea from the shoreline and cut deep strokes towards them through a band of warmer water. The rocks slowly became more faceted while around him, sunlight seemed to dance like a spray of fairies across the low wavetops.
Then he saw Kimberly, a dark smudge of hair and flowing skirts on a lonely watch. Closer now, her arms reached out, and she pulled him onto the smooth flat rock where he lay tingling and salty like new skin. The letters had gone forever, eaten by the vastness of the sea, and Kimberly’s eyes were great lagoons, deep and unfathomable as she held him close.
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Guy Arnold is a writer of short stories, poetry and flash fiction. His work has appeared in anthologies: Termite times edited by Royston Swarbrooke, In the shadows edited by Heather Killingray and more recently in the London independent story prize anthology, 2024. He is inspired by forgotten worlds and lost causes, flawed characters with strong hearts and places where hope is found amid the skeins of life. He lives on the south coast of England in St Leonards on Sea and works in central London running a refugee service. Guyjosepharnold@gmail.com
Photo courtesy of Guy Arnold
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Higy enjoyable read
What a beautifully descriptive and evocative piece of writing conjering imagery and emotion in equal parts
A beautiful piece of flash. Instantly immersive. The reader is taken on a journey which speaks to the heart and human relationships whilst being rooted in the natural environment. I loved the unschedule possibilities that were signalled by a seal popping up, so cleverly intertwined. I’m looking forward to more from this author.
Beautifully discriptive, intantly drew me in and left me wanting more. I want to be where the sunlight dances like a spray of fairies – loved this story, looking forward to reading more of Guy Arnolds brilliant work.
I loved this! Intriguing and moving.
A beautifully written piece with striking, atmospheric imagery. The language feels calm and immersive, drawing the reader into a reflective, almost dreamlike space. I particularly loved the sense of stillness and openness, and the way the natural setting seems to mirror an inner emotional shift. Very evocative and memorable writing.
Guy Arnold’s latest short-story, Backstroke, contains some utterly stunning imagery, loaded with poetic meaning. A taut, salty tale as neat as a closed oyster with a pearl of an image at its heart. Fabulous.
I like that you are emersed in the story from the first sentence and the swim is a personal Journey. The natural setting, the seal, the enormity of the sea set against our human stories make this resonate with me.
A beautifully compact short story. Moving and elegantly written. So much left unsaid in a tender, fragile way. Nature taking centre stage in a lovely reassuring way. Almost a meditation on lightening one’s load. Lovely.
This line is powerful, “her eyes bright with fervour; her prim hand scribing brutal finalities, as though breaking a precious vase to dust.” And the weaker folds breaking, ink dissolving – like healing. I was out there with you!
An exquisite vignette. Arnold offers us a gentle, final and most likely unique means of drawing a line under a failed relationship. The evidence dissolved slowly into the vast ocean, so preferable to shredding. At the end hope of a new beginning awaited him. I was concerned that I had missed an allegory but finally took the article at face value. I found myself floating on that sea. Brilliant Guy. We can’t wait for your next offering.