7 Short Stories About Days of the Week
This week’s stories were about days of the week and included more romance than I’d normally read.
There was a sad Sunday, a clever Monday, a Tuesday affair, a ghostly Wednesday, a Thursday misunderstanding, a Friday women’s march, and a regular Saturday trip.
These are the stories I read this week and what I thought.
** I’m not here to criticise any writer. The fact that these writers have put themselves out there and made these stories available for me to read for free is amazing and I thank you.**
Sunday Blues
Sunday Blues by Phil Manders. Read on the Reedsy Prompts website.
“What’s happened now?” Said Monday, as he dragged a chair out from under the table…“Is it Sunday again! I’m sick of this, she needs to make her mind up. One minute she’s happy, next she’s sad…”
What it’s about: Sunday is unhappy and her therapist suggests she take some time off.
A fantasy story in which the days of the week are personified. Their personalities reflect how people feel about them. Sunday calls a meeting to let the other six days know that she’s going to be taking some time off.
If you can get past the grammatical and formatting errors, the underlying concept is fun.
Monday-child
Monday-child by C S McMullen. Read on the Aurealis website.
Monday was in the kitchen when she heard Mama screaming for her…In her short life, Monday had learnt that the most important thing was never, ever to let a Day come into this world too early or too late.
What it’s about: Monday is one of six children living in isolation and poverty under the control of the scary Ms Alexander.
A fantasy story in which Monday helps to look after her brothers and sisters: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Their mother becomes pregnant with ‘Thursday’, then Sunday gets injured, so Monday becomes the primary hunter for the family. Her understanding of her family’s life changes when she meets a mysterious stranger.
This is such a good story that kept me enthralled until the end. It has a bit of an ambiguous ending, but the reveals were satisfying. Not everything is fully explained, but there’s enough information to make my own conclusions about this world.
This is my pick of the week.
Forever Tuesday
Forever Tuesday by kullok. Read on the shortstories101 website.
Oh, for every day to be a Tuesday. Maybe one day. Maybe one day the scales will tip…She’ll be unaware, until it’s too late, and she’ll fall. But I’ll catch her…
What it’s about: A young love-struck sculptor carves the face of the woman he loves into a cliff-face for a rich old man.
A romance story in which an old man hires a young man to carve Elsa’s face into a cliff-face as a birthday gift to her. The young man has been sleeping with Elsa every Tuesday and he thinks about her as he tries to finish the carving before a monsoon arrives.
For most of the story, I thought the old man was Elsa’s husband, but by the time I got to the end, I think he’s a carer rather than a lover.
The ending was a little unsatisfying to me, but it was an interesting read as I tried to guess what was going to happen.
Wednesday at the Cemetery on Pott Spring Road
Wednesday at the Cemetery on Pott Spring Road by Jeff Elkins. Read on the Short Fiction Break website.
Alex made his way to a family plot of seven graves that contained a small white bench. A crowd had already begun to form. It looked to be about twenty today.
What it’s about: Alex has made a deal with the ghosts of the cemetery — information for information.
A fantasy story in which Alex does things for the ghosts in exchange for them spying on the living. What he does with the information is never explained, but the assumption is he uses it to blackmail people.
The premise of the story is great but there are a few inconsistencies, such as the main character being called Andy a couple of times instead of Alex. With a proper edit, this story would be even better.
Thursday
Thursday by Chris D. Read on the Reedsy Prompts website.
That next week he came to the park alone. He sat under that tree, waiting for that girl. The one that had crashed his proposal, made him rethink his entire future. The one that was running towards him.
What it’s about: Pablo is about to propose to his girlfriend in the park when a stranger runs past and tells him not to do it.
A romance story in which Pablo’s awful girlfriend expects him to propose to her. Despite his doubts, he’s about to do it until a passing runner changes his mind, and his life.
This story had a predictable ending but the romance wasn’t rushed and the story overall was a nice read.
Friday
Friday by Zona Gale. Read on the American Literature website.
“Not a boy,” she was thinking, “born on Thor’s day; but a girl, born on Friday, Freia’s day — the day of the goddess that held the apples of new life. On Friday,” she said, “the new day. The day of something better than strength.”
What it’s about: Hempel rushes home to his pregnant wife and is held up by a women’s march protesting working conditions.
A classic story about a man trying to grasp the difference between men’s lives and women’s lives. Before and after giving birth to their first child, his wife tries to explain that society is changing and that it’s not all about who’s physically stronger than who anymore.
He almost gets it, but real understanding hovers just out of his reach at the end. This story is still as relevant today as it was when it was written in 1914.
A Saturday on the Mainland
A Saturday on the Mainland by Rob McIvor. Read on the Flash Fiction Magazine website.
Tony has taken the 12:30 p.m. boat to the mainland, two return tickets tucked in his wallet, almost every Saturday for the thirty years they’ve known each other.
What it’s about: Tony lives on an island and travels to the mainland every Saturday, following the same routine every week.
A sad story about Tony, who moved to the island when he was twenty-two because he wasn’t ready to make a commitment to a girlfriend. Every Saturday he plays golf with an old school friend and thinks about how his life has turned out. He lives with the hope that this will be the time his second return ticket is used.
This is an easy read about how our choices set our lives and how we sometimes can’t let go of the past.
TL;DR
This week’s short stories about days of the week, in the order that I enjoyed them.
- Monday-child by C S McMullen (Fantasy)
- Wednesday at the Cemetery on Pott Spring Road by Jeff Elkins (Fantasy)
- A Saturday on the Mainland by Rob McIvor (Contemporary)
- Thursday by Chris D (Romance)
- Friday by Zona Gale (Classic)
- Sunday Blues by Phil Manders (Fantasy)
- Forever Tuesday by kullok (Romance)
I’m fascinated by short fiction. I write it and I read it.
As well as reading longer-form fiction, I try to read at least one short story every day. I select out-of-the-way stories and authors I’ve never read and sometimes never heard of.
Sometimes I pick competition entries, often ones that didn’t win. Sometimes I find random personal websites where someone has published their own stories. Sometimes I seek out professionally published stories from hardcopy books or online magazines. Sometimes I look for really old stories that are out of copyright and available online.
