Tyn Shenton
@tynshenton.bsky.social
A doe-eyed fool, madly in love with words. A love, so far, unrequited.
Nan calls Dad an ingrate bastard, then asks Mum to pass the pepper. "Your lasagne is lovely," she smiles. Dad isn't shocked. None of us are. We don't even stop to laugh anymore. The cruel #soliloquy wasn't said out loud, not as far as Nan knows. We accept it, because we love her. And she, us
#vss365
#vss365
December 8, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Nan calls Dad an ingrate bastard, then asks Mum to pass the pepper. "Your lasagne is lovely," she smiles. Dad isn't shocked. None of us are. We don't even stop to laugh anymore. The cruel #soliloquy wasn't said out loud, not as far as Nan knows. We accept it, because we love her. And she, us
#vss365
#vss365
For a month the sky stalled between daytime and night. It shouldn't be possible, but there it was, a #magenta blanket stretching for as far as anyone could see. It was a good month. We would gather on hills and have picnics, looking up and taking in the beauty. I want those calmer days back.
#vss365
#vss365
December 7, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Anyone else doing this month's #furiousfiction? Do you think they would let us change the tense of the prompt phrase? They're usually fairly lenient, but it does say it has to be those 8 words in the rules this month
December 6, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Anyone else doing this month's #furiousfiction? Do you think they would let us change the tense of the prompt phrase? They're usually fairly lenient, but it does say it has to be those 8 words in the rules this month
They laughed at his #augury. They told him he should be a comic on stage.
He didn’t find doom funny, but he was desperate to get an answer to the grim omen nobody else seemed to see.
He stood in the spotlight.
He took the mic.
He whispered.
"Please, why DID the chicken cross the road?"
#vss365
He didn’t find doom funny, but he was desperate to get an answer to the grim omen nobody else seemed to see.
He stood in the spotlight.
He took the mic.
He whispered.
"Please, why DID the chicken cross the road?"
#vss365
December 6, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I went through school dressed in hand-me-down #chic. Wearing the same shirt in photos as my brother, my cousin and my uncle. Everyone has a story about borrowed clothes, so it's hard to get them to listen. How many of them still have that shirt, just in case, for their own children? I do.
#vss365
#vss365
December 5, 2025 at 10:49 PM
I was desperate for a son, so I planted one in a box. The seed was marbled with purple and gold. I watered him. I fed him. He grew lithe tendrils that tickled my nose as we talked. Then one night, he stretched his petals and showed his #vespertine beauty. The next day, the petals were gone.
#vss365
#vss365
December 4, 2025 at 10:24 AM
I was desperate for a son, so I planted one in a box. The seed was marbled with purple and gold. I watered him. I fed him. He grew lithe tendrils that tickled my nose as we talked. Then one night, he stretched his petals and showed his #vespertine beauty. The next day, the petals were gone.
#vss365
#vss365
The #chivalrous knight came to save the day. The princess said nothing. He put on his armor and waved his huge sword, then he ran at the dragon with a scream.
Later, they picked the meat from their teeth as they cooked the carcass over an open fire. One which the dragon was happy to provide
#vss365
Later, they picked the meat from their teeth as they cooked the carcass over an open fire. One which the dragon was happy to provide
#vss365
December 3, 2025 at 8:31 PM
The #chivalrous knight came to save the day. The princess said nothing. He put on his armor and waved his huge sword, then he ran at the dragon with a scream.
Later, they picked the meat from their teeth as they cooked the carcass over an open fire. One which the dragon was happy to provide
#vss365
Later, they picked the meat from their teeth as they cooked the carcass over an open fire. One which the dragon was happy to provide
#vss365
I came 7th overall in my group for #twistedtournament, a multi round flash fiction competition. I'm pretty chuffed with that :)
December 3, 2025 at 12:31 AM
I came 7th overall in my group for #twistedtournament, a multi round flash fiction competition. I'm pretty chuffed with that :)
He jumped into his ocean and never came back, swallowed by the #aphotic expanse. We tried to send help, of course. First it was chocolates, or hugs. Pills just dissolved in the water. Later we dragged him back up to go for walks, but he was always still below. Now he's just floating shadow.
#vss365
#vss365
December 2, 2025 at 1:19 PM
I went for a walk in the forest. Mr Otter greeted me by the stream. He looked very #suave in his moss green jacket and tan leather hat. He offered me scones, jam and cream. I thought it rather odd as I wiped crumbs from his moustache. I wondered, was it wise to have drank that mushroom tea?
#vss365
#vss365
December 1, 2025 at 1:11 PM
The #last of the giants is tired. He has seen so much, yet it feels so quick. He sits on the crumbling edge of time, warming his hands against the last star in the sky. Its dull red glow barely lighting his face. When it goes out, he smiles. It was fun for a while, and now it's time to sleep
#vss365
#vss365
November 30, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The giants held a meeting, the humans were #matters of concern. They huddled round and talked it through, their heads covered in snow and their toes dotted with trees. When they were done the little people had spread far. Their screams echoed when the mountains stood up to reclaim their home
#vss365
#vss365
November 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Imagine being alive at the perfect point in time where, thanks to science, sanitation, vaccines, and a better understanding of our body chemistry than the world has ever known, a few idiots still waste this gift of #health by swallowing the lies of conspiracy theorists just to feel superior
#vss365
#vss365
November 28, 2025 at 12:32 PM
We voted against #learning. It seemed like a waste of time. How can you trust what 'experts' say, anyway? They're probably just lying to you because of their agenda... the nice man with the smile and suit made it all very clear - the powerful people are manipulating us! Thank god we have him
#vss365
#vss365
November 27, 2025 at 12:48 PM
There is a giant in the ocean. He swings his arms in an ancient dance, guiding the tides. His back aches. He is tired. But somewhere up above, a child sits on the edge of a jetty and dips her toes into the water. She giggles as the ripples break her #reflection. So the giant pushes some more
#vss365
#vss365
November 26, 2025 at 12:42 PM
There is a giant in the ocean. He swings his arms in an ancient dance, guiding the tides. His back aches. He is tired. But somewhere up above, a child sits on the edge of a jetty and dips her toes into the water. She giggles as the ripples break her #reflection. So the giant pushes some more
#vss365
#vss365
I #timed the gap between your letters. At first they landed on the mat like a metronome, tapping out a rhythm that showed you still cared. 1 day. 1 day. 1 day. It felt like a heartbeat. Now I count the gap in seconds. Fifty four million since the last. It helps me see you're not coming back.
#vss365
#vss365
November 25, 2025 at 12:54 PM
When did you stop being young? For me, it was 40. I became one step disconnected from how 'now' works and that's fine. The youth watching videos at 1.5x speed. Using cringe as a noun. Being judge, jury and executioner of #relevant with a swipe after three seconds. It all makes my knees hurt.
#vss365
#vss365
November 24, 2025 at 12:49 PM
I wanted to touch the sky, but they told me it wasn't #achievable. I put chairs on tables and ladders on bricks and when it started to wobble, I glued it at the seams. The cold bit my nose the higher I went. I didn't quite manage to get to the blue. That's okay. The stars look great up here.
#vss365
#vss365
November 23, 2025 at 1:09 PM
I wanted to touch the sky, but they told me it wasn't #achievable. I put chairs on tables and ladders on bricks and when it started to wobble, I glued it at the seams. The cold bit my nose the higher I went. I didn't quite manage to get to the blue. That's okay. The stars look great up here.
#vss365
#vss365
They found it. It took half the world's scientific endeavour, but they found it. The last #measurable fragment of human rationality on the planet. It was in a child in the Andes, who stopped crying after receiving their milk. And then it was gone. Welcome to the rest of your life little one.
#vss365
#vss365
November 22, 2025 at 3:06 PM
They found it. It took half the world's scientific endeavour, but they found it. The last #measurable fragment of human rationality on the planet. It was in a child in the Andes, who stopped crying after receiving their milk. And then it was gone. Welcome to the rest of your life little one.
#vss365
#vss365
I want to eat ice cream, but I cannot find the right spoon. The one with just the right curve to get the right amount of ice cream. They say I've got a weirdly #specific set of requirements. I'm not sure why. Everything I've said is right. It is the right spoon. And I'm upset it's not here.
#vss365
#vss365
November 21, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Dad used to say #action speaks louder than words. It was a bold line of attack for a man who had the imprint of his arse permanently pressed into the cushions of his chair. I learned more from that than from any of the words screamed into my face. Maybe he was right about something afterall?
#vss365
#vss365
November 20, 2025 at 5:25 PM
He made a machine with buttons for all available #options. It was an array of tiny flip switches and flashing lights, all the way to the moon. He read the manual. He checked it twice. He flipped the red one on the row just left of Arizona and waited. Then read the manual again, just in case.
#vss365
#vss365
November 19, 2025 at 12:41 PM
I went for a ride on their #reality. Who knew it could be so different to my own? There were scary beasts and a world crumbling away at the edges. No music or grass smiles to be seen. When I popped back to myself, I tried to give them a hug, but they called me a monster and ran off in fright
#vss365
#vss365
November 18, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Back in school, Pete scored a #goal in footie. He stripped to his pants, rolled in the mud and did laps round the cabin were Y7 were learning a² + b² = c². He got detention for a month. Sometimes, when I'm clicking my mouse at work, I think of Pete. I hope he's still out there, scoring goals
#vss365
#vss365
November 17, 2025 at 5:24 PM
We made things so safe. On the first day of school, we #issue each student a handgun. By last bell, all the bad ones are dead. And if one of the bad ones misuses theirs, we all have good guns to shoot good bullets right in their face. It's the perfect system. Only a bad person would disagree
#vss365
#vss365
November 16, 2025 at 8:22 PM