Flash Fiction! Clean Skin by Russell Smeaton

As a little bonus for all you fans of Russell's work he has kindly given us a piece of flash fiction. Check it out (don't steal - thanks) as well as his Short Sharp Shocks! Apples & Snail Trails.

CLEAN SKIN
By Russell Smeaton
Sarah scrubbed her skin clean religiously every night before hanging it to dry. Without it, she felt naked and filthy, her own skin resembling a new-born mole. She hated being dirty as much as she loved being clean. So she took some night classes, read some books, and perfected the art of skinning and preserving hide. Other peoples skin always seemed so much cleaner.

As you might imagine, wearing someone else’s skin hindered intimacy. Sarah had long since given up on dreams of romance until she met Roger. It was love at first sight, or rather, love at first smell. Roger's skin gave of a scent of good old-fashioned soap, something Sarah could never resist.

Their romance blossomed, until eventually, she brought him back home. Settling him on the couch with a glass of wine, she snuck upstairs to “slip into something more comfortable”. Removing her skin, she gave herself the once over in the mirror, forcing herself to breathe. Satisfied she was as clean as could be, she hesitantly came down the stairs with pounding heart and peered myopically into the front room, naked as a babe.

Later in the bathroom, Sarah smiled as she soaped every inch of Roger's skin. Her fears that he might be repulsed by her had proven ungrounded. Far from it in fact. With a faint smile, he had reached for her. Alas, as he did so, she spotted his dirty nails and that, as they say, was that.
​
“Oh well”, she sighed, “nothing like a new suit” as she finished scrubbing his skin clean.