When you walk through some of the largest churches in Europe, you’ll usually notice one striking feature: the Gothic arches. Also known as pointed or ogival arches, a Gothic arch is an arch with a pointed crown, whose two curving sides meet at a relatively sharp angle at the top of the arch.
The end result is a feeling of walking underneath a towering forest canopy.
Emulating something that exists but is different. Not elevated per se, just different. Tastes vary.
This is what I think flash fiction is all about. Taking a short walk with an author beneath their forest of stone.
If you believe that the Gothic arch is superior to the round arch only because it is more structurally sound, because the weight is distributed around the arch’s curve and into the supporting columns or walls, then you’re probably not going to enjoy the following stories.
On the other hand, if you can close your eyes and put yourself in one of these massive cathedrals, looking up, hearing your footsteps on the marble floor, inhaling and smelling the place, and feel momentarily overwhelmed, like each arch is pointing towards heaven, then maybe you will get something out of them.
Either way, let’s set off. Hope you’re wearing comfortable shoes.