The gallery plant
my 500 word fiction for July 2026
“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.”
— Rumi
==
Shifts, changes, the shifting needs and wants of others.
Encroach, encroach, encroach.
These things are on my mind today.
My mind.
Noticing that.
Noticing that it amounts to noise.
More noise to wash in, wash out.
Like waves at the beach.
In, out.
In it comes.
Out it goes.
I watch.
Watch from above the trees.
It’s calm up here above the trees.
==
This week I have a 500 word fiction in response to this month’s prompts from the Australian Writers’ Centre. Enjoy.
Here are your JULY story challenge prompts:
Your story must take place in a MUSEUM or ART GALLERY.
Your story must include something being spilled.
Your story must include the following words: DREAM, PLANT and REPEAT
==
The gallery plant
Alright, officer.
What do you want to know?
Well, I first raised it with Pinger when were inside together.
In the prison yard.
It went kind of like this:
“You tell me, Rocky,” he said. “What’s better than a bank job?”
“A gallery, knucklehead,” I told him. “A gallery job is better than a bank job.”
“A gallery! You’re a genius,” he said. “We steal a priceless antique and collect the ransom!”
“No, numbskull. Never touch the exhibits,” I said.
“What are you talking about?” he said.
“Never touch the exhibits. They are impossible to sell,” I said.
“So why choose a gallery?”
“Pinger, what kinds of people go to galleries? We rob the clientele.”
“It’s a stick up?” he said.
“It’s a stick-up,” I said.
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” he said. “I’m in.”
And today was to be the day.
The National Gallery of Victoria, St Kilda Road, Melbourne.
I arrived early.
But who do you think was already inside the gallery?
Pinger.
I saw him.
Well before the appointed hour.
Sat across from a beautifully dressed young woman.
As they spoke, they gradually leaned towards one another.
They each held a glass of wine.
Believe me, I know flirting when I see it.
And Pinger and his date were rapidly approaching cloud 9.
Dream state.
What choice did I have?
He was cooked.
I couldn’t take him with me.
His mind was custard.
And I couldn’t do the job alone.
The whole plan relied on contributions from both of us.
So, I wasn’t about to repeat my error from five years ago.
Rely on someone who is unreliable.
I did what any self-respecting career criminal would do.
I went solo.
It might sound harsh, but that is totally fair in my line of work.
You would have done the same.
So, I went for it.
I moved to the display we’d scoped, stood up tall and announced the hold-up.
What’s that?
I might have.
OK, yes, I did wave a gun around.
That gun in the evidence bag, there.
I waved the gun around and I shouted “Everybody be cool! This is a robbery!”
Not original, no.
Tarantino.
It is a great line.
And that was it.
Yeah.
Then you guys walked in.
So, tell me.
How did you know?
It was Pinger, wasn’t it? He spilled the beans, right?
Oh.
She was involved, was she?
Pinger’s flirt.
She was a plant.
Perfect.
You’d tailed him for days.
Tapped his phone.
Of course you had.
But you hadn’t learned the plan.
Until he told her.
He boasted to her about it.
Perfect.
No.
I understand.
Yes.
I like your watch. Where did you get it?
==
I hope you enjoyed that. Sproutings #146.
Spread the word about these wee Sproutings.
Go well. Love to you.
Never rely on someone unreliable.
Indeed!!