Unlucky, by Phil Baker.

“Theoretically, there is someone in the world who is the most unlucky person who has ever lived.”

Michelle looked at Zack, confused.

“Then, if you think about it, there is also someone who is the most unlucky person who is living right now”, Zack continued, his voice intense. “And this person could be the same person as the most unlucky person who has ever lived… but the likelihood is that they won’t be as unlucky as that person, because humans have lived for, what, a million years?”

He looked at Michelle.

She looked at her phone; and googled it.

“6 million years for our ancestors, three hundred thousand years for homo sapiens. A few thousand if you’re particularly religious.”

“Right,” Zack said, barely acknowledging her remark. “So, the odds of the current generation of unluckiness being the most unlucky isn’t realistic. But, that doesn’t mean they aren’t exceptionally unlucky, given there are almost eight billion humans on earth.”

He refocused on his wife. “Can you imagine it?”

Michelle said nothing.

“I think I might be in the most unlucky ten percent.”

The sigh was audible. Panic flashed on Zack’s face.

“Just do the washing up, Zack.”

Long-listed for the flash fiction category for 2025’s South Warwickshire Literary Festival.