Jonah sat on the barstool, his back ruler straight, and his hands on his lap. On the island in front of him lay an owner’s manual that appeared more encyclopaedia than manual. ‘Jonah, you’ve been with me a while now,’ Mr Roberts began, as he leant on the kitchen island and flicked through the manual. ‘Five … Continue reading Expiration Date
Category: Sci-fi
Gardner’s Friend
Robin sat in the dirt by the shed and gazed down at his rusting arm. His name wasn’t actually Robin, but little Alfie had been so excited when he’d been brought home that they let him name him. The wind picked up and drops of rain started to bounce off his skin, so he curled … Continue reading Gardner’s Friend
Mary’s Rest
Mr Roy Hadley stepped off the train, dropped his bag at his feet and held his arms wide in the air, nearly hitting a commuter in the face. ‘I’m so sorry’ he said, after realising what he’d done. ‘It’s just… look at it’ he said again, this time carefully sweeping just one arm through the … Continue reading Mary’s Rest
Cry Baby
Wind howled around Ryan and the drizzle seeped through the seams of his clothes as he approached the old Victorian shell of a building. Pulling his hood down against the wind, he turned and scanned his surroundings before opening the wrought iron gate and climbing the stairs to the door. After giving a further furtive … Continue reading Cry Baby
Dog Day Afternoon
Jess backed up against the glass door and she gently pushed it open. As she entered the shop, a bell hanging above the door gently tinkled and the man sitting by the work bench towards the back of the shop, looked up. ‘What can I do for you, young lady’, he asked as he put … Continue reading Dog Day Afternoon
Access
The dust mote drifted invisibly through the air, until it fell into the illumination of the ray of sunlight that broke through the clouds and shone through the window. David winced as the sun caught the corner of his eye as he crossed the kitchen to where the sunlight rested on the butcher’s knife. He … Continue reading Access
Meteoric
The ground is shaking with increasing intensity and regularity. I’m confident that before the sun rises my time will be up, my only consolation being the historic nature of my annihilation. It would be amiss for me to tell this story with the implication that Lucas was the originator of the event, however his keen … Continue reading Meteoric
Pulling Down Roots
The Jaguar rolled down the country roads, flowing down them with the elegance a swan. With his hands at ten and two Terrence smiled at the control and mastery the car gave him. ‘Close your eyes, darling’ he said to Sylvia, who was sitting in the passenger seat watching the road ahead and hoping the … Continue reading Pulling Down Roots
Kaleidoscope
Suzie sat down in front of the laptop and placed the coffee in front of her, as a barrier between her and the keyboard. Through the window in front of her, sunlight streamed directly into her eyes, so she reached across the table and yanked the cord that lowered the blinds. After turning on her … Continue reading Kaleidoscope
Early Learning
Leanne and John propped themselves up against a bank of pillows, as morning light streamed in through the windows. John read from a paper, while Leanne rested a tablet against her pregnant belly. ‘Here it is,’ she said, gently nudging him and nodding down to the tablet, ‘we simply have to get one, darling’. John … Continue reading Early Learning
