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: Tales We Tell
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Realising Mark was gone was like remembering halfway through the morning that you’ve forgotten to brush your teeth. Up until you remember, there’s something niggling at the back of your head, then in a flash you realise. I’ve known Mark on and off since we were four or five years old. At times we’d go … Continue reading No New Posts
Ink Stain
Cleo sat up in bed as the light streamed in through the window. She chewed at the end of the pen as she shuffled against the pillows, trying to get comfortable. As she shuffled, her gaze never left the Sudoku puzzle in front of her. She bit down as she scanned the puzzle, trying to … Continue reading Ink Stain
All Souls Park
As the birds stretched their vocal cords for the first time that day, Mr Bardon left his house and shuffled off to the park holding the small wooden box. The milkman trundled down the road in his electric cart and Mr Bardon tipped his hat to him, as he had done every day for as … Continue reading All Souls Park
Habit
As some of my followers may know, when the pandemic started, I decided to write one story every day for a year. I think I managed about 70 days before the strain of writing a short story every day just became too much, not only did I burn out, but I wasn’t getting anything else … Continue reading Habit
Cracks
Stones and dirt lay underfoot down barren streets. Houses rose askew; crooked angles making me shudder and hold my head till they straightened. Twists and tunnels through endless seas of brick – a murmur up ahead, as faces looked down at me from bedrooms. I waved to me in a doorway, ‘more?’ I asked. I … Continue reading Cracks
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
Hula Girl has been featured in…
The little hula girl danced on the dashboard as the pickup truck bounced down the dirt track. The girls gleaming white smile and green grass dress appealed to John’s sense of whimsy. As … Source: Hula Girl By Stuart Christianson My work has been featured in this wonderful literary magazine! I encourage everyone to have … Continue reading Hula Girl has been featured in…
Shivers
After hunting for her front door keys in her laptop bag for a minute, she gave up and knocked on the door. The first few drops of rain had just started to fall and she turned around while she was waiting to gaze up at the storm clouds that now blanketed the area. Carlos opened … Continue reading Shivers
