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
Tag: 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
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
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
Snow Angels – Pt 1.
As Cormac drew level with the entrance to the psychiatric hospital he slammed on the brake and almost head-butted the steering wheel. He opened the door and stumbled out of the car, smashing his elbow on the edge of the door and landing hard on his knees. ‘Fuck it’ he muttered as he got up … Continue reading Snow Angels – Pt 1.
One Day
I sat in the earth one day. Amongst the roots and the worms, I shook hands with the moles and made friends with the rats. I dug below the crust and drank in the magma, grappled with the iron core and slowed the spin. If your watch runs funny, that’s me. I explored the mountains … Continue reading One Day
Birdsong
Robert Stroud a.k.a The Birdman of Alcatraz - did you ever wonder why he caught that first bird? Why he risked punishment and solitary to breed them? It wasn’t because he was lonely, it wasn’t that he was bored, it was because of the silence. Alcatraz was a dead zone for birds, no scraps, no … Continue reading Birdsong
