White light flashed through the window, briefly brightening an otherwise gloomy room. Crack! Boom! Growl! The structure of the house shook at the vibration of the rumbling bellow from the sky. Nick did not flinch. His attention transfixed on his mother, bedridden, under the coverage of 3 thick blankets.      ‘Not long now!’      … Read more

‘How could you be so stupid, Fredrick?’ ‘The Sat Nav told me to turn left.’ ‘And you listened to it. Don’t blame others for your stupidity Fredrick.’ The same conversation had polluted the car with negativity for the last 45 minutes. Fredrick wanted her to stop, but he knew her too well.   ‘Now we are… Read more

Footsteps crunched along the gravelled path towards an old red telephone box. Then they stopped. Hopper hesitated, horrified by the news he had foreseen. He hated his gift. It had haunted him for years. However, this vision rocked him to his core. His stomach churned, his legs heavy as led, and his hands juggled a… Read more

Three spare seats accompanied Peter at the Art table. His first day in a new school. The vacant chairs summed up his first day – Lonely. No one acknowledged his existence during homeroom. Mr. Dinglebuck mispronounced his name in English class, and the canteen had messed up his order. How could someone get a pie… Read more

A bicycle bell chimed in the distance, jolting Jarrad awake. His body wriggled in the sand, as his eyes adjusted to the evolving, crimson rays of the morning light. Nearby was a lake, bordered by a public path, lush parkland, and extravagant housing. Jarrad knew the place, but why was he there?       Something scratched… Read more

‘Really got yourself in a pickle this time.’  Silence. Dan could not believe it. Not again. ‘I thought you were over this obsession?’  Brett shivered. His wet clothes stuck to his skin, and the wound on his leg throbbed. Dan offered Brett his jacket. He declined. ‘Things didn’t go to plan, alright?’ ‘They never do.… Read more

Shorefronts faded from view as a sprinkle of water sprayed from the ocean and onto Marcas’s arm. He didn’t flinch, his mind distracted by two objects – a stamped, unopened envelope flapping around in his left hand, and a pair of shoes tied to the edge of the rail at the stern of the boat. ‘You care for a slice of… Read more

      ‘Brad broke up with me.’       Gemma expected her two friends to overreact. They didn’t disappoint. Domino, Ellie’s cat, jumped across the coffee table and onto Gemma’s lap. His paws wrapped around her left leg and gently massaged her skin.        ‘Crappy excuse no doubt?’ Brenda never held back.        ‘Give you at least… Read more

    Jagged rays of sunlight slip through the cracks in the blinds as a magpie squawks its harmonious melody outside our bedroom window. The challenge begins. I rarely win, mostly due to strong resistance from my challenger. I enjoy the contest. If successful, the fruits of victory are extremely satisfying.        Two ridges lay under… Read more

One person clutches firmly on to the handbrake while the other has their foot planted on the accelerator. Neither gives an inch. The result, is a build-up of wasted energy, channelled in all the wrong directions. Instead of moving forward, you spin around in circles. The result is you end up going, nowhere, backwards, not… Read more