Getting out of bed was the thing to do, she knew it, but her body refused to move. The quilt wrapped her in safety and warmth like a mother’s love, shrouding her from the high-contrast world lurking outside. “Morning, love.”… Continue Reading
Rosalind stood meekly on the head teacher’s carpet as she had so often done before. Miss Carver said sternly: “It’s a new term and you’re not in uniform. Your hair is a disgrace and you know make-up is not allowed.… Continue Reading
At dawn, Marv Solson broke the seals on all the shutters and let the light come streaming into his narrow little house. In the old days he’d been a night person, never getting up before noon if he could help… Continue Reading
Hi, this is Jill. Sorry I’m not here to pick up, but leave a message and I’ll get back to ya soon as I can. Bye! beep Hi Jill, my name’s Allen. You don’t know me, but… well… this… Continue Reading
At first she thought it was a spot to be wiped off the sparkling countertop. The tiniest of specks, hardly bigger than the head of a pin but if she left it Danny would notice… oh yes he would. The… Continue Reading
When in the midst of a crowded Madison Avenue, Hannah materialized in front of me, my first reaction was to grin. She looked–if possible–even better than she had years ago, during the mind-blowing six months when she was mine. Her… Continue Reading
“When the eclipse happens, I’m going to run around the car park naked,” says Arnott. I’m still processing this when he performs some kind of dynamic lunge next to the till and emits a deep, rattling fart that sends Lisa… Continue Reading
Sammy rolled over in bed, nudging his wife Fran gently in the back. “Honey, would you get that, tell her I’ll be later than I thought. About 10 this morning.” Fran reached for the phone just as it rang. She… Continue Reading
This day, I cross the Bragoto River to the market, slave to a desire that has been growing in my heart. What beauty! I brush past women, clothed in fine reds and purples and blues like shrimps, and just when… Continue Reading
The last train to anywhere was gone. Outside the night was foul; rain spattered on the windows and ran down the glass in sorry rivulets, leaking through the skylight at a couple of places where glazing putty had cracked and… Continue Reading