Tater Jones was an avid angler with a reliable propensity for never catching fish. He did a lot of angling, but ended most days out of bait and no fish. He got his nickname, Tater, from Ben Joe Crewes, the… Continue Reading
If Richard was going to commit suicide—and this time, he really was—he wasn’t about to make some elaborate production of it. He refused to leave behind a situation which needed cleaning up. That meant not hanging himself, not slitting his… Continue Reading
In New Zealand, there’s a candy assortment of gangs. Most often, they ride on motorcycles, deal in narcotics, prostitution, illegal guns and fear. Recruitment’s booming as New Zealand’s underpaid police scarper to Australia, and dysfunctional kids clamber up the criminal… Continue Reading
After our boss quit the senior executives replaced him with a coffee machine. They said that the consultant had delivered his report and that the replacement was appropriate and cost effective. Each morning we gathered around the shiny appliance and… Continue Reading
“Beware of the Ides of March,” Madame Hannah said, picking up the tarot card with its stormy-looking tower. The woman tapped her long black fingernails on the card. Bree wondered how the woman was able to shuffle with nails that… Continue Reading
“We apologise for the bumps, everyone. We’re trying to climb up above it but the turbulence might last a little longer so we’re keeping the seat belts signs on for the moment,” announced the pilot. Beth leant forward, peering out… Continue Reading
When Ella Marie first woke up one morning with a rechargeable desk fan for a head, she found it infuriating that nobody noticed the change. Her husband’s calm, breakfast-in-mouth greeting of “You look lovely as always, dear,” made her want… Continue Reading
The Transylvania Express rocked and rattled through the Romanian darkness. Despite the name, it was a slow train running on Soviet-era rails. Anastasia, a twenty-five-year-old hospice nurse, was returning to her compartment at midnight when she bumped into her great-great-grandfather.… Continue Reading
“Mages and mercenaries, gamblers and guild masters, welcome to the 83rd mayoral debate of this fine city of Aleshire!” The well-dressed and portly announcer’s voice magically reverberated to the edges of the crowd. Arms raised, the three-foot tall man stood… Continue Reading
The dog days of post-college unemployment had to come to an end eventually. Spencer hadn’t cleaned his apartment in weeks so it smelled like sour milk and marijuana. His father arrived in an Armani suit and spent an hour lecturing… Continue Reading