“Oh Brandon!” calls Jake, doing that thing where he emphasises the last part of my name as ‘done’. “You gonna do this again?” I’m breathing hard as I back away through the attic of our house, my step-brother’s voice chasing… Continue Reading
Could I stay ahead of the three giant green spiders chasing me? As I glanced over my shoulder, the grassy landscape disappeared, leaving me in the nondescript administrative area of the cloud. The feed from one of the complex’s cams… Continue Reading
Austin Severs came to with a gasp. He didn’t feel the first lick of pain. What in the high hell? He’d been stabbed. Clean through the heart. By the serrated pincer of a Neptunian warlord that other Austin Severs had… Continue Reading
He was a perfect baby. He never cried. He rarely pooped. He told me everything with his eyes: hunger, lovesickness, cold. His eyes: large grey irises, watery, luminous, like the eyes of the cat my ma had put to sleep… Continue Reading
The view of Earth was breathtaking from the small window port. Brown, blue, green, and white, all swirling together in silent slow motion — the colors standing in lush contrast to the empty black of surrounding space. Thom took a… Continue Reading
“I said it was aliens from space what took her.” Detective Southby looked away as if I had said something really stupid. He stuck his spiral notebook and pen in his coat pocket. The blackened circle of grass centered in… Continue Reading
The gate to anywhere else but here pulses in syncopated rhythm. Male models in kilts and heavy boots stand on either side, enticing passersby. The gate beguiles Trina, whose unease with her life presents as clothing that does not fit,… Continue Reading
As Brian struggles with the condom, there’s a creaking outside the cabin. His hands freeze. He and Natalie lock eyes, their breath smoking. They listen for several seconds — wind scattering leaves across the wraparound porch, branches shivering. Brian slides… Continue Reading
The procedure would begin in three minutes. Edyth had already said her goodbyes — some touching, some tedious — to a throng of family members, old friends, and colleagues in the facility waiting room. The old woman chose to spend… Continue Reading
We are sitting on two iron chairs you pulled from the rubble, watching the dying, honey-coloured flames caress the remains of the smouldering café, the metal at our backs still warm. Dark smoke, filled with the sharp scent of burnt… Continue Reading