Short Fiction, Poetry and Classic Book Reviews
Every December when I was young, my family would pack two suitcases into the old station wagon and make the four-hour drive west to spend Christmas with my grandparents. Grandad and Nana lived on a farm. It was small compared to the neighbouring properties, but still big enough for us kids to have some great... Continue Reading →
Frosted slopes, speckled with pines, gathered in gentle descent. Submerged beneath a sea of fog, the valley awoke from centuries of tranquil slumber. A fresh scar cut through the snow, deepening up to the crash site; scattered debris marked the unnatural intrusion. A shotgun blast roared then screamed away like a demon hound escaping the... Continue Reading →
Tim sat glaring at the flimsy tin canister on the table. What a piece of junk. Dinted all over and painted blue, it had the complexion of an acne-scarred Smurf. Somehow that seedy fellow at the garage sale had convinced him to part with six dollars for it. Tim replayed the morning’s exchange in his... Continue Reading →
“Good morning Ma’am.” “…Good morning.” “Oh, don’t be alarmed—I’m not here selling encyclopaedias and I’m not here to talk religion. I work for a company called Finalsleep, and I’d love to find out how our services could benefit you. I’ll just ask you a few quick questions if I may.” “Uh… Okay.” “Fantastic. My name’s... Continue Reading →
Tristan pulled up outside Edna’s house in white horse-drawn carriage. One magnificent steed, as noble and muscularly defined as Michelangelo’s David (though that’s where the anatomical similarities ended), stood harnessed beside a skinny old nag that resembled a smoked duck. The carriage itself was large and elaborately detailed, like the fancy candles Tristan’s neighbour was... Continue Reading →
Gabriel Bernard opened the front door of his shop with the same pride and gratefulness he felt the first time he opened it fourteen years ago. Since that day, his skill had become famous; so too had his Christian faith. Everyone in the community knew that six days a week Gabriel could be found in... Continue Reading →
Miles of sand stretched out before the old man like a haunted path. The distance blurred in a comfortless haze of sea spray and grey clouds. To his left, tall grass rippled in the wind upon the steep hills, and here and there small white flowers swayed atop wispy stems—hundreds of white flowers across the... Continue Reading →
“All right kids, are we all here? One, two, three, four—good. Best behavior when we go inside please. Okay, here we go. All in a line please. Michael, over here with us. Quickly. Watch your step, Tia—there we go. Good job. Dylan, turn around please. Yes, that’s very clever, but we need to go up the... Continue Reading →
Echoing through the empty, Sunday morning main street of a country town, an elderly Honda hatchback engine screamed in speeding pain. In the driver’s seat of the car sat a young man wearing an ill-fitting suit and a worried look, wrenching the gearstick and mashing the clutch in a rushed and clumsy manner that corroborated... Continue Reading →
