Stories by Miles Venison
“New earrings? I don’t know why you keep buying those—it’s not like she’ll wear them.” “That’s not the point.” “At least get second hand ones. She’s not going to notice the difference, and you’d save yourself some money.” “Will you lay off? She put new earrings on the list, so I’m giving her new earrings.”... Continue Reading →
A crowd of reporters swarmed the offices of Barney Whitsunday, who fifteen minutes earlier had resigned as a member of parliament. Barney looked through the shutters of his window (he had, when particularly stressed, the ability to see through solid objects). “Vultures,” he growled. “They all but ignore me through thirty-two years of service, now... Continue Reading →
“Mr Algiers?” “Yes, that’s me.” “Mr Conway will see you now. This way.” Mervin followed the young secretary down the hall toward the conference room. Large framed pictures of former CEOs hung at perfectly spaced intervals along the left side of the hall. Mervin glanced at one and saw his reflection in the glass. The... Continue Reading →
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 →
“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 →
Adam sat upon one of the large, black stones on the hill overlooking the shore. The stone was flat and comfortless, but a good height for sitting, and a spectacular vantage point. He brushed the soles of his bare feet across the fine layer of sand that covered the stone below. Small waves rushed against... Continue Reading →
The Barnesville Racing Carnival was a beloved annual event and had been for the last twenty-three years. It began when young Billy Ferguson rode into town to deliver the news that the war had ended. Sure, it was old news, but who could blame the kid for wanting to celebrate? When Billy died soon after... Continue Reading →
Grover Melbow was a model train enthusiast. He took his hobby seriously, and prided himself on attention to detail. The last seventeen years of his life had been devoted to constructing a model train line around his property—all thirty-two acres of it. The crown jewel of his collection was an N Scale replica of The... Continue Reading →
Soft light dawned in the darkness, awakening brighter into a sizzling panorama of fiery flakes, bursting then descending in swirls of green and blue. The embers carpeted the ground and faded one by one, each giving a final bright wink then disappearing. A whip crack echoed through the evening air, and rumbling hooves shook the... Continue Reading →
In Search of Lost Marbles 