Stories by Miles Venison
Harry cleared his throat, then crooned, “We’re caught in a trap… I can’t walk out… Because I love you too much, baby.” He nodded at Mr. McAllister. The old man cleared his throat then sang in a rich, soulful—if slightly gravelly—voice, “Why can’t you see… what you’re doing to me…” Harry watched him with wide... Continue Reading →
Harry snatched the phone from the elderly man and crunched it back into the cradle on the wall. “What are you doing? Who were you talking to? Wait—was that Ronnie?” Mr. McAllister looked confused. He stepped back. “That dirty rotten…” Harry rubbed his face and blinked hard. When he opened his eyes, Mr. McAllister was... Continue Reading →
Back at the club bus, after everyone had enjoyed a rest and eaten the sandwiches Neil had brought, Jerry stood and addressed the group. “Well, that was quite a morning, wasn’t it? That is an experience we will each remember for the rest of our lives. But, as you know, we came here on a... Continue Reading →
Behind Wayne, on a small, square desk, lay a microphone. A short cable attached the microphone to a cheap laptop computer. On the computer screen a program displayed a row of vertical bars and a few animated control knobs. Brendon stepped forward and examined the screen. He turned and looked at Wayne, then at the... Continue Reading →
Discussion unfurled into the night. Options were weighed, risks were assessed. In all things, at all costs, the legacy of Elvis Presley was to be upheld. Around midnight, with all plans agreed upon, the meeting concluded. The entire committee, along with Ewan and Ishani, and minus Ronnie (who was officially removed), would travel first thing... Continue Reading →
Gordon Percival Fletcher folded his hands upon the thick, worn book in his lap and sighed. He looked around the empty room at the back of the library. Three empty chairs in a semicircle in front of him. Three was optimistic. There was a time when he needed to set out as many as... Continue Reading →
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the first I have read of Mark Twain’s work, mainly because of a used car I bought fifteen years ago. I’ll explain. When I was much younger and slightly more naïve than I am now, I went to buy an automobile at a local car yard. The yard was... Continue Reading →
There are many rules when it comes to writing, and different authors favour different rules. Hemingway liked the effect of short sentences, Stephen King is big on ditching adverbs, and then there’s what seems to be Fyodor Dostoevsky’s rule of choice: punch the reader in the conscience. Well, old Fyodor is at it again in... Continue Reading →
Sherlock Holmes is a character that has been loved by readers ever since his introduction back in (check date before publishing). His eccentricity and genius have entertained millions, and have been translated to the stage and screen in many forms, including a recent, award-winning BBC television series starring Bernadette Chamberpot (I know that’s not right—check... Continue Reading →
Anatole leaned forward on the couch and coughed a hearty, phlegmy cough. He grunted at the dusty ray of sunlight that had entered uninvited through the divide in his dingy curtains. A mild hangover squeezed his head. His eyes settled on the coffee table, where from amid the mass of horse racing form guides and... Continue Reading →
In Search of Lost Marbles 