Annie set the porcelain cup back on the dish that accompanied it to her table, the print of her lips visible on the slightly chipped rim. It clinked, just above a whisper, competing with the buzz of chatter around her. Cicero’s was always busy this time of day, just after morning rush, full of people … Read more
Trigger warning: Reflection on abortion and unresolved grief. The direct flight was long. I watched the sky pass by as music played in my ears, a playlist that spoke a language only I understood. Each lyric carried me back to moments with him, and sometimes to the emptiness without him. He had always held … Read more
“No wonder someone wants you dead.” The portly, middle-aged man lying at my feet snored into the muddy sand that cushioned his ruddy face when he finally collapsed and lost consciousness after drinking himself into oblivion. An empty bottle of wine rested next to his outstretched hand, and the urge to use it as a … Read more
The gnarled oak stood resolute, its branches splayed like mourning fingers. Underneath, the Grim Reaper stood silent, his tattered cloak devouring the dawn’s frail light. In an outstretched hand he held a scythe, its blade gleaming with a cold, prismatic sheen. From the kitchen window, Frank watched, willing the Reaper to go away. His … Read more
The Incoming Tide. Newcastle was cold that evening in late July. Andrew leant on a railing on the headland at Nobby’s lighthouse, cigarette dangling from his fingers. On one side the sea raged, pounding waves, not even the surfers would brave that break. The other, the Hunter River churned, a restless animal. Dark and … Read more