My child woke from a nightmare the other night, or was it early morning? “What’s the matter, love?’ I asked. “I thought I heard a scratching,” he answered. “And what do you think you could have heard doing this scratching?” I continued. “Maybe a big rat” he answered, “or something else more scary…with sharp claws!”... Continue Reading →
I always check in on my children through the night. I did it constantly, pathologically even, the first time around. I’d been terrified by tales of ‘cot death’ and thought that if I didn’t check in on my newborn every five minutes he might die as a result of my neglect. Once I had my... Continue Reading →
I had my consultation today, with Dr D’Earth. I tried not to take the name as an ill-omen. I sat outside the waiting room, nervously but patiently waiting my turn: twiddling my thumbs. Looking down at my hands thinking ‘how long?’ or was it ‘how much longer?’ He called my name. I steeled myself. I... Continue Reading →
The sky, for the whole of that period in my life was painted the colour of love. Love taints the sky. I cant describe the colour. An infra-red mixed with an ultraviolet; a sunny autumn day in Catalunya; a sunset over Montserrat. Love paints the sky.A colour like no other. Have you ever driven through... Continue Reading →
Today's post was first published by Ken 'Kayen' Rice on his website, but he's kindly offered it up for me to share here at Experiments in Fiction. Ken has had many jobs, of which he's 'quit more than most people have read adds for.' He's been divorced twice, engaged three times and arrested once, and... Continue Reading →
Forget Paris, forget Venice, forget Rome... For me, the most romantic city in the world is Liverpool. Dreams of long-departed emigrants hang in the dockside air; ever expectant; awaiting transportation to the New World. I can almost hear their chatter on the docks. Maybe it's from the many visits to the Maritime Museum as a... Continue Reading →
Do you remember that night, the night we talked? It was a fine and starlit night. Somewhere backstage, a salamander sounded the depths of the night, his mating call a sonar probe, rebounding and marking out the limits of our world. We didn't need a territory greater than this, delineated by his echoing mating call:... Continue Reading →
After so long waiting, I had finally arrived. I had coveted the dustbin for years: stainless steel; easy-clean; antibacterial. Best of all was the footpedal which meant you would never have to touch it, except to take the bag out. This would be contained within an odour-eliminating, sleekly streamlined plastic capsule. The insanitary sanitised once... Continue Reading →
She is coiled, tense like steel, before it was ever forged in the minds of men. She bites her tail, symbolising eternity. For an eternity she has been here waiting, and is waiting, still. She has been here far longer than mankind, and this alone would be reason enough to blame her. Her skin is... Continue Reading →
