Have you ever noticed that when we talk about grief, people will mention the ocean? If you listen carefully, especially when the mourner is reeling, that expansive body of water is practically guaranteed to get a mention. It usually goes something like this: The bereaved will start by describing an idyllic scene. They’ll be standingContinue reading “Grief is not an ocean”
Category Archives: Single stories
Eclipsed by the Moon
I had to move to the country to make friends with the Moon. For months, I’d been getting only a glimpse of her, peering shyly through the crowd of tall shadowing buildings that made up my concrete neighbourhood, and it was driving me crazy. Each night I would stand at my window, peeking out fromContinue reading “Eclipsed by the Moon”
Taking the lead
The phone rings at twenty minutes past eight in the morning. It’s a call I’ve been expecting but one I didn’t want to get. With a trembling hand, I pick up the receiver and hold it to my ear. My brother’s voice, strained and subdued, crackles down the line. “It’s Dad,” he says, “I knowContinue reading “Taking the lead”
The stone in my pocket
You know the stone I carry around in my pocket? The one that looks like any old boring piece of rock? Small, smooth and round, it sits comfortably in the palm of my hand; weighing just as much as a stone should weigh. It’s unremarkable, grey, and there’s nothing about it that would make youContinue reading “The stone in my pocket”
A bad day at the office
The monotony is loathsome. I slather it on my dry toast each morning and swallow it down with a wash of bitter coffee. I’m down to rationing one measly teaspoon of sugar per cup and it doesn’t make the morning any sweeter. I don’t even really know what day of the week it is butContinue reading “A bad day at the office”
A night to remember
I noticed her the minute she walked through the dance hall door. She was wearing a white dress with matching high heel shoes and light pink lipstick. Her soft brown hair was cut short and it curled just below her jewel studded ears. A string of pearls hung around her neck, shining softly under theContinue reading “A night to remember”
The red balloon
A scarlet Toyota Corolla speeds down the road towards the small town of Methven. Elliot fidgets in the front seat; they don’t want to be late. Clutched in his hand is a red envelope with a small balloon stamped on the back. Ruby glances at the GPS and drums her fingers rhythmically on the steeringContinue reading “The red balloon”
Ditzy Delilah
Delilah is usually described as a “funny one”. She’s always trying to make others laugh or crack a joke – even if it’s at her own expense. She just doesn’t take herself seriously, and she’s kind of a klutz. Fumbling and bumbling about all day. It’s like her arms and legs have minds of theirContinue reading “Ditzy Delilah”
The metal box
Most days, I step outside and up into a long metal box that hums. Once inside, I find myself a place to sit quietly for the next half hour. The metal box continuously stops and starts, each time adding more people. Most sit but some stand. No one speaks. Someone will sit down next toContinue reading “The metal box”
Finding Memory Lane
Mr. Tomlinson is a man who spends too much time on Memory Lane. That’s what Mum says anyway. But I’ve been watching him for weeks now and I swear he never leaves the house. He sits in his living room most days, in an old armchair, surrounded by dusty books and faded drapes. He sitsContinue reading “Finding Memory Lane”
Backyard tales 