Lottie could see she was becoming the unlikeable person to a greater degree, daily. Each time she opened her mouth, she said something vile, and whoever was within earshot seemed to like her a little less. These could be coworkers—these could be people she barely stomached (a compliment, trust me). Even if she didn’t say […]
“Honey, let’s put up the Christmas tree,” I heard Mom say.“Good idea,” smiled Dad. He disappeared into the attic and returned with a box with a picture of a tree on the front. He pulled a small tree from the box. Mom and Dad made it stand in the corner of the lounge. They covered […]
The hive is swarming with activity, every cubicle buzzing. Phones ringing, being answered, voices intermingling across the huge room, above the partitions. A sonorous murmuring meant to sound like efficiency, like productivity. The fluorescent lights overhead flicker, then glare again. The Manager stands in the doorway, smiling. The hum and bustle, the bright lights, the […]
Liam reaches across the table to take Sophie’s hand. “Happy?” he asks. “Happy, scared, excited, worried. I’m a lot of things right now!” “Don’t worry. We have a plan, remember?” Sophie relaxes and smiles. “Yes, and we’re creative, imaginative people!” She repeats their well-worn mantra. “We can do this.” Sometimes she thinks they must be […]
Sophie pulls the last damp sheet from the wicker basket and hangs it over the clothesline, corners squared off, edges free. She smooths the soft cotton, making sure there are no wrinkles. She reaches into the mesh bag, removes two wooden clothespins, and fastens the sheet to the line just as the wind begins to […]
Seasons turned into years, years into decades. Mary-Anne and Zack married, and had a daughter, Niamh. She lived in Australia with her husband, a marine biologist, and two children. They cared about nature too. Though in their seventies, Mary-Anne and Zack still loved to walk in the forest, though cataracts gave Mary-Anne’s vision a misty, […]
“Yes,” cried Mary-Anne and threw herself into Zack’s arms. Jax ran around them in excited circles and nudged in between them. Suddenly he saw it again, the strange, ethereal light emanating from the forest floor. He took off, racing across the forest floor, barking in welcome. Mary-Anne and Zack sprang apart and a smile spread […]
Summer had come to Sherwood and the forest burst with colourful life. The hedgerows filled with blush pink dog roses, swaying scarlet poppies, brambles covered in white blossoms, promising an abundance of fruit in autumn, intertwined by honeysuckle that smelled divine in the early evening air. Zack smiled as he watched Mary-Anne laughing at the […]
On the opening day of testimony, Eva arrived at the courthouse dressed in a white trench coat; it was only buttoned halfway. The undone silvery buttons reflected every ounce of light as she stepped out of the car—underneath was a white pearled silk blouse. This wasn’t what made the papers though. I was one […]
Aretha was confronted by her nemesis, Maximilian, in an all-too-familiar setting. They’d been in the same predicament more times than she cared to recall. ‘Maximilian’s skills have increased,’ Aretha thought as his first shot barely missed. She smiled. ‘Let him think he caught me off guard. He is in for a surprise.‘ She snorted. “Slowly […]
Mary-Anne stood in sunlight, dappled by the branches of an oak tree, the bright green leaves only just breaking through their russet brown buds. She breathed in a lungful of spring air, a gentle smile on her lips. She was putting down some seed for a nest of field mice and examining the new growth […]
Carina swirled her silken scarves of powder blue, mint green, peach and the very palest golden cream. She moved slowly, lazily, as if in conversation with a breeze that whispered sweet nothings in her ears. She crouched low, then gradually, almost imperceptibly, straightened and grew tall, swaying in the imagined wind. When she reached her […]
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