All Stories, General Fiction, Story of the Week

Elsa by Tobias Haglund

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There’s a temperature – not too warm, not too cold, just right – where I am caught for hours. Thousands of tiny water drops form like islands in an ocean upon the inner wall of the shower stall. Streams run down, connecting the islands and growing bigger to eventually drop to the puddle at my feet. As the water hits my forehead, eyelids and cheeks a comfort settles, knowing no matter how long I stand here, the water won’t stop. Sooner or later all of the thousand islands will be connected and new ones will form. The streams reaching my feet will not stop streaming and the flow will keep wrinkling my hands. I lean left and the shower hits my shoulder creating a waterfall.

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All Stories, Horror

The Whereabouts of Mrs Trisha by W D Frank – Adult Content

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I withhold tears as I peer into the furious blue eyes of my runaway lover. His rugged, masculine body is chained to the behemothian memorial stone of a literary legend, yet his murderous vows continue to escape effortlessly. I murmur wryly as I brush my fingers across his exposed nipples and entertain an intense bombardment of blissful necrophilia fantasies.

“What a waste all of this is… I am breaking off another physical relationship and degrading a historical artifact simultaneously. Where did we go wrong, Ed? Why are you acting like such a monumental tosser!?”

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All Stories, General Fiction

True by Des Kelly

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I wrote poetry for an illiterate. She was pretty. We made bad love in a goodly way. She wanted to live in a doll’s house near nesting swans. Furiously describing anxiety, panic attacks. I saw her through the night, but days went badly. Trauma for effect; the actress at her art. Drinking water from zippy bottles, dropped out the window when used up. The landlord never understood.

“You creeps gotta get out.”

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All Stories, Science Fiction

Lissa’s Flight by Diane M Dickson

DSC_0592Lissa felt old.  Her bones were tired and her soul weary. Mama and Baba had been long gone and she had spent countless years alone in the dark, cramped place where they had all existed.

The three brief occasions when she had gone “up top” were her dearest memories.  In the deep of the night, when the gangs roamed outside the draughty windows and the spotlights from the Enforcer’s wagons slid across the walls, scaring the cockroaches and scorpions, she would close her lids and take her thoughts to the sun-kissed meadow and the startling blue of the sky.

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All Stories, Science Fiction

Lissa’s Moment by Diane M Dickson

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“Lissa, wake up.”

The child opened her eyes, night goggles hid her father’s eyes, mirrored ovals  glowed on his face.  “Come on my love, get up”

“Baba, the siren didn’t sound, we are early.”

“Yes, but it’s time.”

“Michael, she’s frightened, don’t alarm her.”

“Hush woman.”  The tall figure turned to his wife, he reached out, the gesture softening the impact of his words.  “Are you ready?”

“I am.”

“Bring the clothes for Lissa, don’t forget the gloves and the headset.”

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All Stories, Crime/Mystery/Thriller, Story of the Week

The Front Page by David Louden – Adult Content

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The nags were against me. Six races. Six bets. All blown out before the finishing line. I’m going to change bars, I told myself, this place is bad fucking luck for me. Superstition and gambling become more impassioned bed fellows the worse your luck is – and mine, mine hadn’t seen anything to show for it in months.

I sat at the bar in the Front Page cursing my luck, cursing the Racing Post, cursing the barman who had talked through the back page of form listings and most probably caused me to rush to a decision when time and a clear head was required. As the stranger pulled up a seat beside me I cursed him too. Wednesday afternoon, quite possibly the quietest time in a bar’s week and in a room full of empty, cold seats this prick parks up alongside me.

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All Stories, Humour

The Royalists by Tobias Haglund

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The ten leaders of the greatest country on the planet Girth sat in an emergency meeting. Civil unrest plagued the land. Something had to be done.

The oldest and wisest man – they were all men – spoke. His words were weighty. He put the facts on the table in a statesmanlike way. Only a few years ago, he was the supreme leader, but when his charisma faded a new leader, Peter, was elected. The Minister of Commerce, Still Gates, was a powerful man who benefited from small to no change in society.

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All Stories, Romance

Greek Oranges by Diane M Dickson

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Michael peeled an orange for me.  Late summer or more properly early autumn and we had rented a villa in Greece, seven of us all from the same year at uni.  A research trip, nominally, but the sunshine and the pool and the late warmth were a bonus.  Paul didn’t come, he had been seeing practice all summer with a large animal vet near home which resulted in tickets for the races, tickets hard to come by and therefore precious that he didn’t want to waste.

Michael and James arrived later, driving a silly little hired car.  They brought with them laughter and cheap wine.

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All Stories, General Fiction

For The Best by Hugh Cron – Adult content

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Minutes of Meeting dated 05.11.13. 15.30pm

Those Present:

Jane McGuire – Unit Manager

Claire Green – Assistant Unit Manager

Andrew Reid – Nurse In Charge

Peter Welsh – Health Care Assistant

Mandy Fraser – Health Care Assistant

Jean Duncan – Clerical Assistant (Taking Minutes)

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All Stories, Crime/Mystery/Thriller

The Lost Dog by Robert V. Stapleton

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It was a grey April morning in downtown LA. I’d stopped outside my office to relight a stale cigarette butt. A woman was standing on the sidewalk just a few yards away, dressed in a red two-piece, the shade of an irate poinsettia. She was looking at me.

‘You Marlowe?’ she asked.

‘That’s me, lady.’

‘My name’s Marcia Reilly.’

I noticed she was wearing a wedding ring. ‘How can I help you, Mrs Reilly?’

‘Oh, Mr Marlowe,’ she sighed, ‘I’ve lost my little doggie.’

I drew on my cigarette and looked into her anxious face. ‘I’m sorry I can’t help you,’ I told her. ‘I’m a Private Investigator, not a dog-catcher.’

‘But you don’t understand,’ she whined, creasing her face as if she were on the verge of tears. ‘This one’s twenty-two carat gold, with diamond eyes. It’s an antique bracelet-charm worth a thousand dollars.’

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