Week 3 saw Literally Stories publish two new, very different authors, Jon Green and Xavier P. Xavier.
In fact, all five stories – Do Eros Sevens Dream Of Jupiter And Mars – The River – Hep C And A Lot Of Codeine – The Elite Agency – Listening In , which featured during Week 3 were unlike any other we have published to date.
Ray had been listening in for some time now. It was fair to say that not much happened. He was paid regularly and managed to make ends meet, sure. Most of the time, that was all he cared about. The days were hardly springing by like joyous animals, but neither were they crawling in the vein of pained snails. Rent got paid, the cupboards got refilled and occasionally he treated himself to a trip to the local cinema. Work was work though, and he turned up daily at nine in his suit and tie, draping his jacket on the hook behind the door, sitting at his computer, and donning his pair of headphones. Continue reading “Listening In by Jon Green”
Week 2 on Literally Stories and no one can say we did not live up to our globe-trotting promise.
Monday witnessed a Welshman, living in South Africa, writing disturbing American based horror.
Tuesday, Swedish funny man Tobias Haglund landed us in Germanville trick-or-treating Nietzche et al.
Wednesday and it was but a short trip to Dover for an Englishman and his Romanian girlfriend.
Thursday saw a return to the USA. More unpleasant goings on in the backwoods with squirrels and…sorry folks, that would be telling.
Friday brought Week 2 to a close with a suspect Russian ‘Product’ which was up for negotiation in an offer you really would want to think twice about.
Hans wandered a street in Eaten-Notthemeatenberg, a small rural city in Germanville, with his sister Gretel. The siblings were about to go trick-or-treating. They came to a house and rang the doorbell. A man, with a prominent mustache, called Friedrich, opened the door.
”Hello, Sir. Trick or treat?”
”What in the name of…”
“God?” Gretel asked suggestively.
“Please… God is dead. We killed him.”
“Did you kill God!? How could you…” Gretel cried out and both of the children ran away from the horrible man.
“No! You have misinterpreted me!” Nietzsche yelled and hoped that no one else would ever do the same. Continue reading “Trick-or-Treating in Germanville by Tobias Haglund”
Final credits. Show’s all but over. One last tune from Ed’s iPod and the crematorium doors widen. I’m going where the sun keeps shining, through the pouring rain. Randall lurches outside, wobbles in a thank-god patch of sunshine. Going where the weather suits my clothes. The family shuffle themselves into a line-up: the deceased’s mother reaching just the shoulder of the deceased’s wife. Ed’s brother next? Very tall and looks a little like him. Ed’s children, the daughter only up to her uncle’s waist. A face she loves interrupts the protocol and the little girl’s smile slashes the dark fabric of today. Ed’s son, adolescent and alone at the end, arms meshed over the outrage in his gut. Here now we see the stiff bar chart of the family, offering some kind of analysis. Continue reading “Post by Jenny Morton Potts”
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