Journeymouse

Elaine tried to surreptitiously tighten her coat around herself and her rumbling stomach as she waited at the door. The first sprinkling of snow had settled against the base of the house walls. Snow in October. She shook her head. What had happened to the global warming? Had it faded somehow between now and her …

A front step creaked. “Hello?” She blinked at the old, barely there voice that quavered from her lips and rubbed at eyes that couldn’t see. She wished Mummy and Daddy hadn’t gone away and left her. “Hello?” she called again. Another creak. Then another. The rhythm, the tone – the weight and stride – seemed …

A target acquired, the wings folded back and the body aligned for the dive. She felt the wind through feathers as if they were really a part of her. She felt the frustration when the target shifted and she knew the attack would miss even before the dive was near. She felt the strain on …

Devvon walked through the archway and stopped, holding the heavy wooden door open with her body. She had to stop because what she saw on the other side of it was too much and too other to take in. She knew there must be words to describe it but she didn’t have them. Those words …

The night-watchman pauses and curses at shadows that flicker in the gas light – each causing him to use his torch. The sound of metal scraping on metal jars when he opens the flap to cast light and it only reveals the wastes thrown from the houses as the rats scatter away from the noise. …

“Pregnant!” It isn’t so much a question as a squeak of terror. She can’t be pregnant. There’s no way she- The screen overlay on the bathroom mirror flickers and the voice of the diagnostic program – soothing, motherly and hand-picked years ago for those qualities – says, “The blood test confirms it.” She jerks her …

Three days of my life gone, once a month. Well, once every twenty nine point five days, being tied to lunar cycles and all that. I know when the full moon is, when to expect it, so I usually manage to book time off or make sure that I’ve left nothing important half-done for when …

“Once upon a time, a boy and his dog lived in a country a great way off. In those days, there were scientists and engineers. Now this boy and dog were the best of friends and they shared a great many adventures.” A sob catches the man’s voice and he stops, unable to continue. He …

“The last piece of annirwood,” said Rann, his voice soft and reverent. The other craftsmen murmured their own respect as he and they all sat cross-legged on the floor of the great, shared workshop. But Halvik’s response was a terse “So I understand”, given as he quickly put the matt black length of wood away …

I woke when they came in from their party – about five in the morning, I think. Same as every other Friday night / Saturday morning wake-up call. But I’ve never complained. I don’t suppose I can. They’re nice enough neighbours, otherwise: quiet, keep to themselves, say “hello” and smile when I see them. But …

Johnny met Frankie in the old library. They reached for the same paper-based book, their fingers touched, their eyes met and the rest, as they say, was history. The courtship was slow and sedate, matching their retired status and the old fashioned nature of their meeting. Johnny was frustrated by the gentle conversation as they …

She basked in the warm comfort of her bed, the duvet pulled around her. The smell of fresh coffee rose from the kitchen, where her mother pottered through the morning routine. With eyes held tightly shut, she held on to the illusion of night and sleep, ignoring the scent tickling her nose and the warm …

Amy almost ran over the slumped form with the pram before she saw it. She stopped with a jerk then apologised to Janey and Snowdrop out of habit. The dog simply looked up at her, offence written all over her aristocratic, Westie face, while Janey pointed and asked, “S’that?” “A person, Janey,” said Amy, while …

It’s only a short walk – fifteen minutes – from my flat to the station, so I thought I’d walk fast, you know? I should have known better. Do you know how hard it is to walk fast through a town centre? Do you have any idea of the distractions? The worst thing has got …

He poured himself a whiskey as the St James Infirmary Blues started and let the thick, heady scent of the spirit fill him. Upstairs, his wife and son waited. He had the sound low so that they would not be disturbed by his music, just as he did every time he played this cd. Emma …