Alexia Oerter’s short story about exam season.
Short Story
‘The Lakehouse’
I wish I could hold this moment forever in my mind. You, in tiny sleeves and trousers with your stuffed bear sat at your side. We’re by the docks at the lakehouse where it smells of pine and stagnant pond. There is rotten wood and earthy moistened soil and there is no sound but the […]
“Brushing”
Her hair runs down her back in a meter of thick, hazel satin. Each morning I’m called over to brush, to share the load. Parting at the middle as we both choose our half, she takes what’s right and I take what’s left, unknotting as we go. At first, I copy her, trying to run […]
Resurrection (Olivia Powell)
When someone sets you on fire, you learn very quickly who your real friends are. From the second the flame touches your skin, there will be those that turn their backs. There will be those that stay to watch you burn but the moment you crumble into ash they will be gone. When someone sets […]
Auld Lang Syne (Neha Shaji)
Somewhere, beneath the gauze of layers wrapped round and round her soul, Clarissa has a steady centre. She doesn’t always know what it is, what it means, only that no matter who she is, it thrums inside of her like a heartbeat. She was not alone in the stifling, fake New Year’s party, where the […]
No Snow Falls Here (Chris Brown)
Up in the high, dry peaks of the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range is where you’d find the world’s most pristine water. But that was long ago, when the rainfall turned into curving streams, when the snowmelt turned into a clear blue lake. Now, no snow falls here, and there is neither a lake, nor […]
The Colour of Oak (James Turner)
The way that the sun rises up over the hills surrounding the lake really is quite beautiful. Red streaks of light explode into the clouds and a thin layer of mist forms just above the water. On windy days, you can watch the reeds rustling close to the pier where they push the boats out […]
Spooky Showcase: I Can Finally See
Everything happened at once after that television interview, which was two days after my seventy-seventh birthday. As I always have before broadcasts, I felt a certain level of unease as I drank with the other guests in the green room. I could hear one of them speaking to me, I even articulated back to him […]
Short Story: The Black Angel
The raven black wings gleamed in the afternoon sun. Two Maleficent horns twisted up from a closely shaved afro. Other than these two accessories, their wearer was completely naked but for a few straps of leather and a pair of lace up stiletto boots Louboutin would have died for. My two girlfriends and I watched […]