The Aptitude Test

The Aptitude Test

I thought I was just applying for a job. By the time I realised what strings were attached, it was too late. Most people hate their jobs. Most people don’t dream about being a corporate desk jockey. The 9-5 grind can wear anyone down. After five years watching...
Orpheus

Orpheus

Aside from its red bricked facade, Queen Charlotte hospital wasn’t all that different from any other military treatment facility. Years of foot traffic and various spills had discoloured the linoleum flooring. A strong antiseptic smell wafted through the wards...
Sleepless

Sleepless

Author note: This is fanfiction for Doctor Sleep – yes, I fully admit to writing fanfic from time to time when it strikes me! A grasp of Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep (film adapation or book) is probably important for understanding this story in context....
Guileless

Guileless

Lunch arrived, set down with much anticipation on the brand-new table. A large bowl of steamed rice sat at the centre of the assortment, surrounded by numerous colourful side dishes. A plate of cellophane noodles, fried with tofu and vegetables, sat beside a fragrant...
Tupua

Tupua

Some years ago, never mind how many exactly, my Grandmother and I took two planes and a boat back to Niue, the island of her birth. It was a particularly humid February that year we returned, and Avatele, the village in which she had spent a by-all-accounts blissful...
Marie’s Painting

Marie’s Painting

Warning! Warning! Heavy use of strong language in this story. The summer heat had invaded the school, yellowing the grass of the sportsfield, stifling the air in the corridors and setting up camp in the classrooms. The air conditioning had been defeated, banished to...