The Session

The flickering candles give off a spooky light in the room. My fingers lightly grasp the fabric of the curtains; I turn to face the hallway and rickety staircase, consider leaving. 'Welcome, dear,' a female voice calls. The curtain slips from my hand and I'm standing in the dimly lit room. My eyes make out…

Safe

My fingers tremble as I reach for the knocker. It's a cat, I notice, which calms me somewhat; my best friend has a similar one at her front door. Must be a good omen, I think, and give it a quick rap. I lean on a post, gasping for breath, checking the road behind me.…

Saskia’s Car

Saskia is slumped on her parents' couch. Evicted from her flat this morning, she's hoping to move in with the olds for a while. Her few possessions are stuffed into two boxes and most of her clothing in a suitcase. The rest is in the back seat of her rusty 1971 HQ Monaro. Her dad…

Marty’s Chance

Marty Barnett approaches the door. Before turning the key in the lock, he pauses, breathes deeply through his nose. He holds it, counts to five, and allows it to whoosh out. Lowers his shoulders and turns the key. Marty blinks in the sunlight and steps into the garden. He feels a frisson of delight as…

A Fleeting Moment

We're now edging towards the end of January and most of the working population are getting ready to head back to work, if not already donning work attire and fronting up every day, like me. Yes, my first week back on deck. It was good---albeit at a plodding pace---a nice slow welcome back. Not many…