On Excursion

'Alright, class. Pay attention.' Miss Burke's geography class was on an excursion. The group of boys were at that awkward age, where puberty was changing them. Arm and legs lanky. Faces distorted as bone structure re-shaped from cherubic boyish looks to gangly, pimply hoons. And hormones charged. It was a warm day. Plenty of sun-seekers.…

Morning Walk

Sally is on her morning walk. She's pacing, puffing; her heart rate high, her body alive. As she passes the homes and their gardens she steals a peek. Even stops to smell a rose at a house with a front yard taken straight out of the botanical gardens. 'Morning!' Sally jumps, startled by the voice…

The Mission

'Once the assignment is complete, you will be escorted to the airport, where you will board a jet that will fly you to an as-yet undisclosed location.' Barry, my handler, is serious. Softly-spoken, measured. I am terrified. This is my first real mission and it involves a large serving of femme fatale. Honestly, I don't…

Parcel

On tenterhooks, I wait for the postie to arrive. It's been weeks since I placed the order and I received a delivery notification this morning, stating that my parcel will arrive today. At various times throughout the day, I realise I'm holding my breath. I relax, let it out in a whoosh and take a…

Surprise Party

There's no way she's going to make this right. This is what Jaymie thought as she surveyed the mess. Strange how, not so long ago, Jaymie and Maggie were planning a run-of-the-mill, surprise twenty-fifth wedding anniversary party for their mum and dad. Jaymie was in charge of contacting the wedding party, which took some doing.…