Story Issues

'What's for dinner?' asked Marty. Sienna's shoulders rose, just a fraction. How she loathed this question, particularly when it was only four in the afternoon. But Marty was home from a physical day. Bricklaying was tough work, she understood that. 'Coconut fish curry. Served on jasmine rice.' 'Sounds great.' Marty walked to the desk where…

Making Jam

'The wheels are already in motion,' Scotty said, moving his hands around each other to emphasise his point. Cindy was stirring a pot on the stove. The plum tree was heavy with fruit, the best yield in years. She'd been outside, up a ladder with a bucket early that morning, picking those at the top…

Revenge

Anna-Maria sits across from Jim and watches him surreptitiously. He's reading the newspaper, old-school, a broadsheet. Sips his coffee, his scrambled eggs congealed in a lump on his plate. Is he happy? She's not. Any memory of happiness for her is a blur. She can't even remember what laughter sounds like. But Jim? She's never…

Cleansing Routine

"Sherry, use the cleanser!' God, Mum is so annoying. She's in her room, but somehow still knows what I'm doing in the main bathroom. 'Mum, leave me alone.' I hear her mumbling something about wearing makeup. She's been following her own cleansing and beauty regime each night for the past thirty years, but---this is going…

Glamping

On my first glimpse inside the yurt, I'm unimpressed. It's a tent. And I'm not a camping kinda girl. Nor glamping, for that matter. But John gives me a nudge, so forceful I almost lose my balance, and it's enough to jolt me out of my selfishness. I breathe in deeply through my nose, and…