Rachel sat with her head in her hands. She didn’t want to believe it. She couldn’t believe it. “How long?” she whispered. Her voice barely permeated the silence that hung thick over the kitchen. Frank sat still in stony silence. Her husband didn’t even have the decency to give her the truth. “How. Long?” she repeated. The anger was eating into her voice now. How dare he even have the audacity to look bashed. He hadn’t even the decency to come clean to her. She was the one who had hired the investigator, the one who had got the photos that sat on the table between them. “Don’t raise your voice ..read more

Rain is persistent. It soaks to the bone. Gently, slowly. It eats away at the strongest of stone, making sharp edges smooth. Gently, slowly. Cold eats to the soul, taking with it sadness that has lingered beyond its welcome. Your clothes are soaked, but your edges are softer. Gently, slowly. Rain is persistent. And you are renewed. Don’t forget to subscribe to my monthly writing newsletter Writing on Caffeine. Subscribe below to get access to monthly writing advice and prompts! Subscribe By clicking “Subscribe” , you give your consent to receive emails from me using my provider, wordpress ..read more

“Come on,” Vayner hissed at the tablet at his feet, “take Gods damn you.” The tablet, a piece of slate fifteen inches by fifteen inches, stayed stubbornly still at his feet. At the centre of the tablet was a small circular hole two inches across. Vayner groaned, looking over at his notes. According to the transcription, the spell should take by now, creating a light at the centre of the tablet. The light would then reverse gravity, forcing the tablet to hover in the air. Not much, but it was something. If he could do this, he could demonstrate that the Ancient Words were more than just a reli ..read more

The rain fell across the field. It splattered on the red, dusty earth, creating a patchwork of wet dots that carried on as far as the eye could see. “The rain is a problem, Ma’am,” Raken remarked. “Don’t state the obvious,” Henrietta spat back. Of course the rain was a problem. They were here to find the remains of the last explorers, and the rain wouldn’t allow them to dig. Hells Gate, the rain wouldn’t allow them to do anything. It could last for weeks on this planet, Hells dammit. “You want to still set up camp?” Raken asked. As a Second, it was his job to ask the questions that he already ..read more

“See this?” It was the watch that always got their attention. People seemed to gravitate to the huge face, the sparkly dials and the complicated mechanism inside. Gerag held the watch up in front of his targets. They stared at it entranced. “A relic of the world gone by,” Gerag said, gently moving his wrist from side to side. The watch rocked back and forth like a pendulum. It wasn’t true hypnotism, but it was enough to be a distraction. Lucen, dressed like any other tourist, pretended to peer interestingly at it as he lifted wallets and purses out of people’s pockets, passing them back to Im ..read more

The birds flying in the sky, free as can be. It’s a blue sky today, with only a few puffy clouds dotting across it. The bees visit the flowers, as they do in the summer. A quiet humm of working around the lavender plant as their black-yellow bodies bounce from flower to flower. A cup of tea, still warm. There is a message from a friend you’ve not heard of. It eats inside your worry and reminds you that people do care, even for a moment. The sounds of gentle breathing as your daughter sleeps with a half drunk smile on her face. So at peace with herself and the world. You are her everything. A ..read more

“Hello?” The radio crackled in response. Gaeia pushed her knuckles into her forehead, trying not to cry. This was day forty one. Forty one days of no response from the base down below. “Anything?” Hua asked behind her, floating upside down outside the cockpit door. He liked to do that, showing off his gravity genetics. “Nothing,” Gaeia replied, putting the radio back into the holder. Out of the window she could see the grey-yellow clouds of home swirling in the sky. They had been there for forty one days too, appearing overnight following the solar storm. “It’ll be alright,” Hua replied. He r ..read more

Don’t move. Don’t move. Don’t move. Calsei changed the motto over and over in her head. Her backpack straps pulled at her shoulders, encouraging her to drop from her crouch and sit down on the nice warm earth. Sweat trickled down her face. This planet was far too damn hot for any reasonable life to live on it. Calsei had always said that this damned foresty planet was going to be the death of them. And now, it was. The silence hung around her like a noose. Where bird calls and monkey hoots should be was stone cold silence. Even the local wildlife knew when it was approaching. They too were te ..read more

You're currently a free subscriber. Upgrade your subscription to get access to the rest of this post and other paid-subscriber only content. Upgrade subscription ..read more

TW: Child Death Wanda stared at the gravestone. The fresh earth in front of it was rich and dark, framed neatly by the wet green grass around it. How was she supposed to walk away from her daughter? The rest had gone, leaving to go to the wake. She was alone, give her space, had been whispered amongst the crowd. Gentle hand touches on her shoulder as people left. It’s so awful, some muttered. Those who considered the meaning of life thought there was things that gave life meaning. Purpose. Wanda wanted to scream again, but her throat was raw. She had screamed ever since that day, every night ..read more