Silence

The cold and lumpy cobbles hurt her arms. Lyra held the moan inside, hoped the punishment was over, that someone would come and pick her up, comfort her, let her go home again. She wanted only to get warm, find proper clothes to don, and shoes – good warm socks inside thick leather boots to …

I See, You See, Not the Same

https://helenevaillant.com/2019/02/26/10678/ A journey's end is nigh, but ever beyond the reach of mere life. "I come, Pythonissa," Barosa called, "lay out the bridge for me." Picture Challenge 26/02/2019 by helenevaillant.com If the bridge did not draw for him, he'd wait. The Moon Mother watched for Pythonissa. He would be easy to see if they but …

The Price

Each day on the way home from school, Carlie stopped at the bakery. She waited at the end of the shop where all the dust accumulated until the baker called her forward. He wouldn't let her come too close to the loaves and buns and glass-fronted cabinets until every customer was out of sight. Only …

The World Beyond the Window …

What follows comes from here; it is a story, a simple story ... That's his desk, so neat and clean, a perfect example of the 'clean desk' policy he demands of his staff. But on his screen? Well, that's his escape. He thinks. Every day I come here and clean under his desk, under his …

I’m Late, I’m Late … Again

Let me tell you why it's taken so long to get back to you ... it has to do with spiders, so if that bothers you, look away, look away now. Gone? Good. Let me tell you what it takes to keep spiders in your house. What? You don't? Why not? They do a good …

The Truth About RumpledStiltedSkin: A Very Ugly Old Man

thanks to Senryu for the idea for this post, taken from the shorts anthology (2017): --- The Story was twisted out of all proportion, and now he needs us all to know the truth, so here it is, from his own mouth. --- That young girl, she was cryin', see. Doing all that weepin' and …

Burglar!

A short story. A burglar! She hadn’t seen him, hadn’t heard him. Only the creak, the groan of the old timber bench – he must have leaned on it, or hidden behind it, or used it to propel himself at her as she came in to investigate the noise. The television sound from the back …

Time?

The newspaper glared, the screen screamed, the phone jangled. Her eyes couldn't see, her ears couldn't hear - the last images that made sense were graven into her brain. That list, the one she barely glanced at, shouldn't have been interested in - it was the name that jumped out first. Then she saw the …

The Down

"It's a lifestyle thing," I say, hoping that will be the end of it, but it never is. "How can it be a lifestyle thing - lifestyle? Think about that word for a 'sec - lifeSTYLE. This isn't anything to do with style. What you're doing is disappearing!" "Crap. I'm just getting rid of stuff. …

The Shocking Toilet

A jolt from the black sky, a zag of lightning that hit the metal tip of the broken weather-vane on the toilet door. Gem's hand wasn't quite on the handle. Almost, but not quite. Risa squealed when Gem looked up and tried to move away, as she took her hand off the door. Stepped back. …