The night is still as the cool white stars blink above her and the sea laps against the hull of her boat. Each ripple glistens under the half-moon hanging in the sky. Gudrun sighs and begins pulling in her lines. Every line comes up bare, save for the sad looking bait which hangs limply from …
Author Archives: Ekaterina Tretiakova
Fiction: ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’
Dry twigs snap beneath his feet as he forces his way between the gnarled limbs of ancient trees. Dead leaves are rotting on the forest floor. He can smell them. Long slender tendrils of fungus emerge from the layer of humus, stretching up into the narrow beams of early morning light. The muscles in his …
Fiction: ‘Lily Shaw’
I truly loved with all my heart but once. I believe that’s the only way we can ever be sure we have actually experienced love, when we feel something so strong, so over-powering, that it lingers across our entire lives. And when we look back, no matter how happy we are now, we only wonder …
Fiction: ‘The Letter’
Dear son, The wind still plays that same old note as it travels down from the mountains and sweeps over the hills. It rushes into the glen where I can hear it whistle in our roof. The walls creak from the strain of its force and the glass rattles in the window frame. One night …
Fiction: ‘The Broken Wing Butterfly’
She landed on the daisy as daintily as she could, spreading her wings to keep her balance. The wind was blowing in gusts, which made landing a difficult process, but once her feet had taken hold of the silver petals, she knew she was safely home. Her wings were faded when compared with the others …
Fiction: ‘Queen Bee’

He wasn’t meant to be there. And he knew it. The fence was made of brick put together so smoothly that it was impossible to climb. It rose several metres into the air and encircled the entire property. While there were several signs posted around the perimeter warning against trespassing, he hadn’t found a single …
Fiction: ‘Simulation’

The electric screen reflects in her eyes and douses her face in a bright blue light. Her skin isn’t quite as smooth as it once was. Even her thick chestnut locks are starting to turn thin and grey, changing rapidly, if there was anyone there to witness the transformation…
Fiction: ‘O, That Way Madness Lies’

Dear Charles,
Six months and seventeen days ago, I arrived at the property left to me by my mysterious donor. The house is in reasonable repair, other than a few minor injuries from enduring the elements for so long unattended. The leak in the roof has now been repaired. The broken windows have been replaced …
Fiction: ‘Trespasser’

He wakes with a violent jolt. At first he’s not sure he heard anything at all. He sits up in bed, straining to hear, shivering with cold. And then comes the sound of glass shattering and furniture splintering. A crash which shakes the very walls. He throws the blanket aside…
Fiction: The King and the Starling
Once upon a time there lived a wise old king who loved his kingdom. He loved every leaf upon every tree and every drop of dew which glistened with the dawn. And his people loved him too, for he was a fair and kind ruler, who held his people reverently in his heart. One night …