Fairy Tales
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
~ C. S. Lewis
The Wishing Star
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 … READ MORE
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 … READ MORE
Treasure
Mercury waves rise into sharp peaks before crashing down with a roar. The wind screams like a banshee. His boat is flung one way, and then another, completely at the mercy of a foul-tempered sea. He hangs onto the side of the boat, his knuckles white. Every muscle strains against the violence. The salty spray … READ MORE
The Jinn
Deep in a desert not far from here there once rose a vast mountain. Snow always glittered from its peak, even under the blistering summer sun, and lush trees grew around the base even though it had been many years since this region last saw rain. But the most remarkable … READ MORE
House of Ash
‘Welcome! Welcome everyone!’ he announces in his booming voice. It carries far over the heads of the gathered citizens who buzz with excitement at the bottom of the steps. There’s a flash of cameras from the crowd. For the first time in recent history, the reporters have all gone quiet. The house behind the man … READ MORE
A Tale of Avarice Part 1
In a certain village few have heard of, upon a landscape unlike any we have here, lived a woman whom the villagers still refuse to speak of to this day. Even to say her name is thought to bring ill luck. So, for the purposes of this story, I will only refer to her as … READ MORE
A Tale of Avarice Part 2
One unremarkable night, a gentleman of the city was travelling to a neighbouring town on business. Worn from his journey and finding the hour late, Nicolas came upon a field in which to rest. He unsaddled his horse and looked around at the serene night. He’d rarely seen the stars so bright. He thought about … READ MORE
A Tale of Avarice Part 3
A favourable wind drew their ship across the clear blue sea, its hull slicing through the waves. As it entered the harbour, a sudden storm descended. The Woman gripped the railing as the deck rocked beneath her, rejoicing in the violence and fury of the tempest, but when Nicolas found her, he forced her back … READ MORE
A Tale of Avarice Part 4
Sometimes a single decision can haunt us for the rest of our lives, however short a time that may be. It seems so innocent in the beginning. But then the effects transform from a tiny ripple into a gathering swell, and then finally into an all-consuming wave of destruction. As human nature dictates, we never … READ MORE
Umbrella
She can smell the rain as it seeps through the dry wall behind her bed. The little glass fairies which dangle from the strings on her curtains tinkle as they brush against each other, stirred by some unseen draught. She draws the covers up to her chin. Suddenly the room is lit with a blinding … READ MORE
Medusa
She stares at the hideous apparition in the mirror as though frozen by its reflection. Her skin is cracked and split, glaringly white even in the shadows. Her lips are the pallor of someone long dead. In place of her lovely chestnut curls are deadly snakes which twist and writhe from her scalp, their scaly … READ MORE
Vanishing Act
There were seven people ahead of me; I know that because I made a point to count them. They stood along the uneven ground, their faces glowing under the neon lights as they waited with the same sort of unspoken impatience. The booth sat apart from the other tents and stalls. Like everything else, it … READ MORE
The Gargoyle
For years he had perched in the same old position, on the same old spot where the sculptor had carved him. The rain had washed away the finer details of his grotesque form and the sun had bleached the stone into a ghostly white. Hideous bat wings sprung from his hunched back, while a set … READ MORE
Sprites
She sits above the surface of the water, looking out at the golden sea. Her toes skim the waves as she swings gently backwards and forwards. Backwards and forwards. She holds onto the rusted chains on either side of her with a loose, resigned sort of grip. Her favourite dress is stained with salt. But … READ MORE
Trip of a Lifetime
The suffocating smell of incense wafts through the curtain of colourful beads hanging across the doorway. She feels ridiculous for even coming in. But it’s warm inside the little building and the glow of flickering candles is inviting. She takes a deep breath once. Twice. And then parts the beaded strings and steps into the … READ MORE
Weightless
He leans back on the couch, his right hand firmly clasping his left and his eyes fixed on a thread dangling from her sleeve. Her office is small, but it feels cosy. Intimate. Every object is exactly where it needs to be, from the desktop calendar by the phone to the yellowing cactus on the … READ MORE
Oracle
Prometheus first shaped mankind out of mud, and Athena breathed life into his creation. He loved mankind more than any of the Olympians. I know because I was there in the very beginning. I saw how he stole fire from the gods and gave it to man to better arm them against the cruelty of … READ MORE
99 Bottles
The circular room has only one window. Coated with a thick layer of grime, the light comes through dimly, as if it’s always the twilight hour. Shelves which stretch all the way up to the ceiling line the walls. There are ninety-nine bottles of various shapes and sizes sitting along these shelves, as well as … READ MORE
Down the Rabbit Hole
It was a strange thing to come by in the middle of the forest. Amongst the ancient trees and a thick carpet of green moss was a table with two matching chairs whittled out of tree stumps. Each chair was tucked neatly and considerately under the table. There were no people or houses for miles … READ MORE
The Magician Part 1
Sunset leaves dance along the empty highway. First they move in one direction, and then another; each time spinning in one spot for a moment before moving on. The old man watches from a dilapidated park bench. He gives the tiniest trace of a smile as the leaves break off into pairs and begin waltzing … READ MORE
The Magician Part 2
She sits on the cool tiled floor of her apartment, watching the sunrise paint the walls with splashes of fire. Silver birds skim across the section of sky in the window. A pale moon glistens on the horizon before slowly dissolving with the coming dawn. The gloves lie in her lap. She runs her fingers … READ MORE
The Starlight Princess and the Lightning Prince
Once upon a time, a beautiful star fell in love with a flash of lightning. She was twinkling merrily in the sky, watching over the world from her position in the constellations, when a brilliant flash lit up the darkness. He was brighter than any star she had ever seen. The electricity in the air … READ MORE
The Tales That Bind
Her mother used to read her the same story over and over again, night after night. The pages of the book had turned yellow. Its cover was faded and the paper had grown brittle with age. But no matter how many times she heard those familiar words, her heart would always race as her mother’s … READ MORE
Conversations With the Devil
She sits in her car, looking out at the empty field and milky blue sky, but not really seeing them. Her eyes find some point on the hillside. They linger there for many minutes, staring blankly at that invisible spot in the serene hills, while something behind her eyes moves with the strength of a … READ MORE
The Witching Hour
She stirs a cauldron full of colours so bright with energy that they project a shining aurora across the ceiling. The coloured lights shift through the air, bursting with charged particles. She adds another pinch of vermillion. Red hot sparks erupt from the pot. Light sprays across the room, washing the walls in a blazing … READ MORE
The Creator
He picks up his paintbrush, twists the bristles into a fine point, and dips it into the colours on his palette. The painting is nearly done. Nearly. But not quite. A white hot sun makes the sea on the canvas glisten as a large piece of driftwood, scarred with barnacles, bounces gently over the waves … READ MORE
“Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”
~ Hans Christian Andersen
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