She pulls the thread taught down the crease between the pages and around the spine. The book creaks as it stretches wide. She ties the string in the centre of the spine and hangs it from a small hook on the ceiling. She does this over and over until the ceiling is covered with books ...
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Magic
Fiction: ‘The 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 ...
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Fiction: ‘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 ...
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Fiction: ‘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 ...
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Fiction: ‘The Tulip’
All my life I’ve been told the story of the tulip that had grown from the pavement, but I never really believed it until I saw it for myself. She was as enchanting as a fairy tale. Her bright red petals were awash with orange and gold so that she burned like a sunrise in ...
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Fiction: ‘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 ...
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Fiction: ‘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 ... Continue reading Fiction: ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’
Fiction: ‘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 ...
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Fiction: ‘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 ...
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Fiction: ‘Time Keeper’
He knew his time had come because the clock had stopped. Of course, there were other signs too. You couldn’t miss them, really. The TV set had frozen on an image of some infomercial nightmare; the radio had cut the presenter off midsentence; the sound of lawnmowers, passing cars, and singing crickets had all stopped ...
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