Category: Short Stories
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Method of Loci
“Anthony? You awake, buddy? Come on, we’ll miss our chance.” The man standing over me scratches at the pimples on his cheeks, blinking excitedly as he shakes me with his free hand. My mind surfaces, pushing aside the sleep that was wrapping its finger around my throat to – What was going on, again? My…
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Cataplexy
“So tell me again why you need me for this?” Detective Maddington’s eyes flick over to me, and his face creases in a cloud of grey and yellow worry. “The girl is uncommunicative. She could be the only lead to what happened to the victim, and, well, you’re good with these kinds of difficult interviews.”…
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The Mosquito Solution
“Alright! Has anyone seen that bloody wizard Shanahan?” The patrons of the bar turn and blink at the sudden shout. For most of us, loud noises before midday only worsens the hangovers we’re already drinking to forget. Framed in the morning light streaming in through the door, a young woman stands with her hands on…
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Moondyne’s Confession
Who’s that knocking at my cell door? What’s wrong with yer? Leave an old Welshman to get his sleep. Don’t you know who I am? I’m Moondyne Joe, I am, Transported Convict no 1790, thank you very much. You come to see me in me special cell? I’ve escaped from Fremantle Prison more times than…
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Helpful Advice!
The guy at the bar was well and truly on his way to being wasted, but hey, that’s what we were all there for, right? This wasn’t one of your fancy platform nightclubs that lift off after dark and drift around until morning. No, this was your honest, hole-in-wall bar, complete with stained carpets, depressed…
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The Nera
The well-dressed young woman sitting across the desk from me tried her best to look relaxed, smiling as she accepted a light and leaned back in her chair. It was only the smallest tremor of her fingers that betrayed her, leaving a quiver in the smoke slowly curling up to the roof of the Perth…
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Whaling Song
My body began to fade away as the song rose within me. Behind, the rest of the whaling party stood on the lip of the ironstone cliffs and joined the chorus, a deep, rhythmic chant that had been passed down the Pùca tribe for countless generations. The familiar cold crept over me, and I smiled…
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Green vs Crown
‘Do you wish to sum up your prosecution, Advocate General?’ ‘Thank you, your Honor, I will. I know that the jury must be as distressed as I to hear the particulars of this case, but it is our duty to lay out the truth as plainly and simply as possible.’ I barely lift my head.…
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Bailiff
“You’ve gotta help me, Col, they’ve got the wrong man.” Bailiff Colin Manning nodded as he looked through the narrow, barred window into the small cell. “Tell me what’s going on, Ralph,” he answered, looking at the old man chained up behind the bars. Ralph tried to rise, but the manacles were too heavy and he flopped back onto the…
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Teleporter
“Alright everyone, listen up. We’ve got an emergency situation and I don’t have time to go through this twice.” Federal Officer Dawn Casey shifted in the shadows as she tried to find a comfortable position. Leaning up against the back wall of the crowded Control Room, the tall blonde woman rubbed her eyes in exasperation…