Nobody would have believed a child could swim that far. Kailo had been swimming since about eleven months of age. That was before he was walking. Or talking. He just loved the water. And the water seemed to love him back. He floated. He didn't go pruney. He'd never been dumped by the surf that... Continue Reading →
You're stopped outside a department store for shoplifting. The security guard confiscates the tube of lipstick in your pocket. You have no idea where it came from. As they march you out between the automatic doors with strong fingers gripping your upper arms you look back over your shoulder and spot your Uncle Gerard. His... Continue Reading →
A disease that is ravaging the country kills only people born in March. The discovery devastates you. Your husband is born in March. Your twins are born in March. It was one of the very last (desperate) things your research team checked...there was nothing genetic, no biological agents, no obvious method of contamination. "Is the... Continue Reading →
A podium is bewitched with the ability to reveal the secrets of its speakers. The voice-over played right on time: "We are very pleased to have the esteemed Professor with us all the way from Brussels. To speak on the topic of 'The Balkanisation of the internet and further geopoliticisation of Economics' please welcome, first... Continue Reading →
"You're not supposed to dance in there," they said. But did they have any idea how therapeutic it was? As she twisted and salsa'ed her way around the fountain, the water droplets sparkling and falling on her like soft warm kisses, she turned her face upwards and surrendered to the sheer joy of moving, with... Continue Reading →
Your pen takes on a life of its own one day and writes down the names of people who mysteriously wind up dead. It takes you a while to catch on. One night you're watching the news and just before the weather there was a breaking news alert about a lady found in her car... Continue Reading →
A thief breaks into a house and stays all night. He didn't mean to but the 1,000 count Egyptian cotton sheets and the diffuser filled with lavender oil made it hard to leave. He had a bath. He had a whiskey. It was very good whiskey. He had another whiskey and got drowsy. In the... Continue Reading →
A religious leader can suddenly hear the thoughts of everyone around him. It is not a good day for Pastor Simon. It turns out that only one person, one measly person, in his congregation appears to believe in God. And the reasons the others are here...they'll make you blush, or get you arrested, or both...... Continue Reading →
Explain why your character flees from samba music. Explain? Really...?! Have you HEARD samba music? So repetitive. So predictable... So upbeat. So cheerful. So hard not to respond to. I find my toe goes first, and then before I know it, my hips and shoulders have caught the groove too. I'm rotating and shimmying and... Continue Reading →
It was the only obvious thing to do with 100 yards of Bubble Wrap. Obvious to eight year old scallywags anyway! The roll was light as we carried it up to the top of the tallest hill around. The buckets of water mixed with detergent were far heavier. We positioned the roll carefully and then... Continue Reading →
A woman goes into labor at a crowded state fair. Which prizewinning displays are used to help? The paramedics are on their way...what can we scrounge and assemble in the meantime... Item 1, a Quilt, third place ribbon winner. Heritage patchwork pattern and vintage sari material aside it is comforting, practical and can be washed... Continue Reading →
All five sisters showed up at the funeral. Well half sisters really. Stan's five secrets - that weren't really that secret - but seeing them all together underlined their shared traits...their age span underscored just how long he'd felt the need to pursue women and build relationships outside our family. A man consumed by wanderlust...... Continue Reading →
Your great-great-great-great-grandparents come to visit for the weekend. The first sign of their arrival was frantic barking from Coco - she greets every new arrival this way - it is a large part of the reason I named her Coconutty in the first place! The second and third indicators were slightly weirder. The window sash... Continue Reading →
You're never too old to climb trees. But I'd recommend you find somewhere secluded to indulge the hobby - for two reasons. Firstly, people tend to look askance at and be suspicious of grown men who climb trees - rather than the carefree pursuit of children it becomes the territory of the deranged or criminal.... Continue Reading →
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