Chrallaweh

She is beautiful. As the day she was born. I can’t look away because I know I’ll never see her again once permitted to leave. Love, anger, despair; they fill my soul as my eyes burn every detail of her perfect face into my mind. She’s writing. It fills me with dread and helplessness yet …

Last Wave

With a lion's roar, the engine wakes. Exhaust fumes pour forth from the rusty tail-pipe like a smoke-machine from a bad dance-party. I just sit there, in the driver’s seat, tapping my fingers against the rubbery lips which the window emerges from, growing slightly impatient, but still enjoying the moment. Nirvana, a '90s rock band, …

That Guy

‘Goddamn bus, how long do I have to linger in this shit-hole?’ I thought. I could still see the Centrelink sign across the road, hangin’ over the entrance to the Labrador branch I’d just visited. The bastards accused me of fraudulently obtaining disabled benefits. It was true, but they’re still bastards. The bus was a …

Agony to Ecstasy

Does time heal all wounds? I dunno. I dunno whether time can change hurt that feels as raw as a slaughter-house floor. The first thrust of the knife. The knife’s long gone now, but still the hurt remains. Such savage hurt. That’s all I want: for the hurt to change, not go away—which is impossible—but …

Storm Water – Part Two of Two

‘G’day Jess,’ Tom grinned, almost as if nothing had happened, and despite the dull ache in his skull. ‘I can’t believe you went out there again. And alone!’ she replied. ‘It’s alright, babe,’ he reassured, dropping his board. ‘I’m still in one piece, as you can see.’ He patted himself down for effect. Suddenly she …

Storm Water – Part One of Two

Tom hadn’t surfed in quite a while. The last time was with his best mates, Peter and John. ‘How long have I been here?’ he said to his mother three months later, from a hospital bed. She didn’t answer. These were his first words after emerging from the coma. Simply reaching out to stroke his …