We have finally reached the twenty-first century. What a time to be alive! I never speak to my neighbours, and they don’t speak to me. An old lady, who lived down the road, died in her apartment and wasn’t discovered for three months. The city streets, once empty at night, are now busy. I can walk around freely and wear what I like; nobody looks up or makes eye contact. People go missing all the time. Nobody looks for the...

The pendulum swings back and forth as time ticks away. Every fifteen minutes its Westminster quarter chimes remind me that sleep is eluding me. Anxiety plagues me while I wait for a chime of a different sort, the first few whistling bars of Kesha’s “Crazy Kids,” which will put my heart at ease. When the phone finally sounds, it startles me. But I can finally breathe easy when I read the words, “Made it home safely. Love y...

Hate those restaurants, where you have to taste the wine before accepting the bottle! Last time I went on a posh dinner date, I ordered Filipino-style roast pork belly! As the waitress served our meal, I couldn’t help noticing there was no ketchup on the table! I asked the waitress, “Excuse me, but do you have any tomato ketchup?” ‘I’ll fetch you some madame.’ Moments later the waitress re-appeared and placed a tiny dish...

I am sitting with my morning coffee. My girl walks in and says "it's over." And just like that, she is gone. I watch from our kitchen window as she drives away. Taking the sun, the moon, the stars, and anything inside of me that is good. I am left a shell of the man she seduced five months ago. I stand frozen as my heart explodes. I think back to when she'd wake me as we slowly made love. But things change, and that's the...

The sand squishes between my toes as I descend into the warm gulf water. The cloudless sky and little fish swirling make me smile. I continue until I cannot touch the bottom and swim the rest of the way to the sand bar. Turning back to look at my home, I am grateful. I could have lost everything, but here she stands, undamaged by the vicious storm. I feel guilty as well—so many lost, so much destruction. But I remind myse...

One of my friends asked me how I kept myself occupied during last year's Coronavirus lockdown? She asked if I had used my time wisely to study or teach myself new skills? The most important thing I learnt was how to drink wine from a coffee mug while taking part in the weekly office Zoom meeting! I would simply pour some wine into my mug, cut the string and label from a herbal teabag, then dangle it over the rim of my mug...

Last month, I paid my electricity bill over the phone using one of those automated payment systems. First, I was prompted to tap in answers to various security questions, including my password and the first and fourth number of my PIN. Then, to prove I’m not a robot, I had to identify traffic-lights from a set of pictures that I could hardly see clearly on my phone. I’m not complaining, I’m glad they take the security of...

Sir, Madam. German craftsmanship, combined with precision engineering is the reason I chose your eight-speed auto three-door coupe. I’m writing to complain about faults with the automatic transmission which I found disappointing! When I select ‘D’ for daytime, the car performs perfectly. It handles smoothly, the gear changes are undetectable. However, when I select ’N’ for nighttime, the performance is somewhat unpredicta...

Stepping into the chilly night air, the tequila shots went straight to my head! Last thing I remember was stroking your hair, pulling you in for a long goodnight kiss, before making my way home. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I slipped off my shoes, pulled my top over my head, and whipped off my bra. Flashbacks of that heavenly kiss sent my libido racing as I staggered up the stairs. At the top, I marvelled at my topl...

I found her curled beneath a creosote bush, three miles out, where no one ever goes. Her parched lips mouthed, "I knew you'd come." I nursed her in my shelter, beneath the red stone cliff. Water first, in tiny sips, then slowly bits of food. At nightfall we sat across the fire, her eyes assaying me. "Coyote?" she whispered. "And Raven, too?" I gave no answer. We made love three times while the full moon arced. With each c...

1940: The bombing of London, (The Blitz) started in September. By December 1940, many thousands of bombs had dropped on London. Countless homes and businesses were destroyed. London had become a very dangerous place to live, especially for the children. A mass evacuation was organised. Special trains were laid on to move the children to safer locations around the country. One such child, Mary, called so because she was fo...

Edward sat at the head of the table gazing at the Christmas feast before him. A succulent roast turkey with cornbread stuffing. A basin of mashed potatoes just to the left of his grandmother’s antique tureen of gravy. Fruits and vegetables spread gloriously around the table. It was another wonderful year. The Christmas tree in the corner with a deluge of brightly wrapped packages set a joyful atmosphere, alongside the fir...

Tears cloud my vision as I finger ornaments from years past. This year's glaringly missing. Underneath twinkling lights, I reminisce, my fingers dancing along my aching flesh. I cannot duplicate your touches. Then, a hand covers mine. I gasp. "Is it really you?" Your kiss answers, replenishing me. We drip with need, becoming one again underneath the Christmas tree, showering one another with deathless love. You promise, "...

Seeing me struggle to write, he gave me this pen. "It's Mr. King's," he said, "my talented kin." It fit my hand well, but I noticed something strange. Yes, my words flowed smoothly, but became creepy, quite deranged. My mind twisted and turned, into darkness the ink bled. And so, I published, not romance, but ghastly horror instead. I'd made readers happy and tingly before. Now, I waited and watched their reactions to gor...

A pensioner went to the surgery for a sperm count test. The doctor gave him a jar to provide a sample. Next day, the man returned with the empty jar. Curious, the doctor asked why. "Well, first I tried with my right hand, then with my left, nothing. Then, my wife tried with both hands. Still nothing. She even tried with her mouth, but still no joy. Vera from next door tried with both hands and her mouth too, but still not...