To the new mother: Me: What’s the sleeping arrangement? Mother: Oh, well…. we are….. *whispers* bed sharing right now *makes awkward face*. To mother of 6 month old: Me: How’s the sleep going? Mother: Dreadful. I’ve brought him into the bed with me as a last resort. But I/my husband doesn’t want me to. It’s... Continue Reading →
(NYC Midnight Brief: Horror, passenger, deficient) The African shoreline has melted into the horizon. The sky is grey, and the ocean yawns in slow enormous waves. On the deck of The Isabella, a British slave ship stuffed full of human cargo, Thomas Billing, a sanguine boy of eighteen years, watches in awe as yet another... Continue Reading →
Brief: ghost Story, a proposition, best friends Synopsis 1922, London: Walter retells the tragic story of his love for a mysterious woman and her clarinet. Tormented by her ghost, he writes his tale as a confession in the hope of escape, of ultimate salvation. I have heard things in the night. Music familiar enough to... Continue Reading →
The short answer is of course no. Also obviously yes. I mean definitely, it completely depends on how dickish your kid has actually been. If your kid has butted another kid in the head and caused them to haemorrhage, then some kind of regretful language is probably in order. But after my kid clumsily bumped... Continue Reading →
New York Flash Fiction Challenge 2020: Round 2 Challenge 1 HISTORICAL FICTION/BLACKSMITHS WORKSHOP/BENCH Violet Today is my birthday. Mum gives me some marbles, a penny, and tells me to buy myself a chocolate bar. I haven’t had any marbles of my own before. I’m excited, so I head up to Violet’s room. She looks worse... Continue Reading →
New York Flash Fiction 2020 Challenge Round 1: Challenge 2 FAIRYTALE/PRIVATE ISLAND/TURTLE Bones Legend has it that off the coast of Essex, England, there rose from the sea an island called Osea. It was owned by the decrepit witch, Morire. Her skin was ragged and sharp and she had worms for veins that fed on... Continue Reading →
New York Flash Fiction Challenge 2020 : Round 1 Challenge 1 SUSPENSE/DARTBOARD/TRAIN STATION 20:33 In 1947 there existed a little train station in the English countryside linking the cities of Ipswich and Norwich. It stood shed-like and derelict, nestled in fields of rapeseed so yellow they reflected a numinous light back up to the sun like... Continue Reading →
My Back to Normal Post-Covid 19 Anxiety Levels (I've affectionately called this: BNPCAL) are through the roof. It’s been eleven weeks since quarantine began, and the duality of lock down is as prominant as ever. Love it and hate it as most of us do, it's been possibly the most bizarre and surprising time of our lives.... Continue Reading →
When I fell pregnant, like most people I was absolutely ecstatic. We’d been trying for months, and the relief was palpable. I’d passed the test! Easy. Now all I have to do is grow a human, pop it out of my vagina, feed it, clean its bum and help it avoid premature death by strapping... Continue Reading →
It's easy to lose sight of your parenting achievements. The small wins can get overlooked because at times, the epic failures become all too consuming. But listen: it's all about reframing that shit stuff. Here's how I have recently affirmed my excellent parenting: 1. When my son puked last week at 3am, the vomit projectiled... Continue Reading →
