Open wide! Alice holds a telephone. The monotonous tone of an engaged line, repeats its endless cycle. She curses and hangs up. After waiting a few minutes, with her frustration simmering, she tries again. This time, her patience is rewarded when the number she is calling rings out. “Hello, Johnson Road Dental. How may I help you?” the receptionist at the other end enunciates. “Good morning," replies Alice. “Could I make...

Stranger on a bench 4. Seated on a bench, she sits, as grey as the cold dawn that surrounds her. Golden rays of sunlight pierce the eerie sky. Warm fingers probing the haunts and shadows of spectral silhouettes within the swirling mist. This girl, who spins webs of fantasy in the dark corners of her imagination, sees the gentle hues of dawn. Her nose feels cold. Her lips, closed tight, keep the chilly early morning air at...

Alice and Lins are seated at the kitchen table. They sit opposite each other, a hot drink in front of each. "It's kind of you to help while my car is off the road," says Lins. "Lins, it's the least I can do; you are such a good friend to me." Alice replies, smiling and brushing her dark hair away from her face before sipping her tea. Lins says, "I am glad there is no uncomfortableness between us after that awkward moment...

The golden sun lights up the sky. A new day is raising its head to view the fleeting moments of its existence. On a bench, in a park, a young man sits engrossed in the object held in his hands. With his shoulders hunched, his lower legs are drawn back hard against the seat. On any other day, he would be in bed wrapped up with his partner. Her slender body usually pressed against him, rousing him slowly to a sensuous aware...

She sits, enjoying the early morning misty air, on a slatted bench. The park around her seems deserted. There is the solitude she craves, away from the sharp fragments of life. Beside her is a single bottle of milk. The girl strokes the bottle with her hand, enjoying the coolness against her skin. She strokes her fingers up and down the length of it. The condensation on the clear glass wets her palm. The woman on the benc...

 Consciousness comes to me in hazy waves. It is dark. As my eyes adjust to the gloom, I see unfamiliar surroundings. Then I see a shadow moving. This spectre glides closer to where I lie. Because I am awake, I know this is no nightmare.  The figure stands over me, shrouded in mystery.  "Who are you?" I ask.  "Amshe," a haunting whisper answers.  "It's you. You have arrived," I say to the spectral being.  "Hush," she repli...

I roll over and over. I tumble and fall. I wake with a shock. My head hurts. I am lying on the floor. Disorientated, I take in my surroundings. Everything seems very familiar. I realize I have fallen out of bed. Looking at the clock on the bedside shows me it is time to get up. I arrive at work fed, washed and dressed. The morning passes in a pleasant enough fashion. A little before lunchtime I get a phone message. ‘Hi on...

I wake to the smell of fresh coffee and the faint sounds of movement. I take a moment to orientate myself. I am in Rose's bed. Her fragrance surrounds me on the pillow. I stretch. I yawn. I begin thinking about last night, remembering how she teased the fuck out of me while she was locked in the car. The door opens and Rose walks into the bedroom. In the half-light of the blinds, I can see that she is gloriously naked. Sh...

I arrive at the Blue Moon club at about quarter to eight. The journey had been easy, so I decided to wait inside.  I join the few early customers at the bar. The guy serving remembers me when I say I am hoping to catch Rose.  "Not yet," he replies, "You don't seem like trouble."  "Just a friend," I reply.  "Enrico keeps a close eye on his staff," he says, in a way that has all the hallmarks of a warning.  "I don't know En...

I hold Jen close as she sobs. I make empathetic noises, although I feel at a loss in how to help her. Her tears soaked through my thin shirt, causing momentary irritation on my part. “Cry as you need then tell me why you are so upset,” I say to the girl nestled on my shoulder.  Jen had appeared at my door a little earlier, clearly distraught. She had told me briefly that she was having some personal problems. I had held h...

I listen as Karen teases me.“There could be dark shadowy strangers following every footstep we take,” she says in a breathless voice.Nonchalantly, I reply, “Ready to materialize noiselessly and slip telephone numbers into our pockets.”We hurry along. Karen seems in a rush to get to our destination. She offers tantalizing comments about the person waiting for her.“I do think you will remember, there was the orgy you came t...

I frequently run late on a Friday. Today is no exception. Now that I am finally home, I have time to think. I can regain my space after being on a crowded train. My brain slows, as it eases into a less frantic gear. I decide to make a nice cup of herbal tea and then have a quick shower.Freshly showered, I sit down to drink the lemon and ginger infusion.The first sip I take brings a mild nirvana. My moment of bliss though...

I paused before hurrying back down the stairs and called my secretary Anne.“Hi, Anne just letting you know I am in the building, and on my way to the basement about some information I need,” I said.I headed down the stairs towards the basement. Without knowing why, I began recalling a trip to Paris, arranged by Madeline. She worked in a hotel where my stay had been spoiled. As compensation, I was offered a free stay in a...

On my way back to the office from a lunch break, my shoelace came undone. As I bent to fasten it a shadow spread itself over me, enveloping me in a lemon bouquet. I knew that scent. It was a sensual smell, fresh linen and earthy musk. Lifting my eyes up I saw looking down at me Karen, the chief auditor in the firm.She clenched her teeth and whispered, "No need to kneel before me big boy," lifting her skirt far enough to l...

Tuesday. Never a great day. There was a realisation that Monday cast a gloomy shadow on the long week ahead. A week that had already begun in fruitless frustration. The mission on Monday had been to discover how I came to have a scrap of paper in my pocket with a carefully written telephone number on it. The question nagging at my brain was: could the number belong to a colleague? There had been a group of us out the nigh...