A smile. Upward curved lips—declaring a person’s delight. A frown. Furrowed eyebrows—vividly defining disapproval. It’s simple. Don’t overcomplicate it; view everything on a surface level. You’re smiling before my eyes. I can see you’re fine. Not that I’m worried anyway. You try so hard but barely any progress was made. A pathetic “tough luck” …
Masking the sun with their dark shadow, the clouds came in quickly over the rotting pub roof. Rain lashes down, thundering against the mossy windows. I sit alone, gazing out into the midnight sky before switching focus to the tv. The news. A crash. Flashes of blue and red transport me right back to that …
“Are you for real?” It’s the kind of thing your friends say when you tell them you’re not going to the party everyone’s talking about, right? But what does it actually mean? What does it mean to be real? Does it mean speaking complete sense, or is it simply a matter of how we feel? …
The blazing sky was melting into a plethora of gold and crimson; the misty clouds appeared as obscured silhouettes against the efflorescent hues. Exhilarated, Oliver withdrew from the steamy window, reclining in his cushioned seat- shortly, he was about to embark on what he envisaged to be the greatest trip of a lifetime… Although it …
The room was mostly dark but, with a digital spark, there was a dull light. In the shadows, pixels started to bloom like digital lilies. A shiny, clean face emerged on a screen, like an apparitional copy designed for the dark hours of the day. I could not tear myself away from it, mesmerized by …
Shadowy fog panned out as heavenly light flickered, signalling Jo to slowly awake from his slumber. The fog slowly thinned out and the noises grew, consciousness crawled back whilst realisation flew at him like a bullet. This wasn’t the plan. Where was he? “Damned company, something went wrong didn’t it, where am I?!” Jo shouted …
The pale morning sunlight filtered through the blinds creating a glowing mosaic on my dull bedroom wall. I held up my hands. For a moment, they didn’t feel like mine. The mosaic of light emanated, flowing across my skin as if it were liquid gold, illuminating every crease, every wrinkle and every faint candent vein …
I had never seen the true world with my own eyes before. Nobody had. Reality lenses have always been fitted over our eyes. The government claimed they protected us from things that could cause fear, sadness, or unease. Most people never questioned them. Why would they? Through the lenses, the streets were spotless, the rivers …
In the dark I rose, awoken by something powerful yet anonymous. The air was thick and fog blanketed the long grass. As my head emerged, fireflies led the way out of the garden, I followed the trail and eventually a tree came into view. Coiled around it was an amber snake, frozen in time, its …
Every short dancer’s worst nightmare was here, May 15th 2026, the claustrophobic casting day for Swan Lake. The unfair decisions of who gets the superior roles of the iconic ballet known by the whole population of the world. Piercing pins stab lycra leotards with nerve-wracking numbers. Ninety-seven aspiring ballerinas formed perfect lines as a dreary …
