Nail Biter

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In trying to solve the case of a missing teenage girl, the police stumble upon a decades old mystery guarded by a creature made of smoke.

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…narrow peninsula known as Kill Devil's Lair, was a forgotten stretch of rural countryside surrounded by a body of fresh water known as Hutton's Bay. Relatively untouched by civilization and rumored to be haunted by a legendary creature known as the Dim Vrag, it was a place you were wise to stay far away…

By Michael Fright

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Creation 160

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…stared at the lines on the blank sheet of paper. He twiddled his biro pen in nervous fingers. Starting a new writing project was always nerve-wracking. He had some ideas but which of these ideas would be best for his next work? His first novel had been published and quite well received. Martin had even appeared on local television discussing his debut novel. He had followed that with a tour of book shops around the…

By Chris Platt

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After Life

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…smiling man in a white suit opened his arms. He had grey hair and a bright warmth in his blue-green eyes. He reminded Adam of a Hollywood actor whose name he couldn't recall. Adam looked around. He was standing in what appeared to be the foyer of a top-end hotel. A grand staircase swept majestically up to the floors beyond. Classical music carried gently on the…

By Chris Platt

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Shine On

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…soon as the juke-box kicked in I froze, the glass of beer halfway to my lips. I recognised the tune immediately. It was them. They were his favourite band. I smiled and raised my glass. Pink Floyd. I thought of him. Of Chris. When I first met him I knew little of the prog-rock band apart from the prism on one of their album covers. Chris introduced me to the story and the music of the band he called…

 By Chris Platt

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The Old Goose

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…hotel on the outskirts of York was exactly as Colin Doyle was expecting. It was the kind of place that was long past its heyday but you could still kind of see the glory it once had. It needed a massive refurb job but was still a grand place. His friends were staying in a low budget chain hotel in the city centre, but, being on the last-minute as always, Colin hadn’t been able to get in the same…

By Chris Platt

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The Roar of the Twenties

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…couldn’t believe it was 2020. The recent centenaries of the First World War years had sparked an interest in the happenings of a century ago and the anniversaries as they came up. He couldn’t explain why or how, but he felt strangely connected to the period a hundred years earlier. To be living in this new decade was special. He decided to refer to this new period as the…

By Chris Platt

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The Lab Report

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…woke up and rolled over in bed. It took him a moment to figure out what day it was. Saturday? Yep, pretty sure it was Saturday. Excellent. After a particularly gruelling week at work, a couple of days away from the office was just what he needed. A lazy day, pottering about, walking his black Labrador, Dingo, then a film and a take-away later on, that sounded just ideal. He tossed back the duvet and shrugged…

By Chris Platt

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Little Tea

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This is an excerpt from Little Tea.

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…aren't shy when they’re born to this world. Shyness evolves in increments from cause and effect until it morphs into an ingrained personality trait earned the hard way. It’s a cornerstone of wariness from which one engages with the world, a hesitancy toward humanity that colors self-esteem. I was ten…

By Claire Fullerton

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