In the Exosphere of the Planet Earth sat a judge,known when alive, by the doubly inappropriate name of Patience Drinkwater. “Greetings, Newly Arrived,” said Patienceanda storm gathered around her Size 10 feet. “We are here this morning for the assignation of yoursouls either to an appropriate sphere or to a period of Penance. She shuffled the papers on her lectern. “As some of us have other pressing engagements,”she said in an aside to the jury .“We shall have to make do with an eighty percent unanimity if necessary.” There were four souls waiting in the dock and wearing a variety of masks. One bore a cat’s mouth drawn onto its whiteness, one was imprinted with the Stars and Stripes, one had a Ned Kellyishflavour and the other was white. The judge pushed the curls of her wig off her face and cleared herlong throat. “Your placement will be based on…
A chill went down my spine as screams and sobs filled the main office. I knew the sound of that glass breaking would haunt…
He glanced at his watch impatiently, half past four in the evening. The train was supposed to be here by now. He thought back…
Abbas was always hungriest at dusk. When he arose at dawn he had enough to do to distract him from the constant gnawing at…
Death. Everywhere death. The reports were brought to Queen Serena as many times during the Big-Light as there were seasons. A creature of the…
Beyond exhaustion, I rested against the wall of the carriage and pressed my face to the window. I quickly reached that helpless stage where…
Charlie wasn’t sick. He didn’t live in a bubble or anything like that. But still. It started when he was at school talking to…
Heart pumping faster than her legs, she feared she might kill her mother, feared her father would catch up to her. “Cora!” Oh, no! …
The little girl and boy were screaming. Not the bad screaming. Not Mia’s screaming. Lucretia stood in the outer schoolyard, looking through the fence…
