Alison Pearce

Cyril hated being different. His brothers, sisters and cousins all teased him mercilessly behind their parents’ backs, making him feel worse. But, even if they hadn’t, Cyril would still fee…

Cash woke with a gasp. He groped for the bottled water on the bedside table. Gulping its contents greedily, he tried to shake off the effects of the dream. A dream that had haunted him from…

The eleventh hour has struck
I stand still in the street
Each chime thrums through me
Tears flow down my cheeks

In remembrance of times of war
Of fear and hate and loss
Of the brave…

Mary knew that what she was about to do signified a dramatic change in her life. Closing her eyes, Mary felt a single tear squeeze through. The silver pearl clung to her lashes briefly – just…

_The room was cold. It tasted like blue on the tip of Fran’s tongue. Blue splayed out in delicate tendrils to cover her face. In another time, the blue would’ve made her shiver; now Fran welcom…

Drifting through infinite space
Pastel bursts of colour abound
As galaxies bud, blossom, then wither away

The mind expands in radiating circles
Absorbing the wisdom of galaxies lost
…

‘I’m so excited, Mr Twinkles!’ Bronwyn exclaimed, scooping her tiny black kitten into her arms. Mr Twinkles purred deeply as he nuzzled into her neck, ‘Oh, I know. I wish you could come too. Ma…

Seth kissed the top of his son’s head and tiptoed toward the doorway. As his hand reached out to flick off the light switch, the small bundle under the Ben 10 bedcovers stirred.
‘Daddy?’
‘Y…

‘Hello. My name is Isabella. How can I help you today?’
You can serve me best by returning to your fancy smancy college to learn a bit of empathy and sincere compassion. I bit back hard …

Every time Terry turned a card, Lana felt a rush of adrenaline. This, she thought, was what it must be like to be high. On top of the world with all the cards in the deck stacked in your …

Everyone breathed a self-congratulatory sigh as the last speaker sat down. As the meeting drew to a close, Warren, the group’s counsellor, stood to deliver his customary pep talk
‘We’ve ma…

I feel an icy chill as spring erupts
September never seems to sleep
Taunting me with sweet pastel blooms
September has a secret that she keeps

This is the last September
That I’ll cry fo…

David emerged from the building slowly, his face shadowed under a wide brimmed hat.
‘Celia?’
Startled, Celia turned quickly. A halo of light surrounded her. In her flowing white gown, Celia…

“Easy as Sunday morning.”
The words of the song rang through his head.
He had to lift a hand to his mouth to suppress a derogative snort. When had Sunday mornings ever been easy for hi…

Once more, he paced the length of the room. His brows were furrowed in concern as the sun slowly settled over the mountains to the west. Joe couldn’t count how many times he’d stood and sta…

‘What is that smell?’
I gagged, my senses assailed by the foul odour coming from the kitchen.
‘My experiment,’ my younger brother replied proudly as he followed me toward the source of the pu…

Shrill and persistent, the phone woke Paul.
‘Hello?’
“Paul.”
The achingly familiar voice thrummed through him. Paul sat bolt upright, pulse racing.
‘Jane? Where are you?’
“Outside.” …

Salt spray whipped Cody’s cheeks as pale green waves crashed upon the unfamiliar, rocky shore. Jumping to his feet, Cody studied his surroundings. His brow furrowed in confusion.
The sky was…

Will walked down the hallway of the moonlit apartment. Everything was so different and yet the same. He ran a hand lightly over an old dresser they’d had since they were married. He couldn’t be…

Tense silence shrouded the dusty road as the gunslingers faced each other. The newcomer, known only as “The Kid”, kept his focus on Earl.
Earl’s thin lips curled upwards. His hand twitched ea…