ORIGINAL FICTION FROM ACROSS THE WORLD
This update April 2008

Hackwriters - The International Writers Magazine: Section 2 - 2007/8 -- Section One 1999-2007 here

Koffee Kulture Leigh Pierce "Welcome to Karma Koffee, home of the $450 dollar coffee, how can I help you?" Shiny Summer Super Time Ra-Ra-Ra Mark Cunliffe This summer has been the best summer ever Simon Says Mark Cunliffe Its half past twelve at night, exactly thirty minutes into 2008 and I am stood in my small back yard, looking up into the cold fresh New Year rain, completely naked Vincent's Wine Karen Maxwell Nothing belonged to him. Only the dry mouth from the shots at The Sky Bar on York last night, but that was changed with his toothbrush and a coffee with milk within the hour of swinging his legs around and stepping onto the pre-fabricated oak floor.  Fat Nasty Bitch Jessica Schneider Noelle Gomez was not the kind of woman anyone noticed. She was someone who, had you seen her in a bookstore, or a supermarket, you would just look on and past her, Stiff upper Lip Albert Rouzie hitches a ride I’m gonna die. Jesus. Gonna die. Oh, lord The Forbidden Town Natasha Reid I can no longer go it, through it, or even near it. Stop R. Sirmons I am IN life. I am in the stream of it, in the middle of it, I swallow it and eat it Still Life Mark Robinson And the skies above the City bleed down upon the earth its overcast haze. The Councillor Mark Robinson ‘I need your help. My wife; she’s cheating on me.’ There, it was out. Open. The Fall of Me Tessa Foley I did care for them. You learn to care for anyone you work with every sunlit hour God sends. I watched the children grow like weeds in Spring. I would be lying if I said it didn't touch my icy, red heart when they smiled or cried Life After Death Emma Callan I was thirty four years old when I died. I’d never thought about dying before. The Pefect Scandal Emma Callan ‘Tell me Mr. Stead. How did you, such a respectable man, come to witness…’ The boy who never had a good day David Tavernier There was once a boy who looked in the mirror, and all he saw were pimples. He thought he was the ugliest boy on earth Small Change Rich Raitano Small Change. That’s what they called him on the street ,,, because he would do just about anything for a hand full of next to nothing Happy Ending Saeed Tavakkol  “Good evening, Sir. I’m calling from Happy Ending. You’ve been selected to win a prize.” The Prisoner Tom Sheehan The sound came once more. He stiffened. It was closer. His whole body knew it was closer. It was not just in the hearing. It approached. The Photographer’s Model Joseph Grant “Life is defined by light and shadow…” The stentorian voice boomed, filling the large empty echo of the front of the photographer’s shop. The Banished Joseph Grant Juan Muytado cursed them; they, who had left him here in this wasteland, alone in hell. White Oleander Alun Williams We decided to run away after Betty’s parents found out she was pregnant. Redemption James C. Clar "Liam, I’m not much of one when it comes to pets," she began. Moon Steere Mark Cunliffe The year is 1744. A big fat harvest moon shone that night upon the forests of the village of Moon Steere as Tom Carter ran for his life. Greetings from Caen Gordon Bourgon France, July, 1944, near Caen Hello my little snowflake. Do you remember when I first called you that? My little snowflake. That terrible winter when we were twelve The Ghost in the Machine David Tavernier There was once a computer named Daniel. All day long he'd sit and wait for someone, anyone to help him out of his misery.

Up On The Shelf Gordon Ray Bourgon My path to recovery has taken a detour, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find my way again. Darwin Adam Graupe “Connie, I found the solution to our problems.”  Darwin reached into his front pocket and removed a Powerball lottery ticket First Day Christine Churcher Monday morning, nine a.m., I tremble as I pass through the long, cold corridors, the acrid smell clinging to the inside of my nostrils Richard's Story Claire Holland I am suddenly reluctant to pick up the phone because I know that I am not going to like what I hear. Banana Falls on Ant Jerry Billstrom Fishing for time in Cuba Office Tyrant Martin Green “Didn’t I say I wanted that report  today,” asked Blair, his deep voice soft but menacing. Starbuck James C Clar It was one of those nights that the word ‘balmy’ was simply born to describe. The palm trees shrugged their shoulders and rustled overhead in the light trades as I walked my dog east along Ala Wai Boulevard. Satisfaction Guaranteed Richard Radford Sunset hit the parking lot outside Globe-Mart, splashing neon light across the acres of SUVs and minivans packed into tight rows. The Lady’s Curse Natalie Tehrani The Tower Adaira felt the tower walls edge closer, imagined the spiders creeping from their damp beds to crawl over her skin. Outside the fields stretched for miles, laughing with silent scorn at her weakness. The Man in the Orange Suit Adam Graupe The driveway winded and twisted through hills and pine.  A mile up the driveway stood a shack surrounded by hundreds of destroyed televisions. Red Like Me Lisa Timmerman Zittau, Germany, 1933 I have never waited this long. My situation is my secret. Until they return. Carpe Diem Will Collins She was the jewel in the crown of Liquorice’s dancers: as delicious, elegant and alluring as any vintage wine; the most requested dancer; the most fascinating treasure. Merton's Pizza G David Schwartz Merton's dream was about to be fulfilled. The  good Lord willing, and a little bit of luck, Merton would have what he had been nagging me about for the last twelve hours. Merton was about to be satisfied. Surviving the Moroccan Bath Sidi Benzahra When I was six, or probably seven years old, my mom always took me and my sisters to the public bath. Whenever we built up a good thick layer of dirt on our skin, or had gone two weeks without washing for some reason or another, she would take us there. La Creta Returns Dean Borok Like Satan, she was known by many names, all of which related to that most alluring and reviled aspect of the female physiognomy. The San Juan Bagels Parking Lot Dean Borok La Creta dwelt in perpetual fear of the parking lot, separated from the factory by the Taliban shish-kebob garage where resided the The Forty Thieves of the spicy halal chicken and rice wagons The Texas Long-Haired Rifle Association Jim Parks It took me a minute or two before I realized that Harry wasn't trying to pretend he didn't know me Little Toy Pocketknife Floyd Frank Gary Horton used to have a Swiss Army knife that I enjoyed ridiculing Starting Out Martin Green I was pretty excited about getting the job on my first interview until I discovered that my salary would be $75 a week, Coming of Age in San Francisco    Martin Green “The new campaign stinks,” interrupted Fiegelman. College in America: Weed 101 Alan Stokes I found Flyn in our dorm, smoking a joint. There was a kid with him. I asked what his name was and he said his name was Zack. It seemed incredible but I let it go.

Getting Out Of Bed Vanessa Telaro Deep down Andie wanted to see how her life would end. In her reverie, Andie was about seventeen years old. A Matter of Great Importance Des Daly A pale wintering sun was rising over a sharp ridge-backed mountain range that trailed off far into the hazy distance as Tang Shi rattled and bumped his bicycle along a narrow potholed road running through neat rowed rice fields Requiem for a hat Ryan Sirmons The greatest mark of individuality in my father’s family was their baseball caps. Everyone had one: my aunt, my father, my grandfather, my uncles. Whenever the family was together, they always wore them, indoors, outdoors, and everywhere except church. Cyber Cynic Tom Nation A full moon adorned the night sky above the city, ducking and diving silently behind grey clouds of pollution. Her gaze penetrated the steel and concrete lattice of streets below and illuminated the body of a male who identified himself only as "Archos" A Brother's Regrets Patrick Wilson "Right here!" David said.  It was a few minutes after midnight when they pulled into the gas station parking lot.  The station was closed for the night, but David's thoughts were still open. How Lucky Was That? Ian Smith A man tapped an unlit cigarette alongside me, and rattled his empty glass on the bar. I stretched forward. I was sick of having to compete for a beer. Dunkin Dreams J Brooke Dead Drunk in Dublin, set 'em up Joe, a drink, the pause that refreshes, you know, something, anything to keep my hands from shaking... Sips Piper Davenport I didn't know at the time that I met her, that she would change my life forever. When I first met her, all I could think to myself, was Huh? Where did this person come from? Mill of Passing Warmth Lakunle Jaiyesimi As if the body grows to length overnight, I roused myself from sleep one auspicious morn and discovered a startling old image of self before the mirror. Have I slept all my life? Heart Break Pass Joeseph Brooke Heart break pass, broken dreams and nightmare screams, visions of some corporate monkey drilling deep into your soul with carbide eyeballs Mother Amber C Wisniewski There are those of us who often repress the haunting memories of our childhood because our mother has violently crushed something as sacred as youth into a thousand abandoned teardrops. Goodbye Ouma Colin Harris Dear Ouma - Seven days ago I was at your cremation, and I lost two things. New Year's Eve D. A. Warren It was less than an hour away from the New Year and Morna sat alone in the darkness The Pledge Matt Alison New Year’s Eve was the night with his resolution being to quit drinking for his all around health, and he felt an uncertainty about this change. Setting up the Aquarium G David Schwartz We cleared the cobwebs from the aquarium, which sat dormant for five years. Great names like Xiphophorous maculate and Helvstoma temmincki swam through my head The Gig Alex Hay Kevin strapped on the guitar and searched around for the jack-plug socket in the amp. A voice from the back of the pub shouted something about Oasis and Wonderwall. He thought to himself -' You’re gonny hear what I want to play. Nane o’ yur Oasis shite’. Road Block Mark Cunliffe As Guy Block walked briskly across the windswept concrete square that was optimistically called a ‘piazza’ at an incredibly early hour of the day he knew that what lay ahead for him did not bode well. Block-Age Mark Cunliffe Guy Block strode through the dull corrugated roofed, glass and brick walled tube that Hopemouth University entitled a corridor with a sense of purpose. Nothing would get him down today... Abracadabra Alibash Chandran Shibu was stuck dumb when he saw Mohan standing on the doorway with that strange puppy. Its nose was glowing and moist. It was strikingly cherry-like. Canned Martin Green It was a spring evening in San Francisco in the 1960’s.   Paul Weiss had gone back to his guesthouse room after dinner, intending to work on his resume, but the sight of his cramped room seemed to drain all his energy Dora and her Mother Gabriela Davies The day that Dora was born was the happiest day in her mother’s life. Everyone; family, friends, neighbours, and even the birds that lived in the trees had come to see the birth of the new baby girl. Love Story: A Narrative Amber C Wisniewski It is 5:30 a.m. and my husband lies alone in our bedroom unaware of my absence. I cannot sleep. How could I possibly think about closing my eyes when every image I see is so disturbing that I am driven to nightmares? Handis George Sparling The next day made a grand jump cut for Ralph and Kathy. We usually swallowed our medications at night, and then the sleep of the dead. The following day either faded in or made a transition to the next. But we never knew for certain. That was the tao of handis, a portmanteau word for craziness. Can't Wait Charles Mulberry One morning in mid-April when a heinous cold front from the northern United States finally finished a week long refrigeration campaign on the South, the sun shone brighter and hotter than anyone in Murfreesboro, Tn could have ever hoped. Wingmen John Whalen We were approaching the coast just below Vinh only twenty minutes after leaving the carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) on duty in Yankee Station. For weeks we had been hitting the docks of Haiphong and the other ports of North Vietnam and there was scarcely a target left. The Perils of Illiteracy Shobha Nagendran The brown cow was either suicidal or grossly illiterate. How else to explain why she did not take heed of the name calligraphically etched upon the granite slab affixed to the gate post? Bubble of my Heart Lalita Kakanadan My Thursdays are colourful… Coz I see you on all Thursdays… Coz I see you only on Thursdays I Died Lakunle Jaiyesimi I died! Pitifully sprawled. She warned me! Resting breathless at the crossroad. It was a familiar spot I had passed much too often, when I still had my body. The Sepulcher Lakunle Jaiyesimi Are words thrown up, like mines, from relegated sepulchers in the manner of whispers heavier than the songs of heroes? Vinegar In The Salad Mark Cunliffe Nina Bale stood by the window in the office and looked out across London’s docklands. It was 1987 and it was her year. She could feel it in her bones, Uncle Pringle and the Mob Martin Green “I hear you talk about your Uncle Pringle,” he said.   “He has many connections. I wonder if he can help me?" An Honourable Act Mark Cunliff's spook story Harry trudged bitterly up the marble steps of the imposing house and pressed the buzzer. It was gone eleven at night, he was tired and his feet hurt. Our Man in Africa Mark Cunliffe The jeep bounced along the dirt road sending Harry up from his seat and back down again with a crash. His stomach was not happy about this. Frit Linda Regan ‘Don’t Put Your Daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington!’ Isn’t a phrase that resounded around our house, in the year when I reached five. Nina’s Near Miss Diana Bretherick Nina sat back on her heels and surveyed her handiwork. In all of her eight years she did not think that she had seen a finer example of a sandcastle. Pictures Andrea Ledbury It started with a tiny spark and within minutes proliferated into gigantic, roaring flames Seeds of December Karen Maxwell Seeds of winter are alive in Montauk.  You can hear them under your boots; easy to confuse with small tree branches or bones rising from the deceased. The Tennis Match Martin Green Little did I know that the mixed doubles tennis match I was a part of would signal the end of an era for our suburban tennis club Heatwave Carolyn Hughes Sirens were blaring, red and orange and yellow flames soared into the sky, and thick black smoke was turning day into dusk. Bulldozers were demolishing trees in the path of the fire No Honesty In Death Mark Cunliffe There was a dead body waiting for Harry in Prague. All in all he’d had better welcome parties. Fragments by Diana Bretherwick Diary entries prior to predicted extinction level event circa 2008. - April 20th Still Life Mark Robinson - survivor And the skies above the City bleed down upon the earth its overcast haze. Quiet below, sinking beneath the mist, a stale darkness pervades. With streets aloof, atom-bomb atonic. Red flashing twelve o’clocks light a humming wave of out-of-order signs and sequential blinking green men below the anodised phosphorescent burn of street lighting. Seeing Nothing Linda Regan Most nights Albert was distracted from his television or radio listening because of the outbursts of fighting in the grounds below. Southsea Sundays 1907 Laura Patrica Every Sunday, after lunch, Donald Wickens called at 211 Albert Road for Miss Hattie. The Perrita, The Darkest Man J Alan Billstrom The Yuma did not bring a guitar with him to Cuba because he wanted to buy a Cuban guitar Bakery Story Mark Swann Where the hell did those bastards come from? Other people? Dead people? Lost animal souls looking for a new burrow? Combinations of these perhaps. Oh well. How deep is the well? Deep, not deep enough for some people. Ambulance Chaser Greg Jacob   “DOA.”  Jim stated flatly.  “No need to rush.  We have to wait for CSU to finish up before we can go in.” Lactose Intolerance Ross Merriam Mitch is always going on about how much he hates his job and how much he wants to leave. In the Lift Tara L Clark 'This is no big deal.' Jerry mumbled to himself while clutching his briefcase

Secrets From The Dust Warren Hamilton The pang pang gooks all laughed as their several tiny fingers raced over the bushes, plucking at the wild riberries, which were fat with juice. The girl that they sometimes called Snake-woman-child, darted in and out of the scrub with an athletic ease It isn’t Going to Rain Tessa Foley Seventies furniture. It's always an issue for me. I'm appalled by it. I never understood the idea of a room in brown slash beige oblique orange that might impress the neighbours Five get me into Trouble Claire Holland Four days after my ninth birthday, my parents moved house and so did I. And my little world fell apart. Lost in the Clouds Des Daly Alvaro Lorca was conceived in the silence of the Osier woods that run along the undulating valleys of the Sierra Albarracin. His father boasted that he was sure to follow his footsteps and become a master Osier cutter Mene's Song Dike Okoro Port Harcourt had been restless for weeks. Reporters from Europe and the U.S. thronged the international airport at Alu, just a few miles from the notorious Catch-Fire prison yard where the renowned environmentalist and fiction writer, Mene, languished in detention Conversations With the Trees Karen Maxwell We pushed off from the side of the lake with Jonathan’s strong arms and his paddle extended onto the shore line. We paddled into the center on our way, to cross over, to the other side. I sat straight with the paddle in my hands grasp. In the Redwoods Mike Blake on the Californian Road The moon was out that night – if not full, then close to it – and it shed a silver-white light down over the trees and the bank of the river. It was a wide, rushing river that we had crossed by a long wooden bridge to the flat, open bank (if you could call it that) where we settled for the night. The Coconut Tree Kiran It must have been less than a year since Uncle passed away. Oil Slick Richard Corwin Whatever it was that popped up into Lake Wanautta, like a bubble, Terry was startled, mesmerized and watched from his kitchen window as the mysterious thing floated and bobbed, Love Games Mark Cunliffe It was a crisp September morning with the summer sun still hanging in the air, abetted with the nice breeze that signified that autumn was round the corner. It was 1974, and Wendy Lampkin stepped off the train at Hopemouth station Love Games Chapters Three & Four Chasing Wendy She was a phantom of delight Chopping Block Marc Cunliffe "That was fantastic," she said, pleasing Guy. "Much better than last time." Homecoming Elizabeth di Grazia The bedroom is shadowy. The bundle, a snail swaddled in yellow flannel, curls into my chest. We rock. A homemade quilt lies at the edge of the crib, its outline visible through the slats. Against one wall the silhouette of not yet opened infant toys propped on white shelving. Life and Death Kiran Kannappan Suma was looking gorgeous in her new white Kanchivaram saree with dark green border, as she was being slowly led to the mane (Dais) by her sister-in-law. A Brush with the Law James Matthews The burly youth waved a piece of broken stick at Ana. They were down a side street of La Boca, a touristy enclave of Buenos Aires in the middle of a run-down neighbourhood. She was cornered. Horse Business Marc George Summer was coming and for the first time I wasn't looking forward to it. I thought I was still being punished but mam said not to be silly. I was to be sent to Jacks The Dagger by Subimal Misra Translated from Bengali by V Ramaswamy Someone called out from behind: Hooeey Sudas! Where’re you goin pal? He didn’t look back. The dead body still hung from that tree branch, feet bound, head downwards. The Vampire's Garden Natalie Tehrani The garden was silent and still. Moonlight seeped across the grass, a dark velvet sea, soft and seductive to my bare touch. Each blade of grass caressing my skin gently as I walked. Chinese Syndrome Joseph Guderian is drilling for oil Hank Croix walked out of the pharmacy mumbling to himself when he couldn’t get a refill on his prescription for sleeping pills. He was told he’d have to wait until the doctor returned to the drilling camp next week. Red Saturday Josh Bensen It’s one of those Saturday mornings where I am perfectly content on be woken up by the white hot light of the sun blasting through my cracked window shades. Sleep is great but I am roused by the sun itself. L'hymne national d'Elodie (Elodie’s national anthem) Graham Stull Building Block Mark Cunliffe Eddie Cochran once sang of love as being a journey built on ‘Three Steps To Heaven’; 'Step one - you find a girl to love Step two - she falls in love with you...' Round The Block Mark Cunliffe "Wouldn’t you agree Prof. Block?" How would he know. Guy Block hadn’t been listening. Parental Block Mark Cunliffe There comes a time for everyone when you have to meet someone you used to know. The very fact that there are billions and trillions of people in this world and that you do not meet them all yet continue to meet the same people, the blasts from the pasts is an odd one. But that is what we do. Kids on the Block Marc Cunliffe Guy Block groaned in despair at another start to another week. He leant out from his slumber and hit the snooze button The Thief of Bottles Sidi Cherkawi Benzahra Once my father owned an auto-body shop in a wooded area in the district of Agdal, Rabat, Morocco. The shop had two dusty windows and a little light, grayed by this dust At Gun Point Maryann Webb Natasha Grant swooped into her 1999 Ford Fiesta, slammed the door, and started the engine all in one fluid motion. Block and Tackle Mark Cunliffe It is often said that two is company Three however leads you into deep trouble. Anniversary Block Mark Cunliffe If marriage is an institution, then it must be the only one that celebrates its incarceration each year. It was Guy Block’s wedding anniversary. The Passion of Nino De Jesus Dean Borok (extract) Niño de Jesus frequently had marveled at the fork lift truck on his way to work and one day, when the proprietor had left the gate unlocked, he snuck in for a closer look. Climbing up the ladder on the side and peering into the control booth, he noticed that they had left the key in the ignition. After all, one might reason, who would steal such a monster? Only a crazy man! Andrew on the Bus Julia Gordon Andrew was taking a test. He chewed his pen anxiously and looked over his shoulder. Trial by remorse Carolyn Hughes ‘Until the boy or girl who did this owns up,’ said Mrs Hill, ‘the whole class will stay in and miss playtime School Dinners Emma Callan I feel like a pigeon, tottering tentatively into the dining room. Nothing prepares you for this. De Rode Molen Diana Goss Waiting in front of the big red Windmill at the Piet Mondrian exhibition at the National Gallery I failed to realise how much power that magical motherly shape still held over me. The Pleasures of Life Julia Gordon It was midday and I was sitting around my house in my underwear reading John Updike. This experience gave me an incredible sense of pleasure. Here’s The Hitch Max Slachter Some people hitchhike because they have to. Real hitchhikers. They can’t afford a Greyhound bus or they don’t have a license, they have no friends or family who will give them a lift Oceans Rose Richard Corwin The tropic night air was heavy with humidity that hung like thick motor oil in every breath. When combined with the stillness and eerie darkness, it gave the river a mood as if it were the end of the world. Mayor Keynes In Punta del Este Excerpt from novel in progress "A Symphony of Fear" by Dean Borok No smoking gun was ever discovered with the mayor’s fingerprints on it, and as the flood of nebulous accusations and innuendo cascaded daily in the newspaper and media reports, he ceaselessly insisted that he was the victim of a right-wing smear job The Suitcase Claire Holland Charlotte’s birthday dawned warm and sunny: the sky an innocent early autumn blue, the day she packed the suitcase The Virus Lisa Timmermann Kit got out of her car and immediately felt like killing someone when she saw Jonathan sitting on the stairs with her nemesis Hidden Lisa Timmerman Stories. I used to think they are a part of this world, of reality. Now I realize they are only a means to make you feel better about yourself Hysteria Tessa Foley You won’t feel a thing. Not a thing. I was one of the first to have the operation. Streets Linda Waltenberger Kelly's stomach was in jumbles. The knots and gnarls hurt, twisted and pulled. Her insides were about to jump through her skin and there would be nothing she could to prevent it A Long Night in the Old Town. Robert Hillum She would be there on the stage singing a slow 30’s croon in a harsh rasping voice that aches with sexual desire. A red dress maybe, tight and close to the skin, The Son Is Crying Max Slachter I have some happy memories of train journeys. They are of slow trips into the city during school break with my mother, Ghostal Regions Dean Borok (Extract from Symphony of Fear) The world of dreams is an eternal infinite universe inside each person... driven by the unformed expression of neurotic impulses and sexual repressions of the dreamer Havelock Gets His Fortune Told Dean Borok Still holding the dregs of his drink in his hand, Havelock Jones waded through the Halloween party in the direction of the fortune teller. Paulette's Reverie (excerpt from "A Symphony of Fear") Dean Borok Paulette regarded herself critically in the full-length mirror of her bedroom, still trying to decide if it was absolutely essential for her lingerie to match her street clothes. Tiger By the Tail Marc Cunliffe He ran as fast and as hard as he could but there was no escaping the fact that he was a dead man racing towards an early grave. Paradise Lost Des Daly We arrived a little early for Theo’s party and were shown into an ante-room that led off from the highly polished marbled floored hallway

ANOTHER PLACE TO DIE by Sam North The Next Great Flu Pandemic is coming. Are you prepared? 'Beautiful, plausible, and sickeningly addictive, Another Place to Die will terrify you, thrill you, and make you petrified of anyone who comes near you with so much as a sniffle'. Roxy Williams - Amazon.co.uk Fascinating, frightening and compelling, Another Place to Die is the ultimate page-turner which I guarantee will result in many late nights under the bedside light with you uttering, ‘just one more chapter!!’ Ian Middleton Read the first chapter on line Order Now direct from Publisher : Another Place To Die

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