Author S. K. Nicholas

There’s a water tower lying on its belly in a field of bright yellow corn. It’s been a number of years since it fell. It made no sound, and yet in the middle of a night of broken sleep, I remember the moment so vividly. Waking in a cold sweat fearing the worst, another part Read more

The smoke on her breath is heavy. Like a mushroom cloud, it hangs above her sullen head in the most heavenly of ways. The motel has a neon sign above it. Although it doesn’t work, strangely enough, the cold, morning sunlight bouncing off the cracked tubing momentarily brings it back to life. She hasn’t washed Read more

Within the square confines of a faded polaroid, fingers smear labia at will. Litter trays, ashtrays—these sheets of paper betray my best intentions without me even realising. Some words contain hurt. Others, guilt. Two brown eyes and a smile orchestrated by tiny strings are the guiltiest of all. Strings like those connecting the many universes Read more

Despite having a headache, I spent most of the day watching bare-knuckle fights between groups of warring travellers. The internet kept feeding them to me, and all I could do was watch as the beastly men broke each other’s faces in parking lots and underpasses as the rest of their lot goaded them on. Sometimes, Read more

The bar’s closed. At least it is to me. There’s a lock-in. I tried persuading the bouncer to let me stay, but I fluffed my lines, and now I’m left with the prospect of wandering the streets that are so much more threatening and magical than they are during the day. They know no end. Read more

As you walk the streets in nothing but your dressing gown, so the gravestones of the local church kiss your pale neck as if you were someone worth loving. The blades of grass kiss your toes. They nibble the little piggy on your right foot like the mouth of a lover who wanted you for Read more

There’s an X just below her navel, and even though they say it never marks the spot, I think in this instance, they got it wrong. If I put my ear to her belly, I hear insects. If I place my tongue upon the knee of her left leg, I taste every earthly delight that Read more

Two flaming sambucas. She downs hers then orders two more. I forget to blow mine out, and when I knock it back the flames burn my lips. It’s late, and we’re the only ones at the bar. In the distance, a train cuts through the countryside slicing the murky fields the same way a blade Read more

When I whip out my cock, I hear the crumbling of Turkish mountains as they rip and roar into the Black Sea. Gentle at first, like the ruffling of feathers, and then louder, and louder, like bombs dropping on churches in some middle eastern town where the roads run red from slit throats, and any Read more

The guy in the store knows me and my drinking habits quite well. He never comments, just gives a nod and double bags what I’ve got. He’s handsome enough, but a cleft lip has left him with a crippling sense of self-awareness that hasn’t shifted even into his fourth decade. Not that he’s ever told Read more