Author S. K. Nicholas

“Do you feel different when you pass through these doors? Do you feel enlightened?” Pawing at my face, I see the sadness in the circles around her eyes. She looks sad even when she’s happy. I’m not sure what she is now; it’s hard to tell. I’m not even sure what I am, come to Read more

In Emu Creek, a green bottle of wine is passed back and forth between two sets of blistered hands. In the sweet liquid contained within the cold, labeless glass, the reflection of countless stars can be seen as clearly as they appear in the sky above. Below, cigarettes squirm in fingers belonging to bodies that Read more

Twitching her nose like a rabbit, she sucks on her cigarette. When the words leave her mouth, so does the smoke. The smoke gives shape to the words, and for a second, they spill out like alphabet spaghetti. “This door you heard—did you pass through it?” “I believe I did.” “But you’re still here?” “Yeah, Read more

“Did you hear one of these doors just now?” “I didn’t hear it, but I felt it.” “What did it feel like?” Closing my eyes, I sniff the warm air while listening to the chiming of the far-away church bells. I imagine them to be old and cracked, like the hearts of the disbelievers on Read more

“Have you ever seen any of these doors?” “Well, not exactly, but I know they’re out there.” “How do you know they exist if you’ve never seen one?” “How do you know that wasps have the capability to sting if you’ve never been stung by one yourself?” Shaking her head, she huffs as a sparrow Read more

Snapping at the fly, Hachikō climbs onto the branch above my head. With his tail wagging excitedly, I shield my eyes from the light of the sun as it flickers beyond. It might be on its descent, yet it’s still bright enough to leave me blind if I stare at it for any length of Read more

In the hours you once knew, but not for some time, a brown paper bag dances down the street outside the house where you lived as a kid. Out of sight, but not out of mind, vines climb the crumbling walls, forcing their way in through the rotting window frames. They seek you out even Read more

Scurrying upwards, Meeko disappears into the leaves of the tree. They look like hands. The tree itself is also like a hand, with its branches reaching out to touch the sky like fingers seeking salvation from the mythical realm above. I say mythical. It could be there’s something up there. Y’know, something more, but until Read more

The smoke from my cigarette is dispersed by the flapping wings of the hummingbird. With my forefinger stretched out as far as it can go, its beak taps upon the nail I chew when I can’t think of what to write next, or when I run out of beer. I can’t feel the tapping, it’s Read more

As the hummingbird floats on a gentle breeze, I reach out my hand, unable to resist the promise of the merest of touches. I’m almost certain it’ll spook and fly away, but the closer my hand moves, the more it seems as though I’ve made another new friend. Considering I’m hanging upside down from a Read more