Author S. K. Nicholas

Rain fills an egg cup on a plastic table. In an overgrown garden full of twigs, green and memories unseen, the wind moves all but me. I can see it, but can’t feel it. Its scent is that of dust and old marbles. Just why there’s an egg cup in the garden is a story Read more

“Surely you would save me if I were drowning?” “I might,” she says, “it depends on how annoying you’ve been.” “I don’t annoy you, do I?” I say tongue firmly in cheek. “Yes, you do, and quite often at that.” Grinning to myself as we circle the looming tree, I spy how its bark bears Read more

“I’m kind to all things that deserve my kindness.” “Then why not birds?” “Because they always shit on me. They do it on purpose.” “Well, they will if you have a habit of seeking them out. You’ll make them nervous.” “I don’t seek them out!” she protests. Shaking my head, I groan as a gentle Read more

“Poor birds,” I say, “you leave them alone.” “Dirty feathered sods,” she snarls with a grin. Pulling her close as she makes a strange growling noise in the back of her throat, Hachikō snaps his tail before rushing the tree. Circling its trunk like a squirrel, he ascends with great speed and agility. Disappearing into Read more

Town drenched in mist. Thick, gloopy mist that reminds you of the grave. Not yours, of course, but it will be one day. Roads leading to grey stores and grey people with their grey hands stuffed deep into the pockets of their threadbare jeans. Pockets got sticks of gum in them, and bus tickets chewed Read more

“You’re thinking of snow, aren’t you?” “Yes,” I say, “how do you know that?” “You talk about it in your sleep.” “I do?” “Yes. Little snippets here and there. Brief descriptions of the world you desire to be real more than the one you live in.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “You know full well Read more

With the wind blowing through the keyhole, I nervously part her hair and place a song upon her lips. It’s an evening song; one that’s even in all the right places. Her lips are pink; as pink as the lips she never kisses with. My body ages, but I have no age, and when she Read more

Time is the only thing we have left, and there’s never enough of it. For me, the person that is I, it’s been the same ever since my days in the crib so many years removed from the fate that now awaits me. In my infant air, I lived without a care. But only for Read more

“Go on with what?” I ask. “Our first kiss,” she grins, “tell me about it.” Letting Hachikō guide us along, I hold Meeko close. “You should know, you were there.” “Don’t be facetious,” she says, “I want you to tell me how it made you feel.” “You know how it made me feel because you Read more

There’s this strange, static sound rolling in from fields that, from a distance, resemble the sea. I can hear birdsong and the crashing of waves, or could it be the rustling of leaves belonging to a vast number of motherless trees? In a dream, I once wrote a book titled The History of Wind. Everyone Read more