As the spirit of X separated from her body, the animals closed in. Such a thing as they were about to attempt had never before been done—not on a human anyhow. George, however, had performed the act on one of his brothers several years earlier. The brother in question, Bertie, had been hit by a… Read more

In awe of the strange sights illuminating their eyes, the animals surrounded X— both the flesh and bone version of her sprawled out before them on the bathroom floor and the ethereal images that bore her face which were dancing in the air above. Those shapes; they were at once the meaning of life and the… Read more

Not moving a muscle or whisker, George the tortoiseshell held his breath as if he’d been caught in the act of something shameful. After all, technically speaking he was trespassing. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve been on the prowl after catching the scent of some freshly cooked chicken, or perhaps looking for someplace new to… Read more

Lifting her head off the floor, she felt the warm trickle of blood running down her pale face. Her hair was matted with the stuff. Clenching her fists, she pushed herself up and winced as her brain rocked back and forth in her skull. She wasn’t aware of the cat that had come in through… Read more

As X remained on the floor of her apartment, a cat from next door was climbing the drainpipe on the outside wall. It was a nimble thing— a tortoiseshell named George of which the other neighbouring cats held in high regard. Clamouring upwards, he lifted himself onto the windowsill before looking down on those below.… Read more

Hanging onto the curtains with both hands, she felt her legs turn to jelly, and although she did her best to stay upright, sure enough, she soon fell down. With fresh sunlight washing over her body, she curled into a ball, and there on the floor she sobbed. She sobbed until there came wave after… Read more

In the days that followed after he’d left her in a crumpled heap at the train station, X sat in the living room of her apartment still wearing the same clothes. The mascara around her eyes was there too, albeit smudged and smeared to hell so that she looked like the saddest panda you’d ever… Read more

Stood beneath a streetlight on a road belonging to any town or city you could think of, I suck on my cigarette and listen to something I can’t see but of which I know is there nonetheless. I’ve felt it my entire life, and although I’ve no proof of its existence other than the sensations… Read more

Gingerly moving ahead, she wrestled off her jacket and scarf before throwing them over the duck legs sticking out of the ice. Looking up at me, it seemed as if she was seeking some sense of approval, and although I couldn’t take away her pain, I gave her a nod of the head which caused… Read more

On a frozen lake in some town the world had done its best to forget, the feet of several ducks protruded from the ice, minus their feathered bodies. They’d fallen asleep on the water, and when the water had turned to liquid stone, the foxes came calling with them at their mercy. Showing her the… Read more