Author S. K. Nicholas

x and i: a novel

a journal for damned lovers vol 1-3

DamnedLovers

  • Acts of Guilt

    Taking the stairs two at a time, for less time than I had wished, I felt five years old again. For the briefest of moments, the optimism of reaching the top reminded me of when a simple pleasure such as this was the only pleasure worth chasing. The illusion, however, was soon shattered. Clutching my… Read more

  • Love Letters

    Up the stairwell breathing in warm, dusty air, and the doors of the other apartments housed stories I would never know. Well, I say that, but some I was partial to as Meeko had a thing for talking at length to the other residents whenever she wasn’t at work. She would relay her findings to… Read more

  • Last Night’s Beer

    Hurrying along feeling last night’s beer seeping from my pores, I resisted the urge to have a cigarette but soon collapsed in on myself and stopped in the shade of a doorway to roll a sly one. Fumbling around with sweat dripping into my eyes, it was a prolonged effort, and yet despite being half-blind,… Read more

  • She Teems with Life

    The smell of Meeko’s unwashed body was one of life’s genuine pleasures. Whenever she went without bathing, her flesh gave off an aroma that was frustratingly addictive. It intensified in the hot weather, and when she spent her time in our apartment lazing around in dirty clothes avoiding going into work, her body became a… Read more

  • Skin Shedders

    Meeko writhed about as if in pain. Like a despondent child, she twisted and turned until her arms and legs became tangled in the lone bedsheet covering the mattress. She was a sorry sight—much like the mattress—and together they evoked in me much sorrow. “I understand why you want to fit in,” I said. Rolling… Read more

  • To Untether Oneself

    Hurrying along with the sun in my eyes, I felt the way a dirty human should. I was a scampering bag of bones, part hungry, part horny—afraid of the light, yet in desperate need of its affection. To make matters worse, I was a writer. That meant I could never let anything go. At least… Read more

  • To Live Your Life

    Apologising several times to the girl with a nameless name badge who kept telling me there was no need to apologise, I paid for my blueberry muffins and toffee before heading back outside into the sunshine. The street was busy, and life was everywhere, and yet although it felt good to be part of the… Read more

  • The Friendly Ghost

    The girl in the uniform with a name badge without a name looks at me as if I were odd. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d received such a look. Although I would say, it was probably the first time it was fully justified, for never before had I passed out in a store… Read more

  • The Mystery of Meeko

    Picking up a packet of blueberry muffins and tucking it under my arm, I search the next aisle and find a box of toffee that reminds me of my childhood. It has a picture of a lighthouse on it and is adorned with a plethora of creamy colours that speak to my soul of an… Read more

  • Softer Than Usual

    Heading inside the store, I stand beneath the air conditioning unit situated just above the entrance. Holding my arms out either side of me, I groan as if in the throes of climax, such is the pleasure of the cold air blowing onto my puny, white body. I’m not as puny as I used to… Read more