Chris Mackenzie looked out at the still waters of the Loch. He probably wasn’t the first person to stand on its edge, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famed Loch Ness Monster. He was different though. He had history on his side. His great-grandfather had reported seeing the monster. He was one of the first. The fact that he had only mentioned it after the famous ‘surgeon’s photograph’ made it questionable. Chris believed his great-grandfather though and he’d travelled to Scotland to prove something.

He’s a fool. Full of high-minded ideas about his ancestry.

(more…)

Ronan looked over the bright blue bubbling sea. He looked above to the cloudless blue sky with its taunting yellow sun shining down on the earth below. The day was a balmy thirty-degree day on the east coast of Australia. Down below he heard the frolicking laughs of young kids and their nagging of their parents filling the pool area. He stood on his balcony, noting the slight breeze. This was a perfectly lovely day, he told himself as he tried desperately to believe it. He felt the cool tiles of the balcony against his bare feet and decided it was time to head inside.

(more…)

[Author’s Note: This piece is a sequel to the piece What We’ve Become.]

The room was all wood panelling and polished metal corporate logos. Scott Darrow sat far back in his chair in the empty room. There were several other chairs around a large wooden table. Each chair was near identical to the ones next to it. They were black, cushioned, curved, and all had wheels affixed to their legs. Scott messed with the levers, trying to lock his chair in position, slightly tilted, so he could sit back comfortably. Once he was successfully adjusted, he began spinning towards the spotless glass windows. The windows reached from floor to ceiling. From his position, he could see most of the city. Part of his vision was blocked by skyscrapers taller than the comparatively squat office building he was currently in. The large wooden doors swung open as his agent stormed into the room.

(more…)

The place was a humdrum coffee place on the corner of a busy road. Nothing remarkable about it. It was one of those franchise places. He used to grab his coffee here a long time ago. He approached the coffee place hesitantly. He reached into his pocket and felt for the cold metal of his smartphone. He had received an email and arranged a time. If he’d been born in an earlier time, the summons might have come as a letter. Through the glass windows of the coffee place, he could see the inner workings of the coffee shop. Baristas working behind the counter, brewing beverages for twenty bucks an hour. He crossed the street and entered the door on the main street. The cold chill of Melbourne’s winter weather left him as the warmth of the climate-controlled coffee shop coalesced around him. He queued behind the rows of busy business types waiting for their coffee. He ordered a flat white and waited for his order.

(more…)