“That looks like… but it can’t be…” Annabelle had emerged from the miniscule opening behind Haley. Haley was certain that she probably wished she hadn’t. Towering over them, and swallowing up any hope of getting out of the cave, was a three-headed dog. “Nice doggy,” Grove said between gritted teeth. The creature huffed, sending a gust of wind that rattled the cave walls. Haley felt pieces of rock fall from the ceiling. She was too scared to look up. Too scared to take her eyes off of the monster. Its muscles rippled underneath dark, scarred fur. It could swallow the three of them up in one bite. Under its neck swung a heavy metal collar, with a tag that glinted[…]

“He’s had a redemption arc, trust me,” Lilith had explained. Watching his self-satisfied smirk as he lounged in her living room, making himself right at home, Reyna wanted to call her friend and ask her to get rid of him. There was only one thing that stopped her: Lilith and Mark. As the only human in their friend group, Reyna knew that she was only considered a liability. With the increase of monsters in the area and a plot to take her life, she knew she had to stick to a serious training schedule or else rely on her friends to protect her. She wouldn’t let them put their life on the line for her, not again. If that meant[…]

Maggy gathered herself. Or, at least, as much as she could gather herself whilst a tree waited impatiently for her response. “I’m sorry?” It was all she could manage to say. When she had begun her hike, she had been hoping for a sense of calmness in solitude. After months of improving her new house, a lot of which involved do-it-yourself renovations, she wasn’t used to any social interactions besides her coworkers and the cashier at the hardware store near Bayside. “Can I ask you for a favour?” The tree groaned again. It talked slowly, as though the conversation was taking even more of a toll on it than her. Pieces of bark splintered off and floated to the trail[…]

“Buddy, I’m home!” The scientist called out, entering the basement. Calling it a basement might have been an injustice. It was more like an entertainment and fitness space. Rows and rows of home gym equipment took up most of the front of the room next to the stairs. The exercise equipment, even including the VR exercise bike set-up, had been built himself. He hated the idea of his robot friend being stuck in the room, bored out of its mind, and had always made sure to build another invention for it to play with.  “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long,” he said, hurriedly weaving through the makeshift home gym to the rumpus room at the end of it. “I’ve[…]

Later that night, Jodi returned home with hot fish and chips for everyone, seemingly trying to make peace without mentioning the heater. I noticed that as soon as Jodi arrived, John’s warmth towards me vanished, and he became very affectionate with her. The next morning, I woke up to a boiling room. The cooling had stopped working overnight, and I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. At breakfast, Jodi made snide comments about how useless the air con was and how it had been a waste of time. Upset by her remarks, I decided to call the air conditioner repair company near Canberra to fix the issue. Unfortunately, I had to take the day off university to be home for the[…]

In the heart of the hustle and bustle of construction, where the air is thick with the scent of fresh wood and vibrant hues paint the sky, our hero builder finds himself standing amidst towering shelves brimming with potential in a reputable hardware store. It was a local hardware store near Bentleigh, where he lived. Here, amidst towering shelves of potential, the timber section beckoned, promising the start of a magical journey in building his shed house. Each plank seemed to breathe life, sharing tales from the forests they hailed from, the storms they withstood, and the birds that once nestled in their branches. Oak whispered secrets of ancient lands, while mahogany recounted stories of sunrises that painted the sky[…]

Mr Thorn or Hampton, or whatever his name was, greeted her again. “Welcome! As a buyer’s agent located in Sandringham, I can assure you we’ll find the perfect home!” This is wrong. Something is very wrong. Elara’s instincts pulled her towards the Victorian house. As she raced through the streets, townspeople’s heads turned in unison, following her every move. Why are they watching me? What do they want? As Elara entered the house, memories rushed back. She saw herself walking through the rooms, felt her fingers brush the walls, and heard her own voice whispering. The memories grew so strong she could barely distinguish the past from the present. This house is the key. I need to remember! In the[…]

I’m thoroughly enjoying my new babysitting job. Being a first-time babysitter, I wasn’t sure if it would suit me, but I’ve lucked out with exceptionally well-behaved children who make the experience quite pleasant. On top of that, the pay is generous, and my duties mainly involve supervising and occasionally feeding them. It’s surprisingly straightforward and stress-free. However, an interesting twist came when the parents asked me to accompany their eldest child to this optometrist clinic Bayside had. The father had noticed the child squinting while attempting to read schoolwork, but with their hectic schedules, they couldn’t take their child themselves. That’s when I was entrusted with the responsibility. The clinic they had arranged the appointment with was a marvel of[…]

As the room remained shrouded in silence, I meticulously counted the seconds, acutely aware of the employees’ ragged breaths. The weight of their anticipation hung heavy in the air, permeating every corner of the space. And then, breaking the stillness, the owner found his voice, seeking answers in the midst of astonishment. “Have you always possessed this ability?” he inquired, his tone a mix of curiosity and disbelief. Shaking my head, I replied, “No, it was only yesterday that I discovered this power. It was I who halted the car, not the drivers themselves.” The room stared at me, their collective gaze brimming with comprehension. These individuals, experts in the field of energy as employees of Cherry Energy Solutions Australia,[…]

Going fishing with my mates is my favourite thing to do. There’s no doubt about it. Spending time on the open water with my absolute best friends just fills me with joy. It’s like there’s nothing else in the world when we’re all out there together. We just spend time together drinking beers, attempting to catch fish and laughing at the friend who catches the least. It truly is one of the best things in life. Back when we realised our love of fishing was more than just a phase, we all decided to pitch in money so that we could all own our own boat. As such, we all part own a boat and we all spend our weekends[…]