Everyone was laughing. Her shiny blonde hair and glistening green eyes were glowing in the harsh sunlight. She’s beautiful and everyone loves her. I continued to listen to her long, detailed story (that I had stopped paying attention to), when she finishes a sentence that makes everyone laugh. Why was I feeling jealous? I know she’s got a great personality and is pretty and kind and funny…. but so...

My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it.

“I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do this,” I think to myself. “Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why am I always getting myself into things that scare me so much?”

I’m holding down the vomit I feel coming. My stomach is a fluttering kaleidoscope of butterflies. I feel myself shiver and shake with a mix of the frosty afternoon air, and the pu...

“That’ll be $27.50 today!” I say with a smile to the man at the counter. My coffee shop is quite new, and I’m always happy to meet new customers.

My main customers when I first opened my shop were my parents, and an old lady named Doris.

The man’s phone rings. “Let me take this,” he says in a rush. He hurries out of the door to take the call. “No problem,” I reply, before realising he took his ...

“Higher, higher!” Maisy calls out.

I push her higher. She giggled and squeals in a high pitched voice.

I have been babysitting Maisy for 6 months now and we have formed quite a strong relationship. I go to her house twice a week, and stay 10 hours. She is a sweet kid, though she sometime says some pretty out-there things that most 4 year olds don’t say regularly.

“Higher!” She squeals again.

...

Fleeting moments of desire

Ingested like fresh, vibrant fruit

I counted every last freckle on his nose

Sunkissed speckles - 247 of them

Telling the tales of summers passed

Periodt...

“Oh god, Ma! Please don’t leave us now.” I cry. My eyes swell with tears. I shut my eyes and gently hold my head to hers.

I reach for her hand. It’s cold.

I look around her room. Towers of ‘Get Well Soon’ cards and balloons flood a corner of the room. About 15 teddies and blankets are at the foot of her bed. She’s needed those blankets for the past few months, as it has been an average of -2°c o...

“Oh god.” I think to myself. They are slowly getting closer. The wood of the giant fallen down tree, scratches the back of my neck. I look down at my bruised, scraped leg, and realise it’s over for me if I try to run away. I look up. The soft sound of birds are calming. I focus on the sound of the sweet sound of chirping for a minute, though are quickly brought back to the fact that my leg is in a...

Lightly, my eyes slowly flutter open. My tired fingers, gently tapping around my bed, trying to find yet another pillow. I slowly rise, reaching over to the end of my bed to grab a small, green decorative cushion. This will have to do. I lay back down on my side, and carefully fold my pillow over my ears.

The sound of my roommate’s sleep-talking has always been more than annoying, but tonight it ...

*DING DONG*

“Maria! Could you get that please?” Shouted mum from the kitchen.

“Yes…” I called back, lazily. I slumped down the stairs, my feet thumping every step I took.

*DING DONG* went the doorbell again.

“Maria!” She yelled again.

I rushed down and made my way to the front door. What would anyone be doing knocking on our front door in the middle of a raging storm?

I pulled out the latch...

“It was meant to be for you. I only ever wanted it to be for you.”

“How could you?!” I shrieked in horror, a single tear drops down onto my cheek. She just stood there. Emotionless. It’s like could see right through her. A sly grin spread across her sinister face. “I had to,” she replied calmly. “Just like how you ‘had to’ tell everyone that I punched you and called you terrible things.” She sm...