Iain Kelly's Blog, page 12

THE SECRETS OF A LADY

The detective looked at the cluttered space. Perhaps the motive for killing a harmless elderly woman, known for her successful fiction novels, was hidden among the mess on this desk. He pulled open a drawer, careful to avoid the stains of red blood. Nothing there, but when he tried to close it, the drawer hit […]

MOTIONS

‘That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.’ ‘Aachoo!’ ‘Bless you.’ ‘Sorry.’ *** It should have been a warning sign, a red flag. I should have realised the romance was over then. Now here we are, decades of existing later, but not living, not really. He still buys me … Continue reading MOTIONS

FERTILISATION

The flowers have come up well this year. White and red, her favourite colours. She arrives. I hope to impress. She glances at them, nods a little, makes a note on her clipboard. It’s over in less than ten minutes and she’s gone. All that work. A week later. The results are emailed to the … Continue reading FERTILISATION

THE DISAPPEARED

P for Protection. That’s what he thought anyway, huddled under the El track. Every ten minutes the shudder of the metal stanchion and the clackety roar reminded him he was still alive. Frank from the Pizza place came out and nodded to him. Handed him a coffee and a leftover slice. Their evening routine. ‘Any … Continue reading THE DISAPPEARED

SIGN YOUR NAME

‘Add your name.’ There wasn’t much space left on the walls. What had once been grey concrete was now covered in garish name-tags. I found a small corner. ‘Not there,’ Marguerite stopped me. ‘Front and centre.’ ‘There’s no space.’ ‘There’s always room for one more.’ The old lady pointed to a spot in the middle …

CONSEQUENCES

When he was admitted to the hospital, she put the chair out in his favourite spot in the corner of the garden. She couldn’t visit him, so she sat next to the chair and spoke to him as though he was still there. She kept the chair there all through lockdown, even after she knew … Continue reading CONSEQUENCES

CONVERSATIONS FROM AN EDIT SUITE

‘I really must do something about my weight.’ ‘Me too.’ ‘I eat too much.’ ‘Yes, we should cut down.’ ‘I don’t exercise enough.’ ‘It’s the sedentary job.’ ‘A lunchtime walk, every day, that would help.’ ‘Raining today though.’ ‘From tomorrow then.’ ‘Light lunch for you today then?’ ‘Yes, salad, fruit juice, nothing else.’ ‘Right, I’ll … Continue reading CONVERSATIONS FROM AN EDIT SUITE

INTERVENTION

Moonlight glinted off her pale body. The time for sacrifice was upon them. She squirmed and pulled against the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles. A chant was intoned around her by the hooded wraith-like figures, gradually increasing in volume and intensity. The leader of the group, marked by his impressive horned headpiece stepped … Continue reading INTERVENTION

FOR OUR OWN GOOD

The bars appeared overnight. We didn’t notice until Bill left the house for work and walked smack into them outside the front door. The Presidential decree came soon after. Lockdown again, only this one enforced by steel cages. A strong rebuke: until we could all learn to behave for the greater good, we’ll remain behind … Continue reading FOR OUR OWN GOOD

COLD TEARS

They huddled closer together as the roar passed overhead. The stone walls of the barn did little to protect them from the frost outside. Their breaths formed white clouds in the air, their cold tears stung their faces. They heard an explosion in the distance. Then a series of cracks like gunfire. They had come … Continue reading COLD TEARS