by E.M. Killaley Lottie found the leather-bound volume under a heavy box and behind a bookcase in her aunt’s basement. To get to it, she had to wriggle between the shelf and the wall, push her shoulder under the side of the box, and wrench the book out from beneath. After she'd balanced the edge … Continue reading Newsprint
Tag: E.M. Killaley
E.M. Killaley is a Northern Writers’ Awards New Fiction Bursary and Blackwell’s Prize winner, and a graduate of Northumbria University’s MA Creative Writing program. Two of her flash fiction pieces were longlisted for Fish Publishing’s 2013 Flash Fiction Prize. Her creative work has appeared in Papaya Press’ ‘Tender Bodies’ and ‘Home’ zines, Alliterati, Underground, and We Wrote a Book: An Anthology of Stories. She has worked with literary journals since 2006, spending time as editor and assistant editor at various publications. She is the editor and founder of Palm-Sized Prompts, and blogs at killaley.wordpress.com.
Things That Can Happen in a Field
by E.M. Killaley See: the sun, the clouds, the birds, the horizon; feel: the wind on your face, the cold on your skin, the grass between your toes; hear: the birds, the wind; taste: coffee; but you are one short, and you start again. The coffee; the chimney smoke, the damp wool coat; the … Continue reading Things That Can Happen in a Field
On the Verge of
by E.M. Killaley The edge of the bed was sharp and cold. That was not what beds were meant to feel like. My phone kept ringing, muffled by my dressing robe. I felt into the pocket and brought it to my face. But the pale blue of my bedroom wall was not behind it, … Continue reading On the Verge of
The Change
by E.M. Killaley The rodent stared at her mother, her dark eyes glassy and wide. ‘Don’t stare, Abigail.’ She sniffed loudly in response, shaking back the long quills at her shoulders as she turned away. ‘I’m almost finished. There’s no need to take that tone.’ Mother’s hands and arms were covered with pink welts, … Continue reading The Change
Kids
by E.M. Killaley ‘See the kid, see the kid.’ The white and black beak clicked clicked at Annie, the parrot’s pale eyes darting between her hands, searching for a treat. ‘See the kid,’ it spoke again. ‘I’m not rewarding you for that,’ she told him, and she transferred him from his perch to her … Continue reading Kids
The Devotees
by E.M. Killaley My mother’s skin is hot against my cheek as I lean around her leg to watch; it’s still holding the heat of the day, even though the sun has begun to hide below the horizon. The sky fades from cornflower to periwinkle. I can smell the sweat that has collected behind … Continue reading The Devotees
Exit
by E.M. Killaley The two brothers stared across the table at one another. ‘Are you sure? Are you certain — because you can’t change your mind once you’ve made this choice.’ The younger shook his head, looking at his hands. He hated how he always did that when he had to say something … Continue reading Exit
Beak
by E.M. Killaley ‘IT’S ALL VERY WELL HAVING A BIG BEAK, BUT YOU’VE STILL GOT TO KNOW HOW TO USE IT.’ – DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, ‘AFRICA: CAPE’ The bow scrapes a line across the sandy riverbed as we haul the new vessel from the shore. The shipbuilder warned against adding so much metal to the … Continue reading Beak
For Sale
by E.M. Killaley For Sale: Commercial property, ideal for scientific laboratory. Wanted: Campaign manager.
Broth
by E.M. Killaley In years past, she would have added chunks of chicken, large-diced carrots and egg noodles, but now she slices the vegetables thin. They float on the surface of the broth like tiny wooden rafts, navigating through bubbles of oil when she stirs the pot. From the living room she hears her … Continue reading Broth
