43 AD. Britannia. While gazing at the flickering lantern beside him, Legate Vespasian shuddered, though not from the cold. He glanced down to watch the slender, pale fingers of another’s hand trail down his scarred, olive skin and slither beneath the silk sheets that draped across him. The tender fingers encircled his now-limp shaft and gently stroked another shudder from his weary body. Rolling over, into a bundle of red...

The wet rocks shimmer with an ethereal glow, basking in the pale light of the moon and stars, and bathed in the rhythmic waves of the contented sea. With bare, calloused feet, a man strides across the slickened stones, skipping through the small, dancing pools. Every sting of the icy brine makes his broad shoulders quiver with a sharp breath. Reaching the shore’s shifting edge; the water seems almost alive, climbing aroun...

The warmth of summer sun has faded Now the abyss of night encroaches Shrouding the forgotten corners of the world From the innocent eyes of honest folk The burbling sounds of life fade Replaced by the scream of silence The ringing in your ears. This is her Kingdom. The stifling stillness is shattered Punctured by the clockwork countdown The click of heels Click, click, click, click The sound that captures you Entraps and...

Two heavy-set coachmen hauled me through the broad ballroom doors by both arms. I was just a ragdoll between them – a reluctant, powerless girl, dragged through the cavernous, resplendent hall. I was towed into an ante-chamber and dropped unceremoniously to the mosaic floor – in front of her once more. She looked torn between a scowl and smirk as I was forced to clumsily right myself. Standing between them, my manicured b...

The fetid odour of uneaten pizza lingers in the stale, silent air as the sun slinks slowly over the skyline. The room turns dark for all except the defiant, flicking television in the corner. I swipe a fingertip across my phone, bathing my desk in pale light. ‘No messages. 9 o’clock.’ My fingers drum irritably on the armrest. It’s maddening, yet I can’t stop the relentless torture eating slowly into my brain. At last I le...

The mansion’s pale lights flickered through the rustling leaves and swaying tree boughs, casting tendrils of sinister shadows across the garden.The clipping of heels heralded the tall, gracious figure strutting up the stone pathway. Her pace was quick; her gait was firm and steady. Even her silhouette oozed confidence.The opening doors bathed her flowing auburn hair in light and the bright yellow cloak – and matching dres...

“Mirror, mirror…” A slow, clear voice intoned. A swirl of green light emerged in the centre of the mirror’s gleaming frame. It surged forth, raging like a storm. Two long shadows across the cold stone walls and floor as a theatre mask appeared through a thick, cloudy vapour. A black, high-backed chair - decorated with intricate, gothic patterns - shimmered in the strange light. Clutching the chair’s curved arm was the pal...

Red shuffled through the forest with her shoulders hunched against the wind - red skirt and hooded cloak whipping around her pale legs. In the dark, cold forest, her billowing red hair seemed aflame. With a basket hung over her crooked elbow, she approached the small door to her Grandma’s home. Quietly, she rapped on the ancient wood and waited. The door quietly swung open without the usual bustle and noise. The quiet roo...

The princess seemed sound asleep, bathed in the sunlight streaming through the tower’s open window. In the centre of her circular walls, on a plinth decorated with fresh flowers, her bed was draped in lace and nets, hiding all but the princess’ shadow. The large door groaned slowly open, stopping with a creak as a man’s shadow cast into the room. He entered the still, silent chamber with heavy, punctuating footfalls that...

Bracing myself with a flinch, my cloth-bound fist punches out the small decorative pane of glass. There’s a deafening crash and a shower of tinkling glass across stone tiles. I freeze to the spot, listening for any movement inside. ‘Fucking noise…’ I think, knocking out the broken shards as quietly as possible. The oak door’s fixed with a large iron lock some would call ‘rustic’ or ‘traditional’. I find the whole thing a...

I screamed desperately into the white veil, thrashing at the blank landscape with the least convincing punches I’d thrown in my life. The cold numbed and bit into my skin, forbidding me from forming feasible fists while my stiff, unwilling arms couldn’t wait to hug me once more. My club-like mittens uselessly tucked under my armpits, seeking any modicum of warmth. Turning back towards our makeshift camp, I could barely se...

Pressure was the first thing that hit me – literally – as I groaned reluctantly back to the waking world. Rolling over under the familiar duvet, my forearm draped over my eyes and shielded me from the world that seemed so harsh. My head throbbed so painfully I almost feared my skull might pop like an over-stretched novelty balloon. Cautiously, I opened my eyes and winced, whining as the burning light of day seared into my...

You came to me,  Through that oblivion, Of hopelessness. You came to me, When I did not know, I needed you most. You came to me, Bringing light, hope, Happiness and love. You came to me, Giving me confidence, Strength, desire and passion. You came to me. You raised me up, Not to mountains and clouds, But to my own two feet. You raised me up, To hold my head up high, To look myself in the eye. You raised me up, To bask in...

So close, you and I To the moment I've been waiting for So long Since we said goodbye. Since I saw your face last While we held hands And cried Our kisses fell like rain Surged like storms Lingered as snow. You kissed my wet cheeksWith flowing tears Now flecked red Bleeding from the cuts on my face Shaking hands clutch the razor's edge. Trying to look my best for you Stroking the smooth skin Now cracked Broken Wrinkled wi...

From inside the pressurised, air-conditioned solitude and comfort of the black cab, my feet alighted at last on the wet street. Damp was something London did well. My bones shivered in their skin to feel the heavy weight of the city's gloom on them once more; it was not a feeling I relished. I looked up, casting my eyes about the grey and ominous sky with trepidation. There was a large sigh from the depths of my chest and...