It was an unusual assembly. Our headteacher Mr Bugg was a man of few words, and as we sat cross-legged on the floor, he slowly made his way to the wooden lectern. Turning his head slightly, he revealed the contents of his right hand. A single egg. He held it in the air for us all to see. Then…
The little boy with brown teeth
He clambered up into the open back taxi, and the rest of us glanced around behind him. Was he meant to be coming along with us off this dusty street in Vientiane? Where was his mother? A lean man with dark thinning hair settled down in the corner, and quietly watched the young boy. The…
Scorpion nights
A bitter crunch and the claw shattered between my teeth. The soy sauce dip dried my tongue with salt as black shards slotted themselves in my throat. The leggy remains of a crispy grasshopper lay on the white plastic table in front of me, blackened from the grill and sprinkled with fishy brown salt. Neon…
The 500 year old Ice Maiden
We were led into the final dark room, and we felt the ghost of her before our eyes found her. The air in her glass chamber was chilled to -20C in order to preserve the bundle that crouched before us. Juanita, the young Incan girl who was sacrificed to appease the Gods, sat in a…
Following bubbles
It wasn’t an ideal start. I smiled as my buddy removed his mask and blearily pawed at the water in front of him. As my mouth widened, a salty fireball slid past my tonsils. I retched through my mouthpiece, but white panic set in. I broke the golden rule and launched up to the surface….
Show me the way to Cristo Blanco!
Our ankles twist off the cobbles as the snarling dog pack heads our way. A brown stray with clumps of fur dangling from his hind leg edges towards us, and the steep road falls away to the valley behind. From above, our picture is framed with a backdrop of grey granite hemmed with ashen grass,…
The place I call home
Another bullet of a fly whips my cheek. Wind licks away a stream of tears, but I refuse to stop. The road recoils like a snake into the shade, trees drop treacherous twigs to catch my tyres. A chaffinch, collecting fluff for its nest, retreats as I twist through the minefield of freshly laid tarmac…
Don’t Stop Me Now
It started well enough – the three of us on stage, ready to fulfil the cliché and sing our way to becoming school legends. I feel al-ah-ah-ah-ive! Heads snapped upwards, arms shuddering up in true Freddie fashion. Why didn’t I borrow the caretaker’s hoover? It’s too late now. Time to surprise them with our range:…
RayBan Man
This is a story about daylight robbery. The man kneels next to his wares, spread out on a mat that touches his neighbour. It is a lively market – Las Ramblas is bursting with salesmen and tourists alike. The sunglasses have folded their arms neatly into pockets on the blanket, and the black screens gaze…
Babysitting
Sometimes I think I’m in a relationship with a 12 year old boy. I went to a music shop earlier to get my old trumpet fixed up, and I caught him sniggering as I chatted to the assistant. “What’s that called?” he asked, pointing at the tip of the horn. “The bell…” “And it’s at…
Ferns and forest 