Abbi the Labrador loves her people-but she loves her bunny friend Zac even more. So when he pleads with her to let him out of his cage one night, she does.Even though it's the wrong thing to do. Even though the consequences will be worse than she ever imagined. A tragic short tale about the true meaning of friendship-and guilt.1300 words.Welcome to Inklets, a series of short (and sometimes short-short) stories ranging from sci-fi to fantasy to lingering...

Tommy, aged five, pens his Christmas letter. His request? More brains for his family; they just don't understand him. He begs his mum to post the letter. With only one day left, it may not get there in time-he might end up with no presents.Or, he might end up with exactly what he requested. Santa Claus is coming. Be careful what you wish for.800 words / horror

Soulbonds mean a slow, lingering death for those who carry them-and Guiro's soulbond is nearly at an end. But if he dies near other people, the soulbond will jump to them. And so, at the end of a long, cobbled alleyway, Guiro lingers over his very last approach to the door of the place he used to call home. Just for a few more minutes, he needs to pretend he belongs. A touching story about the power of found families, and why real love means never...

The small town of Renph: a cosy, happy little place-at least until recently. Now, violence explodes in the streets, rumours whisper in the dark, and people hang in the square. And no one knows why. No one-except Tikva. But what can a seven-year-old do against a tidal wave of hatred? Or against the strange flame-haired woman who rode into town on her jet-black horse?A richly imagined tale that demonstrates the power of love-no matter what the age....

On the moon, the sole survivors of a terrestrial plague keep each other company.But when you have the whole moon to fill, two is a very small number.Can they persevere, for the sake of the human race, their lives-and their sanity?A very short story about the crushing loneliness of depression, and the need for human connection to survive.

Nuns, possibly magical-Mary never could get the story from her mother straight-raised her mother. They provided her food, and care, and love-and left her with a legacy.Because when Mary reached maturity, it came with a surprise: plant magic.But Mary must figure out the secret left by her mother- A kiss? How can a kiss be a secret? Which kiss? With whom? And when?-if she ever hopes to use her powers for good.For everyone who longs for magic and a happy...

In a world where only priests make art, she listens as strange noises range outside her cell.She assumed the authorities wanted to question her about her little brother.But the truth? Much more sinister than that.The price for her transgressions? Everything she ever held dear.A cautionary tale about crossing boundaries, and the power of art to affect reality.

Parent-teacher interviews: a teacher's worse nightmare. Especially with a parent like Alison Young. Can this teacher find a way to solve this problem without getting everyone off side? A slipstream sci-fi story that reminds us all that we control our own fate.

The strange visitor arrives in the nick of time, just as Natalie contemplates giving in to the feelers of darkness that surround her.She can stay strong long enough to entertain a guest. But after that? Who knows.A hopeful tale for everyone beset by the Black Dog. CONTENT NOTIFICATION: References to suicidal thoughts, depression.

Jenna finds an abandoned shoe on the side of the road, unaware that the shoe waits deliberately. Inexplicably drawn to the shoe, Jenna takes it home. But what the shoe wants from her? A price she never wanted to pay… A short, chilling retelling of the Red Shoes fairy tale.