The baby glared, the two half-moons of his mouth puckered indignantly. The midwife inhaled and forced herself to count. Five… four… Babies were adorable, she reminded herself. Three… Two… a deep breath. The midwife tried rattling the bell again, but the boy’s mouth did not budge. When the midwife had fluttered through the windows earlier… Read more The Nineteenth Smile

Set down the tale of the onis’ thirst, their stomachs empty, their bones dry, their mouths gaping wide to swallow the river till stones crack in the sun. Tell of the fish who transformed into girls when the river disappeared beneath their gills, water drawn across their silvery scales. Where is the water to wash… Read more The Onis and the Fish

As the sun claws up to its zenith, faint wisps of rising heat climb up into my nose. My nostrils flare, just a little, almost imperceptibly. It reminds me of something; a treasured moment, a time of fear: I can’t remember anymore. This sense now awakened, I try it out a little; baby steps at… Read more Only you know your forest

More rain. Always the rain, through the entrance, the light was grey, the stones wet. She stared into the gloom, the fire embers glowing. A noise, a scraping roused her. “Ah… here boy. When you are older, you will hunt with the men. Until then, you will gather with the women.” A nod signified he… Read more Images in the Stones

Nothing was expected of me, so I came to nothing. I worked. I joined a local insurance company at seventeen and completed forty hours each week there. I had interests too. I joined a singing ensemble, a cookery club and a reading round, as nice girls in a small village do. One week after my… Read more The Joiner’s Daughter

Suzume’s eyes are not empty. They are full with sky. Her fingernails have dirt under them, and her palms are pebbled where she’d pressed them into the cliffside. I bring my ear to her chest and listen to the emptiness. My kind can’t cry, but I want to—more than I wanted to for Ciara. The… Read more Sea Foam

The fog rolled in thick and dizzying, but it took care not to hide away the coppery moon that blazed in the cloudless night sky, not quite full yet, the lower edge blurring ominously into the velvety blackness that surrounded it. The last villagers hasted home and barricaded their doors and windows. Only the brave,… Read more The Night of the Red Moon

She lights the fire beneath her cauldron, and flames lick yellow, orange, blue, until the water is bubbling. Her finger trails the dust-patterned glass sides of bottles and jars lined up along the shelf. This one is the oldest. She removes the cork with her teeth. It crumbles and sticks to her tongue, and she… Read more In Which She Adds Herself to the Equation

The night was dark and chilly. The sky was clear and stars glittered as the moon shone bright. “The full moon is my favourite! I love it!” howled Willie the Werewolf. He leapt into the branches of a tree and called up to the sky. Hobgob the Goblin and Mulch the Tree smiled to see… Read more The Nothing

Once upon a time in a land far away, in a small village lived an old healer. She was wise and compassionate, and people loved her. When they had a problem, they went to speak to her rather than to the village chieftain and that made him terribly jealous. One day, she helped the chieftain’s… Read more The Healer’s Apprentice