Here, you will find some of Michael’s short stories, both those published elsewhere and those exclusive to this site. If you are coming here after reading his humorous novels, be warned: most of these short stories are rather serious.
We Will Go on Ahead and Wait for You (Winner of Fish Publishing One-Page Fiction Prize)
Fukuko and her daughters huddle together upon the bluff, far above the churning river …
Lycra-clad and legs akimbo, the afternoon sun burnishing her auburn hair to a fiery mane, The British Overseer stood tall and lithe on Oxford Street, the epicentre of a cooing circle of admirers …
Shade (Published in Chapman Magazine)
I smile as I round the corner and see that my bench is empty. It is old and tattered, like myself, and streaked with pigeon shit, but it is the only thing I can call my own …
Too late to run, Abdullahi thinks as he watches a middle-aged businessman in a crumpled grey suit sift through a selection of ready-made sauces, drop two jars into his basket and hurry away …
The Red Lion (Published in The Telegraph)
When Johnson hauled his old bones outside to start the daily trudge to the village for milk and bread, a silver Mercedes filled the dirt track running past his farm, hemmed in by the thorny green vegetation that had raked deep scratches into its dusty flanks …
Decompression (Published in Underground Voices)
In the bedroom mirror, I am born again. The lights are turned down low, and through narrowed eyes I see the woman of ten years ago: a scarlet pout, curling lashes, a lick of black hair across a cheekbone …
Coco’s Repertoire (Published in Cutting Teeth)
Coco MacFarland stalked into her dungeon on six-inch heels, lit the candles placed in the many recesses around the room and turned down the light …
When the Dead Walked the Earth – Without Kevin
When the Dark Lord called, the dead could not refuse him. Rotting fingers burst from the earth like saplings sprouting under a time-lapse lens. Crypt door hinges buckled under the pound of skeletal fists. Mortuary drawers slid open, frost crackling as limbs defied death to flex once more. Across the land, the dead rose to gorge upon the living. With one exception …
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