Unravel: An Anthology of Creative Writing from the University of the Sunshine Coast 2018

By USC Creative Writing

Follow the threads of humanity through this collection of 18 short stories and microfiction, which explore life, love, imagination, memories, death and all the loose ends in between. This anthology—a result of the collaborative efforts of creative writing students at the University of the Sunshine Coast—peels back the curtain on our emotions and reveals the connections we share through life’s experiences. We all have our own story, perhaps this little book is part of yours.

• Language: English
• Publisher: USC Creative Writing
• Release date: Oct 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463682678

Book preview

Unravel

Copyright 2018 Unravel Editorial Collective

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

© 2018 Unravel Editorial Collective

University of the Sunshine Coast

Unravel is published by an Editorial Collective comprised of the following students

and staff from the University of the Sunshine Coast, October 2018: Tamara Brownlie, Samantha Wendt, Jack Drew, Amelia Bradley, Kinta Walsh-Cotton, Tim Riley, Eliza McPhail, Emma Downer, Linda Gooch, Ashleigh Alexander, Paul Gifford-Macrae, Matthew Horgan, Ross Watkins.

Copyright on individual contributions remain with the authors. Apart from any fair dealing

for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process without written permission.

Enquiries should be addressed to:

Dr Ross Watkins

Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing

School of Communication and Creative Industries

Faculty of Arts and Business

University of the Sunshine Coast

Queensland, Australia

[e-mail]

rosswatkins.com

Unravel: an anthology of creative writing from the University of the Sunshine Coast 2018

Cover design by Jack Drew, Samantha Wendt, Tamara Brownlie © 2018

Internal graphics by Jack Drew © 2018

Page design and layout by Samantha Wendt © 2018

Foreword

Every July I gather a gang of third-year creative writing students and task them with the creation of a short fiction anthology. The process demands a daring sense of vision, verbal precision, and an ethical regard for the good people invested in the process. But above all, the development of a publication from conception to final product in 12 weeks requires selfless collaboration and perseverance. It’s no easy feat.

The stories published in this book were argued over and selected from a total of 47 submissions, and soon after our editors toiled with their authors to present a collection of gems. Many thanks go to Emma, Linda, Eliza, Kinta and Tim for their dexterity in handling these works. Amelia then applied the proofing polish, as well as penning the introductory gambit and blurb. In-house writers Ashleigh, Paul and Matthew were commissioned to dream big, contributing works that add both diversity and cohesion to the collection. Jack’s aesthetic eye and tireless hand created stunning illustrations, while desktop publisher Samantha expertly shaped the content into a handy format. All this was directed by our publication manager Tammy, whose efficiency (and remarkable ability to absorb stress) guided the collaborative process to the outcome you hold in your palm right now…

To the 2018 publication collective and our solicited authors, you should be proud of achieving such a noteworthy testimony to USC’s creative writing talents.

Dr Ross Watkins

October 2018

Table of Contents

Introduction — Amelia Bradley

Aussie Concrete — Sally Ryhanen

Doomed — Shannon Horsfall

A Goodnight Song — Amelia Bradley

Two Strange Women — Kristyn van Niekerk

Silent Soldier — Michael Hutchins

The Rainbow — Ashleigh Alexander

The Teachings of Elpida — Tamara Brownlie

Picture Perfect — Nicole Jackson

Dusk — Amanda Fiedler

The Apprentice — Amelia Bradely

Son of the Commonwealth — Adam Brannigan

The Cost of Pride — Matthew Horgan

Stellar Bizarre — Kel Purcill

The Trouble with Being a Teenage Loser — Amnda Fiedler

Five-Hundred-Euro Coin — Christopher Grace

Memory Beasts — Wendy Holman

Twenty-third of April 2122 — Morgan Bowker-Brown

Question — Hannah Gieger

Polar Plunge — Tara Annett

What Lies Beneath — Paul Gifford-Macrae

Hindsight — Emmerson Madden

Introduction

Amelia Bradley

Since time immemorial, humans have sought answers to the meaning of life. In Japanese folklore, one such legend to give understanding of our human experiences is that of the red string of fate. It is the idea that a single arterial thread emerges from our finger and binds us to the threads of those we are destined to meet. It connects us to people who will—in some way—touch our lives, whether they be friends, lovers, strangers or storytellers. The red string of fate is a way of explaining our itinerary of human encounters as a predetermined plot, where all of our little stories intersect with others as part of the giant tapestry of life. These threads that were given to us at birth may stretch or tangle, but regardless of time, place or circumstance, they will never break. We each knit ourselves the stories we were foretold, and some of these tales, woven from the spool of humanity, are here—on these pages—unravelled.

Aussie Concrete

Sally Ryhanen

‘You’re beaten before you start, Harry!’

Dad’s body heaves, and I wait for that peculiar screech that trashes my dreams. I am ready for his hand to grab his chest, and the yell, the protest at a lung that isn’t even there. Then the speech.

I can’t hack it. Not right after school. I throw a coughing fit to cover his noise, and walk out the kitchen, slamming my book into our bath. That tin coffin hanging on our fence that gets dragged into the scullery every Friday night to be filled with pans of scalding water on the stove. Dad’s always first in, and I wait till last. Scum’s already sliding around the edges by then. Hate Fridays.

Roo, the cat, bounces at the rattle of my book on the bath, recognising our battle drum of retreat to the shed. Tortoise does his best to be part of the protest but doesn’t make it before I slam the door.

Mum cops it in the kitchen instead.

'None of you understand… the pain...’ Dad snivels.

The back-door clips shut. Can’t have neighbours earwigging. A pan hits the wall. Or Mum. I’m still crying, but not for Mum. Can’t think about her, I’ll drown.

I have another go at my English homework in the shed. All I’d said was; ‘Can you help me, Dad?’ Dumb move. Mum and the junior school teachers had pushed me through the columns in front of that new Heidelberg High School. Early. Against Dad’s wishes.

‘Nutthin’ worth learnin’ there, boy. Don’t read books in concrete.’

He skirts around the big, new stuff in my life. Homework, huge books. Latin? And funny sounding words like Assthetics, too long for a ten-year-old. All he’d say was, ‘Talkin’ posh now, boy?’

I never cry at school, but Mum brings me a cup of tea in the shed most afternoons. No books in our house, outside the horse racing guide. Mum and him can’t even spell Shakes Spear. But you wouldn’t guess. ‘Pillow of the Community,’ my Dad. Snout into everything. Coaches the Heidelberg under fifteen thug footy team. Something in those Trade Unions too.

‘I’m the one holdin’ our Union office together. Pussies, most of them,’ he yells. ‘Not the top bloke though, that Gallagher. Bit of a bouncer, but you’ve got to bully some blokes to lift them off their arse.’