Colloquy

By Chris Bannor, Tim Mendees, Liam Hogan and 2 more

The remit: write a speculative fiction story using mostly dialogue

Five Dialogue Competition winners bring you their take on the theme.

 

"Investigation File 79312AI7603" by Chris Bannor

"Husky" by Liam Hogan

"The Goblin and the Girl" by M. Leigh

"The Toad Stone" by Tim Mendees

"Room and Soul" by Emily Wilcox

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Black Hare Press
• Release date: Jul 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201228309

Book preview

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Chris Bannor

Lian Hogan

M. Leigh

Tim Mendees

Emily Wilcox

Available from Black Hare Press in 2021

DIALOGUE

PENETRALIA by HARI NAVARRO

METAPHORIA by K.B. ELIJAH

DAMNED DWELLING by CHRIS HEWITT

COLLOQUY

INVESTIGATION FILE 79312AI7603 by CHRIS BANNOR

HUSKY by LIAM HOGAN

THE GOBLIN AND THE GIRL by M. LEIGH

ROOM AND SOUL by EMILY WILCOX

THE TOAD STONE by TIM MENDEES

Black Hare Press

linktr.ee/blackharepress

COLLOQUY title is

Copyright © 2021 BLACK HARE PRESS

First published in Australia in July 2021 by Black Hare Press

The author retains the copyright of the works

featured in this publication.

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this production may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner.

Cover design by Dawn Burdett

Table of Contents

Room and Soul

Emily Wilcox

Husky

Liam Hogan

Investigation File: 79312AI7603

Chris Bannor

The Toad Stone

Tim Mendees

The Goblin  and the Girl

M. Leigh

About the Publisher

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Room and Soul

Emily Wilcox

I t’s yours.

Crystal clear eyes (very unusual for his kind) set above equally translucent skin blink back at her. Dark hair, black hair, possibly velvet hair spills over his face as he signs the forms. She fidgets in her seat, legs jittery, tucking her own brown locks behind her ear. The more of his hair that falls, the more of hers that she tucks. This is a bold move—a dangerous one—but she needs a flatmate, and he needs a place he doesn’t have to be formally invited into. He slides the now signed forms back across the table to her.

Do you have any other questions? Her voice trembles.

"Do you?"

She does. Uh...

It’s okay. Ask me. I don’t bite. There’s humour in his eyes. Like ripples in a raindrop.

How often do you...? Is there anything I should...? Will you need to...? Am I...?

You’re safe.

I’m safe.

"You’re safe. This is our home. The rules do not apply. I won’t hurt you, I won’t involve you. You’ll have forgotten exactly what I am by sunset."

Okay. She smiles. Great.

And by sunrise, I’ll be asleep. You can use the daylight hours to gather a mob, sharpen your pitchforks, dart across the road to the supermarket, and stock up on garlic.

Oh, uh... Is he joking? I’m on night shifts. She