Tales From The Town #58: On The Nature Of Boredom

“Urgh,” said Claire, as she picked up the dice. “This is so boring!”

“No it’s not,” Tina said.

“You’re only saying that because you’re losing,” Ethel said.

“I’m only saying it because it’s boring!” Claire said, as she threw another 1 (her seventh in a row). “I’ve had dreams more interesting than this!”

“We’ve all had dreams more interesting than this,” Ethel said.

“Because dreams are amazing,” Tina said.

“No they aren’t,” Claire said, as she moved her piece one place forwards onto the hexagon that said ‘Move 1 place backwards’. “They’re awful.”

“I dreamt I was a car,” Daniel said. “That could turn into a much smaller car.”

“See?” Claire said, as she moved her piece one place back for the seventh consecutive time. “I told you dreams were boring.”

“Well, I think that’s pretty exciting,” Ethel said.

“So do I,” Tina said.

“It’s not,” Claire said, as she threw the board on the floor. “What’s the point of a car that can turn into a smaller car. It’s useless.”

“When I run out of road,” said Daniel. “I can drive on the pavement.”

“That’s illegal,” Claire said, as she kicked the table over for good measure. “Not to mention BORING!”

The game was declared a draw.

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Notes:

1. Written on April 1st, 2022
2. While the picture was drawn on May 21st, 2022

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Tales From The Town #57: The History Of The House

The house has always been haunted. But it hasn’t always been a house.

It is what it is. It is whatever it wants to be.

It is older than people, older than towns. It is older than birds, as old as trees, younger than stone.

It lives on dreams, then dreams itself. And as it dreams, it grows. It always has. It always will. You might as well ask tectonic plates to stay where they were born. You might as well ask the sun not to drag us down towards its heart and drown the whole solar system in its love.

The house is a labyrinth which encompasses us all.

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Notes:

1. Written between the 7th and the 9th of June, 2021
2. With one final sentence written in April 2022

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Tales From The Town #56: The Very First Page Of The Book

Tina loved the very first page of a book. After the cover, before the title, before any review quotes or bibliographies, author’s bios, copyright information, there it was, that first page of the book, blank and unsullied and pristine.

It wasn’t even a page by most people’s reckoning. Just the back of the cover, neither in the book nor out. A nul page, anti content.

There was so much potential in the emptiness. Tina trembled with anticipation. Anything could happen from here.

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Notes:

1. Written on the 30th March, 2022

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Tales From The Town #55: The Worst Idea Ever

Thermometer racing. That was their new game. The four of them had all spent this week’s pound on a thermometer each and now they were home they left them in the sun so they could play this new sport they’d just invented where your thermometer had to beat their thermometers to the highest temperature of the day (while also accruing points for reaching significant milestones along the way).

Thermometer racing. They all agreed this game wasn’t just the worst game ever but the worst idea ever too. The worst idea any of them had ever had. The greatest waste of their money and their time and their lives and an entire Saturday ever ever ever.

Thermometer racing. Even the name was awful. They’d said thermometer so many times by now it made them all feel sick but still they couldn’t stop saying it because they were trapped in some delirium loop now, too furious to stop.

Thermometer racing. The only thing about it they couldn’t agree on was whose idea it was in the first place. The arguments about that, at least, were worth every penny.

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Notes:

1. Written on 3rd August, 2021

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Tales From The Town #54: Pollen Days

Even in the sealed confinement of her room, Tina sneezed and sneezed. She could not stop.

It hardly seemed fair. All these tears and she wasn’t even sad. At least the sound of the others playing on the swing outside helped her write some of the most furious poetry in her collection.

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Notes:

1. Written on the 3rd of August, 2021

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