The new shoes were black and shiny and beautiful and clean. They made every step feel like a photograph.
Claire dreamt of puddles, and where to find them.
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Notes:
1. Written on June 8th, 2024
__________Tales From The Town
Tales From The Town #174: Facts About… The First Of June
Panel 1: Facts About… The First Of June (all caps, with a drop shadow and a triple exclamation mark at the end, above a small close up of Claire and the words “with Claire!” written in a jaunty font that closely resembles comic sans but isn’t actually comic sans for licensing reasons)
Panel 2: Close up on Claire’s face – “June the 1st?”
Panel 3: Closer up on Claire’s face – “June the worst more like!”
Notes: If you would like to publish Facts About… With Claire! on your own website or in your school newspaper please contact Claire at claire@claire.claire
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Notes:
1. Written on June 1st, 2024
__________Support An Accumulation Of Things
If you like the things you've read here please consider subscribing to my patreon or my ko-fi. Patreon subscribers get not just early access to content and also the occasional gift, but also my eternal gratitude. Which I'm not sure is very useful, but is certainly very real.(Ko-fi contributors probably only get the gratitude I'm afraid, but please get in touch if you want more). Thank you!Tales From The Town #173: May Daze
Last day of May. Picnic in the garden under a cloudless sky. Claire and Ethel cartwheel cross the grass. Tina and Daniel sitting together on the swing.
Agnes takes the picture without even thinking about. On her phone, it’s preserved in pristine condition for all eternity, and forgotten within the week. Printed out, put in a frame, the colours fade year by year. Yet the scene grows ever more vivid until eventually it fills her entire field of view.
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Notes:
1. Written May 2024
__________Support An Accumulation Of Things
If you like the things you've read here please consider subscribing to my patreon or my ko-fi. Patreon subscribers get not just early access to content and also the occasional gift, but also my eternal gratitude. Which I'm not sure is very useful, but is certainly very real.(Ko-fi contributors probably only get the gratitude I'm afraid, but please get in touch if you want more). Thank you!Tales From The Town #172: Returns
“Mum! Mum! Dad’s back!”
“In his cave?”
“No! He lives above a chip shop now,” said Ethel.
“Which one?”
“All of them!” Daniel said excitedly.
“Well, isn’t that nice,” Agnes said. “Even if it doesn’t make much sense. At least hopefully this means you don’t think I killed him anymore.”
“We never thought that, Mum,” Tina said.
“It was Claire that thought that!” Ethel said.
“We didn’t believe her for a second,” Daniel said. “Not one! Or two! Or three! Or – ”
“Where is Claire, anyway?” Agnes asked.
“Oh she’s still shouting at Dad,” Tina said.
“Good for her,” Agnes said.
“She’s shouting so loud not even chips will calm her down,” Ethel said.
“Or ice cream,” TIna added.
“Or chips!” said Daniel.
“Or smoothies!”
“Or chips!”
“How many portions of chips can one girl eat?” Agnes wondered.
“A lot,” Tina said. “Especially when she’s angry.”
“She was going to demand a cheeseburger next,” Ethel said.
“Which was when we thought we should come home and tell you she’s already had her tea.”
“Well, at least someone’s enjoying herself,” Agnes said. “I hope she let you three have something to eat too?”
“We had ice creams,” said Tina.
“But only one,” said Ethel, possibly a little too quickly.
“And chips!” Daniel added, dreaming of chips.
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Notes:
1. Written on May 29th, 2024
__________Support An Accumulation Of Things
If you like the things you've read here please consider subscribing to my patreon or my ko-fi. Patreon subscribers get not just early access to content and also the occasional gift, but also my eternal gratitude. Which I'm not sure is very useful, but is certainly very real.(Ko-fi contributors probably only get the gratitude I'm afraid, but please get in touch if you want more). Thank you!Tales From The Town #171: A Haunting
If I could be a ghost
I’d be the sort of ghost
that lingers
and doesn’t leave
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Notes:
1. Written at some point in 2023
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