Adam Lynch

“Choke” by Adam Lynch

Trigger warning: Domestic abuse A scream of steam somehow emboldened me to keep my silence. The scream muffled every sound, every struggle, every laboured wheeze. It was a wall both protecting and imprisoning me, the scream. If I had sat the kettle upon the hob earlier, if I had decided not to have my tea at this precise moment, if I had perhaps done anything different throughout the day then this moment; this opportunity would not have arisen. An opportunity? No, that wasn’t right. An excuse? A bolstering, a numbing … The scream of the ke...

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“How to park your Dragon” by Adam Lynch

How *not to park your Dragon: A short tale on the futility of being unreasonably rude in a normal situation “You cannot be serious." Juan stared dumbfounded at the woman before him. "It's a dragon!" Leo-Heracles didn't care for his master's shouting, he was tired from their long cross-pacific flight. In his purple robe and star-covered top hat the little human Juan looked ridiculous. Leo-Heracles found the ridiculousness somewhat endearing ... somewhat. "Legislation passed last month sir. All flying objects larger than an Amazonian Gri...

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“Lunar Love” by Adam Lynch

Submitted to Contest #81

A bug. She was a literal bug. Hunter knew that it was a bigoted term for them but in fairness they were scientifically classified as insectoids. What was he thinking using that goddamn app! No pictures, no names just one thing to determine whether you were up for meeting: a poem. Imagining the hulking mass of exoskeleton approaching his table writing such beautiful prose was baffling. The waiter, a hovering automaton, said it would return for their drinks order promptly and left Hunter with his date. A squishy. He was a damn squishy. The...

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“The Lottery” by Adam Lynch

Submitted to Contest #80

Aoife is chosen to be a human sacrifice. Harry Harry sprints down an empty street. He passes a mural of President John F. Kennedy and stumbles, almost dropping his briefcase. He cannot be late, he cannot be late. Every house he passes has their windows shut, tonight they need privacy. Today was usually a national holiday but the bastard boss pulled a fast one. Eleanor was pissed, and she will be doubly pissed now that he is running late. Every pair of eyes in America is glued to a television screen and Harry is feeling as though his lunc...

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“Love is ice-skating outside in the summer” by Adam Lynch

Submitted to Contest #77

‘Oops.’ Martin verbalised after triggering a sudden snowstorm in the middle of summer. It was the witching hour, prime magic time, and he had attempted something relatively simply. Execution was where things went wrong. Instead of the small duck pond across from his block of flats freezing over Martin had started a violent flurry of snow of indeterminate size. He stood at the centre of said storm acutely aware of how much trouble he was in. Three or six glasses of red wine rendered Martin’s reasoning slightly skewed to the extreme. Teleport ...

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“Bearbaiting” by Adam Lynch

Submitted to Contest #77

  Each drop of snow was a reminder of the time he was losing. A huge hourglass that would rise and suffocate him. In the far distance shone the lights of a town; golden and beautiful. To the bear it was brighter than the sun ever had been. Tall, sharp trees surrounded him the white snow doing nothing to dull their intimidating nature like clown make-up on a snarling hound. The tiny imprints left behind by smaller animals were the bear’s only indication that life went on outside his prison. Black bars interrupted his view, a reminder tha...

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