Natalie Vicari

“The Search For Home” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #265

I feel rivulets of sweat racing down my spine from my neck, and I just know my hair looks like I slicked an obscene amount of oil through it. Working in this heat is already enough to make me miserable, but compound 38-degree Melbourne heat with a café that has broken air conditioning during the lunchtime rush and I’m fairly certain this could be classified as a form of torture utilised at Alcatraz in its prime. Between serving each customer, I take a breather and use my battery-operated fan. For ten seconds I’m offered a reprieve from the h...

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“Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #264

I think I’ve finally met my threshold of going on absolutely mind-numbingly shitty dates with men who may as well be a walking-talking red flag. In his defence, Justin has been the least red flag-ish of the bunch, but this has definitely been the straw that broke the camel’s back – the camel’s back being my sanity and faith in the male population. I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. I don’t need to use the bathroom, but I need the silent reprieve from Justin’s chattering. It seems that Justin’s favourite topic to discuss was himself. Any ...

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“She Jumps” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #263

(TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF SELF-HARMING, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES) When she was six years old, she started having nightmares of being chased. The antagonists of her nightmares took the form of horrible, terrifying mythical creatures: mountain trolls, dinosaurs, dragons and werewolves were among the regular rotating roster of monsters that would chase her through dreamscapes every night. These nightmares continued to rear their ugly head as she got older. Eventually, the story-book creatures began to morph into realistic an...

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“The Monster In You” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #260

A delicate breeze breaking around her black-clad form and rustling the soft brown hair framing her face snapped Amelia out of her dazed distraction. Quick glances around her confirmed that she had not missed too much of the ceremony for the short time she had been somewhere else mentally. Taking a deep breath, she tried to refocus her attention on the woman reading from her script. It was probably normal tripe she rattled off at all funerals she attended as an officiant, all she has to remember to do is change the name in the script for each...

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“Who You Gonna Call? Not Us, Please” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #259

(The asylum mentioned in this story, Larundel, was a real asylum in Melbourne, Australia. The story of the main character's mum visiting is a true story of my mum, aunty, cousin and myself going to Larundel in 1997 when I was a year old) My best friends have come up with some absolutely ridiculous activities and pranks in the past, but this might just be the dumbest one yet.Our friendship group has been a steady constant in my life since we were all 10 years old. In Grade 4, my parents separated and as a result, my mum, older brother and mys...

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“Pictures of You” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #258

After her older brother died, Hannah made a conscious effort to photograph absolutely everything.           As a kid, she never enjoyed being in pictures during family gatherings and events. Every birthday, Hannah dreaded the rotation of different family members as pictures were captured on her dad’s Kodak disposable cameras. As she grew older and had more siblings and more cousins, the process became tedious, and Hannah enjoyed being photographed less and less.    &n...

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“The Moment” by Natalie Vicari

“If you don’t stop pacing back and forth, you’re going to make me barf,” Ange muttered as she propped her head back against her locker, “and you’ll probably wear down the linoleum too.”           Mel paused for a brief moment in front of Ange and glared icily at her. “I can’t help it, okay?” She released a long-exaggerated breath and her shoulders dropped as a wave of worry crashed through her and slumped down onto the floor beside Ange. “If I screw this moment up, I won’t get a scholars...

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