Nusa Zam

“On, off.” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #148

On. Off. On. Off.That’s the way life is in Number 23 – well, from my perspective anyway.John walks into the house at eight as usual, and Linda’s already home.On.She’s in the kitchen, presumably washing something from the sound of the tap running. He’s late, again – probably due to overtime. The tap squeaks and makes the weird gurgling sound it normally does when it’s switched off. They still haven’t got that fixed yet, but it’s on the list along with all the other jobs around the house they ignore. Her footstep...

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“The Tragedy of Osbertus Nash” by Nusa Zam

Touch. Grandmother always said that was the way we activated our power. Even the slightest brush of someone in a busy street against my bare hand would be enough to awaken the inherited Sight within me. The logistics of it are simple; you touch someone briefly and you get to see everything that’s happened in their lives up until that point. It’s not through a cinematic lens or anything like that; it’s more like a really quick slide show, so it takes about two seconds at most. I used it a lot when I was younger - mostly out of curiosity, s...

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“Death's Door” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #95

CONTENT WARNING: DeathIt’s the end of the world. Oh, God it’s the end of the world! What am I doing? I need to pack the kids’ clothes – four pairs of clothes should do it - no I don’t have space for that … two, I’ll take two. I yank two jumpers and trousers from their wardrobe. They’re sleeping. I’ll let them rest for now – they wouldn’t exactly be any help tottering about, half asleep. I look at Raed sprawled across his bed with his duvet long flung off him. After I untangle it from his feet and cover him with it, I che...

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“Adrift” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #83

Her garlanded body glided along the waves, receiving soft nudges here and there from the pull of the tide. It was quiet, but then again it normally was. The water was cold and the night air was chilly, but she had befriended the numbness a long time ago. The water tickled her head, uncoiling her hair into sea serpents that lurked about her in the velvety sea. Bunches of daisies and pansies clung to the lace of her gown, the petals gently flitting in the breeze as she bobbed up and down whilst frothy hands tried to take her for their own.<...

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“From, Yours truly xo” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #68

I would just like to tell you that I know.I know that you don’t love me as much as the others, and I’ve known it for a while actually. I can feel it; call it a sixth sense or intuition, but I know it’s there. It’s so very subtle, so subtle in fact, that a stranger can barely notice it.But I am no stranger.The grumbly cadence of your voice and your habitual foibles and gestures are lost on others. To them you’re just another entity amidst the endless mass of the universe. They don’t know you like I do. But for me, read...

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“The Witches' Help Group” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #65

“The night was up in flames. Hurricanes of crimson and amber whirled up and down the streets, evoking shouts and squeals of laughter from young trick-or-treaters as they tried to catch the leaves in their hands. The night was alive. Snarling jack-o-lanterns were peppered along porches and window panes, flicking their red flame tongues at passers-by. The bigger ones were stationed on the ground facing outward like menacing guardians of the night –”“-BORING!” yawned Ursula; the Sea Witch, before noisily stretching her lilac arms upwa...

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“Society of the Lunar Brethren” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #59

Myra felt the chill of the autumn afternoon pass through her. It was sharp and crisp, sending a sudden spark of life through her aged limbs that snatched her out of the solace of sleep. She had taken a mid-afternoon nap on the veranda of her cabin, and being wrapped up in all her throws and self-embroidered cushions, she couldn’t think of a better place to be. Nothing could beat the tranquillity of being in the middle of nowhere with no one but Mother Nature to keep her company. She wrapped herself up tighter as a gust of wind soared thro...

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“Sorry Chaucer, time does wait for some.” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #55

It was 7:30 am and Akun lay on his bedroom floor propped up on his elbows, wrapped in the comforting ignorance of youth, having only seen ten years of the world. This was his favourite time of the day; when everything was silent. He could feel the warmth of the boiler pipes underneath him as they whirred gently, waking up the sleeping house. On this particular morning, his short attention span was completely absorbed in the antique train set he had received on his ninth birthday. His granddad had given him that; his granddad always gave h...

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“Macabre Madness” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #42

You are invited to the memorial service for our beloved. We have lost more than a friend, a son, a brother and a father; we have lost our leader.IN LOVING MEMORY OFENRICO VANETTISeptember 8th 20202pm - 2amDuomo di Lecce CathedralR...

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“The Day I met Yuni” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #35

Frocks, frills and folderol. That’s all the spring dance was. You saw nothing but petals scattered over every bit of ground visible to the naked eye. Every lamp post was adorned with a vine of flowers and every street was decked with bunting and lights. And don’t forget the bouquets! There were geraniums, roses, lilies, peonies and every flower you could think of. They hung from every shop window, every basket of a young girl’s bike, not even the post boxes were spared. It was all so impractical and don’t get me started on the smell. It w...

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“Unlucky Thirteenth” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #32

The September sky blushed red as the sun began to set. The hum of traffic began to slow as rush hour ebbed away and dusk set in. For most people, this was a time for unwinding and relaxation from a day’s stressful work, but for one girl, the stress had yet to begin.In a cushy café tucked away at the end of Lloyd Street, Nuri stared impatiently at her last customer whilst scraping a bit of a steak pie off her apron. He was an elderly man, languidly finishing off his custard doughnut. Realising that he would probably take a long-time...

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