Troll

by J.S. Apsley

I flee down the tunnel mouth below the river; confused, breathless. The heat and darkness oppress me. Above, behind, everywhere; a snarling: the creature I dare not see. Must not see.

I stumble, aching for neon lights which signify “Exit”. I see a figure there; incandescent with fear. He has my face; he is me. Guilt excoriates my senses. What have I done?

Her body, crippled and bloody, flashes in my eye. I stop as though struck by a bullet, clapping my hand to my forehead. I am the ugly creature that lurks in the shadows.

I am the troll.

━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━
J.S. Apsley is the pen name of an aspiring author from Glasgow, Scotland. He won the Ringwood Publishing short story prize 2024 for his debut fiction submission, Immersion. See www.jsapsley.com

 

Bright Pools of Solace

by JS Apsley

Sleep is a stranger. Do I hear my neighbour's TV through the wall? I grapple with an over-active mind; imagining her lying there, prostrate. Her lifeless eyes peering upwards. Unease drips over me like tar. It’s not the sound of the TV. It’s not the thought of her body slowly seizing up like stone. It’s those damn open eyes, forever searching, never seeing; unforgiving in dark repose.

Yet, I realise I should applaud the fertility of my imagination; for with Damascene revelation, I understand her open eyes are bright pools of solace.

If I’d closed them, I’d have left fingerprints.

━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━
JS Apsley is the pen name of an aspiring author from Glasgow, Scotland. He won the Ringwood Publishing short story prize 2024 for his debut fiction submission, Immersion. See www.jsapsley.com.