Cindy McMann slept sprawled across her older sister Stacey’s lap, in the police interview room, as Brian watched through the other side of the mirrored glass. He knew he was not going to be their saviour and his heart raced as he listened to the monotonous dial tone on the end of the phone. His […]
The Quarry Journal
A journal of creative writing by students at Macquarie University
Soul 3396, Hannah Bell
‘On February twelfth the accused was arraigned before me,’ Chief Justice Ellins begins, his voice flat and dry, conserving itself for the long judgment to follow. Astrea’s hands are wet. She hides them in her lap, wipes them on her thighs. ‘She faces charges of malicious damage to property and using a hoax bomb to […]
The Valley, Anna Blackie
Marcus hung on the precipice of the Valley, looking down into the only world he’d ever known. He marvelled at how insignificant it seemed from this height. Turning his focus to what lay above him, Marcus hauled himself through the crack in the sky, the tantalising scent of fresh air luring him out of his […]
As We Go On, Mary Lou Raposa
‘… at ten-thirty.’ Her hands tighten around the phone. ‘I know.’ ‘Don’t be late.’ Her vision melts into a multi-coloured blur as she considers how to best answer the command. ‘I’ll try.’ The sound of laughter forces her vision to refocus. Two teenage girls walk past her and she watches them as they cross to […]
Robota, Alice Maher
The bots stared glassily ahead as dozens of off-duty humans milled about them. ‘The Sophisticated Models, or SMs, are self-decontaminating; I suppose that was important for OH&S back in the pleasure houses, and it’s just as useful here. We don’t care as much about the BASE models, but the SMs can clean all forty or […]
Dignity Estranged, Christopher Norris
A Molotov cocktail cut through the summer air. Glass smashed, petrol burned. A swarm of people danced around the flames, desperate to escape the inferno. ‘Fucking hell!’ screamed Leighton, as he pushed a stocky man named Jason away from the flames. He stumbled as his shoe got tangled in the human wall, his ankle twisted […]
Pass Over, Alec Mallia
I was paying to watch her die, every week. I flew to the city when she was admitted and managed to get a room half an hour away in a share house. At four or five in the morning my eyes would open to the cracks in the roof, shying from the window light […]
Lansdowne, David Nolan
In hindsight, it was a strange way to live. At the time, everything was a little bit odd to me out there so I didn’t think anything of it. My grandparents never made an issue of it, so I figured that’s just the way it was. I was staying with my grandparents in a small […]
Phantom, Rabeah Zafrullah
08/09/15 CARNEGIE POLICE DEPARTMENT PART 2 OF AUDIO RECORDED INTERVIEW ADAMS: Am I a suspect? POLICE: The body was found in your apartment, Mr. Adams. We need to know why. ADAMS: So I am a suspect. [laughs] People keep telling me that the police are getting duller, but shit man, I didn’t believe them […]
We all fall down, Catrin Shaw
‘He tried to eat his family.’ ‘Did not.’ ‘Did too. When the porters came to collect the bodies, his parents had bite marks on their arms and legs. His father even had a chunk of flesh missing from his thigh.’ ‘You’re lying.’ ‘Am not. It does that to you. Turns you mad.’ He leant forward […]