Jenny lay with a paperback novel open across her breast, staring at the lazily swaying leaves above her. She could hear the whine of a remote-controlled plane from across the field, changing in pitch as it banked and swerved. Beyond that came the gentler, resonating sound of a ball striking a bat; the sound of a father playing cricket with his children. On the grass next to her sat Mike with his knees drawn up into arches. He was watching a dragonfly as it flew up the incline, hovered a few feet from his face, then darted away over the trees.

“Dragonfly,” he said.

“Mm?” said Jenny.
(more…)

I was sat the other night, watching X-files alone in the dark, and it finished. The creepy music started to play and then I felt something crawling up my leg, but only barely. I looked down and there was a Harvestman there, looking up at me (presumably) just about to reach my knee. Ugh.

Harvestmen are my least favourite of all creatures. They just look like they shouldn’t exist, and they really freak me out. (more…)

My father keeps praying mantises, four of them. I’m not sure why; they’re hardly the most affectionate of creatures, but at least they’re pretty cool as a sort of curiosity pet. Since he’s in Scotland this week, yanking innocent fish out of their murky-cold homes, I’m charged with looking after the little creatures. (more…)