The music was loud and hurt his ears. It sounded like three different bands were playing three different tunes, all of them out of tune and out of time. He pushed his way through the crowd to the bar.

He walks through the city. The streets are almost empty. A few dogs and some cats fight over a rubbish bin. He sees another person, but when he waves at her, he thinks it is a young woman; she turns and

"Your puppy is cute," the old hag says, her grin revealing blackened teeth and gaps. "But not as cute as me!" She blows me a kiss and I try to dodge it, ducking behind my mother, but

They called her "the ugly truck". She could smell their meaness, it oozed through their pores and made her stomach turn over. But she couldn't avoid them. "Just ignore them," her sister

"It's time," she says, squeezing my hand. "It's time to cross the Bridge." I blink. I don't want to cross it. What's on the other side? I ask. But nothing comes out of my mouth. "It's

"You'd be lonely in a crowd," his grandmother used to say, patting him on the hand. He never knew if she meant it kindly or not. But it's true. He stands here, in this room full of people his

"I probably deserved that," Dad said, rubbing his red cheek. He nodded towards the door, still shaking from the slamming it had received. "Run after her, would you Kelly? Make sure she doesn't

"Another lazy stereotype," Emily said, throwing down the manuscript onto the table. "Really, Dan, you can do so much better." I didn't say anything. "Stop doing that, Dan!"

I was startled out of my daydream by the cab door opening and a young woman flopping down on the back seat before leaning forward and shouting, "Follow that cat!" I blinked for a moment and then

He sits in his cell, his back pressed up against the cold stone wall. In his head he plays Scrabble. He hates Scrabble. "Define it!" his sister used to say whenever he put a word down, whether

"If you can't find it," Grandmother said, a twinkle in her eye. "You'll have to pay a visit to the Merchant of Lost Things." I stared at her, open-mouthed. "But why would he steal

Hello, Draw A Day community and friends. Here is your drawing prompt for Day 2 of The Menagerie: 31 Days of Drawing (July Challenge) Prompt Details: 📅 Day 2 Species: Rabbit Pose: Carrying a tray of baked

Hello, Draw A Day community and friends. Here is your drawing prompt for Day 3 of The Menagerie: 31 Days of Drawing (July Challenge) Prompt Details: 📅 Day 3 Species: Cat Pose: Riding a skateboard

Hello, Draw A Day community and friends. Here is your drawing prompt for Day 4 of The Menagerie: 31 Days of Drawing (July Challenge) Prompt Details: 📅 Day 4 Species: Owl Pose: Reading a glowing map at

Stuck for something to do before he meets Julia in the pub, he slipŝ into the second-hand shop next door. He strolls along the crowded aisles looking at the shelves packed with crockery, tableware and

Mr Dog, the surgeon, was due to see me at eight in the morning for a final assessment before my operation. "You'll like him," April, the kindly nurse, said. "He looks a bit funny, but his

His ethnic background was not obvious to her. Was it important? Not to her, but if she were bringing him home, her grandfather would be asking. She didn't want to embarrass him. She loved her grandfather

Hey Hive friends, I am starting a drawing challenge this July called The Menagerie. It will run for 31 days, with one new drawing prompt each day. All the characters in this challenge are animals, and

Hello, Draw A Day community and friends. Here is your drawing prompt for Day 1 of The Menagerie: 31 Days of Drawing (July Challenge) Prompt Details: 📅 Day 1 Species: Hedgehog Pose: Watering a row of tiny

Today's Daily Drawing is based on My 5-Minute Freewrite, "Reserve"