This short story is about an actual place near Kiama where I live in the Illawarra. The story was a semi finalist in the Aussiecon 4 Make Ready fantasy/scfi competition  2010. It's now part of  my short story collection: A Matter of Perception “Hurry up,” Con shouted. His voice sliced through Ellen’s morning fog. She groaned and rolled over, pulling the quilt over her head. Con poked his head into the bedroom. “Are you coming or what?” “I’m coming,” Ellen grumbled. She struggled out of bed and grabbed last night’s clothes off the floor. “I wanna see this place as much as you do, I’d just rather do it later, that’s all.” “I’m not going later.” “I know,” she growled. Why else would she be getting up before sunrise. Half an hour later, they stood in lung-searing cold staring at blocks of jagged rock silhouetted against a predawn sky. Waves crashed, splashing treachery. A briny breeze whined around the basalt forms and Ellen shivered. The rocky monoliths reminded … [Read more...]