fiction | Claire Fitzpatrick

Metamorphosis (Collection)

Madeline will never become a woman. William will never become a man. Does June deserve to be human? Does Lilith deserve a heart?

Seventeen stories. Seventeen tales of terror.

If imperfection is crucial to a society’s survival, what makes a monster?

Out Now from IFWG Publishing.

The Music From The Rue de l'Église

Paris, 1794. Amid an outbreak of plague, a lonely and impoverished man with nothing but the memories of his deceased family as company begins to hear a strange melodic tune. At first, the sound is harmonious and beautiful. But as time goes by, it becomes discordant and grotesque, and his body, once unblemished, becomes infected with something more monstrous than the plague could ever be....

Happy Birthday, Ebony

It's Ebony's birthday, and her father has organised an artist to paint her portrait. But her brother Cameron does not like the artist, a stranger in their small town, in their old house. He doesn't like the way he looks at her, the way he captures her with his paintbrush. Ebony belongs to him, and no one else, and he'll do whatever it takes to make sure it stays that way.

Indigo (Novelette)

Rob can't accept the sudden suicide of Indigo. He can't accept the happy, artistic friend he had once loved would willingly take her own life. He feels something is amiss, something is wrong. So he decides to investigate, and soon finds a pattern he can't ignore. While investigating, he meets Indigo's neighbour Evelyn, a bizarre woman who seems to know more about Indigo's death than anyone else.

An unexpected string of suicides. A strang woman. A strange zodiac talisman everyone who died seems to be connected to.

What does it all mean? And will Rob uncover the mystery before it is too late to save himself?

Deep Sea Fishing

All Lucian wants is to impress his father, to prove he's worthy enough to join the man and the rest of his friends on the fishing trawler and their deep sea expedition. But a mysterious stranger and an even more mysterious mirror might just get in the way...

Pit Of Love

Ember and Andy have known each other since childhood. Their fights turned into adolescent bickering, their affection blossomed into romance., and they’ve been happily dating for the past two years. Yet this Valentines Day, Ember's Mother shows her a new way to celebrate their love. A darker way. One that involves a shovel and a deep magical pit...

Dragonfly

Will seeks out the mysterious Vietnamese Dragonfly club in the hopes of finding his lost friend. He soon finds himself at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park and face to face with the dark magic of the Ruc people. But once Will goes inside the Ruc caves, there’s no knowing if he’ll come out....

The Eagle

A young therianthropic seeks out his former mentor, though what he finds instead might be more than he bargained for...

June 2018 Feature Story.

Synthetic

At seventeen, Jack still hasn't hit puberty. His father wants him to play football, date girls, and grow a pair. But Jack's body isn't exactly designed like the other boys...

Metamorphosis

All William wants is to grow into his new body - to embrace puberty, to become the man he needs to be. But not all bodies work the way they're supposed to. Not all boys become men.

Thorne House

Budge and Siouxsie seek out Thorne House, an old guest house deep in the mountainside. But once they go inside, there's no way they're getting out.

The Town Hall

It's an annual affair in a small, idyllic town. The residents are put on a register, the ones chosen from the lottery ushered inside the hall. Mr and Mrs Dawson watch the proceedings from across the road. But once the lottery ticket holders go inside the hall, there's no knowing who won' t come out.

Deck The Walls

It's Christmas. A time for renewal. A time for a renovation. A time to welcome the new year. But for Alex, a late building contractor is the least of his worries...for the house itself has plans of its own...

Eat

Alex and Harlan take refuge within the old Victorian house on Logonov Street, desperate to hide themselves from the Risen. But for Alex, flesh-eating zombies aren't the only things she needs to be worried about.

Madeline

A young girl experiences puberty in a startling and unexpected way.

Shortlisted within The Australian Shadow Awards 2015 for Best Edited Work.

Scarab

June's problematic relationship with her mother results in a severe depersonalization issue that may just manifest into something more physically chaotic than she first thought...

Madeline

A young girl experiences puberty in a startling and unexpected way.

Selected by Shane Jiraiya Cummings.

Octopus

Andy strikes up a conversation with Tina at Sci-Fi convention, chatting about the peculiar intellect of octopuses. But for one Lovecraft fan, her Lovecraftian fantasies might be all too real....

Only The Dead (Novel)

War in the field, war in the home, war in the heart.

They've only just found each other, but their paths are separated by war. Blood. Decapitation. Death. Nothing will keep them apart. Except perhaps each other.

Mechanical Garden

After a catastrophic nuclear accident, residents of a small town are evacuated - except for a select few. The ones left behind - deemed 'undesirables' - are housed in underground bunkers and monitored by AI's to determine if they are fit for a new society. What happens when one Epileptic woman is declared unfit?

Jólakötturinn

Lydia has a new flat. A new cat. And is preparing for a new life. But she hasn't been very good this year, and does not expect to receive any gifts. And the yule cat Jólakötturinn does not take too kindly to those who don't receive new clothes before Christmas...

Andromeda (Novelette)

Astronauts return to Earth and find an unidentifiable amphibious species have taken over and cull humans for their flesh.

The Beach

When exile turns deadly.

Synthetic (Reprint)

At seventeen, Jack still hasn't hit puberty. His father wants him to play football, date girls, and grow a pair. But Jack's body isn't exactly designed like the other boys...

Unknown Artists

❄ Purple Delphiniums And Other Poems

2017 UQ Writers Club Anthology featuring a collection of short stories and a play.

❄Featured stories: The Bird Woman, and Happy Birthday, Ebony

FIVE Poetry Magazine Vol.03 No.10

Featured Poems:

The Dirty Thirty Anthology

The 2015 edition of The Dirty Thirty Anthology is a compilation of poetic "Picks Of The Day" written by various artists all over the world during the 30 days of April.

❄Featured poem: Little Knitted Shoes