By Andy Astruc & RJ Astruc

"You must understand, Mrs Hewitt, children like your daughter are not inherently evil. They are simply lost souls in need of guidance," says the Head. "These unfortunates can be taught, with the right tools, to correct their natures. Don't listen to the propaganda, this is a lifestyle choice she has made."

My mother wrings her hands. "I just hope you can help us, Mr Farburst," she says.

My father sits stiffly. "We simply can't have her around like this.

By Wes Parish

The Square was packed. I had lost sight of Dumuzi, Padma and Arlene a few moments before, when they were swept towards the front of the densely-packed crowd. Alice had disappeared shortly after catching sight of a friend. Simon and Katherine were swept away in a swirl of celebrating rowdies. I had stayed close to Juliana, somehow, and to Fred and Frith, but even now a few extra people were pushing their way between us, and Juliana looked distinctly worried.

The speakers got up on the platform that had been hastily erected earlier that day, and some organizers on the periphery started the chant: "What do we want? Work! when do we want it? Now!" and some others that I could hardly hear.

By Nicole Rendall

Kleet answered the door in his usual slow, methodical manner. The deliverymen took his chip id and left.

Roger had ordered a new model, much to Mother's disgust. Kleet knew that she didn't see the point in upgrading when old things worked just fine.

"Mother, it has arrived, what would you like done?" he asked, sliding his finger across the faceplate.

The intercom chimed. "Oh, just put it in the cupboard, dear. We manage just fine by ourselves."

By Kevin J. Phyland

REVENGE INC.

The business card displayed ornate print, expensive, translucent, more like a credit card:

REVENGE INC.

We get your revenge.

Twice what you're owed.

I could not remember getting the card. I'd been drinking at a small club and after about 10 pm things went hazy.

No address. Simply a mobile phone number. In red.

By Geordie McLeod

The gas giant sat like a child's lost marble amongst the debris of the outer spiral ring of an ever dwindling galaxy. Two insignificant rocky planetoids cast elliptical shadows on the pale giant's smoky surface as they wafted through their carefully designed orbits. The blink of an organic eye would have missed it, but the two almost perfect spheres caressed each other as two lovers might brush hands passing in a crowd.

By Shaun A Saunders

The newspaper headline said it all:

Average Person Found!

The ideal of modern society — the truly average person, the demographer's dream — had finally been found in flesh and blood.

The academics sat her on a pedestal: "You're at the perfect middle, the absolute centre, the pinnacle of every normal distribution," they told her, swooning in rapture as only academics could over such abstract delight after years of searching.

By M L Sawyer

Thump, thump, thump.

Billy's breath came in ragged gasps. He stood, back against the hallway wall, just above the stairs. His heart pounded while his eyes flicked from side to side — trying to see where IT would come from.

Thump, thump, thump. The heavy footsteps echoed through the house. The house was otherwise deserted. Billy was all alone. He knew what was coming.

By Edwina Harvey

"Remember the rabbit," my sister hissed to me as we stood before the pale, prone body of my father on the hospital bed. He was connected to machines that kept him alive while they sucked away our meagre inheritance by the hour.

He'd been out to it for five days now. The hospital staff had seen my sister and I pale by degrees as they'd talked about the latest treatments. Nanos would keep him stable until replacement organs could be generated from tissue samples.

By Mick Dawson

Phil Hilsden had a passion for history. Indeed, it was his interest in it that brought him to Broome. After all, Vikings had landed here. There was evidence. The fossilised imprint of a longship showed in the rocks just offshore. Phil had seen it for himself with the low morning tide.

Now, he lay on the beach, satisfied. Sleep overtook him. Flashes of memory came, but none of them were his.

By Bart Meehan

Father Dominic led a good, holy life. God-loving, and caring for all living things. He was kind and compassionate and brave, even as the soldiers of the Great Leader tied him to the tree in the town square and drove their bayonets into his body.