AntipodeanSF Issue 326

Itty Bitty Monster

By P. J. Keuning

I am the monster. 

I guard the secret passage to my Master’s lair. 

No one gets past me.

I see the intruder coming.

To kill my Master

Thinks he is clever. 

Found the secret way.

Dark and cold.

No one to see him coming.

I see him coming.

‘Stop,’ I call. 

‘Who said that?’ 

He does not see me.

His sword sings from the scabbard. 

Looks around. 

Not down.

‘I am here.’ 

He senses my direction.

Looks down. 

Smiles.

Gets down on hands and knees.

‘Who are you?’

‘I am the monster that guards the passage.’

‘You are such an itty-bitty monster.’

‘No one gets past me.’

‘You are just a bug.’

‘Turn back or die.’ 

He laughs. 

I will enjoy killing this one. 

Show him my long straight claws.

My mouth reveals my wicked fangs.

Bounce on my strong legs.

‘Leave now or I kill you.’

‘You are so small.’

‘Big enough to kill you.’

‘I will squash you, bug.’

‘I kill you now.’

My strong legs propel me. 

My long claws together. 

My whole body straightens.

I am the monster.

I am the Dart of Death. 

I pierce though his right eye straight into his brain. 

He dies quickly.

Brain tastes so good.

I am the monster.

I guard the secret passage to my Master’s lair.

No one gets past me.

 

About the Author

r-keuning-bioNow been on this earth for more than 60 years. The kids are all growing up, the wife is growing wiser & Rick hopes to grow his days as a writer. Rick’s name is actually Patrick, but he is still Rick. 

When he writes, Rick writes Adult SpecFic as P J Keuning and stuff for younger people as Rick Keuning. He does not know why.

Living on the Central Coast NSW is nice.

You can follow Rick’s writing adventures, when he has any on Facebook at <https://www.facebook.com/RickKeuningWriter>

@RickKeuning

aus25grn

Issue Contributors

Meet the Narrators

Merri Andrew

merri andrew 200Merri Andrew writes poetry and short fiction, some of which has appeared in Cordite, Be:longing, Baby Teeth and Islet, among other places.

She has been a featured artist for the Noted festival, won a Red Room #30in30 daily poetry challenge and was shortlisted for the

...

Chuck McKenzie

chuck mckenzie 200

Chuck McKenzie was born in 1970 and still spends most of his time there. His science fiction and horror short stories have been nominated for multiple genre awards, and he hopes to one day be remembered as the sort of person neighbours later describe as seeming

...

Sarah Jane Justice

Sarah Jane Justice 200Sarah Jane Justice is an Adelaide-based fiction writer, poet, musician and spoken word artist.

Among other achievements, she has performed in the National Finals of the Australian Poetry Slam, released two albums of her original music and seen her poetry

...

Tim Borella

tim borellaTim Borella is an Australian author, mainly of short speculative fiction published in anthologies, online and in podcasts.

He’s also a songwriter, and has been fortunate enough to have spent most of his working life doing something else he loves, flying.

Tim lives with his wife Georgie in beautiful Far

...

Tara Campbell

tara campbell 150Tara Campbell is an award-winning writer, teacher, Kimbilio Fellow, fiction co-editor at Barrelhouse, and graduate of American University's MFA in Creative Writing.

Publication credits include Masters Review, Wigleaf, Electric Literature,

...

Barry Yedvobnick

barry yedvobnick 200Barry Yedvobnick is a recently retired Biology Professor. He performed molecular biology and genetic research, and taught, at Emory University in Atlanta for 34 years. He is new to fiction writing, and enjoys taking real science a step or two beyond its known boundaries in his

...

Mark English

mark english 100Mark is an astrophysicist and space scientist who worked on the Cassini/Huygens mission to Saturn. Following this he worked in computer consultancy, engineering, and high energy research (with a stint at the JET Fusion Torus).

All this science hasn't damped his love of fantasy and science fiction. It has, however, ruined his

...

Alistair Lloyd

alistair lloyd 200Alistair Lloyd is a Melbourne based writer and narrator who has been consuming good quality science fiction and fantasy most of his life.

You may find him on Twitter as <@mr_al> and online at <...

Ed Errington

ed erringtonEd lives with his wife plus a magical assortment of native animals in tropical North Queensland.

His efforts at wallaby wrangling are without parallel — at least in this universe.

He enjoys reading and writing science-fiction stories set within intriguing, yet plausible contexts, and invite readers’ “willing suspension of

...

Laurie Bell

lauriebell 2 200

Laurie Bell lives in Melbourne, Australia and is the author of "The Stones of Power Series" via Wyvern's Peak Publishing: "The Butterfly Stone", "The Tiger's Eye" and "The Crow's Heart" (YA/Fantasy).

She is also the author of "White Fire" (Sci-Fi) and "The Good, the Bad and the Undecided" (a

...

Carolyn Eccles

carolyn eccles 100

Carolyn's work spans devising, performance, theatre-in-education and a collaborative visual art practice.

She tours children's works to schools nationally with School Performance Tours, is a member of the Bathurst physical theatre ensemble Lingua Franca and one half of darkroom —

...

Geraldine Borella

geraldine borella 200Geraldine Borella writes fiction for children, young adults and adults. Her work has been published by Deadset Press, IFWG Publishing, Wombat Books/Rhiza Edge, AHWA/Midnight Echo, Antipodean SF, Shacklebound Books, Black Ink Fiction, Paramour Ink Fiction, House of Loki and Raven & Drake

...

Brian Biswas

brian-biswasBrian Biswas lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

He is the author of the short story collection,  "A Betrayal and Other Stories", published by Rogue Star Press, and the novel "The Astronomer", published by Whisk(e)y Tit Books.

A second collection, "Blister

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Michelle Walker

michelle walker32My time at Nambucca Valley Community Radio began back in 2016 after moving into the area from Sydney.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I recognised it was definitely God who opened up the pathways for my husband and I to settle in the Valley.

Within

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Emma Gill

Emma Louise GillEmma Louise Gill (she/her) is a British-Australian spec fic writer and consumer of vast amounts of coffee. Brought up on a diet of English lit, she rebelled and now spends her time writing explosive space opera and other fantastical things in

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