Central Kansas Library System

Abbi the Labrador loves her people-but she loves her bunny friend Zac even more. So when he pleads with her to let him out of his cage one night, she does.Even though it's the wrong thing to do. Even though the consequences will be worse than she ever imagined. A tragic short tale about the true meaning of friendship-and guilt.1300 words.Welcome to Inklets, a series of short (and sometimes short-short) stories ranging from sci-fi to fantasy to lingering...

Tommy, aged five, pens his Christmas letter. His request? More brains for his family; they just don't understand him. He begs his mum to post the letter. With only one day left, it may not get there in time-he might end up with no presents.Or, he might end up with exactly what he requested. Santa Claus is coming. Be careful what you wish for.800 words / horror

The small town of Renph: a cosy, happy little place-at least until recently. Now, violence explodes in the streets, rumours whisper in the dark, and people hang in the square. And no one knows why. No one-except Tikva. But what can a seven-year-old do against a tidal wave of hatred? Or against the strange flame-haired woman who rode into town on her jet-black horse?A richly imagined tale that demonstrates the power of love-no matter what the age....

Soulbonds mean a slow, lingering death for those who carry them-and Guiro's soulbond is nearly at an end. But if he dies near other people, the soulbond will jump to them. And so, at the end of a long, cobbled alleyway, Guiro lingers over his very last approach to the door of the place he used to call home. Just for a few more minutes, he needs to pretend he belongs. A touching story about the power of found families, and why real love means never...

Simon Baker, 86, aging rapidly in an aged care facility. Just an ordinary man, coming to the end of an ordinary life…Except something else tickles the edges of his mind-of his memory. If only he could remember his real identity. Before time runs out.A quiet science fiction tale about the importance of memory, that resonates with anyone who's ever watched a loved one fade away.

On the moon, the sole survivors of a terrestrial plague keep each other company.But when you have the whole moon to fill, two is a very small number.Can they persevere, for the sake of the human race, their lives-and their sanity?A very short story about the crushing loneliness of depression, and the need for human connection to survive.

The strange visitor arrives in the nick of time, just as Natalie contemplates giving in to the feelers of darkness that surround her.She can stay strong long enough to entertain a guest. But after that? Who knows.A hopeful tale for everyone beset by the Black Dog. CONTENT NOTIFICATION: References to suicidal thoughts, depression.

Zac, young, smart and adventures, roams the eucalypt bush and pine forest around his house to his heart's content. But not over the old train tracks. Never that far. Until one day, he feels something magical calling…He knows he should ignore it. But even he can't imagine the consequences for listening this time.A tragic story about the mistakes we can make while grieving, and how clinging to our grief can cheat us of everything we ever loved, or...

Ambrose sits alone in utter darkness, in a house nobody wanted, on a rug nobody loved, about to reach the pinnacle of all his dreams and hopes and plans. What a pity it requires his death first.Let's just hope the prize makes the price worthwhile. A wistful, melancholic reminder of the importance of love. 3100 words / dark fantasy

Jenna finds an abandoned shoe on the side of the road, unaware that the shoe waits deliberately. Inexplicably drawn to the shoe, Jenna takes it home. But what the shoe wants from her? A price she never wanted to pay… A short, chilling retelling of the Red Shoes fairy tale.