Postcards from Kronk - the second collection of daily stories. (2025)

  Last night I hurt my wrist but hadn't realised how bad it was until I attempted to announce my arrival by doing a donut outside my ex’s house as I arrived to pick up my daughter for the weekend. Now, we are now driving back in silence. I have agreed it was a mistake trying to show her how it should have been done as we left the cul-de-sac, especially as I was unaware my ex and her new partner were still stood in their porch watching us leave. I have also agreed to a Nandos.

  “We can try again in the morning, and I guess if any do get out tonight, then yes, they’ll try to raise the alarm,” Kelly was tired, and regretted again, putting herself forward as leader, “but most will probably just want to get as far away as possible.” It had been twelve days since the last sighting and those still in the house had largely stopped questioning her decisions. “So?” She asked no one in particular. A few nodded, others simply got up and started to leave, Ann and Mike began to clear the chairs away but almost immediately needed to step to the side quickly as Graham burst through the door, his clothes a mass of tiny Styrofoam balls, stuck to him by static and nervous energy. “Sorry, but I think we’ve got a bigger problem now.”

  The announcement was exactly as he’d feared, the local council had been infiltrated by communists and wealth redistributors, as he’d been saying to all that would listen for months. Maurice Banks thought he was ready, the first of his family to open a small to medium sized business, holidayed abroad twice a year and liked to say he spoke his mind. The kind of man that, if convicted of a heinous crime, neighbours would refer to as a larger-than-life character who always said hello and gave generously to charity collections. Those at the chamber of commerce understood had was really happening, and those he messaged on a more exclusive WhatsApp group had made plans, most of which were legal and non-violent. But still, he falters, even facing the threat of effectively allowing just anyone to go anywhere Maurice was unsure how far he could go. Growing up, before he’d found his way he'd even dreamed of going to Art School, but that was long ago now. Yet, as he sits there, he find...

  Post truth, truth be told, has been more of a challenge than initially expected, the rationing of gravity took us all by surprise and has largely restricted movement beyond the reach of ropes and chains. As the only person in the village with a wind-up radio I have found myself at the very centre of our dwindling population, which is nice, but largely down to the inaccessible nature of my home. As the broadcasts are often contradictory and rarely followed up, I have been circumspect with what I share with the others, but it certainly appears that things are beginning to improve. In fact during the last couple of weeks there have been reports of energy returning to some areas, as close as Bradford and, if true, this could signal the first real breakthrough since it all went wrong. People will be gathering soon to hear from me and I’m not sure what to do.

  “From tonight, you will be able to gaze upwards and see nothing save a cloud or two, and the distant twinkling light of something long gone, this will be the single most important act of the revolution to date: no messages, no adverts, no reminders, no instructions. I ask you not to be afraid, let us embrace how tiny we are. This is not retreating as the technologists claim rather a reclamation of our freedom to exist and dream, worry and imagine.” These words were found on a piece of paper, actually written down , as the man was fatally shot entering level four with a massive spanner.  Tests showed he had been drinking, add it to the next bulletin.

Kragor the almighty surveyed his home and was happy. In the hearth, the black nebula matrix roared into life at a glance from his cybernetic eye implant. At the other end of the room, his robot wife sung Wagner waiting for the synthi meal to stop blinking whilst the twins Rex and Rebel played 3 dimensional chess in the Zero-G conservatory. Today, as every other day, was going to be a real humdinger. And then he coughed and the world ended.

They took a table in the corner, kissed briefly and ordered the food. Soup to start and a glass of white wine. Afterwards whilst waiting for the main the woman reached into her bag, pulled out a book and began to read. " Out of 365 days I thought about you, in a favourable light on 34 occasions, badly, that is, I thought about you negatively, 32 times " She smiled and raised her glass, he gave a little laugh and raised his own. " ok, sounds about right, last year I have thought about you, " he took a scrap of paper out and squinted his eyes to examine it, " in a good way, ", a little smirk, " that's all I'm saying, in a good way, on 78 times, I also thought about you in a not so pleasant way, on 32 times. " They nodded and chinked glasses, " So I'm the nicer person " he concluded. " But we knew that already dear, " she answered. The main arrived shortly after, pasta and a plain tomato salad. After the meal th...