Winter Sun, a Bezzina’s Story, by Francesca Astraea

I always name characters after members of the No. 1 Readers' Club over on Patreon - this was Jackie's turn! As is usually the case, this Bezzina's story is a standalone. You don't have to read them in order, but you can find them all here. One winter evening, a couple enter Bezzina's Emporium of …

The King of Banana Town by Francesca Astraea

Had a slightly... bananas... prompt. Wrote about racketeering. Enjoy!   It wasn’t known as Banana Town when Gus moved there. The town, that is. It wasn’t known as much – just a crossroads with some houses, a petrol station and one of those everything-and-anything grocery shops. If it had a name, Gus scrubbed it out …

Manifested by Francesca Astraea

Rosie's life as an up-and-coming YouTuber is hectic, filled with long days and hard work, fuelled by caffeine and desperation. When she starts to forget where she's been, she thinks she's pushed herself too far. But is something sinister at play? Content warnings: blood.   Rosie was late. She wasn’t sure how it happened; one …

Connection Error by Francesca Astraea

Ines' magic specialises in helping people communicate. Getting them to listen, on the other hand... A few of weeks ago you guys voted for 'poison' to be my next topic, so here it is! (An aside which none of you give a shit about: I nicked [character spoiler] from the Philosophy Tube YouTube channel, and …

Reset. by Francesca Astraea

  Take a deep breath and swap a truth for a truth. Rumour had it, the woman lived in a tree.   Rumour had it, she used to be a tree. Wait, no, she was still a tree.   Rumour had it, if you visited her on the right day, she would exchange a truth …

Making Connections (The Magician, the Major Arcana Series) by Francesca Astraea

When booking a session at an exclusive life coach’s ‘wellness centre,’ Natalie anticipated a white sofa, ambient music and mineral water in glass bottles. She thought the life coach would wear loose fitting, neutral clothes and use phrases such as ‘staying present’ and ‘checking in with the soul.’   She did not expect the lifestyle …

It’s Always the Apocalypse Somewhere (The Sun, the Major Arcana Series) by Francesca Astraea

  It’s always the apocalypse somewhere.   Today, it was at fifty-three Milton Place. Catalyst? An unanswered text. No, not an unanswered text. The jolt of realisation, upon looking for an answer, that most likely none would come. If one did, the realisation continued reasonably, could it possibly improve the situation that culminated in the …

Untitled Part Two (The World, the Major Arcana Series) by Francesca Astraea

Winter   ‘Luke! We need you out here. There’s a riot.’   Olwyn was prone to exaggeration when stressed, but Lucas put down his receipts nonetheless. ‘Is it because of the roadworks?’   A phone pressed to her ear, Olwyn rolled her eyes. ‘You could say that. Ah—yes, I’ll hold—we’re at Brompton Road—get out there, …

Untitled Part One (The World, the Major Arcana Series) by Francesca Astraea

Spring   When Lucas sought out a fairy godmother, he hadn’t expected to meet a woman wearing jeans, a sharp leather jacket and a silver tiara. He hadn’t expected to meet her in a side street next to some roadworks either.   ‘Oh, this?’ she said when she caught him staring at her outfit. ‘None …

Sunflowers (The Empress, Major Arcana series) by Francesca Astraea

Little Barking wasn’t known for its stunning natural beauty, nor its architectural significance. It was usually described as ‘nice but nondescript’ by people who passed through it on the way to somewhere else. Except for the sunflowers.   According to legend and the local newspaper (which was surprisingly accurate), Little Barking was the place to …