Prentice Orville

The Eyes of a Forgotten Friendship A sudden jolt of the bus nearly sent the woman in the faded blue coat

—Late again?— Nikolas’s voice crackled through the phone, distant and muffled, as though drifting across

It had been nine months since anyone heard from Andrew. At first, Eleanor counted the days, marking them

The expiry date had passed. Yesterday’s dawn in the quiet market town on the outskirts of Lincolnshire

**The Last Minute** James stood by the window of his flat in Manchester, watching schoolchildren hurry

**The Summer in the Basement** First came the crash. The kind that leaves your ears ringing, as though

**Just Someone There** This past summer, the bench in the park near Camden was lively—schoolkids laughing

When Joy Arrived The late evening was thick with March gloom, and Michael, as always, was walking home

Elsie grew like a weed by the roadside—untended, unloved, unnoticed. No kindness, no care, not even a

When Everything Went Quiet The door slammed shut, and James didn’t even flinch. He sat on an old stool