MATTHEW TONKS

AUSTRALIAN HORROR AUTHOR

Tag: Tasmania

  • Boastful Bliss – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Boastful Bliss – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Boastful Bliss

    “You can’t tell me that, then expect to just walk away without some sort of recourse! If you didn’t want a response, why tell me?” she says as she throws her hands into the air and stares at him with a frustrated gaze.

    His mouth trembles as a small sea of sweat cascades down from his top lip. “I-I-I,” he draws back a desperate breath as he clears his throat then spits a wad of mucus dressed in a river of saliva. He smiles broadly, freely displaying his mouthful of rotten teeth. “I wasn’t looking for a response, it’s just the ritual of it all. I can’t do one thing without doing the other, for it will not allow the process to go forward, and if I cannot go forward, then I am redundant in my position. Can you understand that? Can you see why it is important for the structure of it all that I follow the pathway set before me by those that came before you?”

    She stares at him with a deep seeded intensity, exploring all the facets of his features, trying to compile one vivid image of his face. But, as her eyes moves from each deep crevice to the next, her mind forgets the last, until she comes to the edge of his face.  

  • Less Scenic – 100 Word Friday Fictioneers Microfiction Short Story

    Less Scenic – 100 Word Friday Fictioneers Microfiction Short Story

    harley-lisa-fox

    Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers and to Lisa Fox for the photo, whose efforts may be found here.

    Less Scenic

    Centuries cascaded over them like a wave decaying the shore, until Mike’s bike drops to the dusty earth.

    “I-I-I,” he stammers as he looks over to Shannon, tears freely flowing down her cheeks.

    She shakes her head while pressing an open hand against her lips as if she were trying to hold back an escaping army that was attempting to find freedom from somewhere within her.

    He smiles softly and nods his head in understanding as several more ripples wash over him, she gasps in horror and shields her eyes as he falls forward onto the bikes decaying frame, motionless.

  • Wisdom Of The Uneducated – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Wisdom Of The Uneducated – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Wisdom Of The Uneducated

    He looks at the two of them with uneasy eyes before smiling broadly and leaning back in his makeshift chain. “SEE! SEE!” he chuckles broadly as he points at Charles with a wink and a nod of the head. “I KNEW you would be the one to take the miniscule hint that I offered this rotten world and run with it. I knew that what I had would mean something to someone else who could benefit from my WORLD knowledge. I shone brightly in a world painted in dull colours. I strived when other gave up. And now that there is a perchance for me to share what I have learnt, I will not shy away. I will grip everything with my uneducated hands and spin your wheat into gold.” he roars with overflowing excitement, while they stare at him in confused wonder.

    “Y-Y-You’re ch-choosing him o-over me?” Lisa gasps. With wide eyes and a higher brow she looks across at the bemused Charles and then back to Klint. “Y-You can’t SERIOUSLY think this fool is capable of following in YOUR footstep’s!”

    The smile fades from Klint’s lips and he looks at her with a perplexed stare. “D-D-Did I stutter?”

  • Salty And Sickly – Twisted Prose

    Salty And Sickly – Twisted Prose

    Sickly sweat dripping from within,

    A bitter machine without remorse,

    Clandestine appendages lost to mistakes,

    We pushed through worse,

    Divergent paths reconnecting,

    Softly was the sharpness of the blade used to slice away the flesh that was once mine,

    You call yourself something more than what I see,

    But wanting has changed the soul in which your body yearned,

    A quintessential nothingness,

    Drawn out on paper by a talentless hack,

    You mirror reflects the abysmal deviations that your make up covers…

  • Play My Game – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Play My Game – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Play My Game

    “WHEN I SAID FOR YOU TO AMUSE YOURSELF, I DIDN’T MEAN FOR YOU TO RUN ABOUT FREELY KILLING WHOEVER YOU WISHED! I MEANT FOR YOU TO BIDE YOUR TIME IN OTHER WAYS THAT DIDN’T INVOLVE KILLING ANYONE!” Duncan bellows as he throws a powerful left into Peter’s jaw, following it quickly with a right and another left, knocking him to the ground in an awkward heap. As Peter’s world spins violently, he tries to scramble to his feet only to find his way into another powerful punch.

    “STAY THE FUCK DOWN!” Duncan seethes through saliva drenched clenched teeth as Peter uneasy gets to his knees, swaying from side to side as he lifts his wayward gaze to meet Duncan’s ferocious stare.

    “Y-Y-You can’t b-blame me f-for d-doing w-w-what I’ve always done. Y-Y-You pulled me f-from my h-home, and m-my time, th-then le-left me to AMUSE my-myself. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?” he roars as he leaps towards Duncan, teeth bared like a wild animal.

     

  • A Broken Disregard – Weekend Writing Prompt Twisted Prose

    A Broken Disregard – Weekend Writing Prompt Twisted Prose

    worshipped from a further void,

    pre-loved without remorse,

    haggard eyes sewn shut,

    words spoken a moment late,

    languished in the ever lost,

    persistent against a time that is long gone,

    wisdom given,

    puzzles solved,

    a futile argument won by the losing side,

    a wisp of smoke,

    forgiveness forgotten,

    a hate seeded softly,

    growth,

    departure,

    rudimentary procedures,

    September mourning,

    granite fixtures,

    my name carved in the stone,

    but my date not given..

    This was written using Sammi Cox’s weekend writing prompt, the word this week was PRE-LOVED.

  • Soulmate – 6WSP (Six Word Story Prompt)

    Soulmate – 6WSP (Six Word Story Prompt)

    The below 6 Word Story has been created around the word prompt from My Random Ramblings, which today is Soulmate.

     

    We both knew it was forever.

  • Putty In Thy Hands – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Putty In Thy Hands – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Putty In Thy Hands

    “But that’s the problem, isn’t it?” Douglas says as he looks over the rim of his glasses at Steven.

    “I-I, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

    Douglas adjusts his glasses and smiles broadly. “And in those words your problem lies.”

    “W-W-What? You’re making less sense than you did a moment ago. Speak clearly and then I may understand your plight!”

    “Your plight is in a nosedive that you can no longer control, for with each false word you add, you exacerbate the problem tenfold, and the more depth you throw forward the reasons behind what you have done become trivial,” Douglas scoffs. “Release your inner fool and tell these dear people the truth, so we can all put this behind us.”

    Steven casts a fevered glance across the crowd, staring into their empty expressionless eyes as a sea of sweat pours down his brow. “W-Will I e-end up like them?” he stammers as his gaze rests upon Douglas, who smiles wicked.

    “Is that what you want?”

    “I-I, I don’t want to die,” he says as tears cascade down his cheeks.

    “Well that is an unfortunate thing to say, isn’t it.”

  • Unrecognised – Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge Microfiction Short Story

    Unrecognised – Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge Microfiction Short Story

    The short story below is based around the above photo by Pobble365 that was posted on Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie as part of their weekly photo challenge.

    Unrecognised

    David hits the ground and the air that what secured tightly within his chest escapes out in one quickly drawn breath. Stars explode around his head as he desperately tries to focus on what is and not what was, while the landscape before him is scarred by the brightly fluorescent colours that the many street artist who have left for future societies to witness their greatness.

    He feels the impact many seconds after it lands on top of him, which is quickly followed by the putrid dead smell of its breath.

    “How far did you think you would get before I found you? How far did you think you could run from me?” it hisses in his ear as its clawed feet dig into his back.

    He grits his teeth and lets a rhythmic growl escape from the back of his throat. “M-Maybe I let y-you find me.”

    It laughs boisterously, “LIES! LIES UPON LIES CHILD! FOR ME FINDING YOU MEANS THE END OF YOUR LIFE, SO TRY ANOTHER FACTOID NOT FILLED WITH YOUR LIES!”

    “M-My life’s been over far longer than I’ve lived it. M-Maybe I’m ti-tired of ru-running,” David stammers.

    Seconds hang in the silent air that blankets the small alleyway, before it slow shifts its weight off him. “How pathetic you are,” it hisses, and then he finds himself alone once more.

  • Drunken Lariat – Twisted Prose

    Drunken Lariat – Twisted Prose

    Mesmerised but not finalised,
    A focus showed but not centred,
    I called the name that was solidified but not understood,
    We called,
    Yet you didn’t want,
    A plethora of infinite possibilities lost in the clasp of what is,
    We called,
    But you don’t come,
    Significant changes lost on the path of one,
    Call me,
    See me,
    Be what I want but not be,
    A wisdom,
    An ego,
    Please see me,
    Because the window I open is the one closed by you…

  • Fill Me With Contempt – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Fill Me With Contempt – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Fill Me With Contempt

    He grips the lectern with malice, digging his clawed nails into the woods flesh as if it were putty. “The doctrine is set, and the process is simple. We are, and they are not. They do not deserve, but we do. The ectopic pregnancy that birthed us onto the mortal realm is the lord and master of all that is before us not the adjacent profanity that is set before us by those that see fit to call themselves our masters. WE will rise up TOGETHER, and bring the barbaric villains that foster their hate, to JUSTICE!” he bellows enthusiastically as he launches an earth shattering thump into the lectern’s top, causing it to topple forward. He thrusts breath after exaggerated breath out his nose, as he stares out into the empty hall.

    Suddenly a slow melodic clapping interrupts the silence, as a quaintly dressed man steps out of the shadows with a wry smile upon his lips. “Simply breathtaking Walter, it’s just a pity that no one made it to you little shindig to witness it.”

    Walter bears his teeth and lets out a deep growl from somewhere in his stomach. “It was a PRACTICE run, simpleton!” he seethes through saliva drenched lips.

  • Taking A Drive To The City – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Taking A Drive To The City – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Taking A Drive To The City

    The bustling noises of the world around him fade away while he closes his eyes, and then the darkness sucks him in as if he was going down a waterslide. Flashing lights explode around him as his ride picks up speed, and he continues to rush ever forward while the steely magnetic vibrations of a guitar followed by a solid drumbeat begin the building blocks for Guns N’ Roses, Paradise City. And as Axle’s vocals tear through the darkness around him a new world is presented full of colour and wonder. A smile slowly grows across his lips as the roller coaster like contraption that he finds himself strapped into rips downward at a speed unlike any other he has experienced.

    He thrusts his head back and forth, and begins tapping his feet to the solid beat. “TAKE ME HOME!” he screams with uncontrollable excitement in unison with Axel, and then the world is encompassed in darkness as the sounds of guitar strings snapping and mylar drumheads tearing replace the musical journey he was on.

    “Tut-tut-tut Mister Anderson, it seems something has gone awry with your forever after,” a deep voice purrs in his ear, as he feels cold clammy hands grip him.

     

  • A Wordless Wisdom – Twisted Prose

    A Wordless Wisdom – Twisted Prose

    fabled,

    castrated and alone,

    a function no longer connected,

    my alter broken as I start the fire,

    changes coming through incessant mumbling,

    my sweetest straw of rawness,

    linguistic preservation lost in a rapid moment,

    fleeting lost words from the song that’s sung,

    holding me close,

    yet not within,

    I know your right,

    when you said your words,

    but it didn’t stop me from bathing in my lies,

    while I swam in a sea of all you are,

    ask me again,

    watch my lies read true,

    I couldn’t trust you,

    because I’ve never trusted me…

  • A Wording Unrecognised – #YDWordPrompt #Portend Microfiction Short Story

    A Wording Unrecognised – #YDWordPrompt #Portend Microfiction Short Story

    A Wording Unrecognised

    Hamish smiles and slaps his enormous belly, then lets out a thunderous cheer of laughter. “YOU ARE TOO MUCH!” he roars, while Dale stares at him with an uneasy confidence.

    “I-I-I, I don’t follow? H-How can I-I be t-too much if I-I don’t un-understand w-what y-you mean?” he stammers.

    Hamish starts slapping his thighs as his laughter grows louder and tears begin to cascade down his cheeks. “THAT’S THE PROBLEM LITTLE MAN! YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE IF YOU DID YOU WOULD KNOW YOUR OWN FAILURES, AND IF YOU WERE AWARE OF THAT, NEITHER OF US WOULD BE STANDING HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS RUBBISH!”

    “W-W-We wouldn’t?”

    “OF COURSE NOT CHILD! THE VERY NATURE OF ALL THINGS HAVE SHOWN YOU SIGNS SINCE THE DAY YOU CRAWLED FROM YOUR MOTHERS WOMB, YET YOU HAVE FAILED TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES. SO I HAD TO COME AND PULL BACK THE PAGES OF INSANITY, PORTENDING TO YOUR EXISTENTIAL MISERY!” Hamish roars as he squeezes a wink out from between his rosy red cheeks, while he grips himself once more.

    “P-P-Portending t-to my what?”

    “YOUR END CHILD! I AM THE WARNING! I AM THE SIGNAL! YOUR END IS DESTINED TO BE!”

    “W-W-What?”

  • Storm Ridden – FFFC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    Storm Ridden – FFFC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    The story you’ll find at the base of this post is based on an idea taken from Leonid Afremov at DeviantArt painting shown below, that was shared as a flash fiction challenge by Fandango.

    img_5006

    Storm Ridden

    Luca bares his teeth and snarls a deep growl that you would expect a dog thrice his size to elicit, while his master Sam grips his lead tightly. “C-Calm down boy, n-no ones going t-to hurt anyone,” she stammers through clenched teeth.

    Carlos slaps Paddy’s chest and lets out a boisterous laugh, his pox scared face painted with several emotions all at once. “Y-Y-Yeah BOY, no ones gonna get hurt!” Carlos playfully sings, as he slaps Paddy’s chest once more. “Unless you DON’T calm the FUCK DOWN! Otherwise something might get out of control, and a lot of HURTING is gonna happen!”

    Luca’s lips peel back to display several extra rows of teeth as a bemused smile cascades across Sam’s lips, while Carlos and Paddy stare on in Horror.

    “Dear children, I think you’ve upset my hound.” Sam sneers gleefully as the wind begins to blow with a renewed aggression, knocking both Carlos and Paddy to the ground.

     

  • The Taxman – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    The Taxman – FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    The Taxman

    “The taxman started it, so I finished it. There isn’t any more to the story.” Shawn says proudly, crossing his arms before him, and nodding his head in recognition of his own words.

    Keith rolls his eyes and lets out a stuttered sigh as he leans forward and begins taping the desk with his index finger. “The TAXMAN is not a supervillain and you’re not a superhero! So why don’t you just answer the god damn question.”

    “THE TAXMAN’S NOT A SUPERVILLAIN!” Shawn bellows with gusto as he leaps to his feet and grips Keith’s hand and stares fiercely into Keith’s eyes. “THE TAXMAN IS THE VILEST VILLAIN THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN, AND I, I AM IT’S SAVIOUR!” he hisses through tightly clenched teeth as he slams Keith’s still outstretched index finger into the desk, snapping it in two as it slaps the desk.

     

  • Fill My Memory With Your Words – Weekend Writing Prompt Twisted Prose

    Fill My Memory With Your Words – Weekend Writing Prompt Twisted Prose

    who I am and was is lost inside this worm ridden carcass,

    decaying flesh lathered over brittle bones,

    I crave to be,

    I want to be free,

    but a cursed cross holds me under,

    it’s message flippant in its words,

    my measure less than it was before,

    crippled intent,

    hate a word soiled in regrets,

    I was,

    now I’m not,

    faded in the memories of others,

    shrouded in the touch of death,

    words written in my name,

    subjective thoughts without my interpretations,

    your grief not mine,

    the warmth of its glow,

    finally I’m free….

     

    This was written using Sammi Cox’s weekend writing prompt, the word this week was GLOW.

  • Seasons – 6WSP (Six Word Story Prompt)

    Seasons – 6WSP (Six Word Story Prompt)

    The below 6 Word Story has been created around the word prompt from My Random Ramblings, which today is Seasons.

     

    Finally the snow started to fall…

  • The Natural Order – 100 Word FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    The Natural Order – 100 Word FOWC with Fandango Microfiction Short Story

    The Natural Order

    He looks longing into her eyes, allowing a faint smile to escape his lips while tears gently roll down his cheeks.

    “W-Why do you cry?” she asks softly as she reaches out and cup his cheek in her hand.

    “The same reason bird sing in the morning, and the owl cries at night.”

    She pulls away from him and looks at him with wide eyes as she takes several clumsy steps backwards. “W-W-What do y-you mean?”

    Slowly he rises off the ground as his eyes glow bright. “WHAT I MEAN CHILD, IS THAT IT’S HOPELESS TO IGNORE THE NATURAL ORDER!”

  • In My Arms – 100 Word Friday Fictioneers Microfiction Short Story

    In My Arms – 100 Word Friday Fictioneers Microfiction Short Story

    Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers and to Ted Strutz for the photo, whose efforts may be found here.

    In My Arms

    “T-There was moments d-during all this t-t-that I truly thought I-I-I’d m-make it back. I r-risked everything and anything, b-b-but…” he stammers as he looks towards the ground in awkward fashion.

    She grips his hands tightly and squeezes them. “But you did, you did make it back.” she says as tears cascade down her cheeks.

    He smiles faintly, “I-I-I did, did…” he says as he falls helplessly into her arms. Her eyes widen with terror as his flesh dissolves away until she is left cradling that remains of the man she loved, and her tears splash against the cold metal.