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The Coke Can

  The Coke Can by Louis Gooding-Fair Peering over the upturned table, my left ear suddenly radiated with a pain I hadn’t felt since childhood. I ducked down instinctively and pissed myself a bit. I felt the ear for damage; my hand was covered in spots of blood, which was dripping onto my shirt. My heart was a bass drum in my chest; that was too close. Two older boys - Harris and Pollard - were gods with their shotguns. Peering round, Carruthers had bolted towards the door, rattling the handle to open it; it didn’t open. Attracted by the sound, they looked at each other and stepped over the broken bodies to flank him. Carruthers face was contorted in fear, a trickle of urine running out of bottom of his trouser leg, over his shoes and mingling with the blood. He backed up against the door as they approached. The bigger one, Harris, stood up to him, looking down at him. In a blink, Harris whipped the butt of the shotgun round, connecting with Carruthers chin with an almighty ...
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Wonky

  Wonky By Louis Gooding-Fair The intrepid Baron Percy Askew had an innate and unexplainable sense of difference. He believed that his soul had a divine purpose. He had been told stories of his family as conquerors and adventurers who had migrated from Normandy and forcefully relieved the locals of their the lands. The legacy of his ancestors married to his sense of divine purpose instilled an unquenchable desire in Askew to find his place in the universe. He was particularly fascinated with his great-grandfather, the 4 th Baron of Tintagel, Robert Askew. One January morning, Percy received a letter from Leonard Milburn, an old university acquaintance providing him with an opportunity of a lifetime. “ My dearest Wonky, I will be travelling to Syria to explore a cave system that possesses ancient secrets. Being a man after my own heart – an explorer - I believe this is something that would interest you. The Latchmere Lads ride again! Yours dearly L Milburn” Rolling a gla...
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Can I Bring My Tea?

  Can I Bring My Tea by Louis Gooding-Fair The echoes of last nights dream lingered in my mind as I woke up. The sense of comfort that the dream gave me slowly dissipated into the relentless depression which permeated my consciousness. I wasn’t where I expected to be either; I found myself sitting somewhat uprght in a neutral pink armchair in the living room with a flowers embroidered into it. My lower back ached from being slumped in an unnatural position for so long and my hangover made me feel unclean. I found myself in yesterdays clothes; a white t-shirt, some black joggers and a black pair of socks. I pulled myself up straight in the chair to relieve the pressure on my back and gently moved my arms and legs. The familiar twinge of pain emanating from above my left knee – a reminder of chronic knee problems - did not appear. On the nearby wooden coffee table sat two bottles of wine and an empty wine glass, a drop of burgundy liquid sitting at the bottom of it. I noti...
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Alien Romulus and Dehumanisation

  Alien Romulus and Dehumanisation By Louis Gooding-Fair Alien Romulus emphasises the theme of dehumanisation. It tells the story of a group of miners who attempt to leave their oppressive world behind, accessing an apparently deserted research station to acquire the supplies necessary to travel to a better world. Dehumanisation manifests in the followings ways: Dehumanisation of employees Dehumanisation via violence Dehumanisation of technology Dehumanisation of Andy (as an autistic coded character) This essay will analyse each in turn, beginning with providing a definition of dehumanisation and the elements of it. Definition of dehumanisation Haslam defines dehumanisation as, “ involving the denial to others of….characteristics that are “ U niquely H uman” (“UH”) and those that constitute “ H uman N ature” (“HN”). Denying UH attributes to others reduces them to being animal-like, and denying HN attributes to others redu...
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