Liars' League

One Luxury by Richard Meredith

 

Read by Silas Hawkins

Message One, 17 August

So here I am, all alone on the island at last – not that I’ve been waiting for it, in fact I’ve been rather dreading it. But I’ve lived here my whole life (as did my pater and his pater before him) and I’ll bally well not fly the coop now. And that’s what I told the Governors, too.

There was a lot of fuss about possibly evicting me, and whether it would infringe my human rights or constitute a health-and-safety issue, but then it rather got lost in the upheaval of getting the rest of the population off the island to what is currently considered safety. Although with the sea levels rising the way they are, I give ‘em about five years.

Rain Music by Margot Taylor

Read by Michael Redston

Ed has been rationing his water, using it only for drinking, counting his sips.  He does his dishes in sea water and his hands, with their many cuts, are sore from the salt and constant wetting.  He hasn’t washed in weeks.  Sweat has dried on sweat.  Sometimes he catches the smell of himself and reels.

Smirnoff Vodka - One Litre by Clare Sandling

Read by Lisa Rose

At the moment her mobile started ringing, Penny noticed two things. Lentil supplies were low, and Paul was late. She tutted. She was engaged in the internet home delivery stock check, making sure that each half-used item had a new, full packet behind it. She had the laptop open on the kitchen table, fingers twitching over the keyboard. As the phone started vibrating against the table, her fingers stabbed. Ordered, one 500-gram pack of Organic Virtues green lentils.

A Pocket Full of Penguin by Rosalind Stopps

Read by Danielle Fenemore

He says his dad works in the cemetery.

Some people might say that for a joke, but I can see that he means it and I hope my face doesn’t show what I’m thinking.  He’s a bit slow as well as quiet and I guess I should be encouraging him, helping him to feel better, but I can’t stop wondering about the shoes.

Minuit Noir at the Ali Babar by Maggie Womersley

Read by Clive Greenwood

Marwell Aries wove an unsteady path to the bar of the Ali Babar club, relieved to be stretching his legs after sitting for so long on those ridiculous souk cushions.

The dim lighting, combined with the two bottles of champagne he’d already drunk, caused him to mistake his reflection in the mirror behind the bar for some other later night reveller. He turned quickly and looked over his shoulder, but of course there was nobody there.

Carnival by Jane MacKenzie

Read by Freddie Machin

I was tired of trailing behind my parents while they checked off every tourist spot in the guidebook, so I left the hotel early to take a look at the preparations for the carnival that night. I also wanted to take a shot at the bars on the beachfront, see if my fake ID worked. That seemed like a pretty good way to spend a day – drinking beer and looking out at girls in bikinis.