Room 2D

Story by Stephen Sims from Janus 139 It happened less than three years ago, but it seems much longer than that. I’ve left school now and hope to graduate next year but that painful and amazing time still haunts me. I never did decide whether those two girls were hell-raising mischief-makers or just plain bad. Looking back, I think there was no real harm in them, although they made me suffer. But I suppose they felt justified in what they did to me, and I try to understand. There are no welts any more on my bottom, but sometimes, in a nightmare, I feel again the phantom fires eating into each cheek, and I squeeze them until the heat oozes away and I wake and stare into the darkness, remembering. They were Jasmine Fenwick and Ruby Blanche Cridland. Jasmine, or ‘Jazzy’, was one of those annoyingly pretty girls who put you in mind of a cat, sort of lean and graceful with flowing dark hair and sapphire eyes. Her friend, Ruby Blanch...

Photo-story by Stephen Sims from Janus 109 featuring Luna Winter reprising the character of Loretta Amaro . ‘What’s it like to be an old man, Rob? Bloody hell — forty!’ Rob Scott grinned grimly. Some birthday party this was turning out to be — three mates from a pop group and bottled beer. Forty! He should’ve been prime minister by now, or an astronaut. Oh for a woman, especially one whose arse he could smack. Good at that, Rob was. Sometimes he thought it was all he was good at. ‘What’s happened to this girl then, Justin?’ said Wayne, bass guitarist of the group, relubricating his tonsils with another swig. ‘Prat!’ roared Norman the drummer. ‘It’s supposed to be a surprise.’ ‘Girl?’ Rob’s interest quickened. ‘What girl?’ Justin, lead singer and lyrics, sighed. ‘Okay, since blabber-mouth here’s coughed it out, I’ve ordered a strip-o-gram for you, tits and all, you lucky bastard.’ He stood up and looked at his watch. ...