Satsuma

As he ate the Satsuma, he didn’t notice the discarded peel on the floor start to move. He was too busy savouring the juicy sweetness as he popped each segment into his eager mouth. With each piece that disappeared past his lips, the peel got closer to him. When he was down to the last segment, he looked down to find the peel clinging to his chest.

He tried pulling it off, but it had fused with his skin. As he struggled with it, it grew. It grew rapidly and clung tightly to his body. His efforts were of no use. It was soon wrapped around his arms and legs. It climbed his neck and he gave a strangled cry as it covered his mouth. His terrified eyes were swiftly covered from view. He was covered in the satsuma peel, as if it had always been his skin.

His body stayed upright for a moment, swaying slightly, before falling swiftly to the floor. It lay there unmoving until discovered by his mother, who had been coming into his room to see if he wanted a cup of tea. She promptly screamed.

Father Christmas Nose Calamaty

Superhero

The coffee from the vending machine - the filthy free stuff made of caffeine and grit - had, after months of building up, made his brain so tight that it shrunk until it was out of existence. It went back through time and into another. It went through holes and loops until it returned to his skull streamlined, wiser, faster & able to pick up buildings. He quit his job and rode on buses, wondering what his superhero outfit would be.