House Party (Unabridged)

Rosalie Parker runs the independent UK publishing house Tartarus Press with R. B. Russell. Her previous collections include The Old Knowledge (Swan River Press 2010) and Damage (PS Publishing 2016). 'In the Garden' was selected for Best New Horror 21 (2010), and 'Random Flight' for Best British Horror 2015. Rosalie lives in Coverdale, North Yorkshire, the magnificent landscape of which inspires and sometimes provides the settings for her writing.
HOUSE PARTY: Jamie looked out at the rain, which was falling steadily. The roses hung bedraggled heads and the silent birds, sheltering in the spinney, saved their songs for the re-emergence of the sun. His afternoon walk might have to be postponed, he thought, remembering that he had not brought a raincoat with him, although he was sure he could borrow one.