Darkadia

By Mark Dark

A powerful and distinctive voice with echoes of Martin McDonagh's work: dark, raw and blackly comic. - Andrew Bonner, film producer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Dark
• Release date: Jan 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005404741

Mark Dark

Born in Bristol, Mark's favorite books are Rumblefish, Fight Club and Vernon God Little.

Book preview

Darkadia

Mark Dark

Copyright© Mark Dark 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.

FIRST EDITION

Fabulously vivid characters and dialogue that dances off the page.

-Sue Moorcroft, author and head judge, Writers' Forum Magazine.

Your voice is so strong.

-Eva Lewin, Writer Development Manager, Spread the Word.

A powerful and distinctive voice with echoes of Martin McDonagh's work: dark, raw and blackly comic.

-Andrew Bonner, Film Producer.

Man or Mouse is up there with the very best Brit Grit I've read. Rarely have I read prose so direct, so stark. So brilliantly exposing.

-Ian Ayris, author.

An engaging story showing considerable talent and potential… a strong and distinctive voice… dialogue so natural and entertaining

-Clare Fisher, author.

Amazing. Fantastic read!

-Mark Sanderson, screenwriter.

Cutting-edge description. Brilliant dialogue. Option this quick, Guy Ritchie!

-Caroline Lawrence, author.

I find your writing very raw and disturbing. I was sucked in completely by your words and certain images stayed with me much like an Iain Banks novel.

-Laura Millets, actress.

Seriously, this is a great piece of work. Pulled me in from the first sentence and didn't let me go until the very end where you serve up a killer twist - pun intended.

-Cat Stewart, Screenwriter, Nashville Film Festival.

One of the most compelling and original shorts I’ve read in a long time.

-Jimari Jones, Film Producer.

Captivating and a good read all the way to the end, which...Wow! I'll just leave it at that so I won't give anything away. I thought I knew what would happen but I was wrong. I love writing like that.

-Lisa Dono, Screenwriter.

Real energy and vision.

-Laura Kenwright, Spread the Word.

Stories:

Man or Mouse

Scamburger

Teething Pain

Chicken

Chelsea Smile

Home for Christmas

Man or Mouse

As I enters The King’s Head two medics barges past me carrying a stretcher. It’s hard to see who’s on it he’s so cut up and bloody. Bits of glass stuck in his face blinks blue in the light.

It’s empty inside and brighter than usual. Debs is mopping up bits of glass and blood and larger. Martin and Trippy are fixing a broken table. The news is on with the sound off. Saddam Hussein being hung. ‘Execution of a lawless tyrant’ the words says.

Big Jim’s on me, eyes blazing. Oi! Brizzer!

Alright, Jim, I goes. What happened here?

Never fuckin’ mind what happened here, he goes, licking his hand like a bear with a sore paw. I’m a man down for tonight. Are you in?

Who, me? I goes.

Nah, Bill ‘n’ Ben the fucking flowerpot men. Of course fucking you.

He leans his ogrish head towards me. His stubbly lips brushes the inside of me ear. I feels his hot breath as he whispers: Gotta serve someone up.

He offers me his giant, bleeding hand. It takes it. Jim’s a face. It’s like shaking hands with The Krays or someone. His grip’s firm. Not like me dad’s. I looks into his eyes. They’re like dark caves. You don’t know what’s lurking inside but you knows it’s dangerous. I studies the thick, pink scar carving a path through his greying stubble.

Wicked, I goes.

He lets me go, swirls his long black crombie and swishes out the pub. The cold air bites shrewdly as the door swings shut. I’ve got his blood on me hands. I wipes it on me jeans.

Made a pact with the devil, ‘ave you? jokes Debs.

Martin slams the broken table leg on the bar. Fuck this!

Go on, fuck off, goes Debs. Filth’ll be here any minute.

Sorry about the furniture, like, Debs, goes Trippy.