A Taste of Furies: short story

Have you ever noticed something strange from the corner of your eye that vanishes when you try to look at it directly? Most of us dismiss these fleeting glimpses as tricks of light or optical illusions. But what if they're something more?

John Shuttleworth's captivating short story "Furies" invites us into a world where those peripheral flickers might actually be living creatures with remarkable adaptations for avoiding human detection. Narrated by Shuttleworth himself, this tale begins with a seemingly ordinary observation—mysterious movements appearing more visible against a new cream-coloured carpet. From this simple premise unfolds a delightful adventure that balances whimsy with just enough plausibility to make listeners wonder about the unseen aspects of their own homes.

When our protagonist accidentally captures one of these elusive beings—a feat supposedly impossible due to their unique camouflage abilities—the story takes an unexpected turn. The discovery of Taronga Zoo's secret "Invisibles Department" and the matter-of-fact response to this extraordinary situation creates a wonderful tension between the mundane and the magical. As Shuttleworth weaves through the bureaucratic handling of something that should be earth-shattering, we're left questioning what's real and what's imagined.

Whether you interpret "Furies" as a charming flight of fancy or a clever commentary on how we process the unexplainable, this story will leave you glancing sideways at the shadows in your home, wondering what might be scurrying just beyond your perception. Join us for this brief but memorable journey into the space between reality and imagination, and perhaps you'll never look at those dust motes the same way again. And remember—sometimes the most extraordinary discoveries happen when we're looking elsewhere.

 This piece is available in Edition I of Voice Within: A Storybook by Storytellers.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Furries
• 0:41 Catching the Impossible
• 1:03 Poetry Letters Subscription
• 1:32 Call for Author Submissions

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Furries live in most homes and are very hard to see. They are shy, fast-moving creatures that have learned to survive by using speed and camouflage. The coat of the furries is of a colour that only registers in the corner of the human eye. If you look directly at them, they disappear. In addition, they move at a speed that requires us to move our head to follow their movement, and in doing so, we look directly at them and, consequently, they disappear. Most people have seen furries and dismiss them as specks of dust on the eye or a trick of their spectacles. I, too, did not believe in furries until last week when I caught one. Yes, dear reader, I said I caught one. What was I to do? Was he injured? We'll call him male.

Speaker 2: 1:01

Want me to hear more. Why wouldn't you? What happens to these furries? What does this character do in the story with this discovery? So subscribe today and you can hear not only this story, but so many more stories like this. Poetry letters are inclusive. More stories like this. Poetry letters are inclusive. Short stories, odes, and you'll receive them every two weeks. So, for two cups of coffee a month, or two of your favorite treats a month, you'll be supporting this art form, an old age art form of storytelling. Not only that, you are supporting the authors. Every download, they receive a commission. So if you're an author and you would like to be part of this, please get in touch online at wwwvoice-withinco and check out our page, our submission page, and we have Edition 3 open at the moment for submissions and that will be closing on the 30th of June. So please jump on board and join the community and have your voice heard For the love of the good story.