Extract from 'Perrix' by Jack Burston

Expecting Perrix, Lillian changed from grey into pink. She also turned off the television and turned on the radio. Lillian fingered through the periodicals then thumbed through the angled blinds (occasionally parting them to potentially spot an arriving Perrix). Lillian sat, she prepared to eat the sandwich that she had prepared to allow her appetite to become small in Perrix's presence. The appetite-alterer contained cheese, butter, tomato and mayo. Lillian demolished the snack and hid the plate.

Perrix climbed along the 'pathway' that led to Lillian's. He was persistently annoyed by her description of the route as a 'pathway'. There was too much climbing involved - there was no route, except the roots of the 'beautiful' blackberry bushes. Perrix felt that Lillian had confused beauty and usability when naming the 'pathway' as such.

The blackberry bushes, despite their troublesome roots, were important to Perrix's trips up the hill to see Lillian. He would leave his house fifteen minutes earlier than required, and spend these spare minutes sitting on the slight bank beside the bushes. Whilst on the rock he picked berries from the bush. He lined his stomach before his tea with Lillian - he didn't want her referring to him as 'The Glutton'.