Stone by Niki Pidd

There was this woman who was stressed out. She’d got dragged out in front of the Media and the Vatican and her Dad. Everyone was looking angry and mean and they had big yonnies in their hands and they were gonna chuck ‘em at her. They reckoned she’d had an abortion and was on the pill and was gay. They really wanted to kill her.

She was pretty scared. Her heart kept banging against her ribs and she wanted to run but there was no way they were gonna let her get away. Then this cool guy stepped out of the crowd and grabbed her arm. He smiled at her and she knew he wasn’t gonna hurt her. For a moment she even smiled. He turned around and said to them, “Anyone of you that hasn’t had unprotected sex can chuck the first rock.” Then he pulled out his mobile phone and started writing an sms. The woman could see it and it said, ”Don’t panic.” It took about ten minutes until they were all gone. He gave her a hug and said, “Look after yourself.” Then he hopped on a push bike a rode down the street.

(Niki is a good friend who has just returned home to Melbourne after a ten week European trip - a "magical mystery tour", as she says. She was inspired to write this wee piece by, amongst other things, a visit to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and the Catholic Church's recent (and ongoing) attacks on humanity. Thanks, Niki!)