My short stories

I thought I would share my short stories with you here.

A short story using the words ‘bridge’ and ‘there’

A bridge between here and there.

He finally reached the bridge after a journey of many years.

He always knew he would get here one day, but now he didn’t feel he prepared himself well enough for this moment. Did he really want to cross the bridge to a new life now that he was here?

He looked at the lush foliage of the trees where he stood listening to birds singing. Beautifully coloured flowers abounded and the sky above was a vivid blue.

He sat down on a rock near the bridge, thinking back on the life he was leaving. He pondered on the challenges he had faced; the people he had met; those who had inspired him; those angered him and had made him look at himself.

He remembered the joy of his first grandchild being handed to him who had snuggled into his chest. He recalled marvelling at the exquisite child who slept so peacefully in his arms.

He thought of the terror when he realised his wife was dying and how was he ever going to manage without her.

He thought of his friend, also dead now, who had stood side by side with him during the war to rescue his country from invaders.

There was the anger of the stupidity of some people who squandered what they had been given when so many went without. His boss, who had stabbed him in the back after he had given so many years of servitude only to be dismissed without benefits.

He thought of his son, daughter in law and grandchildren he was leaving behind if he left now. They weren’t taking the journey with him, they were staying.

His eyes looked at the bridge again following its path across the abyss to the new country. There seemed to be a halo of light at the end of the bridge getting brighter and brighter. He squinted as saw someone beckoning to him, he couldn’t be sure but he thought they looked familiar.

Then, he looked down at the withered body in the hospital bed and suddenly felt light hearted and free as he stepped onto the bridge, which was alight with the brilliant hues of the rainbow.

Of course, he understood now – the rainbow bridge to beyond. He could see more clearly now. It was his beloved wife, June, waiting for him at the other end of bridge, her eyes glowing with love with a warm, welcoming smile on her face.

A short story using the words ‘day’ and ‘before’

He sat in his favourite winged armchair with his early morning cup of tea on the table beside him, thinking deep thoughts. ‘What if he hadn’t given into the impulse to go to the village shop on Wednesday? What would his friends and neighbours say about him now? No one would treat him the same way ever again. They would look at him with different eyes.

He thought of his friends at the Working Men’s Club where they had played billiards and darts for years chatting over pints of beer. That would all change now. He wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without somebody whispering about him. Life would be so different and how would he cope at his age? What to do? Should he run away and live somewhere else where no one knew him? That way, he thought at least he might be left in peace.

It was the day before that the news had come when he had gone back to the village shop.

Irrationally, laughter began to bubble up inside of him as he looked again at the piece of paper in his hand which confirmed that he had won millions on the National Lottery Draw.

A short story using the words ‘electric’ and ‘elephant’

The funeral of Sir Benjamin Wakefield had taken place at the local church and now the wake was being held in the large drawing room of the family’s large country house.

The murmur of voices and the clinking of glasses could be heard as his widow, Elaine, worked the room talking to each of the 60 or so mourners present, amongst them their four grown children.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed, the tension became positively electric. Conversations ceased as people turned to see what had caused the change.

George, the eldest of the four children reacted angrily and went to move, however, his sister, Sarah grabbed his arm. ‘Look’ she hissed ‘Mummy is dealing with it’.

Everyone looked in astonishment at the slender and elegant woman standing in the doorway, ‘The elephant in the room’, ‘the Other Woman’. The woman they all knew about but had never spoken of, had dared to come to their house.

Elaine, moved forward quickly to stand next to the newcomer. Her modulated voice was calm and could be heard clearly across the room. ‘Thank you for accepting my request to come today, Joanna. I just wanted to say, that Benjamin and I had an agreement that he would never leave us, his family, however, I want you to know that it was you who made him happy.’

A short story using the words ‘perfidy’ and ‘jubilee’

The two old men had shared the hospital room for some time. Richard having been there the longest, had the bed by the window.

Through their long days, Richard had spent many hours entertaining John, with what he saw of the green grass space outside, the road and the Mall opposite. He described everything in great detail: the young mothers with their strollers, shoppers going into the Mall, the traffic wardens patrolling to the evenings where teenagers hung out beneath the trees smoking together.

John envied Richard his view of the world outside, constantly asking for updates on what was happening which Richard found tiring, but willingly did as he was asked.

One day, they heard the music of the procession through the town to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and John leaned forward eagerly as Richard did his best to convey what he was seeing.

That night, Richard started to thrash around in his bed, unable to reach the panic button to call the nurse while John waited, unwilling to help.

In a while, Richard died and John was well aware of the perfidy of his action or rather lack of it, however, the bed by the window was his only goal for what was left of his life.

Once Richard’s body had been removed, John’s bed was rolled over to the window. He eagerly turned his head to see the view, only to find it was of the brick building opposite.

A short story using the words ‘firefly’ and ‘alert’

The tinny radio crackled into life. A male voice asked ‘Firefly, are you there?

She flicked the switch ‘Yes, Falcon, Firefly here’.

‘You are good to go’.

‘Thank you. Over.’

‘Good luck. Over and out.’

Firefly switched off the radio and turned to the seven expectant faces, 4 adults and 3 children. ‘Follow me’ she said.

The group walked from the blackened cellar of the bombed house up into the garden.

Firefly paused, her hand up to the group, as she quickly scanned the lane both ways.

‘Come, now’ she ordered, taking them up into the bluebell wood beyond. As they reached cover, a truck came down the road, noisily changing gear as it reached their hiding place. The little girl looked at Firefly, her eyes large with fear. Firefly quickly squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.

She didn’t realise she was holding her breath until the old truck rumbled past. ‘A farmer, not soldiers’ she thought gratefully.

She guided them onwards across the fields, sticking close to the hedges until they reached a farmhouse. A green tractor was parked there, a sign that all was well.

As they reached the tractor, the farmhouse door opened and man stood there, a rifle slung across his body. Firefly felt the woman next to her start to tremble.

‘Quick,’ the man called out in a low voice, ‘Come ‘ waving his arm ushering them in.

Once the group was inside, he came to Firefly still standing next to the tractor. ‘Well done, again, Firefly, but be alert, won’t you?’

She nodded and gave her lover a brief kiss before departing back the way she had come.

A short story using the words ‘devious’ & ‘karma’

She was a young woman with dark hair and striking blue eyes, the only daughter of a wealthy couple, who enjoyed a privileged lifestyle. At her private school, she was the leader of her coterie of friends. Other girls at the school aspired to be part of this elite group, however, Priscilla with devious nature, mocked many of them. Elaine, who on a scholarship to the school and who stood out with her shabby clothing, was a particular target.

Elaine, stoic and hardworking, kept her head down not letting anyone know how Priscilla’s comments hurt her. Some years later, a woman sat at the bus stop next to the theatre waiting for the bus to take her to her bedsit after another dreary day as an Council office worker.

Shivering, she pulled her thin coat closer to her which did nothing to alleviate the cold numbing her bones. She reflected on how the global economic depression had affected her life adversely.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a Bentley coasting to a stop outside the theatre. A woman alighted from the car, their eyes meeting briefly. Priscilla gasped in astonishment at Elaine, dressed like the star she was, going to the theatre for her latest singing role. Elaine smiled at Priscilla, not recognising her.

Karma had been watching and waiting and it had now come full circle

Freedom – a short story using the words ‘cruise’ & ‘bliss’

It wasn’t yet dawn as he crept down the stairs, his boots in his hand. He remembered to miss the creaky stair but paused in panic as the front door squeaked as he opened it. He held his breath to see if anyone in the house was disturbed by it, however, all remained quiet.

He was grateful that the electronic garage door opened silently as he proceeded to push his car out of the garage rather than start the engine to prevent anyone hearing him leave.

His breath crystallised in the crisp air as he laboriously pushed his car some way away from the house before he dared fire up the V8 engine.

It was still pre dawn as the road opened up in front of him as he put on his favourite piece of music, Born to be Wild. He loved the opening lyrics “get the motor running, get out on the highway”.

The glowing sun crested the horizon as he drove. ‘In tune with nature’ he thought, as he felt himself come aglow, feeling the bliss to cruise in his beloved 1968 Camaro American muscle car.

A brief respite before returning home to help his wife with their newborn twins.