Room 404 by Chris Green Level 4 is strictly off-limits. I shouldn’t be in there, let alone in Room 404, and logged in to the server. Everything on the 4Server is Top Secret. No one at my pay grade is allowed to access classified documents. There must have been an oversight in staff rotas, because … Continue reading Room 404
Category: flash fiction
Google Knows
Google Knows by Chris Green ‘You may have a point with what you were saying last week,’ Max says. ‘Every time I search for something online, I get adverts for products vaguely related to it for days. Nine times out of ten, I didn’t even want whatever it was in the first place.’ ‘Frightening, isn’t … Continue reading Google Knows
Mrs Blog’s Diary
Mrs Blog’s Diary by Chris Green Internet blogging began in the late 1990s and a host of blog platforms sprang up to facilitate its growth. Within a few years, it was huge. Not many people realise it, but the expression blog has its origins in an old radio show called Mrs Blog’s Diary which went … Continue reading Mrs Blog’s Diary
Chinese Boxes
Chinese Boxes by Chris Green The fire engine hurtles towards me. It is out of control. It has no driver. Conan Doyle Street is narrow and on a steep incline. As it heads down the slope, it gathers momentum. It mounts the pavement. It is heading towards me. I dive into the doorway of the … Continue reading Chinese Boxes
Pub
Pub by Chris Green ‘You’re probably wondering why the pub is called The Skydog Slaver, aren’t you?’ Nigel Slough says. I am not. I have been coming here for several weeks. At first, I may have been curious about the name, but now I take it for granted. ‘I’m just going to take Murphy for … Continue reading Pub
Shrapnel Perpendicular
Shrapnel Perpendicular by Chris Green ‘Shrapnel perpendicular,’ the caller says and then hangs up. Shrapnel perpendicular? It sounds like a cryptic crossword clue. With the dull flat disconnected tone ringing in my ear, I continue to grip the receiver as if by registering my puzzlement, an explanation might be forthcoming. I record all calls on … Continue reading Shrapnel Perpendicular
The Words of the Prophets
The Words of the Prophets by Chris Green I’m sure I logged out last night and shut the laptop down. It’s something I am in the habit of doing. This morning, to my astonishment, there’s a new document open on the screen. Three thousand words. It claims to be a story of mine. I know … Continue reading The Words of the Prophets
That Other Place
That Other Place by Chris Green I am awoken by a knock on the door. The display on my smartwatch says it’s 3 a.m. Who could be calling at this hour? If Elin were here, she would insist I answer it because it must be important. But she is spending a few days at her … Continue reading That Other Place
No Dark Side of the Moon
No Dark Side of the Moon by Chris Green ‘Don’t blow in a bear’s ear,’ the stranger in the Astrakhan coat says, as he passes me on October Avenue. I am puzzled. Does he not realise there are no bears in these parts? The nearest thing to a bear is the Sonny Liston lookalike … Continue reading No Dark Side of the Moon
The Last Word
The Last Word by Chris Green As I walk along the coastal path early on a sunny Sunday morning, a light breeze blows from the south-west and the tide rolls gently in. There is no one about at this hour. I take in the tranquillity. Having recently completed a story, I am hoping to draw … Continue reading The Last Word
Missing You
Missing You by Chris Green Helen often comes this way. A short ride on the light railway and she can walk the whole length of Harmonica Way, along Mandolin Avenue and into Dulcimer Street. It’s not the most direct route to the office, but this way, she feels there’s a chance she might see Youssou. … Continue reading Missing You
Lark
Lark by Chris Green ‘Do you think the lark has ascended yet?’ ‘Oh, come on, Sean! Of course it has! We must have driven fifty miles since you switched the radio off. We're coming up to the A30 turn-off.’ ‘Lark Ascending IS a long piece, Kate.’ ‘H’mm. But not that long.’ ‘You’re damn right. Not … Continue reading Lark
Black Bicycles
Black Bicycles by Chris Green I am old enough to remember a time when all bicycles were black. Perhaps it was the growing awareness of the Tour de France as a spectacle and its spin-off the Tour of Britain that brought about the trend for brightly coloured bicycles, this backed up by an organised marketing … Continue reading Black Bicycles
Bear B and B
Bear B and B by Chris Green If you stay in Airbnb frequently you become used to a few quirks. Each one has its own peculiarities. Lottii and I stayed at one in Beachcastle last year that asked us not to disturb the gulls nesting on the roof. Another in Everwinter asked us not to … Continue reading Bear B and B
Famous for Fourteen Minutes
Famous for Fourteen Minutes by Chris Green You will be familiar with Andy Warhol’s aphorism from the nineteen-sixties that in the future, everyone would be world-famous for fifteen minutes. A bold statement for sure, but with the subsequent spread of celebrity culture, quite a prophetic one. But for those of you who are pedantic, his … Continue reading Famous for Fourteen Minutes
Deus ex Machina
Deus Ex Machina by Chris Green 1: I’m not sure what sparked my interest in subliminal messages in songs. I was aware of the Paul McCartney is dead scam from the 1960s, but this was about it. The claim was that Paul was killed in a car crash in 1966 and replaced by a lookalike. … Continue reading Deus ex Machina
Through a Glass Darkly
Through a Glass Darkly by Chris Green I find it odd that no one is in the library. It is Monday. The middle of the morning. You would expect it to be busy. It is the main library in Middleton, not just a branch. Here are no notices. The shelves are organised in an orderly … Continue reading Through a Glass Darkly
By the Time I Get to Peterborough
By the Time I Get to Peterborough by Chris Green It would be fair to say that By the Time I Get to Peterborough isn’t as well known as By the Time I Get to Phoenix, the nineteen-sixties classic which inspired it, and its writer Merv Trimble is not as acclaimed as Jimmy Webb, who … Continue reading By the Time I Get to Peterborough
A Day in the Life 999
A Day in the Life 999 by Chris Green Like Tara Browne, the subject of the classic Beatles song, Dale Charmer might be described as a lucky man who made the grade. Dale, too, may not notice that the lights have changed. But unlike Tara, no crowds of people will stand and stare, and Dale’s … Continue reading A Day in the Life 999
The Two of Us
The Two of Us by Chris Green ‘There are no stars out tonight,’ Cindy says. ‘Why are there no stars, Matt?’ ‘You don't get stars every night,’ I say. ‘Perhaps there will be some tomorrow.’ ‘But, it has been a clear day,’ Cindy says. ‘There should be stars after a clear day.’ ‘That’s true,’ I … Continue reading The Two of Us
Chatter
Chatter by Chris Green You would not think to look at him now, but when he was older, Dylan Song was a trailblazer. A dark horse who diced with danger, he flew the rebel flag. Song was a provocateur, an agent for change. He championed the cause of the underdog. He became a hero to … Continue reading Chatter
Avaritia Doctrina
Avaritia Doctrina by Chris Green Despite my First in Unreliable History, I am finding it difficult to get a job. Although my dissertation on The Eight Wives of Henry the Sixth earned a distinction, employers, don’t seem to be interested in taking me on. Or even have the decency to reply to my application letters. … Continue reading Avaritia Doctrina
Branch Office
Branch Office by Chris Green Cathy and Sharon started work in the same branch office of a building society in a small provincial town in the south of England the same month, March 1973. Both were twenty-three years old, had grown up locally and gone to the same schools. Yet they were like chalk and … Continue reading Branch Office
The Shipping Forecast
The Shipping Forecast by Chris Green I am listening to the Shipping Forecast on the laptop when the phone rings. Much of the nautical detail of the forecast goes over my head, but I find the poetry of the teatime bulletin entrancing. I hardly use the landline so I let the phone ring. I am … Continue reading The Shipping Forecast
Lost
Lost by Chris Green I’ve no idea where we are or how we come to be here. Given the extraordinary aggregation of sophisticated satellite technology at our disposal these days, it ought to be impossible to get lost on the roads. GPS is supposedly millimetre accurate over the entire country. When Sophie and I have … Continue reading Lost
Basic Attraction
Basic Attraction by Chris Green When Eve pushes the cloakroom door shut, and with a rippling of her flame coloured dress, turns towards him, Dean knows he is in trouble. ‘I feel naughty today, Mr Jones,’ Eve says, rubbing her hand up her stockinged leg. ‘Don’t you think it’s time we got to know one … Continue reading Basic Attraction
137- an odd space essay
137 – an odd space essay by Chris Green Victor Malpas and his associate Leon Dusk made a killing in the initial dot-com boom. While many others had been working on it, they were the ones who came up with the encryption required to make secure financial transactions on the internet a reality. At least … Continue reading 137- an odd space essay
Nobody Home
Nobody Home by Chris Green I first met Floyd Singer when we moved to Darkbridge and I started at St Dominic's Junior School. This was a big move for my family and I did not know anyone there. Naturally, I was worried about how I was going to fit in at a strange new school … Continue reading Nobody Home
A Day at the Camel Races with Queen Cleopatra
A Day at the Camel Races with Queen Cleopatra by Chris Green They no longer race camels at Blue Anchor Bay. There are not even donkeys on the beach these days, and to be fair, not very much sand left. But back in the day, you would have been able to enjoy a day out … Continue reading A Day at the Camel Races with Queen Cleopatra
Dog Day Discs
Dog Day Discs by Chris Green I don’t know whose idea it was to come up with the ill-fated Dog Day Discs. I could have predicted the idea of someone picking their selection of the worst eight tunes of all time was never destined to be a winner. But G.O.O.D Radio went ahead with … Continue reading Dog Day Discs
Brown Sauce
Brown Sauce by Chris Green I offer no excuses. It was the third time in a month that I had crossed the border. There is no-one else I can blame for my arrest and subsequent detention. As I await my trial, I would like to be able to say I am remorseful or that she … Continue reading Brown Sauce
Nutmeg and Steven
Nutmeg and Steven by Chris Green Before he accidentally became famous as a rock and roll singer, Buddy Holly was a gentle soul who pressed wildflowers and practised yoga. He was the shy and retiring sort. Everyone said so. Not a hateful bone in his body, they said. But Buddy killed my bunny. Not intentionally, … Continue reading Nutmeg and Steven
Just My Imagination
Just My Imagination by Chris Green There is a knock at the door. I am not expecting anyone. I do not get visitors these days. Since the misunderstanding, people tend to stay away. Even Donna has stopped calling. While I try to think who might be at the door, they knock again. Harder this time. … Continue reading Just My Imagination
3:13 a.m.
3: 13 a.m. by Chris GreenNot so long ago, it was recognised that at 3:13 a.m. each morning, everyone heard something disturbing caused the heart to skip a beat. For some, the rogue sound was the tolling of a distant bell, for others a mournful foghorn, while yet others might hear an air-raid siren or … Continue reading 3:13 a.m.
Cor Anglais
Cor Anglais by Chris Green Sea mists have been building in strength over the last few weeks, and this is the worst one we’ve had. It’s a solid sheet of dense grey. Visibility is down a matter of feet. It is foolhardy to be walking along the narrow path. But the dogs next door were … Continue reading Cor Anglais
Now You See It, Now You Don’t
Now You See It, Now You Don’t by Chris Green The arbiters of taste are notoriously fickle. While The Moody Blues were cool in 1968, if you listened to their music a few years later, you would be considered a bit sad. But if anything their musical powers had grown. Their tunes became even better. … Continue reading Now You See It, Now You Don’t
Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde by Chris Green How many roads must a man walk down, Dylan Song wonders? He has been trudging around the streets of Dalmouth for ages, yet he still can’t find the café where he is due to meet Frankie Lee. This is his fourth time around the shopping centre. His going round … Continue reading Blonde on Blonde
James Brown – The Godfather of Soil
James Brown – The Godfather of Soil by Chris Green Susanna and I were having a lunchtime glass of Chardonnay at Café Rouge. She had called me earlier at work. She had sounded a little distraught, so I had rearranged my diary for us to meet up. She suspected Charlie was seeing a younger woman. … Continue reading James Brown – The Godfather of Soil
Andromeda Dreaming
Andromeda Dreaming by Chris Green It was a warm Wednesday in September. I was walking the dog in St Peter’s Park. I spotted Tristan Dev on a seat eating his lunch. Tristan could tell straight away from my demeanour that I was feeling a little below par, and he asked me what was wrong. I … Continue reading Andromeda Dreaming
The Real History of the Internet
The Real History Of The Internet by Chris Green The Internet was invented by Pablo Gonzales in 1492. There are competing claims to the technology behind it, but Pablo was the one who established the Internet protocol suite (IPS). You may have seen pictures of the early personal computers but in case you have not, … Continue reading The Real History of the Internet
Harmonica
Harmonica by Chris Green ‘I am going to write a story that ends with the word harmonica,’ she says. ‘And I am not going to mention harmonica until that point.’ We are in Chance Encounter Café. We are the only two customers. She is sitting at the next table. She is drinking one of those … Continue reading Harmonica
Zenn
Zenn by Chris Green As an only child growing up in rural Somerset, Kate Dulverton had a sheltered upbringing. Like many young people, she eventually became bored with her sleepy surroundings and moved away to broaden her horizons. She had not been in the city long when Charlotte Anne, in the office where she was … Continue reading Zenn
Warm Gun
Warm Gun by Chris Green ‘It’s difficult to concentrate on your Rainer Maria Rilke anthology when the woman next door is exercising her Jack Russell in the front garden.’ Darren Spurlock told Sergeant Larrisey. Darren smiled contentedly as he handed over the warm gun. Had John Lennon perhaps hit the nail on the head all … Continue reading Warm Gun
Chris Green Stories 