Time and Time Again by Chris GreenTime is a bitch. You never know quite where you are with it. Einstein argues that the distinction between past, present and future is an illusion, albeit a stubbornly persistent one. This morning as I go through the mail, I appreciate the great man’s uncertainty. These bills are the … Continue reading Time and Time Again
Tag: literary fiction
Cats and Dogs
Cats and Dogs by Chris Green It hasn't been a good Spring. I have been listening to birdsong on Birdsong FM because there hasn't been any birdsong in the garden. Every week when Sophie and I tune in to CountryWatch, they go on about global warming. March was the hottest on record, April was the … Continue reading Cats and Dogs
CHEKHOV’S GUN
Chekhov’s Gun by Chris Green Having signed off my latest story, I am on the lookout for characters for a new one. A writer’s mind is never idle. Even though Cathy and I are taking a break in a small seaside town in Norfolk to catch up with her family, the search is on. In … Continue reading CHEKHOV’S GUN
Extra
Extra by Chris Green How do they know there are only thirteen days left? How can anyone be so precise? And what exactly is the nature of the emergency? Why does no one appear to know? Or if they do know, why are they reluctant to tell us? Not that I can do much about … Continue reading Extra
Trout Fishing
Trout Fishing by Chris Green FRIDAY‘Sunsets on Mars are blue,’ says the man’s voice coming from behind her. It is too loud for her to ignore. Suzy turns around to see a stranger in a badly creased seersucker suit has sat down at the next table. He is alone. Is he talking to her or … Continue reading Trout Fishing
MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms by Chris Green The cows that were in the lower field yesterday evening have gone. Perhaps they have been moved up into the top field behind the trees. I eat my breakfast on the patio, fried egg, tomatoes and freshly picked mushrooms with a pot of Birchall’s tea. You get these comforts in the … Continue reading MUSHROOMS
Schrödinger’s Cat
Schrödinger’s Cat by Chris Green (no cats were harmed in the writing of this story) The train doesn’t stop. There are no stations, no visible settlements. No landmarks, no buildings, no farms, nothing. I don’t know where the train is heading. The terrain comprises miles upon miles of wilderness, woodland and barren scrub. I can’t … Continue reading Schrödinger’s Cat
Bacon
Bacon by Chris Green Will notices The Guardian newspaper in front of him has tomorrow’s date. Normally, this might not matter too much. There would probably be an innocent explanation. The Guardian, after all, is famous for its misprints, but it is unlikely that an edition would have gone out with the wrong date on … Continue reading Bacon
Eternal
Eternal by Chris Green The daily proclamations of doom and gloom and the celebrity indiscretions in the media are getting me down. It seems none of it has anything to do with me. Why do I need to know what they are squabbling about in Parliament if I can do nothing about it? Why does … Continue reading Eternal
(NOT) BEING DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
(Not) Being Dmitri Shostakovich by Chris Green The knock on the door at 3 a.m. wakes me with a jolt. At first I think I must have imagined it, but there it is again. Not just a friendly tap like you might get from a neighbour to tell you that you have left your car … Continue reading (NOT) BEING DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Close Encounters
Close Encounters by Chris Green The Conference Room is the largest room in the Resource Centre. Seated, it holds about fifty, depending on how the tables are arranged. Around twenty attend the monthly Neighbourhood Coordination meetings which, as Centre Coordinator, I am obliged to sit in on. Susie Kew is the Community Liaison Officer for … Continue reading Close Encounters
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
Nightswimming
Nightswimming by Chris Green On the face of it, Nightswimming is about someone’s fond memories of skinny-dipping in their younger days. But is the song really about dreaming? You couldn’t get a more haunting tune or a more dreamlike arrangement. And the band is called REM. Rapid Eye Movement. It’s a perfect fit. Surely, Nightswimming … Continue reading Nightswimming
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
Snake in the Glass
SNAKE IN THE GLASS by Chris Green Later No one sees him arrive. No one spots the silver Solstice slide silently through the streets on its way to the big house with the crow-stepped gables on Brindle Street. It is night-time in the sleepy town. Seeing the sleek Pontiac Solstice outside the house the following … Continue reading Snake in the Glass
In Dreams
In Dreams by Chris Green The girl at the next table in Bean Me Up is the spitting image of the one I was dreaming about not more than an hour ago. The dream comes back to me now. In technicolour. Cinema surround sound. There is no doubt about it. It is her. Everything about … Continue reading In Dreams
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
Future Shock
Future Shock by Chris Green You will be walking along Lynch Lane past the old furniture warehouse on your way to work. A Chromatics tune will be running through your head when two dudes in dark clothing jump out of a black Nissan Pathfinder with tinted windows. The taller of the two, a gangly figure … Continue reading Future Shock
Ceçi n’est pas
Ceçi n’est pas ….. by Chris Green Tiffany and I arrive at Kemble station, in the Gloucestershire countryside. We have taken the Great Western train down from London and are planning to explore the Cotswolds. We are keen walkers and have heard there are some fantastic walks in the area. We are booked to stay … Continue reading Ceçi n’est pas
Dingly Dell
Dingly Dell by Chris Green She strolls up the path between the floral borders and sits down on the bench next to mine. She says, hello, as if I am expecting her, or at least as if we know each other. She seems to be dressed for an occasion. She is wearing a carnation in … Continue reading Dingly Dell
Back in Time for Dinner
Back in Time for Dinner by Chris Green It is Monday morning, but I am not pressed for time. I am off work. An old Tai Chi injury has flared up, and I have been told to rest. I am sorting out things that, in my busy schedule at the kite repair workshop, I never … Continue reading Back in Time for Dinner
Red
Red by Chris Green The best way to predict the future is to create it, Brett Doobie is fond of saying. It is a good line to come out with at dinner parties. Abraham Lincoln, he might add, after a suitable pause while fellow guests wonder who he is quoting. Brett could not possibly imagine … Continue reading Red
Three Sides to Every Story
Three Sides to Every Story by Chris Green 1: I don’t know about you, but I know when I am being watched. I get a prickly sensation on my skin and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This, along with a heightened sense of alert. The phenomenon has a name, … Continue reading Three Sides to Every Story
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
Three
Three by Chris Green 1: Seventies The best things in life are three. Charlie Tooting thinks so. They are sex and drugs and rock-and-roll. Many others of Charlie’s generation agree. After all, we are talking about the nineteen-seventies. Nineteen-seventy-three to be exact. Charlie is twenty-two years old. It would be fair to say though that … Continue reading Three
666 – The Number of the Bus
666 – The Number of the Bus by Chris Green Mr Saxx who taught us Maths in Year 11 was obsessed with probability. In his classes, we were required to calculate the probability of many unlikely scenarios. Based on historical performance and the profile of those players currently available for selection, what was the probability … Continue reading 666 – The Number of the Bus
Beware of the God
Beware of the God! by Chris Green ‘They’re basically killing each other over who has the better imaginary friend,’ the man in the L’Estrange Mac says. ‘Just let that sink in if you will.’ It is a powerful statement. Those thirteen words carry a lot of weight. It’s not what you expect to come out … Continue reading Beware of the God
Friday
Friday by Chris Green I am walking through a churchyard in rural Devon when I come across a plain gravestone which simply reads, Mark Friday, 1952- 2020. While you do not often get a lot of detail on headstones, it strikes me that although Mark Friday seems an interesting name, here we are told nothing … Continue reading Friday
The Crooning
The Crooning by Chris Green It first occurs to Merv McCann that he might be getting old when he hears a mournful ballad by Leo Sayer on the radio, the one about his love leaving in the morning on the early train, and turns it up to listen. Had this happened in isolation, he might … Continue reading The Crooning
Hunky Dory
Hunky Dory by Chris Green Writers of self-help books are fond of telling you that life always offers you a second chance, it is called tomorrow. This is all very well. It’s something you can look forward to. But what if you could have your second chance yesterday? This would mean that you still had … Continue reading Hunky Dory
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
Passenger
Passenger by Chris Green The bus isn’t supposed to go this way. What is happening? Where is it taking me? ‘You’re going the wrong way,’ I call out to the driver. She takes no notice. Perhaps she cannot hear me over the noise of the engine. I try again. ‘I have an appointment and I’m … Continue reading Passenger
A Saucerful of Secrets
A Saucerful of Secrets by Chris Green Having missed the campus coach to the free concert in Hyde Park, Mojo, Lenny and I were in Spike’s flat listening to the new Pink Floyd album, A Saucerful of Secrets. Spike had gone off to buy hash. Supplies had been getting low. Afghani Black, he said he … Continue reading A Saucerful of Secrets
Lorelei
Lorelei by Chris Green It is nearly three, but Lorelei can’t sleep. She is being kept awake by a piano tinkling in the next apartment. Now and again, a voice joins in with a melody. A tuneful tenor. He sounds a little like David Crosby, but of course, it can’t be. David is dead. … Continue reading Lorelei
Cover Story
Cover Story by Chris Green A vermilion memo is circulating at the research establishment, one down from red. Red means evacuate. Tension levels are rising. I am glad it is time for my shift to end. I keep my head down at work, but I have suspected for a long time something weird is going … Continue reading Cover Story
Chance
Chance by Chris Green Travis Fly is looking for a car when he sees the Chrysler Vamp advertised on the Autoz website. He had not realised that Chrysler made such a model. Good name but it sounds unlikely. Honest John doesn’t mention it, and Travis has not seen one like it before. He is intrigued. … Continue reading Chance
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
How the Light Gets In
How the Light Gets In by Chris Green The sign ought to have been enough to trigger alarm bells. Zitt – Twinned with Area 51, it said. But at the time, it didn’t make an impression. Area 51 was just a remote place in the US that I had heard referenced in random conversations. I … Continue reading How the Light Gets In
GO
Go by Chris Green I open the front door to discover a large package on the doorstep. I did not hear anyone deliver it while I was getting ready for work, or see anyone from the window. It’s huge. I try to think what I might have ordered. Something three feet by two that might … Continue reading GO
Another Time and Place
Another Time and Place by Chris Green I’ve woken up wondering just how far is it from Phoenix to Albuquerque and where did Glen Campbell set out from in the first place? Las Vegas? Los Angeles? San Diego? It’s 3 am. Where has this rogue train of thought come from? I’m not even particularly fond … Continue reading Another Time and Place
Giselle
Giselle by Chris Green I am stuck at the Scott McKenzie lights when I notice the car in front of me is the same model and colour, a blue Mazda 3. Not too unusual, perhaps. It is a popular model. But this one looks too familiar. Before I can put my finger on what it … Continue reading Giselle
No Windows
No Windows by Chris Green Pablo Picasso said, if I don’t have red paint, I use blue. You have to be able to adapt to changes of fortune. I did not plan my early retirement, but here I am on a Tuesday morning sitting in my recliner with a toasted teacake and a cup of … Continue reading No Windows
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
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes by Chris Green ‘What happened to the old bus station, Geoff?’ I say. ‘While I was driving here, I couldn’t help noticing it had gone. I know it was a bit of a monstrosity, but it was a landmark. I grew up around there.’ ‘God’s teeth, Vince!’ he says. ‘They knocked that old thing … Continue reading Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Domino Logic
Domino Logic by Chris Green ‘I am not Dirk Vandenberg,’ I say. ‘No one called Dirk Vandenberg lives here. There has never been anyone going by that name on this number.’ This is the eighth or ninth phone call for Dirk Vandenberg I have had on the landline this week. At first, I put the … Continue reading Domino Logic
Escape to the Country
Escape to the Country by Chris Green Uncle Enzo is planning to buy a house in the south-west of England. He is tired of urban living and wants to retire to the country. Enzo is in his seventies and his mobility is not what it was, so I am down here to see what is … Continue reading Escape to the Country
Jazz
JAZZ by Chris Green 1: She came into Birth of Cool and asked if we had an original New York Prestige yellow label vinyl pressing of Webster Young’s For Lady. The precision of her request startled me. ‘Featuring Mal Waldron on piano and Paul Quinichette on tenor sax,’ I said. ‘Mellow album. We have a … Continue reading Jazz
The Feelgood Calendar
The Feelgood Calendar by Chris Green Charlie Feelgood awoke from a dream. He had been lost in a dark place on the outskirts of an unfamiliar town with tall shadowy buildings. He was driving a stolen car that he could not control properly. The brake and accelerator pedals had been switched and the steering wheel … Continue reading The Feelgood Calendar
Lost in Space
Lost in Space by Chris Green When it was just keeping up with social media and a bit of casual surfing, it was manageable. But since the gambling and online dating kicked in, it has become uncontrollable. I’m spending too much time on the internet. Every time I find myself with a spare moment, I’m … Continue reading Lost in Space
Out of Time
Out Of Time by Chris Green The moment Kimberley steps into the refreshment room, she knows something is wrong. Railway station cafés should be a hub of activity in the morning. This one is deathly quiet. It is almost empty. There are five people and each is seated at a separate table, staring blankly into … Continue reading Out of Time
Ghost
GHOST by Chris Green ‘You remember that creepy old man I told you about?’ I said. ‘The one I saw outside the kite museum. Well, Dad! He’s back.’ ‘I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, son,’ Dad said, looking up briefly from his Melody Maker. On a Thursday, his day off, Dad liked to read … Continue reading Ghost
South
SOUTH by Chris Green On occasions, just for a moment, everything seems in place. For this brief spell of time, a supernatural force seems to be at work. There is equilibrium in the universe. It might be referred to by some as an epiphany, an insight through the divine. Here at the top of the … Continue reading South
Curiosity
Curiosity by Chris Green I am reading Curiosity Killed the Cat by Phillip C Dark which I bought at the PDSA charity shop. In the novel, people become human mood rings. They have implants that make them change colour according to their mood. Advertisements appear randomly in the air in front of them. Getting media … Continue reading Curiosity
Fugue
Fugue by Chris Green 1: Someone is standing over me and staring, a weird sensation when you are dead. Perhaps it’s a big leap, but does it suggest I may have survived the accident after all? Given that as far as I can recall, a vehicle travelling at considerable speed hit me head-on, this seems … Continue reading Fugue
Ki
Ki by Chris Green I have just taken a photo of the blue sea with the bank of cloud over the dark headland, when the stranger with the mirror sunglasses appears out of nowhere. He asks me if I am a professional photographer. ‘Not at all,’ I say. ‘It’s only a Canon PowerShot. But there … Continue reading Ki
Altavista
Altavista by Chris Green Magenta does not enjoy riding the elevator to Red’s nineteenth-floor apartment in Altavista. It moves so slowly that it doesn’t seem to be moving at all. But security is tight. The chance of encountering an assailant in Altavista is small. The building has a uniformed concierge to vet unwanted visitors. The … Continue reading Altavista
April’s Shower
April's Shower by Chris Green Hotel California strikes me as an odd little café. Apart from the curious choice of name, it is situated underground and has no windows. Despite its claustrophobic feel, the acoustics seem to belong to a much larger space. The sound fades in and out and bounces off the walls in … Continue reading April’s Shower
Bus
Bus by Chris Green The bus isn’t supposed to go this way. What is happening? Where is it taking me? ‘You’re going the wrong way,’ I call out to the driver. She takes no notice. Perhaps she cannot hear me over the noise of the engine. I try again. ‘I have an appointment and I’m … Continue reading Bus
Lenticular Clouds
Lenticular Clouds by Chris Green Lenticular clouds hang over Mount Dante in the distance. Disc-shaped and silver, they have an air of the surreal about them. You expect clouds to move across the sky with the wind, but these are stationary. Here in the town below, the inhabitants are … Continue reading Lenticular Clouds
Ben Maceo
Ben Maceo by Chris Green Ben Maceo told me about the clock last week. Ben has special powers, you see. He can tell when things are going to happen. Had it been anyone else, I would never have believed them, but as it was Ben, I knew that … Continue reading Ben Maceo
Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here by Chris Green The huge red and green trucks thunder along the carriageways of the two-lane motorway in both directions. There is something both hostile and haphazard about the way they cross from lane to lane, throwing up dense clouds of dust from the parched road surface. The trucks are military … Continue reading Wish You Were Here
Sven of Halmstad
Sven of Halmstad by Chris Green Church attendance had been dropping for years. In the age of science and discovery, it seemed no one was able to swallow the fantastic tales of strife and salvation in the middle east as the basis for their belief. Stories like this might be OK for a fantasy novel, … Continue reading Sven of Halmstad
DNA
DNA by Chris Green ‘Your blood pressure is a little on the high side this morning, Max,’ says Dee. ‘You have remembered to take your beta-blockers, haven’t you?’ ‘Yes, Dee,’ I say. ‘I took them twenty minutes ago, and I even washed them down with the blueberry biojuice you recommended. I should be OK now, … Continue reading DNA
When I Was Older
When I Was Older by Chris Green When I was older, I was a saxophonist. I was one of the last living saxophonists before the instrument was banned and all saxophones were melted down to help the war effort. The trumpet suffered a similar fate. Brass instrument detection squads with sophisticated detection equipment were deployed … Continue reading When I Was Older
The Other Half Live
The Other Half Live by Chris Green ‘I see Flagman has a new flag flying today,’ says Peter Booth, with the distracted air of a forty-something suburban professional, stuck for something to say. ‘Flagman?’ says Lauren Henderson, the flighty new neighbour. ‘I’m guessing that’s the fellow down the road with a flagpole in his … Continue reading The Other Half Live
Concerto
Concerto by Chris Green 1: Allegretto con moto There are not many famous Spanish concert pianists, fewer still from Cantabria, that rainy green strip in the north of the country. Nia Buendía might have joined this small elite, if only she had had larger hands. She mastered Mozart’s Piano Sonatas before she was ten and … Continue reading Concerto
Puff the Magic Dragon
Puff the Magic Dragon by Chris Green Before he met Prism, John Straight seemed destined for success. He had a Degree in Business Management from a top university, a big black BMW with bull bars and he was willing to travel. In a word, John’s future looked rosy. He was the son of Sir James … Continue reading Puff the Magic Dragon
TIME
TIME by Chris Green Time is a bitch. You never know quite where you are with it. Einstein, bless him, argues that the distinction between past, present and future is an illusion, albeit a stubbornly persistent one. This morning as I go through the mail, I begin to appreciate the great man’s uncertainty. These bills … Continue reading TIME
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Seven
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Seven by Chris Green As many of you will be aware, Wet Blanket Ron started life as one of my fictional creations, based originally on someone called Dale Loveless, a ne’er-do-well of my acquaintance. This, of course, was just a starting point for the character. In … Continue reading The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Seven
This Old Art of Mine
This Old Art of Mine by Chris Green It all began when my electric kettle exploded. One expects setbacks now and again. But, they seem to happen at the worst possible time. Because the government had for some undisclosed reason not paid my pension for two successive months, I had no money to replace the … Continue reading This Old Art of Mine
DARK
DARK by Chris Green I am in the garden at The Pig and Whistle on a hot August evening. About a dozen of us are sat around a table. Darkness is descending, rapidly, the way it does in mid-August. The English summer is so fleeting. Blink and it is gone. Every year it seems the … Continue reading DARK
Salty Dog
Salty Dog by Chris Green I often come here to sit and watch the boats. I do not know much about boats or seafaring but I find the ebb and flow of the tides and the toing and froing of the vessels to be a kind of meditation. I understand a little about the tides … Continue reading Salty Dog
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town by Chris Green 1: Tim Soft is walking home along Marlboro Street. He feels he has had a wearying day at the office. He wishes it were Friday, but it's only Tuesday. A vintage Chevrolet Impala pulls up alongside him, one of the ones with the harmonica front grille … Continue reading Darkness on the Edge of Town
Blackjack
Blackjack by Chris Green I open the front door to discover a large package on the doorstep. I did not hear anyone deliver it while I was getting ready to for work, or see anyone from the window. It’s huge. What can it be? I try to think of something I might have ordered. Something … Continue reading Blackjack
DreamCatcher
DreamCatcher by Chris Green Matt and Miranda make their way home after a bracing walk by the sea. They are striding out along Roald Dahl Avenue, one of a cluster of roads that are referred to simply as the mystery writers’ estate. All the roads here are named after masters of suspense. Although the … Continue reading DreamCatcher
The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea by Chris Green Rain or shine, you will find the old man in the same spot on the beach, his back to the sea wall, gaze firmly fixed ahead, watching the ebb and flow of the tide. As you pass, you might remark to your companion that he is … Continue reading The Old Man and the Sea
NIGHT TRAIN
Night Train by Chris Green No matter where you might be, the night train rumbles through every night at 3:05 am. Its low-pitched drone makes the whole room quake. Every time this happens, you find it disturbing. You briefly speculate as to what its ominous cargo might be and vow to find out, before going … Continue reading NIGHT TRAIN
Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon by Chris Green I'll start at the end. Jonny Bisco is dead. He met his maker in October 2009 when his Moto Guzzi motorcycle skidded off the road in a freak thunderstorm near the small town of Bovey Tracey on the edge of Dartmoor. He was sixty four years old. You may not … Continue reading Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 4
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 4 by Chris Green I thought that I had put the character of Wet Blanket Ron to bed. I had written three stories in the Wet Blanket Ron series and I felt that this was probably enough. No writer wants to keep going over old ground. … Continue reading The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 4
Barber, Ball and Bilk
Barber, Ball and Bilk by Chris Green The opportunity to see Barber, Ball and Bilk, the three B’s as they are being billed, in Bridgedown is too good to pass by. Bridgedown is eighty miles away and I don’t drive, but the train journey from Sheepdip Halt is easily doable. It involves just one change, … Continue reading Barber, Ball and Bilk
Across The Universe
Across The Universe by Chris Green There has been a secret underground line in the south of England for years. It can be accessed through a network of tunnels originating from the basement of a former Turkish dry-cleaners in Dulwich. The line runs for sixty miles deep underneath the Weald to the coast near Newhaven. … Continue reading Across The Universe
Jimi Hendrix’s Kite (2015)
Jimi Hendrix's Kite by Chris Green Part 1: The Twenty Seven Club It is seven on a Saturday morning. I am enjoying a leisurely bath before going to the Strawberry Fields car boot. This gets going at about eight thirty so I have plenty of time. My bath is a large cast iron Victorian model … Continue reading Jimi Hendrix’s Kite (2015)
The Vexillographer’s Daughter
The Vexillographer's Daughter by Chris Green ONE: RAIN It had rained every single day for the three summer months. Every morning at around five past seven with my bacon and egg sunny side up I would watch the weather forecast on JustNews. The weather presenter would come on and shrug sheepishly in front of a … Continue reading The Vexillographer’s Daughter
DRUGS
Drugs – a short story by Chris Green We are lounging in the garden of Astral Parlour, the name we have given to a pair of crumbling farm cottages deep in the Cotswold Hills. It is a summer afternoon and the sun is high overhead. There are about a dozen of us. I can't say … Continue reading DRUGS
CAT
CAT by Chris Green Ralph is at least nineteen years old. He is what’s known as a mackerel tabby. My ex-partner’s friend, Junko found him as a kitten at Catbrain Quarry and brought him round to the house. ‘I’ve got a new cat for you,’ Junko said. She knew our old cat had run away … Continue reading CAT