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
Tag: literary fiction
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
Chinese Boxes
Chinese Boxes by Chris Green The fire engine hurtles towards me. It has no driver. It is out of control. Conan Doyle Street is narrow and on a steep incline. As it heads down the slope, the precipitate leviathan gathers momentum. I dive for safety into the doorway of the antiquarian bookshop. The fire engine … Continue reading Chinese Boxes
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
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
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
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
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
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 spread of celebrity culture that has since ensued, you might be tempted to say, quite a prophetic one. … Continue reading Famous for Fourteen Minutes
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
Noir
NOIR by Chris Green It's early evening. It is getting dark and the street lights are coming on. Apart from a solemn, middle-aged man dressed in black sitting near the door, Stacey is the only customer in Café Noir. She is uncomfortable because the man keeps staring at her. She cannot put her finger on … Continue reading Noir
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
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 … Continue reading Trout Fishing
Nightswimming
Nightswimming by Chris Green On the face of it, Nightswimming is about someone’s fond memories of skinny-dipping in their younger days. Surely though, the song is about dreaming. You couldn’t get a more haunting tune or a more dreamlike arrangement. And the band are called REM. Rapid Eye Movement. What more do you need? It’s … Continue reading Nightswimming
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 it would happen … 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
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
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
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
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
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 Obsidian 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
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
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
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 Jodie and I are on holiday in a small seaside town in Norfolk to catch up with her family, the search is on. In the … Continue reading CHEKHOV’S GUN
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
QUINCE
QUINCE by Chris Green Giles Riddler tells me the quince tree blossoming in the front garden was the deciding factor in them buying the house. Had it not been for the quince tree, the Briggs and Mortimer board outside the 1930s semi-detached villa in Heisenberg Avenue might have gone unnoticed. Giles and Audrey apparently were … Continue reading QUINCE
Cats and Dogs
Cats and Dogs by Chris Green It hasn't been a good Spring. I have spent most of it 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 … Continue reading Cats and Dogs
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
ABRACADABRA
Abracadabra by Chris Green I have just pulled into the DIY superstore car park when I catch a snatch of Abracadabra on the new radio station I have found. Blitz plays nothing but rock, which is fine, as none of the other stations will touch it. I have not heard The Steve Miller Band for … Continue reading ABRACADABRA
The Black Book
The Black Book by Chris Green When I was growing up in the nineteen sixties, I was surrounded by books. The bookshelves in Grey Gables, the big old house in Gloucestershire where we lived were full, but there was one particular book I was told I must never read. It was referred to simply as … Continue reading The Black Book
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)
Zelkova Serrata
Zelkova Serrata by Chris Green Was it a knock that had woken her? Anna doesn’t like being alone in the big old house at the best of times, but knowing that Ron is on the other side of the world makes her more edgy. She takes a look at the clock. It is 3:23. Much … Continue reading Zelkova Serrata
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
Love Letters
Love Letters by Chris Green Living on what estate agents term a centrally located estate, I get dozens of flyers pushed through my door. As I have no interest in moving house, have all the double-glazing and kitchen fittings the house requires, and I do not eat pizza these are swiftly dispatched to the recycling … Continue reading Love Letters
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
Norwegian Wood
Norwegian Wood by Chris Green Rubber Soul is one of my favourite Beatles albums. I am looking at the cover photo by Robert Freeman, which is one in a collection of Freeman's Beatles images that line the hallway at Florian and Rhonda's house in Hanover Hill. The Rubber Soul photos, taken in late 1965, capture … Continue reading Norwegian Wood
Chris Green Stories 