A quiet night in the George Inn
Feeling a little unsettled, something was not quite right and it wasn't the beer.
Sitting in my usual place in my favourite armchair by the fireside in the George, I was feeling a little unsettled. It wasn’t the beer, I knew, as I stared at the crystal-clear brew in the glass on the table before me. I glanced up at Ray and Trevor, standing at the other end of the fireplace, each with a pint in their hands. They were gassing away as usual, but tonight with someone else I didn’t know. The three of them were discussing the match and taking no notice of me. Seemed like these days, I hardly had a friend to talk to and often ended up sitting alone in the corner.
“Yeah, Édouard was really on form today…” one of them said. Who the hell is Édouard? I thought. That was it. I’d had enough and decided to go home. I gasped as I banged my shin on the table, slopping one of the pints.
“What the f*** was that?” Said one of the three men standing in a group by the fireplace. They had all heard the table legs grate and could see the beer spilled over the table by the armchair in the corner.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” said another. “Probably just the ghost of old ’arry” in a huff as usual. That often happens if you talk about footie near his chair by the fire.
O ~ 0 ~ o ~
About the Creator
Raymond G. Taylor
Author based in Kent, England. A writer of fictional short stories in a wide range of genres, he has been a non-fiction writer since the 1980s. Non-fiction subjects include art, history, technology, business, law, and the human condition.
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The very very best writing
With many thanks to fellow Vocal creators and Vocal + Assist. I asked on the facebook group what was everyone's favorite story or character and these are the ones they came up with. I did promise a little something for the very best of the very very best, so please take a look at the stories suggested and let us all know what you think, by commenting on this post. Also on the stories, of course. I don't mind if you copy and paste from one to the other. If you want to join in, just go to Vocal + Assist. Ask to join the group if you are not already a member and look for the thread. Post your story there and I will add it below when I get a chance. For now, enjoy all this great writing in the stories linked here.
By Raymond G. Taylor8 months ago in Fiction
The Spring
The sun was high when Lance pulled off the road and into the dusty lot of the service station. The sign back at the hairpin--the first sign in a long time--said they just rolled into Hatter’s Creek, Population 63. It was small enough it didn’t appear on the handmap in Shelby’s lap, yet here it stood, the first backwater township on the fringes of the National Park. The plan was to gas up, restock the snack bag, and press on into the wilderness.
By Zack Graham6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (3)
I'll drink to that! (Kombucha or tea, of course. Never learned to like beer.)
Hahahahhahahaha that was very unexpected! Loved your story!
Oh, I love this one! A perfect twist... Hey, why did my chair just move? ;)