Short Stories Read online

  Short Stories by Lesley Salmon

  Lesley Salmon

  Short Stories by Lesley Salmon

  About the book

  Copyright

  About the author

  The Longest Walk

  Send In The Clowns

  Today Will Be Different

  The Nightmare

  Train Of Observation

  Fun Night

  About the book

  Six short stories that you can read in your tea break.

  'Lord of the Rings' it's not. But if you fancy something a little bit different, 'weird' even, then this is the book for you.

  Copyright

  Author

  Lesley Salmon

  Copyright © 2013 [Lesley Salmon]

  First Published using Papyrus, 2013

  Cover image courtesy of samarttiw at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  About the Author

  Lesley Salmon is a freelance writer, and novelist.

  The Longest Walk

  This is a story about two families that had known each other since they were kids, and were now grown up with children of their own. One summer they all rented a cottage in Somerset. Nobody really knows if the rumours about what happened to them were true, or whether it was just idle gossip.

  Tim, Becky, David and Carol packed their bags, got the children ready and off they went.

  The cottage was amazing.

  Becky cooked a wonderful meal and they sat in the garden with a glass of wine.

  Life was good.

  “Hey! Why don't we go for a walk down by the woods?” Becky said.

  Everyone agreed.

  The day went by so quickly and before long it was dark.

  David confusingly looked at his watch.

  “I think we've lost a couple of hours,” he said, causing them all to look at their watches. Carol suggested they make tracks home, and it was then, they realized they were lost.

  “Let’s not panic!” David said, "we'll be fine; we just need to stay calm."

  “He’s right,” Tim replied, “panicking won't help.”

  The little ones began to cry.

  “Okay,” Becky said “Let's play a game. Let's play the game where everyone has to remember something we've seen, that way we'll have fun and find our way home at the same time.” They all played along including the men.

  Carol saw something making her heart skip a beat. “Look, a family!” she said, pointing toward the silhouettes ahead of them.

  What a relief!

  As they drew closer, they saw that it was two couples like them, with children.

  Tim frenziedly waved his arms in the air and the other party must have been just as excited about seeing them as someone waved straight back.

  “They’re probably lost too,” Tim said “well, at least there’s more of us now.”

  “Hey, isn't that funny, they look like us,” David said.

  “I know,” Tim addressed his wife,“one of them looks just like you Becky.”

  “Oh yes, and the other lady looks like Carol” David piped in.

  Were they hallucinating?

  Ahead of them in the darkness was a mirror image.

  The more they moved, the more their mirror images moved.

  At first they thought the strangers were making fun.

  But it was a lot more sinister than that.

  A group of friends went out to have a good time that day, but they lost time instead. The loss of time caused some kind of anomaly to occur in the universe, allowing them to see a parallel world and it was coming their way.

  Send In The Clowns

  Tonight was the last performance in this town and then they would be moving on again. Billy had never known anything else other than the travelling circus, the smell of the animals and the revs of the truck engines. His father was the ringmaster, a family tradition which expected Billy to follow.

  He hadn't been feeling well for the past week, so was heading to sick bay.

  Billy and the doc had a good relationship and they’d been friends since he was a boy. The doc had been there for Billy when no-one else was.

  “How can I help you young William,” the doc said as Billy entered the room.

  “I've been feeling ill.”

  "Come and see me as soon as the show is over."

  In the meantime Billy went to see Poppy. Poppy was a dancing girl but she was also his girlfriend. The first day he laid eyes on her he couldn't stop looking, to the point of rudeness. He loved how she rolled her head back when she laughed, how much her character matched her looks and how beautiful she was inside and out. They were planning to leave the circus to get married and settle down. Billy couldn't wait. Then she would be free of those ridiculously skimpy outfits.

  She looked relieved on seeing him.

  “Have you heard Billy?”

  “Heard what?”

  “Anna has gone missing. She went into town today and no one has seen her since. We’re all really worried.”

  “That's weird, have you tried her mobile?”

  “Yeah, it keeps going to voicemail.”

  One of the dancers called Poppy.

  “I gotta go, will I see you after?”

  “I'll come to your room. Oh, no, wait, I have to be somewhere first, can we meet in the bar?”

  **********

  Doc was waiting for him.

  “What's the problem young Billy?”

  “I’ve been feeling dizzy and sick”.

  “How long have you felt like this, ” he said while shining the torch in his ears.

  “Er, about a week.”

  "You might have had an ear infection.”

  The doc unlocked the cabinet while still talking, “take these for a week, if it's no better come back and see me. Tell you what, come and see me anyway, we’re due a game of chess young sir.”

  “Will do doc.”

  Billy ran to meet Poppy.

  The bar was crowded.

  Where was she?

  ”Hi Billy,” her friend Jen called out, “are you looking for Poppy?”

  “Yes.”

  “We thought she was with you.”

  “No, I'll go and look in her caravan.”

  The lights were off, but Billy thought he’d knock anyway.

  She was nowhere to be found.

  He searched everywhere.

  After exhausting all the avenues he went to see his dad.

  “She’s probably gone out with her friends,” his dad said reassuringly.

  “Dad, she wouldn't let me down. We were to meet after the show, I’m telling you. Something has happened. The same thing that's happened to Anna. Dad, we need to do something.”

  “First thing in the morning we’ll start a search, before any dismantling. We will not move from here until we find our girls. I promise you son.”

  By daybreak, Billy was even more hypo. He hadn't slept a wink.

  His father called a meeting with all the circus people. "I’ve called the Police," he said, "they’re cordoning off the area and questioning the locals. But the more people looking the better. Remember, not a stone left untouched.”

  “How you bearing up?” the doc said to Billy after the speech.

  “I'm not.”

  Around lunchtime Billy's dad persuaded him to stop and have food. Billy had no appetite but he needed to keep his strength up. Daylight was disappearing and still the girls hadn't been found. Posters had been put up all over town. Billy's dad knew that the circus folk would get agitated if they didn't move on soon. Tomorrow there was to be a news conference.

  **********

  Billy still felt ill, so he went back to see the doc. He was sitting in the usual place with test tubes and the like.

  “Sorry, your busy,
” Billy said.

  “No, it's fine young sir, are you still ill?”

  “Yes, and what a stupid time to be sick. I need to look for Poppy.”

  “Lay down on the trolley.”

  Billy did as he was told and then the doctor injected him and told him to count to five. Next thing he knew Billy found himself tied to a trolley. He tried sitting up, “POPPY. Poppy’s missing. I must find her.”

  The doc was smiling.

  “What's happened, doc, I can't get up, why am I tied up, what's going on?”

  “Don't worry young Billy, you will be fine. I need to protect my young ones. Look what I have done for you. No one will be able to see her dancing legs again. No one but you. She will be forever young Billy.”

  Billy froze.

  “I’m going to release you Billy, but you have to promise that you won't run. You trust me don't you Billy."

  “What is my dizziness?” Billy replied, trying to appease him.

  “I am sorry about that young sir. I had to do that. I had to make you sick otherwise you wouldn't have come. You see, I have been trying to have a game of chess with you for ages Billy, but since Poppy had been on the scence, you've deserted me, young Billy. I understand though. I understand what love is. I don't blame you. I don't blame you at all. I wanted to help you Billy, because I love you. That's why I have kept her safe for you Billy. Safe with the others. She will be here for you Billy. All for you. No more dancing for Poppy. Are you pleased?”

  Billy said nothing. He was too stunned to talk.

  The doctor untied him and lead him into the other room.

  Billy yelled, “POPPY!!!” At the same time his leg swung up hitting the doc out cold and he was able to push the door open with his shoulder.

  He found pictures all over the walls.

  They were girls.

  Moving.

  Screaming.

  Scratching.

  Alive.

  Dancing girls trapped in two dimensional prisons.

  No one could hear their muffled cries.

  Then he saw her.

  Hands pressed against the glass looking for a way out.

  He held his hand on hers and felt the cold glass.

  The doc stirred.

  “Let them out,” Billy howled.

  “I can't young Billy, once the glass breaks, they die."

  A tear rolled down his face and he thought of his father.

  “Then I must go there too.”

  The doctor obliged.

  Today Will Be Different

  My name is Sasha.

  A soul named Sasha.

  That’s what a soul is, isn't it?

  A human being.

  It must be, otherwise why else would they say ‘he was a poor old soul.’

  I am a soul.

  A soul named Sasha.

  I always wanted to have children, but now they are here I pity them, as I am not sure that they really want me. I saw very early on in their tiny lives, how they had (or should I say have) their own personalities. They too are souls. Souls in their own right. Nothing I do will make much difference.

  Not today, though.

  Today would be a different day.

  I'm not taking them to school.

  We are going to have fun.

  It doesn't matter anymore.

  Joseph looked at me at breakfast. I always knew he was looking at me. He was unaware I could see him. I couldn't be bothered to say anything. Another mum would say something.

  “Hey Joe, come and give me a cuddle.” Not me. I needed to look at the wall. I could see he was scared. I was never sure what he was scared of. Was it me?

  Antony was still eating his breakfast while Joe was packing.

  “But where are we going Mummy?” he cried in his high pitched voice nearly choking on his cornflakes.

  “It's a surprise. Now come on, eat up or we'll be late.”

  “I don't wanna go!”

  “Why ever not?”

  “Cos of Miss”

  “Miss?”

  “Yeah, Miss will miss me.”

  “I know she will as you are her best pupil, but she won't mind.”

  “She will though, she’ll tell me off, she will be cross.”

  “I will write a note.”

  Joseph stood in the doorway with his little rucksack on his back and the other in his hand. He was so good at looking after his little brother.

  Why did Joe always look so worried?

  Had I done that to him?

  As soon as Antony was done eating we headed for the bus station.

  Everyone in the queue looked excited and happy. We were all going to see the seaside.

  I long to have the same feeling as them.

  Did my children feel happy now?

  Were they excited?

  I saw them for the first time today.

  Had they always looked so different from each other?

  Who did they resemble?

  Was it an old uncle of mine?

  Who knows, did I even have an uncle?

  They probably look like their dad(s) - Who knows, did they even have a dad?

  This journey is taking forever. The boys are getting restless. Joe looks so old. Is he an adult now? Has he lost his childhood? I hope not.

  Oh look, we have arrived.

  It's raining.

  Why did it have to rain today?

  Today it was to be bright.

  Where had the sun gone?

  "Go and buy yourselves an ice cream."

  “It's too cold.”

  “Do as you’re told.”

  Today would be a different day.

  I haven't any money. Well, not enough for the dodgems. It is enough for ice cream though, and then we’ll walk along the beach.

  There aren't many people at the seaside today and that's a shame because my boys have never seen the sea before. My boys have never seen their granny either. Do you know why? Because my boys have no granny. They have no granny, no granddad, auntie or uncle. No cousins, no sisters, no daddy, nor pets.

  My boys have me though. A mummy, thank God.

  I can never leave them. What would they do?

  How would they cope. Nope. We are a team, my boys and me.

  “I'm bored”

  Who said that?

  How can they be bored? This is a holiday. This is a happy day.

  Antony loves Superman. He wears the costume often. Joseph used to like him, before he became so serious. Is he an adult? I'm not sure.

  We eat fish and chips all huddled together from the wind.

  They are happy, I think.

  They are laughing and joking.

  My boys. They are my boys.

  I don't want this moment to end, ever.

  Look the tower so grand. I pretend we’re in Paris, but I am sure Joseph knows I am lying.

  “Come on. Let's run to the top” I cry. The boys follow suit.

  “We are going to play a game” I shout when we reach the top.

  “What game?” by now Antony is giggling.

  Why does Joseph look at me with such distrust?

  Is he scared?

  Is he scared of me?

  He can't be scared.

  Not today.

  “We can fly!” I cry.

  “We can fly!” Antony cries.

  “No we can't!” Joseph screams.

  “Don't be such a spoil sport.”

  I hang on to his arms.

  I hang on to both boy's arms.

  Antony is no problem.

  He believes.

  We have to be together.

  Why does Joseph distrust me?

  Is he scared?

  Is he scared of me?

  Surely not.

  Today would be a different day.

  Today we will fly.

  The Nightmare

  Dale hadn't wanted to go to bed as he’d been having a terrible nightmare for the past week. It was the same one he’d had as a child.

&nb
sp; He couldn't believe it had come back to haunt him now.

  Tonight he took a sleeping pill in the hope it would ward away the demons.

  He did all the normal rituals of bedtime, cleaned his teeth, set the alarm and lay down next to his wife who was sitting up in bed reading a book, which she then closed in the same manner as she did every night and put on the bedside table.

  Lights Out

  At first he lay there with his eyes open thinking about his dream. He knew it was the wrong thing to do just before going to sleep, but he couldn't help himself.

  What had happened in his life to bring it back?

  He was bullied as a child and the psychologist had put it down to stress. Dale had felt the nightmare was real back then as it was so vivid. Time hadn't made it any less vivid today.

  He fell asleep.

  The Dream

  He was an engineer on the starship Enterprise. Something would go wrong with the ship and he would have to go outside to fix it. He was attached to a climbing rope that was safely anchored, preventing him from being pulled into space. The anchor would unhook and he would slowly float away.

  Every time he called for help on his communicator the message would scramble.

  He would then float through the universe until he woke up.

  Only tonight was different, tonight he couldn't wake up. He was aware that he was dreaming, but this still didn't help. He was hovering through space alone with the knowledge that his air was going to expire followed closely with his own demise. He hoped that would be the point at which he would wake up.

  Dale hadn't been an adventurous child. He was a geek. He actually enjoyed mathematics and was well aware that one couldn't get more nerdy than that. He knew that other boys would have loved the idea of travelling through space and time in their sleep. Not him. He loved sci-fi, but he didn't want to live it.

  He tried not to panic while encased in his astronaut suit, so began to focus on the stars pretending that he was on earth looking up at the sky on a warm clear night.