My Short Stories

Collections 

 

Our Daily Bread  includes stories of people striving to succeed, sometimes managing, sometimes not.  It is at the same time about daily lives and the bigger picture. There's the story of the young woman who struggles to come to terms with the death of her baby.  A music manager is near to despair but finds a way to carry on. An older citizen finds that miracle still do happen.  Even God, whoever she may be has her say and  gives us an interpretation of the Lord's Prayer.  

More information here. 

Individual stories



Access denied  - when money is allowed to be more important than it really is, society crumbles.


Alice's Boy   Alice finds more respect and trust in a stranger than in her own family. 



Big Society Did you really mean this to happen, Mr Cameron?

Chocolate The banks have gone. The ATMs have stopped working ... or have they? 


Chains Larry Talott may have looked undernourished and he appeared to be a very dumb kid but he really did know how to put the frighteners on the inexperienced French teacher.   

China Dolls  He sees them everywhere but are they real. 

Churches Also available here. Churches are the only place you can be free from terrorists.  Will they make it? 

Crucifix  A young boy reacts badly to his first encounter with God.Found also in The Best of CafeLit 7 and Our Daily Bread

Cinq Then pleasures of love last but a moment. The sorrows last a whole life long.

Coincidences   Is the world really ending or are these strange happenings just all coincidences? 

Competition Pamela is very competitive and possibly also a little misguided.

Costa Evermore The middle-aged couple suddenly realise why people don't seem to age here ... 

"Dancing to the Moon" in Devils, Demons and Werewolves  She uses her new found energy to learn to dance - and to run away form her dangerous new friend.  

Deleted  It was a nasty trick. So, the evidence had to be deleted.  

Duplicated  They promised that the last one to die would go to the other's funeral. But she didn't keep her promise. Or did she?    
  
Elementary Survival after the apocalypse depends on flexibility and creative thinking.  Can Rob find a solution?   

Extra Dimensions Be careful what you wish for. Smart phones can be just a little too smart.

Film Noir  
Options other than the fashion world? Kevin is really looking out for her. Also in Our Daily Bread

Finding Story A little something for the magical time of year.   
 
Fluff Balls A hand-kintted jumper brings back memories.  

Flying High Will Albert ever take note of what the dream about flying is trying to tell him?   

For peanuts  Tragedy or comedy? It's all about peanuts. 

Fortune Cookies Even Icelandic volcanoes aren't always bad news. 

Fragmenting Tobias No one gets Tobias. He's just fragmented.  
Just Visiting A black cat is not quite what she seems.

If the Shoe Fits Marry Him An unlikely Prince Charming works in a shoe shop.

Keyboard Kittens  Those of you who have cats that like to visit whilst you're working will find this familiar.

Lady in Grey  A young man gets a surprising reaction when he serenades an older lady at St Peter's Square, Manchester. 

"Mantek's Journey" in Making Changes A young man goes on a long journey and meets an extraordinary baby.    

Lightning Linda Linda isn't quite as unfit as she'd led us to believe.

Locker 13   Why is Locker 13 always locked with the same padlock? 

Miss Pringle Takes the Metro Miss Pringle has to reconsider her attitude to the Metrolink.

"Mordecai and Haman" in Disasters and Miracles A queen tests the love of her king. 

No More Legs  When you're little, everyone else is just too big. 

Put the talking on Jenny's IT skills aren't all that they should be. She gets some help form an unexpected source.  

Recognition Is that man another writer? Why does he look so agitated? 

Rolling Around the Park  Baz would love to help a little boy learn to roller-skate but he daren't. 

Saved by a Church Bell Gary has to listen to yet another dismal band in an uncomfortable old pub. It looks as if his ailing music label is about to fold. A visit to a local church gives him some hope.

Solomon's Gift Candy's life is horrific. Solomon constantly offers to rescue her Candy is reluctant to take him up on this. Finally only Solomon and his mother can help her. Something has to give and it does. But will her life improve?

Speechless  In a moneyless future Harry's moral outlook manages to shock even a Grey Commodities peddler. 

Summer Surprise Ted's mum always complained about her daughter-in-law's cooking but now that daughter-in-law was set to get her revenge.   

Swans and Angels You always know when a place is right.  

Tarting up the Ship Canal  Not such a bad place after all, the Manchester Ship Canal. Also in Our Daily Bread.   
 
The Famous Five, the Notebook and the Puddle Take heart: all is not lost if your hard drive fails.

"The First Potluck Supper" in Disasters and Miracles  A young boy shares his lunch and others are encouraged to do the same.

The Housing Officer We hate the banks, but what would it be like if we didn't have money?
The Lilac Dress It was time to go - she had been here too long.

The Matrix on the Blink This all pretty much happened. I've changed a name or two, however.

"The Man Pond" in Gentle Footprints Swans have to live side by side with people on a modern housing estate.

The Queen Mum's First Christmas  A new mum becomes like a queen bee and Christmas is never the same again.

The Spanish Magician and the Lady I wrote this one to cheer up my daughter after she had had yet another operation. 


The Story Store People have stopped telling stories but one man tries to keep them alive.  

"The Wedding Nextdoor" in Citizens of Nowhere
Theresa May sparked a powerful debate when she announced that global citizens were citizens of nowhere. She also gave us a marvellous title and a great theme for a book. Is a global citizen really a citizen of nowhere? This collection reacts to this question and explores some possible answers. Each story gives us a definition of one global citizen and shows how this individual contributes to the world.

"Walking for Water" in 100 Stories for Haiti  A young woman goes on a sponsored walk to help raise money to provide water.  But does she really understand what it's like to live without it? 

Water  We take it for granted - but what happens when all systems start failing? 

Wild Geese over Radcliffe Joe can't hear a thing, except maybe the geese.  
 
Withered  What did the dried flower left on her desk mean?  

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