Here is a sample of the short story ‘Face Cream’.

 

Face Cream

Graeme loved his job and today was a special day. He woke up early, had a breakfast before his wife and kids woke up. Kissed his wife before leaving for the office. He was one of the first to arrive at the firm. He smiled and said a cheery good morning to the receptionist on the front desk as he went past her to the lift. His PA was already at work and she handed the agenda for the meeting to him as he said good morning. It was a big day and an important day for the company and they all knew it.

The Board Meeting was being held on the top or the fifth floor of Dodge Pharmaceuticals. It was a prestigious moment for the expanding company which employed over 200 personnel. The meeting would be attended by the boss, the chief financial officer, the operations officer, the research and development officer, the dermatologist, corporate lawyer, factory manager and the human resources officer.

The Chief Financial Officer Tom Banks was the company accountant and performed the bookwork for the company. He always had a good eye for figures and an uncanny eye for what propositions would work and which ones wouldn’t. Valued by the company his only ambition was to see the company flourish from year to year.

The Operations Officer, Annabelle Taylor worked with the boss on formulating company strategy and policy. She was driven by success which explained her fast rise through management.

The Research and Developments Officer Keith Miller was a PhD holder in Biochemical Pharmacology who was mainly in charge of the scientists. He would give them onsite training and incentives to perform only their best work. He would liaise regularly with Human Resources to ensure the best candidates were recruited and the operations officer to ensure that company strategy and focus was being implemented to full effect

Rachel Proctor was the corporate lawyer and had known Graeme for years. She had helped him build his little empire and protected it. She handled all the legal issues. She ensured that if there were any substandard products that these were withdrawn from the shelves. In a way she acted as an antennae for the company, at the earliest signs of trouble she would know what steps to take. She knew how to keep the company out of trouble.

Rita Dickson, the Human Resources officer was very affable and loved meeting people. She had a bubbly personality and was dedicated to her job. Graeme knew that in terms of value to the company she was worth her weight in gold. Despite being tempted to move off to other companies she had remained loyal to this young but expanding company. She saw that this company treated her well, it had ambition and she was happy to stay where she was.

The factory manager Dan White was an old hand in the manufacturing business. He had worked his way through all positions on the manufacturing side since he was a teenager. He had a wealth of knowledge and experience and had never missed a deadline, even when there was an over demand for company products.

There was a buzz of excitement in the air as news would be released shortly which would affect the finances of the company in a good way. All were aware of what would be discussed and where the company would be heading in the future. There were beaming smiles as the company officers took their place at the committee table. There was a side table where coffee, juices teas and biscuits could be enjoyed before during and after the meeting. Everyone took what they wanted before they settled down at the table. The meeting would be as short as possible but to get all agenda items discussed would probably take over an hour to conclude. Table places had been arranged with cards indicating who should sit where. A folder had been placed beside all name cards. Its contents would be discussed and divulged over the course of the meeting………………

 

‘Face Cream’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag: 10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

Here is a sample from the short story ‘Mr Flannery’.

Mr Flannery

Jack Flannery sat down at the kitchen table bracing himself for the tirade which was about to come from his wife’s mouth. His wife had a volatile character and was prone to violent outbursts. Sometimes he could just feel the tension in the air and know that something was about to go down. He knew deep down that he never deserved such treatment but he would always accept it. He would give her the benefit of the doubt of working hard, of being stressed out, of being hard done by life or some other excuse which would entitle her to dish out abuse to him.

“You’re not bringing enough money into the house Jack. I slave away at work and then come home to do more housework and what do you do? That crumby job at the Travis offices and for a pittance of pay. How are we supposed to live on that? From the wages you make from that job. You tell me,” said Patricia

Jack swallowed back hard. “Well you see love, it’s a good starting position and once I’ve got a foothold on that rung in the ladder I can make my way up by promotions to better jobs and better money,” replied Jack.

Patricia turned red and started to seethe before taking another gulp from her wine glass. She went over to the side bench opened the top drawer and pulled out a sharp knife. She then turned and pointed the knife at Jack who recoiled at the sight.

“That’s not good enough Jack. I need more effort from you both at work and in this house. You need to ask for a better position and for more wages. You’re probably just too lazy at work. I know you’re lazy in the house because you leave all the work for me, this place would be a pigsty if it wasn’t for me,” said a raging Patricia.

“Ok love, I’ll see what I can do, but just put the knife down please. We don’t want any accidents here,” begged Jack with his hands up. Jack’s heart was racing at this point as he wasn’t sure how far Patricia would go with this. Whether he would end up with kitchen knife in his chest or not.

Patricia relented and placed the knife back in the drawer. She then sat down opposite Jack and they continued to eat their evening meal. She was starting to settle down and gain control of herself. These episodes could be frightening for Jack and they were becoming more frequent. Jack had helped prepare the meal and set the table and put as much effort into the evening meal as Patricia had, but for some reason Patricia had just exploded at him and then calmed down as if nothing had happened.

Once the meal was finished Jack gathered up the plates and took them to the sink. With hot and cold water running he added the liquid detergent and was soon covering the crockery and cutlery with suds. Jack was again washing and drying the dishes, they wouldn’t take long to do. They soaked on the rack for a couple of minutes before Jack had a chance to dry them. As he was about to place them in their cupboards Patricia approached from behind.

“Let’s have a look at your cleaning skills,” snapped Patricia as she picked up a plate to inspect it. Not too impressed she placed it down before picking up a cup and then going through the same inspection process with a saucer. “Just as I thought, you haven’t cleaned these properly. There is grease and food on the plate and tea stains on the cup. You never made a tiny bit of effort. You can’t even get cleaning up right.”

Jack was picking up the warning signs and realised that Patricia’s temper had not abated in the slightest. Her temper was escalating and reaching a crescendo.

“Sorry love, I’ll dip them in the suds again and add some more hot water. Won’t take me a second,” said Jack

Patricia’s face had turned red “It’s too late for that,” said Patricia as she picked up a pan full of fat which was still warm and threw it at him………………………

 

‘Mr Flannery’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag: 10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

 

Here is a sample from the short story ‘Shelving’.

Shelving

Trevor Richardson owned a large electrical storage warehouse in a suburb just outside the CBD. It supplied electrical goods to retailers and also had its own shop at the side of the warehouse. The shop was nothing fancy but it was convenient for those in the locality. The bulk of the goods were delivered to 50 small shops and this number was growing. The warehouse had a large carpark both for employees, customers, retailers and others doing business with Trevor.

He was well known in the suburb and had a reputation for working hard and probably taking on more work than he could handle. However this kept him and his employees very busy and the business very much in the black. The goods were small in size from toasters, to those larger items such as fridges, freezers and cookers. The warehouse had at least 10 aisles which were large enough to allow forklifts to be driven down and allow items to be stacked and unstacked from the highest of shelves. Trevor aimed to achieve efficiency and if space could be used for storage it was. Shelving was also on the side walls, mainly for the smaller items.

The deliveries for the warehouse came straight from the manufacturers. Delivery trucks would arrive at the rear of the building. The driver would book in at reception and report on the delivery, types and number of items. The items would normally be on pallets in the truck. A fork lift operator from the warehouse would unload the item and transport it to a designated shelf in the warehouse. This was mainly for the heavy items. This was routine work and the operator would be fairly experienced. Shelves could also be stacked and unstacked using ladders and movable platforms.

On a typical day 4 delivery trucks would arrive from manufacturers at various times of the day and would be immediately unloaded. Goods would be moved from the warehouse into the small shop and also when requested delivered from the small shop to customers who did not have their own means of getting the goods home. Trucks or vans would also take goods from the warehouse to the retailers at least several times a day. It was all go for management, the warehouse staff, the shop workers and the drivers. Trevor Richardson had a busy warehouse to contend with, he had a lot on his plate with running a warehouse, managing contracts, managing staff, coping with bookwork, debtors and creditors. Most days he would say he was running around like a headless chicken. Because of this some things tended to get missed, such as maintenance and health and safety issues. But the warehouse was productive and profitable and staff were paid and hopefully happy………………

 

 

‘Shelving’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag: 10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

Here is a sample of the short story ‘The Model’.

 

The Model

Terry was in his Saturday night clothes nice open necked shirt, blue jeans black leather belt and new black shoes. He had recently showered, shaved so that he was clean shaven and he had sprayed on deodorant and a touch of aftershave. He picked up his mobile phone and texted his mates Kenny and Jamie to make sure they were still on for the night. Two texts came back saying that they were both at the local pub ordering their first pint.

The pub was within a mile of Terry’s house and as it was a cool evening Terry was happy to walk the distance. On arrival at the pub, which was his favourite, he could see it was bouncing, tunes playing on the loud speakers, bartenders busy and the pub packed with the young and old. A good atmosphere for a promising Saturday night. Kenny and Jamie were at the bar as they had texted. Jamie handed a pint of lager to Terry.

“Thank you kind Sir,” said Terry gratefully taking the glass. “And here’s to a merry Saturday night.”

“Here, here,” said Jamie as the three of them clinked their beer glasses together.

They would be at that pub for as long as it took to finish two pints. They would then move to another pub which was closer to the night club for a couple more before finishing off at the night club with a dance. Normal routine for a Saturday night. There were a few stag parties and hen nights going on and it seemed that everyone was in a good mood and letting their hair down.

There was a massive crowd going into the nightclub, but eventually Terry, Kenny and Jamie reach the front door and are allowed in. The first round within the nightclub was on Terry who went straight to the bar. They were many good looking women who the boys took a fancy to but fewer who looked back at them. Whilst at the bar Kenny saw a very attractive woman of his own age and as he was about to move in her boyfriend reached forward to take her hand giving Kenny a glare. Kenny backed off and came back to the boys.

“Never mind Kenny,” said Jamie. “I’m sure the love of your life is in here somewhere.”

“I’m sure she is too Jamie. And before the nights out I will have her in my arms. Ha Ha,” replied Kenny.

Kenny was always the wishful thinker. He had met a few good looking women in this bar. He had relationships with them but within a month or two these had fizzled out. They just had not been suitable for one another. But not one to be daunted Kenny never gave up. He was sure the law of averages was on his side. The more he tried the more likely he was to be successful.

Terry cast his eye on the dance floor and suddenly he saw a very beautiful woman dancing by herself. She looked taller than him maybe about 5’9” and probably a few years younger than him, she was maybe in her earlier twenties.

“I’m not staying here guys,” said Terry. “I’m off to dance with the model on the dance floor.”

“What model is that?” asked Kenny. “I’m sure that there are no models out there.”

Terry pointed almost to the centre of the dance floor. “There, can’t you see her in the middle. Probably the best looking woman out there.”

“I’m not sure what woman you mean Terry,” replied Kenny.

“I’m off to dance with her. You’ll see her when she’s dancing next to me.” With that Terry got off the bar stool and made his way onto the dance floor. Meandering his way through the dancers as the drink was starting to affect his legs he was able to make it towards the lady. He started doing something resembling a dance beside the woman before asking her if they would like to dance together. She smiled at him with her mouth closed. Nevertheless it was still a radiant smile making her look more beautiful. Terry was captivated in her presence. They danced on for another ten minutes……………….

 

 

‘The Model’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag: 10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

Here is a sample of the short story ‘The Political Candidate’.

 

The Political Candidate

‘Councillor Fuller Retires’ was the headline in the local newspaper. The article explained how after serving for 20 years on the local council, George Fuller would now be leaving. He wanted to spend more time with his wife and family and do some travelling to see the rest of his relatives and old friends. As a council member he had assisted in implementation of local projects such as recycling of refuse and some land reclamations to name a few. He had enjoyed his time on the council and getting to know the locals better. He wished the new councillor every success.

The new councillor had not been elected yet. On another page of the paper details were given of the nomination process and when the election would take place. It was just over a month away.

Over the next week two nominees put their names forward, one a local housewife and the other a local small business owner. Orin Kershaw knew both of these people and thought they could both equally do well in the position.

 

The article remained fixed in Orin Kershaw’s mind. As a student he had thought about entering politics. He had joined the student political club, took part in a few student marches, handed out fliers and put up posters in the university elections. After graduating he never actually done anything about it. Now in his middle age after things had quietened down and with the opportunity there the interest had been reignited. He had ideas on the local community and how he could do his bit to help. He knew the members of it, some very well, some not so well but they were all good people.

Orin knew about business especially small businesses which kept this town running. He could take his knowledge and instil it into the councils thinking. With some more money and more ventures this town could thrive, not that it wasn’t doing too badly now, but really prosper. He believed in what this town could achieve.

He kept this political ambition to himself. But throughout the days it was more recurring. Maybe he was just trying to capture his old student days and he should just leave it at the thought level. But every day he challenged himself on it and he thought ‘What if?”………………….

 

 

‘The Political Candidate’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag: 10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

Here is a sample from the short story ‘Christmas Season Wedding’.

 

Christmas Season Wedding

What does it take to make someone give up their job, family and friends to travel halfway round the world….?

It was the first of December and the traffic on the M25 was horrendous. Taking the exit to Heathrow Airport Harry did not notice the traffic easing off. He had been asked by his father to pick up his friend’s daughter Jasmine at the airport. She had just made a long flight from Boston.

Jasmine was at the baggage collection area with her suitcases which she had collected ten minutes earlier. Harry was late, he had already been sent two text messages by Jasmine who was starting to get worried.

The large Christmas tree had been set up at the arrivals fully decorated with presents underneath. Boxes covered in wrapping paper and ribbons were underneath. Tinsel and decorations were also on the walls. Christmas tunes came from the speakers at the airport. The “Let it snow” song sung by Michael Buble.

It was cold that morning and in the next few days it would probably snow. Harry parked his car at the short stay car park and ran to arrivals. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw Jasmine. He thought that she was very good looking. Jasmine was 27 years old, slight build, blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, oval face and above average height.

“Hello Jasmine, my name’s Harry,” said Harry in a deep cheerful voice. Harry had brown hair was 26 years old had a Medium build and was 5’10” in height.

“Hello Harry,” said Jasmine in a strong Boston accent. They shook hands enthusiastically.

“Sorry I’m late. The traffic on the motorway was terrible,” said Harry.

Harry offered to take Jasmines baggage trolley and pushed it in front of him. They talked on the way to the car park. Harry’s car had a sizeable boot and could easily accommodate Jasmine’s luggage. Soon enough they were on the motorway and making their way towards Shrewsbury.

“Have you been in the UK before?” asked Harry.

“This is my first time in England. I’ve done a lot of travelling about the States and other countries, but this is the first time that I’ve been in London,” replied Jasmine.

“So tell me something about yourself Jasmine?” asked Harry.

“Well as you know our fathers knew each other in the USA. They both studied accounting at Harvard University and were good friends. Dad thought that it would be good experience for me if I could learn something about accounting in England,” replied Jasmine.

“Accounting here is ok. There are plenty of opportunities to use it and we help out a lot of firms. Did you always want to be an accountant?” asked Harry

“I’ve always been academic and when I was younger I wanted to study literature. I was torn between the study of that and accounting. He taught me to be a hard working professional. I had a strong middle class upbringing. I’m book smart and people say I’m very intelligent. I performed well at school and took extra classes. I loved music and even played an instrument. I got on well with my teachers who thought I was an ideal pupil and student,” said Jasmine. “How about yourself Harry? Do you like accounting?”

“I love it,” replied Harry “My father also encouraged me to work and study hard. He was strongly academic and he always told me about the great accountants. But I have always been inspired by my father. I’m more book smart than street smart. I loved school when I was younger and rarely missed a day of it.   I was a self-starter and always wanted to emulate my father. We had a good bunch of teachers, very bright and they taught us well.”

“My mum met dad when she was at University. She graduated but decided to be a housewife rather than a professional,” said Jasmine.

“Sounds like my mum too. She met dad when she was visiting the states. She encouraged dad to move to England. They married and had two kids, me and my brother, and also became a housewife. Her great influence and best friend was her mum, my grandma, who taught her to become a good mother, housewife and friend. Luckily my parents both loved me but I don’t think I was ever spoilt. I never wanted for anything growing up, but if I did something naughty I was always told off,” said Harry.

“Good parents then. Did they ever overprotect you, keep you indoors safe from harm?” asked Jasmine.

“Not really,” replied Harry. “I always had a sense of adventure, liked climbing frames and playing outdoors. Guess they wanted me to able to recognise risk.”…………………..

 

‘Christmas Season Wedding’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag: 10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

Here is a sample from ‘The Legend of the Wolfman – An Alternative Werewolf Story’.

 

The Legend of the Wolfman– An Alternative Werewolf Story

The area of the crime scene was cordoned off and in the centre was a naked dead man. He had two bullet holes in his chest and was lying in a pool of his own blood. There were two inspectors standing over the body.

“Well what I think Guvnor,” said the junior inspector “is that the streaker came running down the street. As he came towards the gunman the gun was raised and used to shoot him twice in the chest.”

“Any other explanations Winston?” asked the senior inspector.

“As an alternative, maybe he wasn’t a streaker. Maybe he was fully clothed and suddenly attacked someone. The intended victim raised his gun and shot the attacker twice. Then someone else comes along and steals the clothes from the deceased.”

“We’ll keep these theories in mind Winston. But we should speak to the gunman and any other witnesses. We need to get to the bottom of this,” said the senior inspector.

The inspectors found the gunman who was in a shocked state, He was the owner of the local gun shop.

“I shot him, but he was no man. More of a thing, strange looking thing, but an evil creature, covered in hair from top to bottom,” said the shop owner.

“Ok, go on,” said the senior inspector.

“These creatures have been around here and seen from time to time. They come from the mist on the moors. They don’t seem dangerous as they’re stupid looking, but that’s how they get you. People point and laugh when they see them, that’s when the creatures pounce. That’s how they claim lives,” replied the shop owner.

“So how did you survive?” asked the senior inspector.

“The really strange thing is that this man earlier told me how to do it. He must have known what was going on yet couldn’t tell anyone. He told me to be ready for the creature. I had my gun loaded with silver bullets,” replied the shop owner.

“Why silver? That seems expensive,” said the senior inspector.

“Those bullets are expensive. Couldn’t sell them so I decided to use them myself. As the thing came towards me I aimed for the heart and shot him twice. Both bullets went into the chest. Then it became stranger, as he lay dying on the ground he changed into a man. He changed into the Baron,” said the shop owner.

“The baron, did you know this baron?” asked the senior inspector.

“Everyone knew the baron. He was a queer un, helpful but different. He lived in the big house,” replied the shop owner.

“Thank you sir. We’ll be in touch,” said the senior inspector. “Winston, we’ll have to go to this big house and find out if there’s anyone there who can help us further.”

 

The big house was at the end of the village and it was well named. The house of considerable size was on a large acreage. A small carriageway led up from the gate to the stairs at the foot of the house. The house seemed to have two storeys and an attic large enough to have other rooms inside it. No doubt there was a large basement for storage also. It was on a large expanse of land. The house had a spacious well cared for garden in front of it and a field to the back which was at least two acres in size. To the side of the house there were stables which sheltered the horses who would no doubt be exercised in the field to the back.

The two men stood in front of the large oak empanelled doorway. The senior inspector rang the bell to the house which was soon enough answered by the housekeeper.

“May I help you?” asked the well-presented gentleman.

“Yes, we have a few questions. First of all is this the house belonging to the Baron?” asked the senior inspector.

“It is, however the baron himself is not currently at home. He left no note about his departure, but he is normally at home at some point during the day,” replied the gentleman courteously………………………….

 

‘The Legend of the Werewolf – An Alternative Werewolf Story’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag: 10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

Here is a sample form the short story ‘The Exam’.

 

The Exam

Jamie had been awake for almost 18 hours doing the final cramming for his exam. He had done some of the study in the library but most in his bedsit. His walls were covered in A4 paper with theories, diagrams, equations, molecular formula and scientific concepts. These were taken from the prescribed textbooks and lecture notes. All the content of the subject that he had been learning for the past year. On his study desk were notes with the condensed form of his subject. Those notes which he was willing himself to memorise. On his tidy desk was a glass and a three litre bottle of diet coke. He had been using the caffeine within the drink to keep himself awake and stimulated. Also on the desk were a ruler, a scientific calculator, pens and pencils and a clear pencil case. These would be needed for the exam later on that morning. Beside the desk was his bed. Jamie looked at his alarm, it was 2.00am. He fumbled for the alarm setting and programmed the buzzer to go off at 3.00am. Fully clothed he switched off the room light, lay on the top of his bed and closed his eyes.

The rude buzzing of the alarm clock aroused him from his sleep. He switched the alarm off and turned the light on. He grasped the large 3 litre bottle and poured the drink which was now fizz-less into his glass, hoping for its rapid enervation. In a few hours’ time the studying would have to stop and he would be making his way to the exam hall. For now, this was the last push. For almost the last day he had one hours sleep. His sleep had been sacrificed in order to cram a little more information into his head. The exam was very important and to ensure that he would pass well he needed to soak up as much and as many details as possible. The sleep deprivation was starting to tell as at times he felt his eyes close. The solution was to pour more diet cola into the glass and drink it down. After the exams he knew he would hit the wall and fall asleep quickly. Right now he had to be fully awake and accessing the material he had studied for use in his exam.  There was another side effect to drinking so much cola, the constant need to urinate. Every hour or so he would be up and making a visit to the toilet. He hoped this would cease and not be such a problem in the exam.

The minutes and hours quickly passed and soon it would be time to get ready. Taking a last look at his notes he closed his folder. He undressed, had a shower and mentally went over what he had memorised, thankfully most of it had sunk in. He brushed his teeth but did not shave, a rudimentary beard had started to form on his face and it had been a couple of weeks since he had used a razor. There was time for a quick bowl of cornflakes which he shovelled down. The last thing to do was ensure he had all he needed for the exam. With all done that he possibly could he took a deep breath and reluctantly left the house.

 

Kenny would always get stressed out during exam time, his fellow students sometimes called him ‘Panicking Ken’. To minimise and combat the stress he would plan the study and exams out and draw up a timetable. This would be blue tacked to the wall and all he would have to do is follow it. So far this week had gone well and anxiety had been kept to a minimum. Just enough to allow him to perform well in the exam hall………………………

 

‘The Exam’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag:10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

Here is a sample from the short story ‘The Researcher’.

 

The Researcher

Bruce had met Trevor a couple of years ago and from the outset he was impressed with his academic credentials and what he had achieved in life. Through what anyone else would have seen as hard work he achieved top marks in his courses and breezed through secondary school, his BSc in Pharmacology and after that his Masters and PhD in the same subject. He had a very high IQ and was a natural at science. He had always predicted that he would specialise in pharmacological research and he was now doing his dream job. Through it all he seemed so laid back and relaxed, as if he was a back seat passenger in his own life.

Due to his expertise he always got to choose what line of research he would specialise in. He could have chosen anything he wanted such as research into cardiovascular disease, liver research, kidney research, research into all sorts of cancer, hypertension research, diabetes research literally anything. His friends and work colleagues respected him but there was always a hint or an undercurrent of what he thought was jealousy. It was only through getting to know Trevor more that he found out it was something else.

Trevor was too relaxed with an outward appearance of almost vacancy. He never seemed to get irritated or annoyed especially at the things that would pester other people. He dropped something no problem, people bumped into him no problem. If anyone tried to disparage him no problem. He seemed to take everything in his stride.

Throughout the time Bruce had known him he had one girlfriend. They had been going steady before he was introduced to him and in a relaxed sort of way seemed very into each other. Like peas in a pod his girlfriend was also into academic research but at a different institution. His girlfriend Jane always seemed to be the one doing the driving. In the morning they would leave their apartment with Jane driving and Trevor in the passenger seat. Trevor would be dropped off at his work before Jane would drive to her work which was about 15km away. Then at the end of the day after Trevor had finished his research for the day, like clockwork Jane would be there waiting for him. It seemed unfair that Jane did the driving all the time and it wasn’t as if Trevor couldn’t drive. Bruce later learned for safety’s sake it was best that Jane was behind the steering wheel.

Early on in the relationship Jane, after finding out about some of Trevor’s habits, had taken control and decided that she should be behind the wheel. Under no circumstances should Trevor be driving and especially not when she was in the car. They had both chipped in and paid equally for the car but if the car keys were not in the ignition when Jane was driving, they would be in Jane’s coat pocket……………………..

 

‘The Researcher’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag:10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

Email: alanrove@hotmail.com

Twitter: @AlanAlanrove

 

 

Here is a sample from the short story ‘House Sale’.

 

House Sale

Carl and Sally Black saw the property as a bargain and made the purchase. It was a two bedroomed house with two previous owners and was in a great condition. With good care it also be a great investment before moving on elsewhere.

After a few years living there Carl began thinking about some house improvements. It was a fairly large single storey house on a large area of land. There was enough space at the side of the house to allow for an extension. He took a piece of plain paper and drew the outline of the house and marked the internal layout of the house with all rooms and hallways. At the side of it he pencilled in an extending corridor which would lead to a new wing of the house. The wing would contain a bedroom the same size as the main bedroom. There would also be a smaller bedroom and another toilet area with a bathroom. Water could be plumbed into the bathroom and toilet from the water system. Waste from the toilet would be directed into the existing sewage system. With the correct planning permission it would be possible to do all this even at a reasonable cost.

Carl took the idea to a draughtsman who drew out the new plans. Once satisfactory to Carl and Sally they were submitted to the planning office for permission to build. Carl could not foresee any objections to the proposals. It was on their property, it could be done within a reasonable time and it would not disrupt services to other houses. The build itself once up would not obstruct the view of the neighbours or interrupt their lifestyle in any way. It would mean that there could now be an additional office for working in and a bedroom m for guests. The bathroom and toilet could also solely be used by guests when they visited. The discomfort in building the extension would be more than made up by the additional space to the house.

The couple also had the idea of putting up a steel work shed on a slab foundation in the back garden. Carl could use it for his mechanic hobbies. He could also store his tools there.  All the garden equipment, the lawnmower, hose, hedge trimmers, whipper snipper, could be kept in there instead of the garage.

As Carl was a builder by trade he could put a team together to get the whole build done for around $50,000.

The couple were delighted when the planning proposal was accepted and permission to build was given. They wanted to build straight away however there was a setback for a few weeks as it rained heavily making it impossible to lay down cement. Thankfully the rains stopped and what followed was sunny weather for the next several weeks meaning the building could go ahead.

Carl and Sally went door to door around the neighbours to give them advance notice of the build. They would try to keep the area as clean as possible, the trucks off the road when they could and the noise to a minimum. The working day did not start until 8am and never went past 5pm. During the build there were no complaints from the neighbours……………….

 

‘House Sale’ is one of the stories in ‘Mixed Bag: 10 Short Stories’ by Alan Barr which is available in eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

alanrove@hotmail.com

Kind Regards

Alan