short stories
By liplash
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- 1465 reads
Belfast
The terror of economy class take off was eased only by the ennui on the faces of the attendants and the fear in my little sister's hand. Some things never change. Belfast would not be the place for questions. Hadn't I heard the one about the English folk who had wandered into the wrong pub? Then what happened? Don't want to frighten you. Maybe we should just go straight to the crematorium Don't be silly, my back's better - let's look at the shops. Just don't talk about religion Ruthie - not today
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An afternoon in Norwich
So confident. So full of Joy Division. He'd had a number of fixations about his appearance in those days. We laughed about how he would become hysterical if I even touched his hair. He'd sliced the edges of his ears off in Borstal - talk about a short sharp shock - before taking the razor to the length of his arms. His skin was so white. DIY plastic surgery. I don't think we'd heard of compulsive disorders then. He used to be on Mogadon. It was quite unusual then. I hardly know anyone who isn't on some sort of anti-depressant now. I enquired about his manic depression. Bloated, beery and burpy with unkind eyes that he's always complained of. I'd had to constantly reassure him about - suddenly bacame starkly visible. The bulb on the end of his nose. His too curvy lips. His too big feet and strangely immobile hair.
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British Gas
I wondered if she lived alone in a flat above the cinema. I wondered if she was able to use the gas for her own purposes - for cooking or giving birth perhaps. I wondered if she liked Maltesers. I wondered if she liked snogging. I'd be having an online relationship with her next. I had to stop. When you give up smoking you're supposed to say "I've stopped". That's what Alan Carr says. And for some people it's all about him. What had happened to those innocent days when you called a sex maniac a sex maniac? Had everything been poisoned like the seagulls? Addictions and half-hearted biology. Sugar rush - blood sugar - contact addiction - contact lenses. He would have liked that one as well. It felt good not to share suddenly.
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Swimmer
the real thing was in front of me here. At 5 in the morning. Shivering in her silly mini skirt. I went to the fridge and got out a Capri sun. “Take it. It’ll help”.
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You do the Maths
It turned out you’d been worried as well. But you hadn’t let on. We both hadn’t let on that we were worried we’d not be let on.
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- 2199 reads
Joyland
It looked like someone had thrown a whole bottle of Domestos over a group of giggling women. Obviously a good place to pull you said.
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- 808 reads
The Joke
He’d always had a bit of a reputation, Alex. As a joker. You know, one of those people at parties who wore silly hats and did magic tricks. Hey, Alex...
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Return to Belfast
I was mooching round a vintage shop when I got the text. I’d been going to mum’s anyway so the news hurried me along. As always, arrangements were...
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- 1332 reads