Coffee Break Tales : SHORT STORIES
By hilary west
A collection of very short stories for a coffee break.
"After removing his hat, scarf, and mantle he came to the front of the stage, settling his coat, pulling down his cuffs with their large cuff- buttons, adjusting his absurd sash. He had very ugly hair; the top of his head, that is, was almost bald, while a narrow, black-varnished frizz of curls ran from front to back as though stuck on."
(Thomas Mann - Mario and the Magician)
"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two equals four. If that is granted, all else follows."
"Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them."
(George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four)
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- 2184 reads
A Jester's Face
My name is Jeanette Hooper. I am thirty-two years old and a single mother. My boy Aaron , who is seven, is missing. I’ve been through hell ever since...
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- 987 reads
A Night at the Ranelagh Gardens
and now the night sky was buzzing with a wonderful party atmosphere.............
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- 1535 reads
Anyone for Trees ?
Something slightly suspect down in the wood...............
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- 2035 reads
Cadfael's Song : Poison Chalice
Cadfael investigates................
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- 1216 reads
Lana Turnbridge
Lana just needs a bit of encouragement.............
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- 1159 reads
Marmalade
Marmalade was a grumpy cat. She had dark brown and ginger fur overlaid with gold. Mr. Malkin, her owner, was a kindly soul only too willing to do all...
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- 1180 reads
Pud, Sox and Co
Their crime simply part of what they had become........................
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- 1379 reads
The Bangor Witch
Rather a bonny face really, not ugly at all, not for a witch that is. But really that’s what Mary Thorn was - a witch. She’d always known she was...
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- 3813 reads
The Black Rose
A city like a zeppelin factory.... whose black-stained floors shimmered with oily rainbows.
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- 11 comments
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- 4094 reads
The Cottage
I wasn’t sleeping very well. I had just moved in to an old Victorian cottage near Hexham in Northumberland. My picture framing business wasn’t doing...
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- 3 comments
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- 2168 reads
The Duck Pond
Melanie and her dreams...........
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- 1539 reads
The Glass Dome
Romance beneath the Glass Dome
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- 1402 reads
The Magic of Numbers
Trevor had always liked numbers. In fact he'd had a special gift for them right from being young. He loved the order in numbers, the symmetry, the...
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- 2 comments
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- 1198 reads
The Moving Pavilion
Trouble in store..............
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- 4 comments
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- 2517 reads
The Song of Forgotten Places
"Be quiet, Ewan." "But, Eve, the coach has broken down. We are in the middle of nowhere." I was beside myself. I am seventy-five years old and I've...
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- 2335 reads
Pearl
Pearl The alarm clock was ringing again. Pearl reached out to silence it. She hated mornings. She hadn’t really liked them when she was young, but...
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- 8 comments
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- 2698 reads
PRIMROSE VALE
PRIMROSE VALE Primrose Vale was a very average street on the Bredon council estate. It was there Fred and Alma Covington had made their home. “This...
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- 2330 reads
The Swarm
The Swarm They were everywhere. John Bullman had never known anything like it. Yes, there had been summers when there had been a few flies in the...
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- 11 comments
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- 3688 reads
A Casual Murder
A Casual Murder Sheila Atkinson was busy at the moment. The company she worked for, ‘Paisley’s Furniture Covers’, had just mounted a publicity...
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- 11 comments
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- 4161 reads
Encounter : Part One
ENCOUNTER : Part One Adam Kesteven was thirty-five and looking for a home. He’d been in the estate agents all day looking for a house to share with...
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- 7472 reads
Encounter : Part Two
2 Encounter (The story so far) Adam Kesteven was lost on the road after his car broke down. He found a large house in the vicinity and called there...
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- 1476 reads
Encounter : Part Three - Conclusion
3 Encounter : Conclusion (The story so far) Adam Kesteven was stranded on the road one night and ended up at Shaston House. There he met certain...
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- 1671 reads
Butternut Squash
Butternut Squash “This is a different kind of soup.” “I’ll try anything once,” said Gary to his mum. He ate the soup with gusto, thinking it had a...
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- 6 comments
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- 2135 reads
The Case of the Lusty Lesbians
The Case of the Lusty Lesbians Mr. Ted Picklegass rode his mobility scooter down Elvet Way, where he lived in a small terraced house. It was number...
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- 1838 reads
Gold & Ivory
Robert Gold was doing well. His business had taken off, but quite where the money for investment had come from was anybody's guess. Some thought he...
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- 6 comments
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- 1729 reads
Lanterns on the Lake
It was extremely quiet in the house. Susan Deverill had always appreciated that; trying to write the final chapter of her new book had given her...
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- 1866 reads
The White Orchid
'The White Orchid' was a popular club, a bit of a dive in truth, but here you could pick up plenty of pretty girls, all at a price. Lily-Rose, Yvette...
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- 8 comments
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- 1960 reads
The Telephone
Eva Trondheim looked at the telephone. In fact, she was staring at it. Would he ring again? Why did she care? She'd seen him going past her window in...
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- 11 comments
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- 1982 reads
A Summer Romance
Beverley Hughes looked in the mirror. She was still in good shape at forty years of age. She pouted, medium to full lips, and applied a pink lip...
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- 1177 reads
Blue Wisteria (Part One)
Dr. Woodstock looked out of the window of his office. It was then he saw her; such a graceful flight of fancy in a light blue summer frock, moving on...
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- 1499 reads
Blue Wisteria Part Two
When Dr. Woodstock rang that night he knew exactly what he was going to say. A week together in Venice would be just the ticket. It would be so...
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- 762 reads
Blue Wisteria Conclusion
Soon, all too soon, the holiday was coming to an end, but it had been so special for both of them. That night in the hotel garden, after embracing...
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- 9 comments
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- 1422 reads
The Clockwork Mouse: Part One
Sarah Mountford was thirty today. What should she do for her birthday? Her mother Anne had suggested she spend it with her. They could maybe go out...
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- 1 comment
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- 177 reads
The Clockwork Mouse: Part Two
'We are happy here, Sarah, aren't we, just the two of us. I don't know what I'd do without you.' 'Yes, Mum, you mustn't worry about anything.' No,...
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- 8 comments
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- 408 reads
Scarlet House
Marie had been here for years; running away from home at sixteen she'd found a home in Scarlet House with all the other disaffected girls. They were...
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- 6 comments
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- 377 reads
Sweet Marigold
Marigold Chivers sat on her window seat in her new house. Recently widowed, she was not through with life yet. A copy of the local newspaper, 'The...
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- 126 reads
Marigold (2)
Marigold answers an ad in the paper. Marigold walked to the post box with a spring in her step. Mmm, I wonder if my age is against me, sixty is a bit...
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- 8 comments
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- 204 reads