Writer, history researcher, biographer

Showing category "Short fiction" (Show all posts)

Short fiction #7

Posted by Suze Appleton on Thursday, June 20, 2013, In : Short fiction 

Jane looked at the old lady in contempt.
She really was the most infuriating person she knew, apart from her own mother, and she was bad enough. Most days it was all she could do to smile when she saw her. But honestly, his mother was the pits. She was all smiles whenever Derek was around but he didn't hear the bitchiness in her voice when she asked if she could help. Jane knew what she meant by help. It was her way of saying that she wasn't bringing up her daughter the same way that Shirley ...

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Short fiction #6

Posted by Suze Appleton on Thursday, June 13, 2013, In : Short fiction 
Pain

The pain seared through his leg and seemed to connect with every receptor in his body. His leg felt on fire and his brain was telling him to run as far away as possible from this torture but he gripped onto the chair, his fingernails digging into the upholstery as his knuckles glistened white. Everyone was watching him, he mustn't crack, he told himself sternly. It had to be done. As the next wave of pain swept over him he couldn't help himself and he cried out in anguish.
'Ye gods, when i...

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Short fiction #5

Posted by Suze Appleton on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, In : Short fiction 
Office politics

Here they come again. John really should check his appearance before he comes in to work in the morning. He's got dried egg on his tie today, Paul is going to give him stick for that, he always does. He thinks he's the office funny man although he's anything but. Even I can spot his jokes coming a mile off. And Jan thinks he's so stupid, I can tell. The way she rolls her eyes every time he opens his mouth, you'd think he'd have noticed by now but if he has, he takes no notice. ...

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Short fiction #4

Posted by Suze Appleton on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, In : Short fiction 
April 1st - Who's a fool?

Liz turned over in bed and groaned. Dangling in front of her face was a severed head that looked like her boyfriend Damien. She turned back and buried her face in the pillow, determined to stay there until one o'clock at least. Every April first had been the same since she had moved in with him. Three years on and he still didn't get that she didn't find his jokes funny. Of course, it wasn't the only thing he didn't get about Liz.
She sighed as her thoughts returned to...

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Short Story #3

Posted by Suze Appleton on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, In : Short fiction 
My Sisters' Birthday

People often ask me what it's like having twins for sisters and I never know what to say to them. I've never known anything else, you see, because they were here when I arrived. In fact, the babies had mum and dad run ragged when mum got unexpectedly caught with me, so in a way we've been like been triplets really. Very often there's no difference between us, except that I don't have their special bond. 
It's true, they really can know each other's thoughts, but I got prett...

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Short fiction #2

Posted by Suze Appleton on Friday, May 17, 2013, In : Short fiction 
 This story was inspired by words suggested by the excellent Cakeshortandsweet blog by Sarah Grace Logan in her online Wednesday short story challenge. Thanks Sarah.

The prompts were chloroform, banana split, crackers, stench, shoestring budget
 
Margo clutched the chloroform bottle under her coat as she bustled along the dark, dismal street, darker in places where the howling gale had blown out the gas lamps. The rain pelted at her face and stung with every drop. Her thin coat was soaked throug...

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Short fiction #1

Posted by Suze Appleton on Saturday, May 11, 2013, In : Short fiction 
Goat testicles - A story inspired by the news that Henry VIII ate goat testicles for virility.

They all looked down at the baby.
'Well, I never expected that,' said the midwife.
'I don't think that was quite the effect he wanted,' agreed the lady in waiting.
'And who's going to be the one to tell him? Not me,' chipped in the physician, cleaning his hands of the blood.
The baby lay on its back in the cradle, its features obscured by the large, well, snout on his face. There was no other word for it...

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Welcome to my page of stories. It will be a mix of short stories and serial chapters of a novel that I am currently editing, a process that isn't going as fast as I want. My intention is to post at least one piece of work per week and your feedback is more than welcome, either here, on Twitter or on facebook. In the case of the serial it may even change the course of the story...

Hope you enjoy.

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