CHAPTER 16 I drank my way through half a bottle of gin before staggering up the stairs to bed. I fully expected to spend half the night fretting about having to endure the company of James Mortimer for four hours or longer on our drive to Manchester. Fortunately, luck was on my side. The two paracetamol I swallowed down with my last tipple had served me well. It was a miracle. After roughly six and a half hours of quality sleep, I managed to wake up without a hangover. I scur

Into the Wood ‘Get your coat on We’ll take the dog out In the woods’ Happy aged seven Sunday morning Off we go I Mad dalmatian running around Chattering away to my Dad Asking about flowers Asking about trees FOR GOD’S SAKE STOP CHATTERING Walked in silence Not sure what to do WALK IN FRONT OF ME So I did 100 feet away in silence Confused What had seemed to be a joy Was now awful Silence continued No one spoke Patted dog Who sensed I was upset Silent walk all the w

Chapter 2 Lying on his back in a deserted, dirty alley in New York, wasn’t where Jerome Milton thought he would end up. His life of late had spiralled out of control. He lay there looking up at what he could see of the night sky through the rain. He was getting soaked, but he didn’t move. In some ways, it was liberating not to care about what happened to him. If he stayed here and faded away, no-one would miss him. Well, maybe Chrissy, Hal’s sister… His mind shied away from m

A Young Adult Paranormal Story that revolves around the famous ‘Wreck of the Ten Sails’ off the coast of Grand Cayman Chapter 5 The Wreck All were on deck now, and orders were being given from all directions. It was a moonless night, and the sea was as black as pitch. The sound of the waves thrashing against the ship rose above the yelling of the crew on the Convert. It was now the wee hours of the morning, on February 8, 1794. Instead of the crew getting a good night’s rest,

Aunt Lily was preparing to ride her tricycle up the punishing climb to Orchard House and Lizzie was trying to best her, by pedalling frantically up the hill on Eddie's BMX bike, Jenny was in her extensive conservatory, potting and planting some tropical seedlings. The door was propped open by a heavy, cast-iron doorstop in the shape of a frog. Orchard House was on the south side of the Wharfe Valley, high up on the top road that marked the boundary between the outskirts of th

Chapter 14 - The President Sir Edward John Poynter suddenly realised that his immobility was caused by his wrists being tightly bound behind the trunk of a tree. He wrenched at his bindings, only to find that they dug deeper into his wrists while the rough bark of the tree ripped at his skin. His eyes suddenly flashed open as if awoken by a scream from some traumatic nightmare, little realising the nightmare was one that he was about to endure. The President of the Royal Acad

Interview with the Survivors Shaw Dillon sits in the hostess’ chair, looks into the camera and says, “Good evening North American Union, and welcome to another episode of News Talk. Tonight, our guests are the women all Earth is talking about. Their story is the subject of the bestselling Galactic Geographic series and the inspiration for the award-winning movie, Rapier. They are two of the few survivors of that ill-fated ship. Please welcome Kathy Erin Masters and, her adopt

Chapter One M y name is Mary Dyer, or Moll to my family and friends. If you are either, you are among the few. It is for my child’s sake alone that I press my quill to paper. I am not proficient in the keeping of secrets, unlike my family, and as my disgrace is the foundation of my woes, I shall confess all for the integrity of my account. My child will know I was truthful in all things, save one. For five generations, our family called Kinsale in County Cork, Ireland home. K

Midlife Manifestations By Jacqueline Vincent Chapter 1 After the funeral “Flip it or fix it?” I stand in front of my mother’s house in contemplation. The house I re-mortgaged to give her the money needed to visit Debs, my sister, in New Zealand every year. These visits helped soothe the painful arthritis that crippled her during the damp English winter months. Crabbe Court has been the family home for eons, except for the unfortunate event a hundred years ago, but I’ll explai

The Ainsworth Chronicles, Book One: The Joining Welcome to Victoria in Beautiful British Columbia, the most haunted city in North America, and to Detective Carol Ainsworth's first day undercover at the very grand old lady, The Fairmont Empress Hotel. Ready to deal with the two Italian families flying in for a wedding to unite them, she did not bargain for the ghosts, the FBI agent or the ancient curses that come along too. Add to that the very wonderful and mysterious psychic