Bert felt jealous, cheated on, and blue. Then he discovered he could morph into a giant nightmarish slug... Would you like a FREE copy? On Wednesdays and Sundays I’m blogging nibble-sized chunks of new ‘Life in the Clouds’ novellas. You can check in regularly and read them bit for bit, or leave a message in my 'contact' page, and I'll send the entire digital story to you for free when published. Life in the Clouds #6: Take a Slug ® James Field. |
The shop assaulted Olive’s nostrils with a blend of old-people’s home and musty cloth, making it difficult to breathe. The owner had vaguely grouped furniture and displays by room. Olive flitted over a hardwood floor and bumped into a table laden with dainty figurines, collectable plates, china cups, and thimble collections. Luckily, nothing fell. She passed a kitchen nook where antiques cluttered a primitive pot-bellied stove and headed straight for a chamber stuffed with vintage books and comics.
On her first visit, many months ago now, she’d found a thirty-two-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, bound in leather. About as useless as a telephone directory these days, but suited her purpose well. She’d bought them with the ten pounds Bert had given her and had been taking them home six at a time. These were the last. After making sure nobody was about, she dumped the books in the boot of her car and drove to a newsagent. There, she purchased a modern thick bible to go with the two worn examples she’d already picked up from the antique shop. She strolled out of the newsagent, slipped into a tearoom next door, and treated herself to a large doughnut and a pot of tea. She carried them to a round table with a chair in the dim rear of the cafe and gobbled them as fast as she could. As she came out and returned to her car, she again glanced along the street. A young, handsome man approached, whom she recognised. He worked at The Stables as a farmhand. Like dozens of other employees, he held his palm out for his wages each week on a Thursday. Cash, none of that modern-day digital funds transfer into bank accounts. Despite the unfortunate encounter, Olive suppressed a fit of giggles. Soon now, she’d empty The Stable’s treasury into her own strongbox and from then on nobody would receive a penny in pay. To be continued… The real world: Rather than miss an instalment, it’s easy to follow my blog on bloglovin’. They’ll give you a friendly nudge as I release new parts. Like to know more about Alf, Bert and the rest of the gang? You can read their chaotic history in What on Earth. -
Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay
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James Field
Talvik, Norway You can also Find me on subscribe to get a free copy
![]() My rating: 2 of 5 stars There’s a lot to like and a lot to dislike in this story. I like that it’s cosy, funny, and heart-warming. The plot, however, is a tragedy. There are two murders, and every character in the book, of which there are many, has a motif. With so many twists, turns, and red herrings throughout the narrative, it lost me in a virtual maze. But the author commits the gravest crime: he introduces a new, guilty character right at the end of the story. Tut, tut, naughty. View all my reviews Archives
August 2022
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