Transient Tales Volume 2

By Michelle Ann King

The second in the Transient Tales series collects 12 short stories of science fiction, fantasy and horror, totalling 20,000 words and ranging from light to dark and all shades in-between.

Volume 2 features a Halloween game with a chilling price, a call-centre at the end of the world, an unconventional quest for a portal to fairyland, a mother dealing with the loss-and the return-of a child, a desperate woman’s letter to her future self, a repentant scientist’s lament, an envious boy who gets more than he bargained for, and a misguided attempt to gain closure on a very dead love affair.

One Free Go
Darren and Kate threw a huge kids’ party on Halloween, but now they’re not quite sure why.

Not With a Bang
Answer the calls, read the script, enter the data. And when certain words or phrases come up, type out the alarm codes.

No Regard for Narrative Convention
Some people thought it was a great opportunity, when the dimensional portals opened up. Others, like Michael, weren’t quite so sure.

Sale or Return
In the future, money can buy you anything. Or can it?

Nor Any Drop to Drink
Lynsey might look like a little girl, but she’s got a big thirst.

You Wish
You’ve always got to be very careful about what you-or other people-wish for.

Dear Ingrid
Is it still a bad deal if the one who makes it isn’t the one who pays for it?

Babysitting
Looking after Jilly-who really, really, really wants a puppy-is an exercise in tolerance. Who’s going to crack first?

On Blackened Wings
Dionne doesn’t believe that Rachel’s built a psychic hotline to the monsters out of wires and roadkill. But that doesn’t mean she wants to try it.

No Apples for Mother
Artificial Intelligence and Old Testament religion. Not a good mix.

Gifted
What makes the new girl so special? What’s she got that Francie and Everett haven’t? They’re about to find out.

Closure
Carmel’s relationship didn’t end well. She’d like another go.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michelle Ann King
• Release date: Jan 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301200405

Michelle Ann King

Michelle Ann King writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror from her kitchen table in Essex, England. Her stories have appeared/are forthcoming in over seventy different venues, including Strange Horizons, Interzone, and Daily Science Fiction.She loves zombies, Las Vegas, and good Scotch whisky — not necessarily in that order — and her favourite author is Stephen King (sadly, no relation). She's been a mortgage underwriter, supermarket cashier, makeup artist, tarot reader, and insurance claims handler before having the good fortune to be able to write full-time.Her first short story collection Transient Tales is available as an ebook and paperback now, and she is currently working on her second. See www.transientcactus.co.uk for full details and links.

Book preview

TRANSIENT TALES VOLUME 2

12 stories of science fiction, fantasy and horror

By

Michelle Ann King

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Copyright 2013 Michelle Ann King

Published by Transient Cactus Publications at Smashwords

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Table of Contents

One Free Go

Not With a Bang

No Regard for Narrative Convention

Sale or Return

Nor Any Drop to Drink

You Wish

Dear Ingrid

Babysitting

On Blackened Wings

No Apples for Mother

Gifted

Closure

About the Author

Also Available

Publication History

One Free Go

I love Halloween. Unlike Darren, I think you can never have too much paraphernalia. Or demonic intervention.

IT’S REALLY GETTING out of hand lately, all this Halloween business.

When I was a kid, a Halloween party meant a couple of ghost stories, some bat-shaped gingerbread, and a bag of fun-sized Mars bars. That was it, job done. These days you have to decorate the whole house, get everyone fancy dress costumes, lay on enough chocolate to sink a battleship and buy boxes of specially-made black cupcakes topped with fondant-icing eyeballs.

And, if all that wasn’t enough, you’ve also got to hire a professional children’s entertainer. I heard Chloe telling her mum that some other girl at school was going to have one, although I never thought Kate would actually go for it. This is all going to add up to a small fortune.

The woman’s dressed up as a witch, in the traditional pointed-hat-and-long-black-dress style. The gear looks like it’s seen a fair bit of use, but it’s proper quality—the dress is real velvet, while the cheap one Kate picked up down Romford market looks like it’s been made out of old bin liners.

I went for Jack Sparrow myself; baggy white shirt, red tea-towel for a bandanna, some fake face-fuzz and a ton of Kate’s eyeliner. At least mine’s meant to look home-made.

I show the witch—Lucy, she said her name’s Lucy—into the kitchen, where Chloe and her mates are shrieking and trying to eat jam doughnuts hung from the ceiling on strings. There’s a hell of a lot more shrieking being done than eating, and a lot more jam in their hair—and on the floor, and the walls, and the worktops—than in their mouths.

Personally, I would’ve turned straight round and done a runner, but Lucy doesn’t look fazed by either the mess or the noise. ‘Which one’s yours, Mr Clarke?’ she asks.

‘Third Disney Princess on the left, right there. That’s Chloe. And over there, sulking by the back door, is Jessica, our eldest. She’s come as a Moody Teenager, in case there’s any remote chance you couldn’t tell.’

Lucy smiles. ‘At that age, they don’t need masks to turn into monsters.’

‘You’re not wrong there, love,’ I say, and pretend not to notice Jess sticking her fingers up at me. ‘Well, anyway, I suppose you’ll be wanting to get on with it.’

‘Indeed, yes. I do still have some other people to visit, tonight.’ She puts her big leather bag down on the floor and claps her hands for attention. ‘Tonight is Halloween,’ she announces. ‘On this night the veil between the worlds is thin, and the chosen among us may see through the divide.’

Blah, blah, ghosts and ghoulies, usual nonsense. I start cleaning up some of the destroyed doughnuts while she does her stuff. She’s got stage presence, you have to give her that. The kids are rapt. Bet she does amateur dramatics in her spare time. I can just see her doing Lady Macbeth. Out, black spot, or whatever it is.

When she’s done with the speech she pulls a big silver mirror out of her bag of tricks and holds it up like a magician producing a rabbit. ‘Now. Who wants to see their future?’

A bunch of jam-streaked hands shoot up. Lucy sets the mirror on the table and chucks a thin bit of black cloth over it. ‘One at a time,’ she says. ‘And only one go. That’s very important, now, so make sure you listen. You only get one free go.’

I’m glad to hear that, since we’re paying her by the hour.

The girls push and shove themselves into a queue. I guide Chloe towards the front—hostess’s privilege, and all that—and lean in close to Lucy’s ear. ‘You don’t reckon you could do anything with Jessica, do you? Get her involved, somehow? Or at least, make sure she doesn’t try and sneak out the back door?’

Lucy looks over at Jess, who’s picking bits of polish off her nails and flicking them on the floor. She smiles. ‘Oh, I think I might be able to find something up my sleeve that would impress even Moody Teenagers.’

If she can do that, she’ll be earning whatever we’ve got to pay her and then some. ‘Good stuff. All right, we’re only in the other room there, so give us a shout if you need anything.’

She nods and turns her attention back to the kids. I nip into the living room with the idea of crashing out on the sofa for a bit, but Kate holds up her hand.

‘Don’t think you’re done,’ she says. ‘I need you to come here and help me get these goodie bags ready for the girls to take home. Carol just texted to say she’s on her way, and the rest won’t be far behind.’

At least we’re in the home stretch now. I pick up a bag and start stuffing sweets and toys into it.

Kate’s sister arrives to pick up her brood just as I pop the last plastic spider into the last bag. ‘Perfect timing,’ I say, and stick my head round the kitchen door. ‘Chloe, start packing up now, your friends