OtherWhere: The Crazies

By Garry Grierson

John Bedford enjoys his work at a busy train station, and leads an honest, if unremarkable, life.
But one morning a chance encounter with a strange woman on the way to work looks set to shake his ordinary world to its core.
Forgotten and disturbing events from his past begin to unravel the present as the seemingly disturbed but enigmatic Mary takes him on a whistle-stop tour of the OtherWhere, a world that only exists on the flip-side of reality.
We follow John and Mary on their strange journey, as John discovers people and places from his hidden past, and Mary attempts to guide him to his destiny.

This 11,000 word Novelette is the first story in the OtherWhere series of Novelette/Novella sized stories.
Some free short-stores are also available in this series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Garry Grierson
• Release date: Apr 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458182302

Garry Grierson

Garry Grierson was the first of three children born to Jeanette and Tom. He came into this world on the ninth of October 1968, and is now quite old. After an unremarkable childhood growing up in a small mining village in Fife, Scotland, he mailed his first short-story entry to a competition aged twenty; receiving his very first form-rejection letter. From then on he has continued the dream of publishing that first Novel. Whenever real-life as a husband and applications developer doesn’t get in the way. Although he has had some success with short-stories the dream of publishing that elusive Novell still lingers on...

Book preview

The Crazies

An OtherWhere story

By Garry Grierson

Copyright 2011 Garry Grierson

Smashwords Edition

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John Bedford stopped his car at the far end of the busy station parking area. He locked the door and turned to look at the wasteland which bordered the station grounds. A neglected tangle of overgrown shrubbery and wild-grass, it was separated only by an unkempt hedge and a rusty old gate. He stared into the wasteland and waved at the man who wasn’t there. The man who wasn’t there smiled as he waved back.

The station was old and, like so many others, had recently been automated. John walked to the end of the cracked concrete platform and stood in the same spot as he always did and gazed around the station. It had been allowed to crumble. People have no pride in the past anymore, he whispered to the wind.

The train screeched its way into the station, as he glanced at his watch. The train had arrived on time today. A small smile crept over his lips. His changes appeared to be kicking in.

The last carriage door slid open as he approached and stepped over the gap between the platform and the train. A blur of movement caught the corner of his eye, and drew his gaze down to the old track. A scurry of motion disappeared between the rails and grimy platform wall before he could identify any shape.

Probably just pigeons, he said, hoping it wasn’t rats or mice, which could be more problematic.

The door closed with a loud clunk as he boarded the train. The carriage was empty apart from a man reading a newspaper and a teenager sleeping across two chairs.

He stepped inside to take his usual place at the end of the carriage.

The train shook as it trundled forward, smoothing out as it picked up speed. John settled into the seat, ready to stare out the grubby window as the world rushed past. He pulled his organiser from his pocket and switched it on. It beeped out Beethoven’s Fifth, as it flashed today appointments at him, another security meeting at ten, then lunch with the area-manager at twelve…

Excuse me. Is this seat taken? said a voice over his shoulder.

John looked around. A small, thin woman stood in the walkway. She looked to be in her early thirties and attractive in a ‘college librarian’ way. Her clothes were neat but the floral dress and herring-bone coat were several years out of fashion.

She pointed to the empty seat beside him, occupied by his briefcase. He looked round the carriage. There were many other free seats. A thin smile spread over his dry lips.

No, he said, and moved the case onto his knees, wondering if his library books were overdue.

The woman sat