Observing Strangers: And Other Short Stories

By Stu Glennie

A collection of 21 short stories in a range of genres...

‘Observing Strangers’ – A wounded Afghanistan veteran contemplates the people he sees in the street.

‘If I Could Talk To The Animals’ – Have you ever wondered what would happen if humans could talk with the animals? It might not work out the way you think.

‘The Deal’ – Can you really get out of a deal with the Devil? Arthur Hager thinks he’s found a way.

‘Louise’ – Eugene is a textbook nerd and he risks everything to be with his one true love.

‘The New Friend’ – Sometimes the monsters under the bed aren’t the ones we have to be worried about.

‘Six Word Stories’ – A collection of stories consisting of only six words each.

‘The Machine Of Death’ – What would happen if someone built a machine that would predict the way you would die with 100% accuracy?

‘Something To Live For’ – When everyone you’ve loved is gone and you’re surrounded by the undead, all you need to keep going is something to live for.

‘The Box’ – If you came home to find a plain cardboard box sitting on your steps, would you open it?

‘The Summons’ – Shunned and rejected by his father for years, he’d been summoned to his death bed. Was this the reconciliation he’d always craved?

...and more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stu Glennie
• Release date: Sep 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370273737

Stu Glennie

I am in my early 50’s, an avid gamer with a collection of over 650 card and board games, have a love of all things zombie, and I am a die-hard Browncoat (if you know what that is, Shiny; if you don’t, go watch a TV show called Firefly, I’ll wait).I have four kids, nine grand kids, and have been in my current relationship for 16 plus years with a wonderful woman who puts up with all my weirdness in its many shapes and forms.Over the years I have held a lot of jobs which has given me a wealth of information to draw on. I am a Jack of all Trades and Master of None.I decided to try my hand at writing as it was something I always loved doing when I was younger and I missed it. So, with the encouragement of my ever-loving spouse (“Go! It will get you out of the house! GO!”) I took my first Creative Writing Class at the Life Long Learning Center at the University of Regina in May of 2014.

Book preview

Observing Strangers

and other short stories

by Stu Glennie

Copyright © Stu Glennie 2016

Su Glennie has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

This book is a collection of works of fiction. Names and characters are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead or undead is entirely coincidental. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not be, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without Stu Glennie’s prior consent. Except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles.

Dedication:

To the love of my life Lorna who has seen the worst parts of me and loves me anyway.

And also for:

Glen Johnson, Arthur Slade, Dirck de Lint, Bob Juby, Edward Willett, John Miller, Diane Will, Linzi Osburn, Sheryl Gordon, Jim Gerlinsky, and Danielle Pass…

You know what you did.

Table of Contents

Observing Strangers

If I Could Talk To The Animals

A Case Closed

I Did It

The Deal

A Bad Day

Louise

The Accident

All That Glitters

I Am The Cure

The New Friend

Six Word Stories

The Machine Of Death

I Don’t Care

Noises In The Night

Something To Live For

Therapy Session

The Box

The Next Move

The Summons

It’s Not Fair

About the Author

Observing Strangers

I’ve been coming here to people watch for three weeks now. I like it here. No one can see me in my wheelchair. That way I can’t see the pity on their faces, a pity that only increases when they see my army fatigues and realize how it must have happened. Thank you for your service, they say. What do they know of service?

I started observing strangers because of something my physical therapist Dave said to me. You’ve got to get out of your apartment more. Coming to see me three times a week doesn’t count. Get out and see people. Easy enough for him to say. He didn’t have his legs blown off by a fucking RPG in Afghanistan. Well, this is me, seeing people Dave. I have a great view of the corner of the park, where two busy intersections meet. At lunch time, now actually, it gets pretty crazy with people rushing everywhere.

There goes a young mother pushing a stroller. Eyes on the phone in her hand, barely watching where she’s going, a slave to the newest and best app.

Behind her is a middle aged man in a dark business suit carrying a briefcase, no doubt rushing off to seal the next big deal. His suit probably costs more than I made last year.

A twenty-something male jogger flashes through my vision, chasing after his dream of the perfect body. Good luck with that buddy. Things can change in a flash. Trust me, I know.

There’s a hot dog vendor on the corner. He’s been there daily, trying to make a living. I watch him set up every day. The bastard resells the hotdogs that didn’t sell the day before. How cheap can you get?

A perfect specimen of the female form struts by walking her toy poodle. She’s a model I think. I’ve seen her face a few times on TV and on magazine covers. Living the high life by lying to women about what perfect should be.

There’s a cabbie sitting at the curb that looks like he’d be one of the insurgents we were fighting in Afghanistan. Believe it or not I don’t bear those guys any ill will. They were doing their duty and so was I. War is hell on both sides. But this guy advances his meter a few dollars before every fare. Scumbag.

A teenaged girl walks by, struggling with six dogs on leashes. She’s just trying to make some extra money as a dog walker, I get that. But she could at least pick up their shit.

A cop car pulls up and parks in a handicapped spot. The two officers get out and go over to the hotdog vendor. He gives them each a dog for free. To protect and serve and abuse our authority, right guys? At least they were yesterday’s dogs.

Just inside the park is a group of five teen males. The cops can’t see them and it’s a good thing for them too since three of them are sharing a joint, one is taking a piss on a tree and the last one is tagging the wall surrounding the park. Those morons have no respect for anything, they’re a waste of space and resources if you ask me.

Propped up against the wall surrounding the park near the entrance is a blind beggar. He sits there all day holding his cup in his hand asking for change. Except he isn’t fucking blind. I see him dropped off by someone in a new Lincoln every morning and picked up every night. What kind of asshole feeds off the kindness of strangers?

There’s a guy set up on the corner selling watches. Genuine Rolexes he claims. In the three weeks he’s had to pack up and run at least four times when previous customers came back looking for him. Fake, stolen or both? Doesn’t matter, the guy’s a crook.

I’ve seen a couple eat lunch - hotdogs the poor saps – every day and watched him kiss her goodbye. Sweet, right? Every day at two o’clock she meets another man at the