A World of Impossibilities: A collection of Speculative Fiction short stories (and Flash Fiction)

By Sian Turner

A collection of eight speculative fiction stories (about impossible events, but set against the backdrop of ordinary lives). Read about a wish-granting entity, an unexpected second chance, a ghostly encounter and more. Tear up the rules of known science and stretch your imagination with these variously chilling, humorous, sweet – and often thought-provoking – stories.
Contains the following stories (of varying length):
The Second Life of Grizelda the Cat – Grizelda, being a cat, should have nine lives, but two is quite enough.
I have a Reservation – A reservation in a restaurant with a most unusual atmosphere.
Gran’s Loft – Laying insulation in a loft should be child’s play, but not for Gregor.
Real Life Magic – A little girl with a special gift bites off more than she can chew.
Vota Torquent – a wish-granting entity helps a woman in need of a job.
That’s the Ticket – A string of numbers can be more trouble than they’re worth.
The Mirror – Susan makes a discovery in the loft of her new home, but her find has unexpected consequences.
Lacking Inspiration – Author Stella takes a walk in the park seeking inspiration, but gets way more than she bargained for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sian Turner
• Release date: Feb 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215147498

Sian Turner

I've lived most of my life in East Sussex, but was born in South Wales.My early career was in finance and administration. Then I worked as a secondary school teaching assistant for three very rewarding yet challenging years. I began writing fiction in 2010 and am a member of Shorelink Writers.Having started my self-publishing journey with two historical fiction novels based on a true story, I now write magical realism/speculative fiction novels (contemporary stories with a paranormal twist). Go to my website to sign up for my monthly newsletter and get free book offers. I'd be happy to hear from readers via social media or email too.People rarely review books, so I would be extremely grateful for any positive reviews and ratings. Thank you!

Book preview

A World of Impossibilities

Sian Turner

Copyright Sian Turner 2021

All rights reserved in all media. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews.

The moral right of Sian Turner as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locales and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual people, places or events is coincidental.

Published in the UK in 2021 by Sian Turner.

Smashwords Edition

Dedication and Acknowledgements

This book is dedicated to Indie Authors everywhere. I know how much of your heart and soul you pour into your work. Keep reading and keep writing!

Thank you to everyone who supports me, in particular my husband Martin, daughter Abi, Shorelink Writers and my editor, Emily Hetherington.

I’d like to send a truly heartfelt thank you to any reader who spends a few minutes giving a positive review on retailers’ websites.

To subscribe to my monthly newsletter and to receive a FREE copy of one of my eBooks, visit https://sianturnerauthor.wordpress.com/contact-sian/

Connect with me via my website: https://sianturnerauthor.wordpress.com/

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See me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SianTurner1066

I hope you enjoy my short stories.

Contents

The Second Life of Grizelda the Cat

I Have a Reservation

Gran’s Loft

Real-Life Magic

Vota Torquent

That’s the Ticket!

The Mirror

Lacking Inspiration

Thank you and free book offer

Also by Sian Turner

The Second Life of Grizelda the cat

Grizelda the cat was having a wash. This was not remotely unusual because Grizelda, like all cats, spent a good deal of her life grooming herself. What was unusual was the peculiar sensation like a buzzing and fizzing inside her head that made her pause in her pursuit of cleanliness with her tongue still sticking slightly out of her mouth and one back leg lifted elegantly behind her head. When the weird sensation abated a few seconds later, Grizelda lowered her limb and stretched it to one side to commence grooming once again, her rough tongue tugging at her long, silky, multi-coloured fur.

Grizelda stopped grooming once more, staring intently at the far corner of the ceiling. Cats often do this and it confuses – and sometimes scares – their owners. What, the watching human wonders, is my kitty looking at? Hopefully not a huge, hairy spider. Anyway, Grizelda wasn’t looking at anything; the corner of the ceiling was simply a place where she could stare without straining her eyes to see objects closer to her.

As she stared, her brain churned and twisted and squeezed until she suddenly experienced a sensation like a tiny bubble going pop inside her feline head.

Confusion! Panic! Fear! Grizelda lowered her head and pulled her ears flat. Sensing something amiss but not knowing what, the cat turned and pounced upon her own tail, then chased it round and round in tight circles, trying to use up an unexplained rush of nervous energy to no avail.

Grizelda bounded up the stairs and launched herself onto the bed. There, she curled into a ball and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would help.

Something fundamental had changed in those seconds of buzzing and fizzing and popping, however. While her instincts made her carry on as normal, doing the kind of things cats regularly do, odd things were going on inside her head. The kind of things that were prone to change a young cat’s life forever.

Meanwhile, Peter Devlin’s life had changed an awful lot too, because he’d been straightening his duvet when a lightheaded sensation overtook him and he blacked out. When he’d awoken, the world had changed utterly for Peter. He didn’t know what made him think it, but he was certain he’d died – at least his body had.

When he’d arrived wherever it was that his soul now resided, he could have sworn he’d been licking himself. He shook off the thought. What a ridiculous notion, and yet…

Peter concentrated hard and forced open an eye. Fur. He was lying on top of something furry. A rug, perhaps? No, it was far too fine, like real animal fur. The colours looked familiar and realisation hit him suddenly. It’s that bloody cat from next door – the one that left a dead mouse on my doorstep last week.

At almost precisely this moment, the penny dropped for Peter. He had indeed died, as he suspected, and his consciousness now resided inside the head of Grizelda the aforementioned cat. Good grief, this won’t do, he thought. For starters, I’m allergic to cats and, more importantly, how will anyone know I am here?

The answer was obvious. Nobody would: nobody except him and Grizelda anyway.

On the plus side, his wife Maureen wouldn’t know where he was either. The woman had made it her life’s work to bore him to death with eternal gossip for the past forty-three years – a character trait he’d somehow managed to find endearing until they’d been married for a decade or so. In recent years, Peter had begun spending as much time as he could in the garden in an effort to avoid her. He’d mow the lawn, clip back the trees and bushes and had planted a host of bee-friendly flowers. Maureen hated bees.

On the plus side, at least they had the kids. Tom and Alyson were wonderful people and Peter adored their four-year-old granddaughter, Caitlin; such a bright and bonny little girl.

Grizelda stirred, extended her front paws and leaned back to stretch her spine before jumping off the bed. The cat trotted down the stairs and Peter, seeing the world from a different level than usual, wondered how any cat had the confidence to descend stairs headfirst and at such speed.

The cat sauntered into the kitchen and stuck her face into her food bowl.

Ugh! Oh man, that’s gross. How do you eat that stuff?

Peter was appalled to discover sight was not the only sense he now shared with Grizelda the cat. Now he had better understanding of their new relationship, he did not relish the prospect of her next grooming session one bit, and he knew cats spent a good deal of time cleaning themselves – including their backsides. Peter shuddered.

Grizelda shuddered too.

Well, that’s interesting, thought Peter. My feelings made her shudder. What else might I be able to do?

Peter was still considering how else he