Hodgepodge

By Kevin Cooper

Hodgepodge is a beautiful mishmash of short stories and tales to stimulate your imagination. It is full of interesting characters from a broad spectrum of genres. The whole family can enjoy a story from Hodgepodge. This collection has something for everyone.
 

If you like animals, you will love Hodgepodge. If you like Christian fantasy, you will love Hodgepodge, and if you like something that's completely off the wall with some unsavoury characters, you will love Hodgepodge. If you are looking for a new children's tale... Yes, even that. Whatever it is you like, you will love it in Hodgepodge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: KC
• Release date: Apr 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224484126

Kevin Cooper

Kevin Cooper is a multifarious writer with something for all ages through the medium of novels, novellas, short-stories, and poetry. Some of  KC's major influences in literature are JRR Tolkien, Philip Pullman, C.S Lewis, Terry Brooks, and J.K Rowling. KC was born in Hull, England. At 21 years of age, he moved to the USA where he first attended Western Kentucky University, but transferred to Asbury College where he graduated with a BA in Psychology. He then attended Asbury Theological Seminary for a couple of years before moving to Arizona where he enrolled at the Grand Canyon University, obtained a research fellowship and graduated with a M.Ed. His career in education spanned from tutor to teacher, to college lecturer. He later changed careers and went into management working for The Hertz Corporation. After almost twenty years living and working in the USA, he returned to England where he now resides with his wife and two cats.

Book preview

A Life For A Life

Author’s notes for A Life For A Life

Although completely a work of fiction, this story contains issues and scenes that some people may find distressing. The story is not based upon any true event or real persons that the author is aware of. If you are affected by anything in this story, please seek professional advice.

Part One

The small Fiat pulled over clumsily to the side of the road. It was a deserted place, dry grassland covered in frost in the middle of nowhere, deep in the night. Stretching for miles, were the treacherous moors.

A large silhouette opened the boot of the Fiat. The moonlight shone down to betray a two-year-old Golden Retriever, little more than skin and bone that whined and looked up with sad bloodshot, brown eyes. He’d already been beaten several times, so cowered further into the corner of the boot, shivering and whimpering.

Come ‘ere you worthless mutt! Rough hands grabbed hold of the Retriever by the scruff of the neck and dragged him out of the boot. Lifted up and then thrown, the dog hit the ground with a crack as one of its legs broke under the force of the impact.

The figure slammed the car boot shut, walked around the car, and shuffled back into the driver’s seat. Taking a huge gulp from a beer can, the person crushed it, chucked it out the open car window, and pulled the tab on another can, before lighting a cigarette. The car screeched as it sped off into the night.

The dog whimpered and nursed his leg as best he could. He attempted to stand several times before finally managing, with intense pain, to drag himself across the barren land in search of food and shelter from the cold.

In the distance came the sound of a screech followed by a huge bang as a driver lost control of the vehicle. The Fiat had veered out of control and crashed into a huge oak. Having failed to secure the seatbelt, the driver was catapulted at a high velocity and was killed within moments. The body was thrown head first, through the windshield and landed face down on the glass covered, blood-spattered, half crumpled bonnet which was crumpled by the impact of the tree.

A moment can be a hell of a long time and that’s all it took for the driver’s life to flash before her eyes.

In the first scene, she stood and watched as a child, while her father kicked their dog for chewing his shoes. She cried, No, daddy! but that was met with a backhand across her face and harsh words about how children and pets should be taught obedience and know their place.

The second scene showed her as a teenager happily bringing home a new puppy. Her mother, upon seeing her said, "You better train it right or your father will make you get rid of it. And what you expect to feed it with? Money’s tight enough as it is! Don’t be looking to us for hand outs! If I

were you, I’d be thinking twice an’ taking it back to where you got it from. Be better than the

alternative."

That evening a black-eyed, teenage girl is forced to let the puppy go, as she is instructed forcefully to throw it into a river. When you got your own place, do as you like, but as long as you’re under my roof...

In the third scene she is much older, has her own place, and brings home a beautiful Golden Retriever. He is given food in bowls that are never cleaned and inevitably becomes ill. Upon vomiting and having diarrhoea, he is beaten and left with nothing to eat. This goes on for several days. Finally his owner is tired of the whimpering and decides to make an end of it. She roughly picks up the whining dog and throws him into the boot of her Fiat.

The final scene before drawing her last breath is that of dragging the poor dog out of the boot, throwing him with brute force into the ice-cold wilderness and leaving him for dead. Then, all is quiet in the stillness of the night as if nothing had happened.

Part Two

It’s morning and the Jones family are off to stay with Grandma Jones for the Christmas holiday. They set off early as it’s quite a trip. As they are driving along the country road, seven-year-old Edward, who has been peering out the window, suddenly cries, Dad stop! His dad begins to slow down.

What on earth are you doing, John? says Edward’s mother, to his father.

Ed never tells me to stop, Sal His father responds.

After John pulls over he turns around and says, What’s up, little fella?

There’s something near the road just back there, I saw it.

It was probably just a big rock or something. interjects Sally, his mother.

"No, no, it wasn’t, it was a dog,