Bohemia Short Story Competition 2011

Short Story Competition 2011 – List of Authors

The following is an alphabetical list of all competition entrants with titles of their stories. The three prizewinners are highlighted in red. To read any story, simply click on it. Allen, ElizabethThe Swans Allen, ElizabethThe… Read more

Caroline Coombes

Bloodstains on the Carpet It wasn’t the bloodstains on the carpet that worried Elspeth. She was still feeling pleased with herself for finding a sunny attic apartment in an old Victorian house on the fringes of Burtons’ St Leonards and she wasn’t… Read more

Sabrina Holt

Mrs Morris It was a beautiful day to die. Snow was falling in the coastal town of Agiefan for the first time in 48 years. All awoke to find themselves immersed in a beautiful blanket of pure white bliss. Excitement saturated the air, the town… Read more

Deborah Tubb

Once upon a time in Bohemia A blizzard blew round the two men who stood in the windy little entrance to an alley off a road sloping down to the town and the sea. Further up the street, a hooded boy slid a skateboard up and down disconsolately…. Read more

Janice Pearce

In Flight A haiku before breakfast – keep alert, no slacking; keep the mind active; imagination dies – this had been her adolescent mantra (how long ago), use it or lose it; keep positive. Cloud cover was low and dense and a bitter wind… Read more

Robert Farquhar – Pigeons (short story) (1)

“Pigeons” by Robert Farquhar Well, when I was a young boy, I kept some pigeons and I wanted to belong to a pigeon club. So I joined the British Berlin Flying Club, in Belvedere, in Kent. I kept pigeons and used to race them to Belgium. They… Read more

Sandra Kurylonek

Schizophrenia Ride The doors to the Newington ward swung open; the nurses pushed the hospital bed on which a middle-aged woman lay. Two security guards assisted. The nurses were stressed and they kept saying ‘Janet, Janet, please keep still’. I… Read more

Colin Cooper (1)

Bruno’s Day Friday. Bruno’s day. A fine October morning. She thought she would ask him to give the lawn its last cut before the winter. After that, he could sweep up the sycamore leaves that had begun to fall everywhere. There was always plenty… Read more

Phil Stephenson

Trapped Her face has moved beyond pure sadness. It seems to be empty. There is no glimmer of recognition, just degrees of blankness, tension and confusion. The confusion is confirmed by any attempts we make to engage in conversation. More… Read more

Rebecca Youssefi

Visit From the Cocoa Spirit It was an icy evening when he came to my home with a small circular white container pulled from his backpack. “Open it,” he said as he warmed his cold hands above a candle flame. Inside was a smooth, hard, deep… Read more

Mary Upson

2012 The Wheel Turns Justin was enjoying himself. He’d finally hit the million. Not bad for a twenty-five year old. That he’d had the private education at an appropriate school was irrelevant. HE had made the million. That he’d got the… Read more

Natalie Thomas

Calm I entered Dr Stuart’s therapy room, I knew I had to revisit some of the more adventurous and fearful areas of my life experiences if I was going to deal with my daily anxiety . . . “Hello Kalindi, how have you been?” “OK . . . ”… Read more

Robin Thompson

The Birthday Party Cathie’s body would heal, of course. But her being was as broken as the boy on the beach. Anyone accept the blame? Darren, only five years younger, was from a different world. Born in prison, the son of her older sister… Read more

Andrew Tompkins

What Would Jesus’ Mother Do? Jesus was in two minds as to what to do about Abram, the potter he had commissioned to make the jug. On the one hand, the jug was perfect and Jesus could never be sure of finding another potter as good as Abram, if… Read more

Andrew Smith

Night and the City All is quiet in the bedroom: the alarm clock has run down and waits, silent, to be wound. The murmuring town is hidden behind the old blackout curtains, but the boy can still see by the landing light that shines through the… Read more

Isabel Somerset

Saved by the Hedgehog Once a upon a time, when the sun was shining and everywhere to be seen, was quite a normal-sized brown Fox, with light red eyes, peered out of behind a tree. The Fox was hunting around looking for some fresh food. But it… Read more

Jan Rhoades

Wish You Were Here He stands alone. Above him the clouds skim across the vivid blue sky, obscuring briefly the mid-day sun. A lazy breeze stirs the palm trees. From the beach below drifts the salty aroma of grilling sardines, the tang of garlic… Read more

Zelly Restorick

Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Nick slammed the Centre’s front door behind him. “I don’t bloody believe it. A piddling ten thousand quid.” “Ssssh, Nick. He’s still outside with the camera crew.” “I don’t care if he does hear”, Nick muttered and… Read more

Mary Rothwell

Twilight In the weeks and months which followed, Frank gradually got himself organised. He learned again to cook for one and remembered to do a weekly wash. For company less intrusive than his well-meaning grown-up children, he began visiting a… Read more

Ivora Rees

A Ghost Story Ihad always loved walking on the beaches of the Gower Coast during my Welsh childhood. This particular summer I travelled with my family and a friend for a Welsh rural holiday with excursions to the coast. We were staying with my… Read more

Radical Rooney (1)

Early One Morning EARLY ONE MORNING, JUST AS THE SUN WAS RISING, MR. ROBIN STIRRED. HE SENSED THE DENSE DARK OF NIGHT WAS FADING INTO SHADES AND SHAPES OF MISTY GREY. IT WAS THE DEAD OF WINTER. FOR MANY YEARS HE AND HIS FAITHFUL COMPANION WOULD… Read more

Naomi Robinson

Boxes Ken wakes in the dimness to a silent morning. No radio, no clatter of dishes. She must have gone to the shop. When she’s back she’ll bring his cup of tea. She’ll put it on the bedside table and kiss his cheek. Years ago, she used to climb… Read more

Daisy Pine

The Forester “Ready,” Laura sang. She closed the heavy door behind her and set off with her daughter, Summer, down the narrow, pebbled road. They had only recently moved to Pine House and they were enjoying life in the countryside. Summer… Read more

Margaret Punter

Cousin George It’s raining! George said it would rain once he was on the plane. Clever clogs! George is my cousin – an American. I met him, the first time, twenty-odd years ago. He was a sergeant in the ‘Undefeated United States Army’. He… Read more

Andrea Needham

Carpe Diem Too old, too fat, too interested in cars, bare-chested photograph. What’s that all about? Ah, this one looks better. Right age, slim and smiling, likes walking and gardening. And golf. Well, you can’t have everything. Let’s try… Read more

Gregory Nicholson

Entry 180 Entry 180:– I thought I’d pick up writing this diary again; maybe it’ll help me to get back my sense of time. The days have long since blurred into one another, and I have no idea what year it is. It’s always cold, not matter how many… Read more

Rose Miller

The Meeting He was in the clearing now, frozen to attention, listening. It was only the wind stirring the leaves, the crack of a branch tumbling at his feet. Levering it up with his foot, he started stripping off the leaves and twigs as he made… Read more

Jane Metcalfe

Off the Fence It had been a long shift. The old man, Mr. Alam ‘Al’ Mudassar, was in the last stages. ‘Not expected to last the night’ the ward sister had written in the notes two days earlier. Dr Jones looked into the man’s eyes. There was… Read more

David Lake

Anniversary He was cold and he was tired but at least he was home now. It was strange that he couldn’t remember a thing about what had happened to him but he knew it did not matter. Not now he was home again. The kitchen had its normal warm look… Read more

Matthew Lock

Tonight’s the Night! The ripples broke up the reflection of the moon as the frosty gentle breeze blew across the lake. Branches creaked and snow fell off the branches, landing silently on the white ground. Treading through the glistening snow,… Read more

Morgan King

If the Shoe Fits Penny liked what she saw. She looked every inch the businesswoman. Just the shoes to go. The outfit really called for killer heels, but she wondered whether to go with something a little more conservative. The telephone… Read more

Vivien Jones

Right Side of the Track Off the train, I looked for help with directions. The scant instructions given over the phone were clearly inadequate: ‘Turn left away from the station’. I had asked, ‘Is there only one exit?’ but there were, of… Read more

Matthew Jameson

Earl Grey “Welcome seekers,” said the man as he turned to us. We all knew who he was. Tall and thin, with an aristocratic demeanour and piercing blue eyes, he was Balthus Greystoke, the fourth Earl of Grey. “My ancestor,” he continued,… Read more

Stephen Herbert

I Sing Elvis The old man stroked his beard as he lowered himself gently onto the pavement beside his guitar, letting go his jacket which fell in a heap near the crumpled ‘I Sing Elvis’ sign. As he strummed and murmured, a skateboard boy skidded… Read more

Nathan Hunt

La Mort His heart was beating, filling his tight, sweaty neck. It played the savage rhythm of the jungle around him. He threw his left leg in front of his right and bounded his way through the leaves and vegetation and ran. He ran so fast. He… Read more

Kim Haviland

The Photograph I had decided to visit the museum as they were showing an exhibition of Edwardian photographs of St.Leonards. The pictures were splendidly evocative. There were images of shops with the owners stood proudly beside their wares,… Read more

Rosalind Hooke

Candle I lie on the mantlepiece half hidden in the shadows. There is little left of me now – just a greasy, grimy stump. My wick is useless . . . short and twisted, blackened with soot. Once, not long ago, he loved me . . . admired me. I was… Read more

Claire Hitchings

Past and Present He felt the sand between his toes and the hot sun on his newly-suntanned body. He’d also become toned and begun to be noticed. His clothes and shoes were all designer, no expense was spared. He stayed in the best hotels, had the… Read more

Natalia Hunt

Mardi Gras The Mardi Gras carnival provided me with the perfect cover. Anything goes. In amongst the flamboyant costumes of birds of paradise, the wild dancers and the gaudy masks, I stumbled almost mindlessly through the swinging crowd, sweating… Read more

Polly Douglass

Soon Five hundred paces. Mother said it was so, but she knew it was not. It was the ploy of all mothers. Another step, another sip, another . . . My sisters are young. They cannot fathom: ‘It won’t be long now’. What is long? When shall we… Read more

Suravi Devkota

That Bloody Old Coat The sky hung wide but heavy above my shoulders as I walked past several stalls in the boot sale, my eyes passing feverishly over the junk on offer. I hesitated at old postcards and a navy duffle coat as an impulse to buy… Read more

Caroline Cooke

The Best Dressed Window Christmas starts early in Seaside-on-Sea. “Who wants to organise the Best Dressed Shop Window Competition?” Silence “I will,” says a small voice. Oh No! It’s mine. Still, easy enough to do. Send out a few forms –… Read more

Paul Goring

Last-In Len The bar staff all knew to wait for him. He would walk through the pub door every night at quarter-to-eleven, at last orders, fifteen minutes after finishing his evening shift at the factory. Even on a quiet night, like tonight, when… Read more

Penny Goring

Ancient Victorians I overslept last night, all the way into tomorrow. I was lost in a recurring dream. We were in Happy Hastings, a resort built solely for pleasure by the Ancient Victorians, filled with Rococo delights for free. Joyous crowds… Read more

Debbie Feltz

Bite the Shark Learns a Lesson Bite the Shark swam proudly through the ocean looking for whatever food swam his way. He’d gobble up anything and everything as he was so greedy. In another part of the ocean swam a school of fish all searching for… Read more

Louise Elcoate

A New Year’s Walk It is New Year’s Day and I am doing what I have always wanted to do on New Year’s Day. I am striding across the South Downs in a blustery wind, under heavy grey skies. For thirty-six years I longed for this freedom to walk in… Read more

Vivienne Chalken

Freudian Slip She sits on the balcony and looks down the hill. A pair of swans swims on the pond. Everything is so peaceful. Changes here only come slowly with the seasons. ‘Who AM I?’ she thinks. Beside the driveway she can see her… Read more

Josie Byrne

The White Rock Baths I moved to Hastings in the 1970’s from a northern town where the inhabitants bathed at home, often boiling quantities of water to fill the tin bath hanging on the back door. But Hastings was different, with many large… Read more

Jane Downes

‘That’s Lovely, That Is’ The television’s blaring in the residents’ lounge as she lugs her bag of books down the stairs and avoids the waiting wheelchairs. She swiftly snaps off the TV and, “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen!” she… Read more

Barry Dunlinson

There Is Such a Thing as a ‘Free Lunch’! A Cumbrian farmer, known as ‘Old Bill’, came from a tight-fisted family – the sort who would have to look at a penny, before spending a halfpenny! He always wore his cap half-covering his face,… Read more

Ade Cirket

The Park Melancholy, what a good word to describe how she felt, sat on the wooden bench donated to the people, who, like her, enjoyed the Park. The couple remembered on the seat, both now departed this earth for some twenty years, probably knew… Read more

Grace Carey-Stuart

Bad Feelings She had a bad feeling about this, and her bad feelings always turned into bad things in reality. A word about people with second sight: they don’t think about it. It doesn’t take over their lives. For example, Ruby wasn’t cursing… Read more

David Clarke

The Last Ten Miles The Last Ten Miles. Thursday, 13th October 1066. A few King’s men had followed Harold to York and back and had now marched south to Caldbec Hill, an epic, historic journey written into the folklore of The Battle of Hastings,… Read more

Lawrence Blackwell

The Day I Dug My Father Up The day I dug my father up, it hadn’t rained in months. My ex-girlfriend told me the graveyard where he’d been buried was collapsing into the sea, a long stretch of cliff crumbling like cake. She was sat on the edge… Read more

Elizabeth Allen

The Swans It’s a magic number, three. The Trinity, trebling, three Kings of the Orient. Andrew is happy to see them there again, his three swans, in their favoured place at the corner of the bridge and the path, a dignified distance from the… Read more

Chris Houghton

Whaleswim What is she singing about, this elderly, lone female? Too old to mate, she has still journeyed thousands of miles from the Antarctic to the warm, shallow Tongan breeding-grounds. How many times has she come here? Where are the males… Read more

Kerry Evans

Polar Bears They had been watching Frozen Planet until the electricity went out and the room fell into darkness. “You see,” said Janice, “you’ve got your Emperor penguins and your polar bears. They’re the only ones tough enough to last out… Read more

George Kelvie

‘Walking the Dog’ “Is that you Frank?” His wife’s shrill voice echoed through the bungalow. Of course it was him, who else could it be, for they rarely had visitors? He did not answer, for he had something on his mind. He had been out for… Read more

Natalie Creed

The Life of the Very Posh and Very Expensive Cigarette As Lady Penelope sat down at her especially reserved table in the Savoy where she goes every morning, she ordered her tea and croissants and thought she would have a few puffs of a… Read more

Helen Samuels

Knot “Grandma, what are you knitting?” “I’m knitting the Nine O’Clock News.” “But – how . . . what do you mean?” But looking more closely he could see that it was true. There was the financial crisis in the Eurozone, there was the… Read more

Pauline Asper

The Dress in the Wardrobe Once inside their New England house swop, Ben dumped the bags at the bottom of the stairs and went to check out the downstairs rooms. Alison stood in the hallway, sniffing this tall, dark Victorian town house, that smelt… Read more

John Gilbert

2.6 seconds 2.6 seconds was how long it took to fall 15 floors to the ground, just time to say a very short prayer. ++++++++ It had been a depressing week for Talbot, starting with losing his job at the local newspaper. ‘Not enough… Read more

Paul Howard

Camelia In contravention of his usual determination to be strong and show no emotion, a tear-drop formed in the corner of his eye, picked its way through the stubbly undergrowth on his cheek and dropped onto the soil. Others followed. He checked… Read more

Ben Randall

Disappearing Magic Astral Shane swung back the doors of the cabinet. His assistant, Miss Melinda Forever, had indeed unexplainably vanished from inside the glitter-covered box. The audience clapped as the outcome they had all predicted had… Read more

Samvida Swift

The Man In The Movie I would go to St Helen’s Woods at least once a week hoping to practice my Equine Craniosacral Therapy on the group of horses grazing there. Otherwise I’d just sit or stand and watch them interact in their herd and let them… Read more

Scott Garrett

David & Goliath – for 2012 GOLIATH: Ah, David. I’m going to smash you up, crush you, turn you into a pulp. DAVID: Isn’t that a bit extreme Goliath? Couldn’t you just, say, crush my spirit or something? GOLIATH: Like joke about how little… Read more

Jessica Watters

Little Red Riding Hood Little Red Riding Hood, went out horse-back riding in the wood. Darkness, bracken, moss and fern shot by. The big bad wolf came sauntering by. “Listen,” he said, “I tell no lie. Your granny sent me, nanny sent me here to… Read more

Shirley Mitchell

The Dinner Party The highlight of Vivienne’s week was her invitation to the Mayor of Siorac’s dinner party. Her friend had appraised her of rituals to be observed and the honour bestowed upon the new inmate of the French village. The… Read more

Kenneth Overend

Not As It Seemed ‘Not as it seemed’, you say in your letter. I do not know how it seemed. I do not know that it seemed. You remember, I feel sure you remember, that day after grey day, through March and well into April, here we’d sit on one… Read more

Malcolm Cloke

Albert Albert would have been surprised to hear himself described as a nice old man. Certainly, he had a lot to be nice about. He had Shirley, and then there was Fred next door, Mrs Johnson over the road and any number of people who stopped for… Read more

Polly Riggs

Till Death Do Us Part My breath dances in circles, swirling ephemeral in the cold air. The night and street lamps work together, creating a crowd of shadows to keep me company. They nestle around me, curl back against the grey wall, keep me warm… Read more

Stacey Lane

‘Two Slices of Evening, Please’ ‘Two slices of evening, please’ I said, lying in bed, still drowsed in sleep. Out of the fog they came, and like lemon slices, I laid them on my eyes to soothe them. If you were me, what else would you do… Read more

Paul Broadhurst

Another Day, Another Eden Filling in the large hole had been exhausting work for Harry, who had always hated work of any kind. He was looking forward to a beer, now that he could have one whenever he liked. A grim smile of satisfaction came… Read more

Steve Amos

The Machines Stop Brian works in reprographics for a large government department. He spends his days making endless copies of apparently pointless documents. His performance is measured on the basis of the number of documents copied. His target… Read more

Adelaide Hooker

Tripping the Light Fantastic “Do you want to come dancing?” he slicked back his Bryl-creemed hair into a DA. His velvet collar and blue drapes showed he was a lad of style for his generation. Susie rustled the sugar-stiff paper nylon petticoats,… Read more

Catriona Dennis

Snow Angel He found her lying in the snow. She looked like a snow angel, with arms flung out to either side and legs stretched in front. Her feet were bare and her hair a blonde so pale it was almost white. Her dress was the colour of the drift;… Read more

Kris Howard

Unholy Trinity As Joseph had picked up the letter that day, he knew, and the pit of his stomach had told him, it wasn’t going to be good news. He’d received many a brown envelope like this one. It wasn’t as if his brother had to use them –… Read more

Norbert Peknik

Who Was It? Cycling is among my favorite activities. No wonder I was often seen on the saddle of this vehicle in various parts of the Czech Republic. From time to time we, as a group of young people, sent our bikes ahead to a chosen train… Read more

Catherine Lewis

Waiting I may not have met you yet but your fingerprints are all over my life. Your name is in my every conversation, your presence is in my home and my love for you, a stranger, is sweetly spiralling as the minutes tick by. Change no longer… Read more

Geheris Gidlow

The Star is Going Out I am suspected of the murder of Lucy Rose, a famous singer. Simple as that. The police think I was the one who killed her. Which I can tell you first-hand I was not. I can see why they think it was me but it wasn’t. I was… Read more

Julie Gidlow

Learning to Fly All night I have waited for this moment. Sitting here, on the edge, listening to dogs and gulls and fog-horns far out to sea. Once only another car snaked around the headland, its lamps tracing the curve of the road, the purr of… Read more

Chris Gidlow

Landfall The grey of the whale road darkened to woad blue, as Sun outpaced the wolf slinking beneath the rim of sky. Their birthland lay far behind them now, north and east, and only the wind that filled their leather sail as harvest fills the… Read more

Chris Jeffery

Christmas Present “Stone me,” said Santa, glancing at his digital watch which could tell him the time in two hemispheres and at a depth of fifty metres, “where are those flipping toys?” Nobody could have done more to streamline the… Read more

Anthony Frost

In the Jungle He carefully pulled the tent flap aside. The clearing was empty. In the distance were only the usual barks and hoots of jungle creatures. He was turning back towards the camp bed when he heard it again, much louder. Slow, heavy… Read more

Cheryl Bell – Alligators don’t wear check pants, do they?

Alligators don’t wear check pants, do they? Nobody could sleep. They were too afraid that the waters would rise again and sweep whole families away. All over the Ward people huddled and prayed in attics; hungry, tired, wet and desolate. An… Read more

Jayne Watkins

Christmas Childhood Memories Christmas was the best time at our grandparents’ cottage when I was 5 and my brother was 6 years old. My brother and I had a put-u-up bed either side of our grandparents’ bed. I suppose nowadays it may seem odd… Read more

George Moles

Assignations with Psyche This is a true story: the amatory history of one Peter Cowley, a sensitive, academic, non-athletic but cheerful and confident youth, who was educated at a renowned boys’ grammar school in Northern England. There were… Read more

Rebecca K Best

The Lesser Spotted Dream Catcher She sat at her desk blindly staring at the blank screen. She had come into work early, yet she couldn’t remember the drive in, where she had parked, or whether she had eaten breakfast. She’d had a dream. A… Read more

Cheryl Osborne

Daisy Chains Pamela looked around the flat in Hastings she and her daughter Debbie had moved into. Contemplating another box to unpack, she put the kettle on and made a coffee. Her mind wandered back to six months ago, when they had lived in a… Read more

Simon Poole

A Love for Music I had wanted to be a musician from an early age. Father bought a second-hand Berliner gramophone and we would listen to anything and everything he could find to play on it. We’d lose ourselves in waves of classical beauty,… Read more

Mary Dawson

Genes Professor Silver sat at his computer studying data as usual. He was mapping the genetic make-up of worms. This was his life work and he was working with a group whose hope was to map the human genome and lead to advances in solving various… Read more

Stephen Taylor

The Swimming Lesson Looking out of the coach window was a reasonably intelligent, if slightly insecure, seven-year-old Suan Tilling, on his way to his first swimming lesson. Staring out, he recalled a recent school assembly when the Headmistress… Read more

Chris Spedding

A Little Night Musing ‘What goes around comes around’. So it is said. Mewling infants and whining, piping old men. Having nearly seen off both, I’m left clutching their T-shirts, knuckles white, wringing out the occasional memory. You see,… Read more

Danielle Park

Old Haunts The mild early spring day helped me to decide that this was the day to revisit the town of Tunbridge Wells, a favourite old haunt of mine. As I slowly meander along the wide paved Pantiles, once the crinoline cat walk of ‘must be… Read more

Rita Waters

A Fine Line She was on her way to work, driving through the autumnal lanes, listening and joyfully humming to radio tunes. The sun was filtering through the almost bare trees, the road awash with damp leaves from the storm of the previous night…. Read more

Delia Ann Green

Death in the Old Town It was a sunny summer Sunday morning in Hastings in 1943 and Jack, a Sapper in the Royal Engineers, was home on leave on a 48-hour pass, before being posted abroad. He was looking forward to a relaxing break and having a… Read more

Laline Paull

The Gold Baby This story has been removed at the request of the author, 20 June 2013. Fair Trade This story has been removed at the request of the author, 20 June 2013. Snow This story has been removed at the… Read more

Mary Upson

Sheba Not a breath of wind disturbed the silence. Even the frogs and snails seemed hushed as the 3am moon became enshrouded in mist. There was an expectancy; the hint of possibilities. A distant cough that may have been the bark of an urban fox… Read more

Luke Carter

Supply Teacher It was Monday, and my first week working with the class. I was supposed to be taking them for three months for English while Jill Bennie was on maternity leave. I only met her once, to get the lesson plans, and she seemed very… Read more