Charles Corkery

“THE GREAT RESET” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #210

THE GREAT RESET The room, in the bowels of the Pentagon, was gigantic in size; a huge circular, conference table that hosted forty, being the central focus. Sat around in a semi-circle on one side were twenty of the most powerful men on Planet Earth. Facing them, and completing the circle, were the extra terrestrial beings from Gliese 667Cc, the exoplanet, 22 light years from Earth. The sole distinguishable characteristic between the two parties: the light, green tinge to the skin of the Gliesians who, in all other appearances, resembled t...

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“DEADLIER THAN THE MALE?” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #210

DEADLIER THAN THE MALE? “Let us take, for example, the species, Scorpiones (scorpioun in the Greek, scorpionem (nominative scorpio) in the Latin. In many types of this species, often mistaken for insects, the female, once impregnated, will kill and eat the male. Scorpiones are closely related to spiders under the banner of Arachnida, having eight legs compared to the six legs of an insect and, indeed, many species of spiders follow this same Sexual Cannibalism of the male; the black widow being, possibly, the most infamous. However...

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“PILLOW TALK” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #209

PILLOW TALK  “Can you please check again?” “Sir, I’m sorry but I have the bookings right here on the screen in front of me. Your booking is for next Sunday, the 15th. Not, today, the 8th”. “But there must be something you can do. You surely have other cars available”. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but it’s Easter Sunday, one of our busiest days of the year. All of our cars are in use”. The man held his head in his hands in frustration. This could not be happening. How on earth he had entered the wrong pick up ...

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“SUPPER FOR TWO” by Charles Corkery

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #209

SUPPER FOR TWOThe young man, hot and sweaty, walked back into the gas station; his denim shirt, jeans and cowboy boots speckled with the desert dust.“Hell, how long’s this fella gonna be?”Gerry, the elderly gas station attendant, sat on a stool behind the shop counter, thumbing through an auto trader magazine and looked up witheringly at the young upstart who’d asked him the same question several times already in the less than one hour since he’d pulled in to the forecourt.“Jed’ll be here when he gets here”, the old timer replied, with all t...

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“THE DETECTIVE” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #208

THE DETECTIVE Millicent Billy worked her way through the files, gradually piecing together an accurate picture of the fraud, the subject of this enquiry. Not part of the main fraud squad office, she sat alone, surrounded by boxes and, automatically, her hand would reach out to the large bag of M+Ms on her desk. Though she was well regarded for her forensic ability, she longed to do real police work instead of the glorified clerical work that she was constantly pigeon-holed with. As the lunch hour arrived, she opened the door th...

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“ALL AMERICAN” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #207

ALL AMERICANChase Malone was the quintessential American hero: tall, strong, blonde and handsome. He was fun around the guys and chivalrous around women. He drove an enviable Porsche Boxster to work and a Jeep Wrangler to the beach in summer. He rose at 5am each morning to go work out at the Y and had the kind of buff body that would not be out of place in a pro-sport locker room. Additionally, he played racquet ball competitively, swam lengths twice per week and, on weekends, was the best player in his team’s softball le...

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“STAR” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #207

STAR “Okay, you guys, listen up. This is it-the real thing. The first night for our new restaurant: STAR. No more rehearsals, no more fuck ups that we can get away with. Tonight, everybody needs to be on their A-game, okay? If you have a problem, let me know immediately. Do you all understand?” In unison, the kitchen crew acquiesced. “Yes, Chef!” “I can’t fucking hear you. Do you all understand?” “YES, CHEF!” “Okay, fifty minutes to service. Let’s do this!” Aldo turned away from his BOH staff ...

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“STAGECRAFT” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #207

STAGECRAFT“Cut! That’s a wrap, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much”.Applause broke out in the studio at this announcement. Even those actors, major and minor players in this movie, and not even on the final day’s call sheet had all turned up to be witness to this last day of filming. For the majority, this would be the pinnacle of their artistic careers; to appear in a movie that starred the great Dirk Hogart. It was a tale that they could recount to their grandchildren long after they had left the glitzy glamo...

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“FEAR-NO FEAR” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #206

FEAR-NO FEAR “The life that I have Is all that I have And the life that I have is yours The love that I have Of the life that I have Is yours and yours and yours…” The above formed part of a an encrypted call signal, known as a fist. It was used to identify the wireless operator, calling England from Occupied France during World War Two. Previously, phrases from well known poems had been utilised but the Germans were easily able to copy them so new phrases were created instead. This particular phrase was provided to a woma...

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“THE PRIVILEGE OF RANK” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #206

THE PRIVILEGE OF RANK The four sat around the fireplace in the impressive old library enjoying talking about old times; the closest of friends. Outside, the wintry rain was lashing down furiously, trees swaying noisily back and forth in the fierce North Yorkshire gale and it felt good to be a part of this quartet, inside, warm and cosy. The house had been in Freddie’s family for generations and, now, it was Frederick DuBarry Winthrop the 3rd who had inherited the old place and the baronetcy that came with it. His companions had b...

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“MAYCEE'S HOME” by Charles Corkery

MAYCEE'S HOME Maycee had to do something ‘bout that smell. It had been okay for several days but, lately, a sharp , sour odour would catch her unawares when she came upstairs to use the bathroom. That afternoon, she’d walked to the 7-11 and returned with a whole bunch o’ room fresheners; the ones you peeled the front off and laid them wherever. The smell from Momma’s room was the worst. At least, it was so far. Them deodorisers sure helped but she still had to lay a wet towel at the base o’ the bathroom door and ...

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“ON A CLEAR MOONLIT NIGHT” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #205

ON A CLEAR MOONLIT NIGHT The brightness of the full moon illuminated the field below as Matt stared down from the top of the ridge. The brilliance was incredible; as if a cordon of floodlights had been switched on so clearly could he see everything. The four cows tethered by their feet, lowing crazily in an effort to escape their imprisonment and, high in the trees, the net threshing back and forth as the captive attempted to dislodge the trap from where it had catapulted once sprung. Matt, accompanied by the two Brazilian s...

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“BREAKING POINT” by Charles Corkery

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #205

BREAKING POINT 6.30am -slop out. 7.30am -breakfast. 8am -lock up. 10am -roll call. 10.30am -yard recreation. 12 noon -lunch. 1pm -yard recreation. 3pm -internal association. 5pm -supper. 6pm -lock up. 8pm -lights out. Get used to it. This is it. Your daily routine for the rest of your life. Yes, it’s monotonous. Yes, it could destroy your will to live. But you’re stronger than this; you’re unbreakable. Unbreakable. Keep saying it. Un-fucking-breakab...

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“BROTHERS IN ARMS” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #204

BROTHERS IN ARMS The fusillade of shots sent the two Curry brothers scampering back into the empty saloon. Virgil, the eldest, crawled behind the bar. His brother, Josh, known as Kid, rolled away to the right of the swing doors. “Jesus, Virg, there must be a dozen o’ them bastards out there”. “You hit?” “No. Leastways, I don’t think so. You?” “Just a nick; left hand. Damn, it stings”. Kid checked himself over. One bullet had pierced his left boot; clean hole-but had missed his foot. “What now, Virg...

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“EVEN DROIDS HAVE FEELINGS” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #204

EVEN DROIDS HAVE FEELINGS Jasper White was a drifter. Always had been, trying his hand at most things without any luck -poker, mineral prospecting, ranching -always drifting from town to Texan town. Back then, in ’45, it seemed like most o’the bad men had chosen to hang out in the vast state o’ Texas and, if’n they didn’t get ya, the booze and diseases from poxed up whores, surely would.  Yessir. But, somehow, ol’ Jasper just drifted through all that, flitting from place to place, avoiding any&nbs...

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