Howard Halsall

“The Menagerie” by Howard Halsall

Don Benway and his father were regulars at the hospital’s oncology department and on familiar terms with Gerry, the head porter. ‘Morning, handsome,’ Gerry would say as he approached. ‘How are we today?’‘A darn sight better than you,’ Walter would say, muttering behind his bandages.Walter had undergone regular surgery for over three years and during that time they’d snipped, sliced and cut away so many facial lesions he was almost unrecognisable.‘Your usual seat, sir?’ Gerry would ask, smiling as he pushed...

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“Clarence and Violet” by Howard Halsall

‘Clarence isn’t a well man,’ Violet said, handing me a square head shovel. ‘He can’t face the autumnal leaves this year and our rose beds are a sorrowful state.’‘I’m no Capability Brown,’ I said, resting my wheelbarrow. ‘However, I’ll do whatever I can, providing Cassie has her piano lessons.’ ‘I’m sure we’ll all benefit from the arrangement,’ Violet said, arching an eyebrow. ‘Clarence has his little ways, but your daughter will flourish if she’s disciplined.’#I first met the old couple next door after Cas...

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“The Trouble with Terry” by Howard Halsall

I hadn’t seen Terry for over a year when we spoke last week, and he’d suggested a night out at his darts club. Yeah, sure, I’d said. I can drive unless your car’s back on the road. Cheers, I’d appreciate it, he’d said. My motor's out for the count and my trotters are playing up. No problem, I’d said, confirming the arrangement. How does Tuesday sound? Fine by me, he said. See you at eight.#It was a shock to see Terry dragging his feet down the footpath and struggling to maintain his balance with a walking frame. With hi...

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“The Waiting Game” by Howard Halsall

Tom Archer exited Rathbone’s Jewellers with a gift-wrapped engagement ring and a splitting headache following his hourlong ordeal with Isabel, the loquacious proprietor. She’d bombarded Tom with countless gemstones and relentless sales patter until he capitulated and picked a brilliant-cut solitaire in a white gold band. Even as Tom fumbled for his wallet, Isabel was assuring him the ring was a timeless classic that conveyed the traditional meaning of hope and agreement. It’s perfect for your prospective fiancée, she said....

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“Life by Numbers” by Howard Halsall

Arthur narrowed his eyes and studied his moustache in the bathroom mirror; a cut-throat razor in one hand and trimming scissors in the other, poised and ready for battle. He’d maintained a pencil-thin moustache throughout his career in the Welsh Guards; from humble squaddie to regimental sergeant major; it was his trademark. Today it looked immaculate, as always, perched three-eighths of an inch below his nose and stretched across his upper lip like a fox moth caterpillar with rigor mortis.#There was no doub...

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“The Visitation” by Howard Halsall

Hello, officer, I’m concerned about my neighbour’s safety.I’m Chris McNeill from fifty-two Galley Lane…His name’s James Ratcliffe with an “e”…Jim lives opposite me at fifty-three…I believe strangers have abducted him…They’ve got gold skin and black eyes…No, officer, this isn’t a prank call…Yes, I appreciate you’re busy but…Please, just allow me to explain…#Sherry and I aren’t nosey neighbours, however we couldn’t help noticing Jim’s house guests. They first appeared lat...

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“Spaghetti Junction Blues” by Howard Halsall

The late-night drive north, from London to Glasgow, was a journey Paulie knew by heart. It was four hundred miles of motorway with a coffee break at Spaghetti Junction, and a chance to stretch his legs. Paulie joked he could do it blindfolded, and Jenny swore he was daft enough to try. Before the couple got married, they’d travelled together every fortnight to visit his Pa, but after the little ones arrived, Jenny made her excuses and stayed at home. Not that Jenny had fallen out with Paulie’s father, but she said he was a bad influence a...

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“The Croak Lizard Affair” by Howard Halsall

Aaaakk! Aaaakk!Wake up, Ricky! Huh! Angie, what’s—-?Shush, said Angie, fumbling for her bedside lamp. Didn’t you hear that? Hear what—-?Listen, Angie hissed, as her striped lampshade cast streaks of bright orange around their bedroom. Up there!Aaaakk! Aaaakk! croaked the lizard from its vantage point above the window.Don’t just lie there, she said, shoving her husband. Kill it!The startled creature cast a brief but dramatic shadow in the low angled light like a pantomime vi...

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“Steamboat Creek” by Howard Halsall

Pastor Colquhoun and his bevy of assistants had been playing daily to large crowds in Steamboat Creek since the rain arrived three weeks ago. The day I sought refuge from the downpour at his bedraggled venue, I was greeted at the entrance by a stewardess rattling an offertory box. I made an appropriate contribution and entered the packed marquee to encounter the acrid fug of an abattoir’s lairage. The stench of unwashed bodies was so vile that members of the congregation ducked outside now and again, risking a soaking for a lungful of fre...

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“Killing Time” by Howard Halsall

Throughout the afternoon, the old man had been there in the background in his sun-bleached work overalls and faded denim shirt. Watching me with a perpetual squint, he followed my meandering course up and down his high street. It was as if he recognised me from a previous lifetime and couldn’t remember my name. He was distant enough to be minding his own business, but present nonetheless and attached to me like a dark midday shadow. #I’d first encountered him, resting in a tilted back chair, when I stepped down on...

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“Let's Get Lost” by Howard Halsall

It’s funny how your priorities change as you move through life. In many respects, you learn to become self-reliant and choose your companions with greater care. I never regarded myself as a doggy person, but if not for my new best friend, I’d be lost in a field near Shepton Mallet. #My weekend at the festival started off in high spirits when a group of us from H.R. arrived at the main gates early on Saturday morning. We found our allocated parking space with ease and negotiated our way on foot to the Sticklinch campsite...

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“The One That Got Away” by Howard Halsall

During their three-year engagement, Gillian lost count of how many times Archie Abelard had kept her waiting. He’d caused them to miss endless restaurant bookings, the start of every film and party they’d ever attended, plus two holiday flights. By the end of their relationship, Gillian tired of Archie’s lousy excuses despite humouring his hilarious attempts to rescue their social life from certain calamity. # On Gillian’s wedding day, it was the roadworks on Camden Road that contributed to Archie’s lat...

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“And the snow fell forever.” by Howard Halsall

What are you fussing about, kiddo? Pops sighed as I rubbed my ski gloves together. He proffered me a shovel and his icy breath hovered between us like a question mark. I thought you loved the snow, he said and chuckled when I forced a weary smile. We’d been shifting snow for over two weeks and the white flakes had descended on our town like the dry skin from a giant’s eczematic scalp. It was fun on the first day when the snow gathered around the windows and settled in the front garden. It wasn’t deep enough to stop...

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“Moving Mum” by Howard Halsall

It had taken them six months of gentle persuasion to convince mum to leave the house she’d lived in for sixty years and relocate to a nursing home on the other side of town. Mum’s Victorian villa with its three floors of generously proportioned rooms had become too large for her to manage. It was a cluttered arcade, displaying keepsakes collected over a lifetime and way beyond her powers to keep clean. It would be unkind if I described mum as a hoarder, but there were knickknacks and oddments littering every horizontal surface and she’d a...

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“The Beautiful Game” by Howard Halsall

It was heart-warming to greet everyone outside the crematorium before the service, but to say we were a close family was a stretch. My father’s remaining relatives only communicated by annual greeting card or whenever there was a wedding or funeral. It was so long since I’d seen most of them; I struggled to recognise their faces, let alone remember their names. I’m embarrassed to confess, but I resorted to strategically mumbling my appreciation when they offered their condolences. As they clutched my hand and promised me their undying sup...

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92 Stories

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“The Menagerie” by Howard Halsall

“Clarence and Violet” by Howard Halsall

“The Trouble with Terry” by Howard Halsall

“The Waiting Game” by Howard Halsall

“Life by Numbers” by Howard Halsall

“The Visitation” by Howard Halsall

“Spaghetti Junction Blues” by Howard Halsall

“The Croak Lizard Affair” by Howard Halsall

“Steamboat Creek” by Howard Halsall

“Killing Time” by Howard Halsall

“Let's Get Lost” by Howard Halsall

“The One That Got Away” by Howard Halsall

“And the snow fell forever.” by Howard Halsall

“Moving Mum” by Howard Halsall

“The Beautiful Game” by Howard Halsall

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Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

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