Terry R Barca

“A Bit Of The Other” by Terry R Barca

The sun was getting low, and its height exactly matched my mood. When things get bad, I have strategies. Top of the list is walking. It occurred to me that I had not walked this way in a long while and I wondered why. With the sun filtering golden light through the tall pine trees I was instantly transported back to a moment in my childhood — some sort of fete or carnival, pine trees, afternoon sun and a feeling that the world was a remarkable place. The tennis courts were cut deeply into the side of the hill, and I wondered why the soft m...

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“Attracting Cats” by Terry R Barca

There is something about a trumpet that attracts cats.I’ve never been able to work it out.Back in the day I played in big bands and did very nicely thank you.But that was then.These days, I have a tidy but tiny room, at least two meals a day and I don’t think much about back then.I live close to the theatre district and one of my friends from ‘back then’ manages one of the larger venues. He pays me to keep the patrons entertained while they wait for admission. He doesn’t have to, but he does. It’s only a small amount per night, but when you ...

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“The Protest of Romance Against the Commonplace of Life” by Terry R Barca

As far back as anyone can remember, there was the three of us.Of course, there were others — friends, relatives, enemies, confederates, liars and parasites. But through it all, we remained untouched, unsullied and unconcerned.My main job was to not favour one over the other — a clear course to disaster.They both wanted me, and the feeling was mutual, but to fall in love with one more than the other would pull our world apart.I’d loved them both — not at the same time, we were too young to be that creative or that unselfish. Our carnal advent...

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“Party Game” by Terry R Barca

I don't particularly like party games, and I like parties even less, but sometimes you have to turn up – do your penance. My girlfriend asked me to attend. She doesn't know what I do for a living. Special agent? More like 'pencil pusher' these days.I say ‘girlfriend’, and you probably think that I'm young and healthy. One out of two. My 50th birthday has been bearing down on me recently, and I cannot seem to dodge it. So, young? No, but reasonably healthy. It was realising that my youth had flown which prompted ...

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“Look Closer” by Terry R Barca

Submitted to Contest #20

It was one of those jobs that you really hate; clearing out a dead person’s house. That’s where we come in; we specialise. We get a call from some rich bozo who’s grandma just died, and he's going to sell her house, but he wants to make sure that he also gets to sell anything of value. He can’t be bothered doing it himself, so he hires us.Big Bill, who never leaves the offices these days, started the company just after the war with two of his army mates. In those days they would do most anything that was required, and some of ...

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“Night Shift” by Terry R Barca

Submitted to Contest #19

I was lucky to get this job.Not because these kinds of jobs are hard to get but because this is exactly the kind of job that suits my mood.It’s not that I don’t like people, there are one or two that I wouldn’t set fire to if I had the tools. It’s just that people get me down. They seem to be comfortable in this world; I’m not. They rush around, and they seem to know stuff; stuff I don’t know.I’m not dumb, on the contrary, I have a good education bought and paid for by loving parents. Much and all as I’d like to, I can’t ...

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“Am I Blue” by Terry R Barca

Submitted to Contest #18

I saw it as I drove by.The Salvation Army had opened a new store in my town, but I hadn’t had the time to look around.The shop was once a Video Store. It had been there for more than a decade. I remember a broken-down old Milk Bar being on that site. We used to go in there when we were kids and buy a penny’s worth of those, and a penny’s worth of those, we must have driven the shopkeeper crazy.One day the wreckers moved in, and the old Milk Bar disappeared.Not long after, the builders turned up, and a large shop with prefab wa...

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“Tiny Little Secretaries” by Terry R Barca

Submitted to Contest #15

I know -- it’s been done a thousand times, and I know you are getting ready to turn away but wait.  Just give me a couple of minutes to explain. This isn’t just another half-baked science fiction story, this really happened, and it happened to me. To start with, there is a reason why there are so many stories going around about shrinking people, and there have even been a few movies on the subject -- Rachel Welch was in one if I remember rightly. People are fascinated by the idea of really tiny people. Sorry, I got a little sidetracked ...

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“Click, Flash and it was Done” by Terry R Barca

Submitted to Contest #14

The day was unexceptional except for closing a huge deal with a famous investor.He could have stolen my invention; I didn’t have the capital to pursue him in the courts. I was acting on faith (I know, stupid, right?). J. P. Moneybags was true to his word and decided to stump up the monstrous capital needed to bring my invention to production.He gets 95% of the profits, and I get 5%. But that's not as bad as it sounds because the patent is in my name.5% of a lot of money is, well, a lot of money.My needs are small, but my curiosity is insatia...

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“Adelaide Sleeper” by Terry R Barca

Submitted to Contest #12

“I’m sorry Mr Bennett,” she didn’t look that sorry, “but a shared sleeper is all we have left. If you must travel on that day, you will have to share. If you can put your trip off for a day or two you can have your pick of the solo cabins — they are more expensive, of course.”“I have to be there on Friday, so it has to be the overnight train on Thursday. I’ll take the ticket, but tell them to stock up on decent whisky. I’m going to need it, and so is my sleep buddy,” said Sam“You will have some time to yourself because your fellow passenger ...

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