Fragments - A Collection of Short Stories

A collection of 8 very different short stories, their only common denominator is to demonstrate just how quickly life can turn on a sixpence… ** The Old Lie** Set in the aftermath of the Great War, this is the story of a forgotten hero.  Tommy made it home.  He was one of the lucky ones, wasnt he? **Resuming Wilf ** Wilf is an old man, vulnerable and autistic.  Who will care for him now that he is all alone?  Help comes in the unlikely form of a long-forgotten friendship, when his neighbour, Gwen peers through her living room curtains and finally notices his plight. ** Pointless ** Set in the urban riots of Summer 2011, Adam is a quiet, sensible teacher out celebrating his recent promotion when he is accidentally caught up in the chaos. A moment of madness sees him ruin two lives forever.   ** Soul Deep ** Down in Moody, Alabama in the summer of 56, life couldnt get any more idyllic for teenagers, Willis and Isaac, until a trip into the big city brings the horrors of segregation and racism into their lives. Life will never be the same again for either of them. ** The Necessary Gamble ** Gustav became Giles when he fled Russia and made England his home. He became a very rich man, only to gamble it all away. Borrowing money from the Russian Mafia was crazy, he knew, but if he could just pull off this one final, desperate gamble, hed be home and dry, wouldnt he? ** Leave Em Laughing ** When 23 year old Kelly is diagnosed with terminal cancer, there isnt much to laugh about, but her vibrant, larger-than-life spirit remains positive and shes determined to create some happy, but not always tasteful memories for her loved ones to hold on to. ** The Wedding Trousseau ** Its 1972 and not a good time to find yourself unmarried and pregnant, especially when youre only sixteen. Mother and daughter, Rita and Heather have never seen eye to eye but as Rita has secretly been in a similar position, shes determined to be supportive. Heather just wishes her mother would listen to her. ** Debt-Ridden (The Devil Went Down To Stretham) **Making a bargain with The Devil may not be the brightest move in the world, but when you're buried in as much debt as Raymond, you'll consider anything. The problem is, The Devil doesn't want his soul, not when he already owns the likes of Simon Cowell's. Instead he offers Raymond the chance to join a new scheme he's piloting: Hell's credit card. The terms are great: no credit limits and no repayments at all. The only downside is the interest: one week of his life for every hundred pounds he spends. It's not a problem though because he'll hardly use it. Honest.