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I now have a website

I now have a website for my books http://www.hayzeebooks.co.uk

Sunday 12 March 2017

New Book Coming Soon

A new book is in preparation as we speak from Bronwyn Editions. It will be entitled Mysteria.






Here is a sample story from the above book:


Toy Soldier – A Ghost Story

Sue sat at the foot of her five year old daughter's bed. She happened to be reading her a bedtime story. She was almost at the 'And they all lived happily ever after' bit, when she heard a child's voice say 'Help me....please' The voice was right outside the bedroom door. Her daughter either hadn't heard it or was choosing to ignore it. Carry on mummy...how does it end?' her daughter said. Sue finished the story and tucked her in, then kissed her forehead.

Sue was about to put it all down to tiredness when she saw a small, plastic soldier by the bedroom door. She picked it up and recognised it as the sort that her brother had when he was a child. 'I wonder where she found this?' she thought to herself. She slipped it into her jeans pocket. Something niggled at her mind as if to say that something wasn't quite right. Once downstairs, she placed it on the fireplace to remind her to mention it to her daughter Poppy in the morning.

It played on her mind. She couldn't believe what she was doing, but she rang her brother Tony. 'Hiya kid, it's me' she said to her brother. 'Hello love, how are you?' he asked her. She told him that she was fine and then asked him if he still had his toy soldiers. 'Why?..does Poppy want them or something?' he asked her. She told him that she had found one at the house and wondered if he had let Poppy play with them when she was round at his house. 'Can't be mine' he said. 'Mum gave them to a kid down the street when I was about fifteen'. She thanked him and they exchanged a few more pleasantries, then she hung up.

When morning came she woke Poppy and gave her breakfast. She then started packing her lunch for school. 'Oh, Poppy, I found this toy soldier by your bedroom door. Is it yours?' she asked her. Her daughter chuckled and said 'Oh, that will be Alan's'. Sue was rocked by this. She knew about Alan, but he was her imaginary playmate when she was younger. She hadn't mentioned him in over a year. They were running slightly late, so there was no time to discuss it further, but Sue was definitely not happy.

All day Sue busied herself at work, but the toy soldier came into her mind constantly. During their break, Sue mentioned it to her workmate Janice. Janice had known her since they were at school together, and so knew her not to be the hysterical or fanciful type. 'Oh bugger off Sue, you are giving me the creeps' she said. 'She definitely meant her imaginary playmate, and not some boy at school?' Janice said. Sue grasped at this straw. That is what it had to be. She had misunderstood. She thanked Janice, and they carried on with their break.

Sue collected Poppy from school on her way home from work. As they were driving along, Sue asked Poppy about her friend Alan at the school, and whether she was going to give him back his toy soldier. Poppy answered her by saying 'I don't have a friend at school called Alan, mummy'. Sue almost swerved into a parked car. 'OK, get a grip girl' she said inside her mind.

Sue put this down to 'just one of those things' and left it at that. Once home they had dinner and Poppy sat to watch a little TV. Sue opened her laptop on the kitchen table to check her emails. As she was checking her emails, she knocked over a little sugar pot. She got up to fetch a sheet of paper to sweep it onto. When she got back to the kitchen table, she saw that someone had drawn a frowning face in the spilled sugar, like an upside-down smiley. She let out a small whoop of fear. She knew it couldn't have been Poppy, because she would have had to pass her to get into the kitchen.

Sue grabbed Poppy and said, 'It's Friday, let's go round to your granny's shall we?' Poppy was delighted at this sudden and impromptu adventure. She rang her mother and asked if they could stay there for the night, and that she would explain why when she got there. She then quickly gathered together a few belongings to last them the night, and then drove them both off to her mother's house.

Her mother welcomed them both with open arms, giving Poppy a big hug, and presenting her with a chocolate biscuit. 'Go and get my big button tin out of the pantry and play with it on the rug. Your mummy and I are going to have a chat and a cup of tea' she said to Poppy. Poppy was happy to do this, and a few moments later she was happily munching on her biscuit and playing with the buttons.

Her mother got as far as saying 'What on earth is....' before Sue stopped her and said 'Please mum, just listen to the full story, and please don't think I am mad'. Sue then told her the whole tale. Her mum then looked pensive, as if in thought. She then said 'You know that I gave birth to a baby boy, but he was stillborn?' Sue held her mother's hand and said 'Yes mum, you did tell me'. She then looked Sue right in the eyes and said 'I don't think I ever told you, but we were going to call him Alan'.

Sue was speechless at her mother's revelation. Her mother went on to tell her that when Sue told her that she had an imaginary playmate called Alan, it didn't surprise her. She went on to tell her that she had caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye of a little boy dressed in short trousers and school uniform. 'When did you see this, mum?' Sue asked her. Her mother told her that it was virtually every time that she babysat Poppy.

Sue slumped back into the kitchen chair, before saying 'And you didn't think it worth mentioning??' Her mother said 'What was I supposed to say. Oh Poppy has been a good little girl, she has been playing happily all day with a dead child?' 'Fair point' Sue said, before going on to say 'I would have thought you were going a bit senile if you had'. The joint laughter came as a blessed relief to both of them.

'Why does he want me to help him?' Sue said, before admonishing herself and saying 'Bloody hell, I am starting to believe this shite'. Her mother chuckled, and then told her that if it was indeed Alan, he wouldn't wish them any harm. 'I told you I see him out of the corner of my eye?' her mum said, before going on to say 'I sometimes see him standing behind me when I look in the bathroom mirror. It looks like he is trying to say something, but I can't hear him'. Sue never swore in front of her mother. Not the bad words anyway. This time she broke the habit of a lifetime. 'Fucking hell mum...firstly you are scaring me now...and secondly...how long has this been going on?' Her mother smiled and said 'About the same time that Poppy first mentioned him'.

'How do you know it's Alan. Your Alan?' Sue asked her mother. 'Do you think I wouldn't recognise my own child?' her mother answered, before continuing to say 'Anyway, he told Poppy that he was' Sue said 'OK I am furious about this. You should have told me' Her mother answered by saying that she thought Poppy had told her all about it, and that it never entered her head. 'Don't blame me if your own daughter doesn't tell you things' she snapped back at her, before grabbing Sue's hand and apologising profusely. Sue apologised as well, whilst saying that it was a very fair comment. 'I am always so busy since the divorce. She was only two when he left' she explained to her mother.

Both of them were unaware that Poppy was now standing and looking at them both. 'Are you talking about Alan?' she asked them. Neither of them answered. 'Well....are you?' she said. Sue said ' About this Alan...'. This was as far as she got. 'Don't call him that mummy, he is OUR Alan, not THIS Alan' Sue began to cry a little. Poppy came over and sat on her knee. 'Why are you both so frightened of him?' Poppy asked them. Sue's mother then asked Poppy what he wanted. She told them 'Alan says he tries to talk to you, but you can't hear him. He says you are too scared to hear him'. Her gran started to cry. She told Poppy that tonight, if he would show himself in the bathroom mirror, that she would listen. Poppy said 'He says he will talk to you right now if you like, but just you'. Sue grabbed her mothers hand but her mother said 'Tell Alan I am on my way'.

Sue's mother stood in front of the bathroom mirror, hardly daring to open her eyes. When she did, she saw Alan standing beside her, his hand in hers. 'Hello mummy' he said. She heard him as clear as day, then she dissolved into tears. 'Please dont cry mummy' Alan said. She composed herself and apologised. 'I'm listening now darling. What is it that you want to tell me?'

'I saw how unhappy you were when I didn't take my earthly form. I have tried for so long to talk to you. When Poppy could see me I was so pleased'. Alan told her. 'I left that toy soldier for my sister to find, because she couldn't hear me either' He then went on to tell her that he knew it would frighten her into talking to someone, and that he and Poppy had planned it together. 'What is it that you are so desperate to tell me my darling?' she asked. Alan replied 'I just wanted to tell you that I am OK and this is just my little boy shadow. Look again mummy' When she looked into the mirror again she saw a tall, handsome and athletic man in his prime. He smiled the broadest and happiest grin and said to her 'I just wanted to tell you that I am fine and that I love you mum' He then faded away.

Sue, her mother and Poppy never saw Alan again after that day. He became far more subtle. When Sue worried over the bills, she would feel her big brothers arm around her shoulder. Poppy walked with an air of confidence, knowing that her Uncle had her back at all times. Alan's mum felt him around at all times. Sometimes she would find a little heart drawn into the dust, and beside it a kiss.

© David Hayes

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