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A quiet night in the George Inn

Feeling a little unsettled, something was not quite right and it wasn't the beer.

By Raymond G. TaylorPublished 5 months ago Updated 5 months ago 1 min read
6

Sitting in my usual place in my favourite armchair by the fireside in the George, I was feeling a little unsettled. It wasn’t the beer, I knew, as I stared at the crystal-clear brew in the glass on the table before me. I glanced up at Ray and Trevor, standing at the other end of the fireplace, each with a pint in their hands. They were gassing away as usual, but tonight with someone else I didn’t know. The three of them were discussing the match and taking no notice of me. Seemed like these days, I hardly had a friend to talk to and often ended up sitting alone in the corner.

“Yeah, Édouard was really on form today…” one of them said. Who the hell is Édouard? I thought. That was it. I’d had enough and decided to go home. I gasped as I banged my shin on the table, slopping one of the pints.

“What the f*** was that?” Said one of the three men standing in a group by the fireplace. They had all heard the table legs grate and could see the beer spilled over the table by the armchair in the corner.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” said another. “Probably just the ghost of old ’arry” in a huff as usual. That often happens if you talk about footie near his chair by the fire.

O ~ 0 ~ o ~

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HumorPsychologicalMysteryMicrofictionHistorical
6

About the Creator

Raymond G. Taylor

Author based in Kent, England. A writer of fictional short stories in a wide range of genres, he has been a non-fiction writer since the 1980s. Non-fiction subjects include art, history, technology, business, law, and the human condition.

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Comments (3)

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  • Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock2 months ago

    I'll drink to that! (Kombucha or tea, of course. Never learned to like beer.)

  • Hahahahhahahaha that was very unexpected! Loved your story!

  • Kendall Defoe 5 months ago

    Oh, I love this one! A perfect twist... Hey, why did my chair just move? ;)

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