T W E N T Y   F I V E

Carol Monk appeared to ooze confidence as she strolled into the offices of Gateway Cabs. It was a journalistic mask of course; professionalism often hid any deep personal anguish she might normally feel.
When she’d heard that Scott had been attacked in his own flat, she could have hardly believed her ears.
She’d rushed off to ( Read more... )

   T W E N T Y   F O U R

Neville Hall Hospital may have been predominantly a place of sickness and ill-health but its numerous staff of nurses, doctors and porters had all made their own contributions towards trying to bring some of the joys of Christmas into the otherwise cold building complex.
Corridor walls were decorated with cards and plastic ( Read more... )

                                                                              Boxing Day

T W E N T Y   T H R E E

“For the last time, I’m telling you. It wasn’t me!”
Brian Thomas’s hands were trembling as he placed the cigarette in his mouth and inhaled. He tried to look away ( Read more... )

                                                                                      T W E N T Y   T W O

Stoker involuntarily belched, bringing the pleasantries to an abrupt halt.
“Sorry - just had a very large Christmas meal,” he apologised.
“Lucky you,” came the reply, “I’ve had to make do with a few festive sarnies. That’s the problem when you’re ( Read more... )

 
                                                                              T W E N T Y   O N E

Scott opened the oven door; the sudden heat blasted out towards his face as he leant over to look inside. The turkey was sizzling quite nicely and its brownish appearance combined with a mouth-watering smell told his rumbling stomach that it was ( Read more... )

                                                                                Christmas Day

T W E N T Y

“Electrocution and decapitation?!!!”
Stoker’s stomach churned at the thought of it. And he was so very tired of that feeling.
It was Christmas morning and instead of ( Read more... )

                                                                                                       N I N E T E E N

“Merry Christmas!” the three women yelled in succession as Jack Rogers started up his engine to take them to the inevitable seasonal festivities that followed.
Judging by the volume of noise and the amount of giggling that had gone ( Read more... )

Christmas Eve

E I G H T E E N

Scott sat back from his desk, jubilantly sipping from the cup of tea one of his colleagues had made. ‘Was this a sign of things to come?’ he smugly thought to himself.
In all honesty, he couldn’t think of when he’d spent a better Christmas Eve.
( Read more... )

                                                                            S E V E N T E E N

Kate screamed loudly enough to wake the dead - or in this case Scott Jackson who had been fighting a losing battle against restlessness for most of the night on his lounge settee.
He grabbed the nearest weapon, a glass from the coffee table, and rushed ( Read more... )

                                                            S I X T E E N

Brian Thomas’s fist caught him squarely across the mouth, causing blood to instantly shoot out as his lower lip cut into his teeth.
Drunken onlookers roared their approval, happy that their blood lust was becoming increasingly satisfied.
Thomas threw another punch, this time ( Read more... )