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    Strange Tales
    Strange Tales
    Strange Tales
    Ebook99 pages1 hour

    Strange Tales

    By Philip R Benge

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    About this ebook

    Five short mild horror stories.
    In the first tale, a man finds that his immortal soul is in peril.
    In the second tale, a man seeks to change his life and succeeds in a way he could never imagine.
    In the third tale, a man is forced to fight against the forces of evil.
    In the fourth tale, a man has to save his friend who has been seduced by evil.
    In the fifth tale, an old evil returns to terrorise the people living on a small Greek island.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPhilip R Benge
    Release dateAug 28, 2012
    ISBN9781476059068
    Strange Tales
    Author

    Philip R Benge

    Like most of the world, I had to work hard to pay my mortgage and all the other bills, which meant that I only had the time and the energy to write some short stories. I finally found the time and the energy to write some full length Science Fiction stories.

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      Book preview

      Strange Tales - Philip R Benge

      Strange Tales

      A Book

      By

      Philip R Benge

      Smashwords Edition

      ***************

      Published by

      Philip R Benge on Smashwords

      Strange Tales

      Copyright Philip R Benge 2012

      Cover Art Copyright Philip R Benge 2012

      Thank you for downloading this eBook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form, with the exception of quotes used in reviews.

      Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

      This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

      Contents

      Story One: All Souls Rest

      Story Two: The Box

      Story Three: The Relic

      Story Four: The Dark Witches

      Story Five: The Guardian

      Other Books by the Author

      ALL SOULS REST

      Matt Taylor had only recently moved to the wilds of Devon and he was starting his first day today at his new job. He had left early so that he could walk the mile and a bit down the country lanes towards Oakhampton where his office was located. He had decided to walk as it was such a nice day, and any way he had been putting a little weight on due to using the car too much. Ahead he noticed a very pretty young woman who was sitting on the garden wall of an old country cottage that seemed as old as the countryside about it.

      Matt had decided to try and get into the ways of the country from the start and so had been stopping to chat to all he passed, to the surprise and consternation of a few of his neighbours, but it would need no effort on his part to stop and say hello to this young woman.

      Good morning, it really is a very nice day today isn't it. Matt said throwing her one of his best smiles.

      Good morning, but I'm afraid it has not got off to a good start for me, you see I seem to have hurt my ankle. Would you very much mind giving me a hand up to my cottage? With that, the young woman stood up, grimacing with pain as she tentatively rested her weight upon her injured foot.

      No, of course not, here put your weight on me. With that, Matt put his arm around her waist and with her arm around his shoulder; they tottered off up the path to her door. Matt was sorry for the pain that she was in, but he was delighted to be of use to her as it would then give him the opportunity to call again and enquire after her health. As she settled herself upon a chair, the antique clock upon the mantle chimed the half hour and Matt realising that he had spent far too long socialising with all of his neighbours said his hurried goodbyes.

      Look, it seems I'll be late for my first day at the new job if I don't rush of now. Will you be all right if I leave you? On receiving her rather reluctant permission to go, Matt rushed off, after wishing her well with her ankle.

      During his first morning in the office, Matt happened to remark to his office Manager of his chance meeting with such a young woman who happened to live in a very old and charming cottage, and how he hoped to see her again.

      What charming old cottage down that lane? Mr Boston said shaking his head. Apart from a couple of old dilapidated farm houses and the converted barn owned by the yuppie couple, I don't recall seeing anything even remotely resembling what you describe Matt, are you sure that you didn't dream it.

      On laughing off his manager`s doubts to his sanity, and arguing on for a minute more the two men decided to walk down the lane during their lunch to find the cottage that had remained hidden from Boston during his five or so years that he had lived in these parts. The two men walked the length and breadth of the lane twice without finding any sign of the cottage and Matt was decidedly bothered after their efforts, but he knew that it was not all a dream. Back at the office, the two men tried to find an answer to his problem.

      Are you sure it was that lane that you walked down; I mean it was only the other day that you moved here Matt. Boston said trying to give Matt a plausible answer to his problem.

      Yes, it is the only one that runs almost directly from my cottage to Oakhampton, I really don't know what to think, maybe I did imagine it, anyway when I find it again, I'll make sure I don't lose it quite so easily. With that, the cottage was forgotten for the moment while the two men got back to the work in hand. Matt had to drive to work during the remainder of his first week, going via their factory on the way to the office and via their customers on the way home. This meant the cottage was forgotten until the weekend when he determined to find it again and pay his best wishes to the young woman. He had come to within a quarter of a mile from his office when the cottage appeared in front of him, complete with the pretty young woman, who seemed to be waiting by the gate to speak to him.

      Hello again, how are you this morning, is your ankle all right today? Matt asked as he stopped beside her.

      Yes, it is fine now; I just needed a rest and a cold compress to put it to rights. Can I offer you a cup of tea in gratitude for your assistance?

      Matt did not need to be asked twice as he passed through the doorway of All Souls Rest; the name of the house was painted upon a sign hanging outside by the door. He soon found himself sitting in the conservatory at the rear of the house enjoying the company of the delightful Alice and drinking a cup of the most glorious tea that he had ever tasted. They spoke about his new cottage and his work, the brand of tea, which Alice assured Matt he would never find as she had it specially blended for her by an importer in London, but she always steered the conversation away whenever he tried to find out about Alice or her family. Oh well if she wanted to remain mysterious then he did not mind, not as long as he could look into her bright smiling eyes.

      After laughing about Matt and Boston's failed attempts to find the house and putting it down to their looking at the wrong end of the lane, Alice excused herself while she made some more tea. Matt got up to look at the small caskets that stood inside of a china cabinet, each one bore the name of some man or woman, he would have to ask Alice on her return just what they were. The house was extremely old and to his surprise, he found that it did not even have electricity or gas, how on earth did she manage to survive without them during the twentieth century. Matt must have dosed off due to the warmth of the sun and it was dusk when he awoke to find his heart beating at panic levels and beyond. His hair was literally standing on end and something inside of him was telling him to run, to run now, to run as fast as he possibly could or lose his mortal soul to an evil that even now was closing in upon him.

      Such was the level of fear that had arisen inside of him that Matt leapt up out of the chair and ran to the door which, for a long five seconds that seemed more like five minutes, refused to open. Then finally and thankfully, he was through the door and on the pathway that led to the lane, but Matt did not stop running until he had reached home and then he needed a large glass of whisky to try and steady his nerves.

      As his

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