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    Out of the Ashes
    Out of the Ashes
    Out of the Ashes
    Ebook123 pages1 hour

    Out of the Ashes

    By Top Writers Block

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    About this ebook

    Can any good come from ashes? This latest collection from Top Writers Block reveals that ashes may involve anything from fantasy, romance, horror, comedy to poetry. All this is 'Out of the Ashes.'

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTop Writers Block
    Release dateSep 2, 2013
    ISBN9781301546077
    Out of the Ashes
    Author

    Top Writers Block

    Top Writers Block is a diverse and eclectic group of talented writers who decided to write stories together - just for the fun of it! We are happy to announce that authors proceeds have always gone, and will continue to go, to Sea Shepherd.fr every time Smashwords has made a payment! Thank you to those who have supported the group, independent authors, and Sea Shepherd. Our collections are usually written with one theme or genre in mind. Each author contributes when they have the time, so some of the collections have as many as twelve authors participating. Every collection has something new, with stories and poems ranging from romance, drama, and adventure to mystery, fantasy, and horror. All the Top Writers Block's proceeds will go to Sea Shepherd, so by buying you are helping to keep our oceans alive! Thank You all so much!

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      Book preview

      Out of the Ashes - Top Writers Block

      A Collection of Short Stories

      by

      Top Writers Block

      based on the theme

      ‘Out of the Ashes’

      Copyright©September 2013 Top Writers Block

      Published by Top Writers Block at Smashwords

      ISBN: 9781301546077

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

      suzybazaarebooks.weebly.com

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

      Credits

      Book cover design : Suzy Stewart Dubot

      Photo : Piotr Siedlecki at http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/browse-author.php?a=43016

      Table of Contents:

      A TRACE OF BORON by Barnaby Wilde

      THE RUNNING MAN by Alison Blake

      THE INVISIBLE ONES by David H. Keith

      THE DEAD DON'T TELL! by Suzy Stewart Dubot

      OUT OF THE ASHES by David Waine

      ASHES, ASHES, DON’T FALL DOWN by Elizabeth Rowan Keith

      OUT OF THE ASHES by Don Bick

      HE’S AMONG ANGELS by Anna Scott Graham

      YESTERDAY, WHEN I WAS YOUNG by Bill Rayburn

      ROUND ABOUT THE CAULDRON WE GO by Melissa A. Szydlek

      FURZY JERSEY by Jeffra Hays

      An English writer of quirky verse, short stories, detective fiction and novels with a sense of the ridiculous, now retired from a career in manufacturing and living in the South West of England.

      A Trace of Boron

      by

      Barnaby Wilde

      Perhaps it wasn't the biggest diamond in the world, she thought, turning her hand in the sun to catch the sparkle, and maybe it wasn't the brightest. In fact, it had a definite blue tinge, something to do with boron, the man had told her, whatever that was. But, when all was said and done, a diamond was still a diamond, wasn't it? Something special. And this one was definitely something special. She turned her hand again to watch the spectrum of colours flash in the light and smiled.

      She'd first met him in a bar. Not just any bar, of course. She wasn't in the habit of hanging around in bars to pick up stray men. This was a bar where the local singles group congregated every Thursday evening for a quiet drink, to swap news and to arrange the next social event; dance, walk, party, whatever. Even after several months, she'd never felt entirely comfortable walking into the bar on her own, but, once inside, surrounded by familiar faces, she soon forgot her initial reservations.

      It was on one of the weekly bar evenings that he'd walked in, seeming to be just a little outside his normal comfort zone. He was about fifty, she guessed, with dark hair that was receding slightly and with a hint of grey at the temples. He wasn't especially tall, about five ten maybe, but he was slim and carried himself well. He hesitated in the doorway momentarily and looked about him for a few seconds before walking across to the bar counter itself. Evidently he had judged that it was worth coming in.

      She wasn't the only one to notice the new face, needless to say. Every woman in the group had clocked the new arrival and every man had noticed the potential new competition. Despite the group calling itself 'a social club for professional people', there was little doubt that most of the members were overtly, or covertly perhaps, hoping to meet a new life partner.

      The new man, whose name was John, introduced himself to the nearest person at the bar and he, in turn, was introduced to others nearby. He had an easy manner and was quickly assimilated into the crowd.

      He avoided the obvious mistake of getting stuck with the first people he'd encountered and made a point of circulating and talking to everyone in the room. She'd watched him carefully over the shoulders of the people she was talking to and managed to detach herself just in time to cross paths with him 'accidently on purpose' on one of his journeys across the room.

      Hi, she said. I'm Susan. People usually call me Sue.

      John, he said, extending a hand. People call me anything they damn well like.

      She laughed. His easy way made it natural to relax and they quickly fell into conversation.

      I should circulate, he said, after ten minutes or so. I'll talk to you again, later, perhaps?

      She didn't doubt it. He was by far the most interesting man she'd encountered since joining the friendship group. She had no intention of letting him simply walk away.

      During the rest of the evening their paths crossed several times more as they each circulated within the group. Not entirely by accident, she thought to herself. Each time they caught one another's glance there was a ready smile from them both. I think he's interested, she said to herself.

      Susan was usually one of the first to leave the bar evenings, but that night she hung back, reluctant to leave before finding out a little more about the new man. She was disappointed, however, to discover that he had apparently slipped quietly away without saying goodbye to anyone. And he didn't even ask for my phone number, she thought, resigning herself to waiting until the following week's bar meeting before seeing him again.

      In fact, it was almost a month before John showed up for the second time. She'd been to the bar meeting each week in the interim and to most of the group's other social events in the hope of seeing him, but it was exactly four weeks after he first appeared, that he walked back into her life.

      I've been moving house, he explained. I started a new job last month and I've moved down here from Hereford. That first meeting, last month, was when I was completing my house purchase.

      I thought, perhaps, we'd put you off, she said.

      Not at all. I'll be here every week from now on, … as long as you're here, of course, Sue.

      I'll have to call you Mr Smoothie, she said, trying not to sound too eager.

      You can call me whatever suits you, he smiled. Now, are we going to circulate, or what?

      This time, they were the last to leave the bar and then spent a further twenty minutes talking in the car park, before finally getting into their respective cars and heading off into the night in opposite directions, but not before swapping phone numbers.

      Three days later, they got together for lunch and the following weekend they met up for a walk along the cliff top. It was while negotiating one of the stiles on the long distance coastal footpath that he kissed her for the first time. Or, maybe, it was she who had kissed him. Or, perhaps, they had just kissed each other. Whichever way it was, they were both very happy with the arrangement. After that, it was no great surprise that a walk should turn into a dinner and a dinner should turn into … . Well, you can use your own imagination for that.

      In the days that followed, there were innumerable text messages, emails and phone calls. It was almost a week, though, before they had the chance to be together again, this time at a party organised by one of the friendship group's members. It was while sitting in his conservatory, away from the noise of the party, momentarily, that he told her he was going to marry her.

      Really? she said. Do you say that to all the women you meet?

      He shook his head. Nope, he replied. I've never said it to anyone before.

      Except your first wife, of course, said Susan.

      He looked thoughtful for a moment. I don't even remember saying it to her, he said. I'm not sure it was discussed. It just sort of happened, somehow.

      She wondered whether to ask him more about his first marriage. He'd already told her he was divorced. In the event, she allowed the moment to pass. He'd tell her more in due course, she supposed. If he wanted to.

      "You

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