Fiction logo

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 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 1 min read

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 ~

More Beckenham tales

HistoricalMicrofictionMysteryPsychologicalHumor

About the Creator

Raymond G. Taylor

Author living in Kent, England. Writer of short stories and poems in a wide range of genres, forms and styles. A non-fiction writer for 40+ years. Subjects include art, history, science, business, law, and the human condition.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments (3)

Sign in to comment
  • Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock2 years 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 2 years ago

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

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.