Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "oldman"

Exclusive short story by author, Felicity Lennie!

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You may remember, last month I interviewed the fabulous Felicity Lennie, author of Libra Liberati, and many other novels.

I also ran a contest on my blog offering one lucky blog reader a personalised short story written exclusively for him or her by Felicity.



Four people left comments, as follows:

Darcia Helle said she would like her story to be based on the theme of 'Danger'.

Joanna Lee Doster wanted a story about her being wrongly accused of murder with an antique stolen from a posh antique store


Doreen Cox said she would leave it up to Felicity to pick a subject for her story

Julie Elizabeth Powell said she wanted a rags to riches tale about how she became a famous author

The resulting short story is a combination of all of those comments! So everyone's a winner!

Here's the story for all to enjoy. If the winners would like their very own copy of the story, send me a message here on Goodreads with your email address and I will send you a copy of your prize!

It's just wonderful that all of those who entered the contest have been rewarded with this clever story. I really enjoyed reading it and I know you will too!

Thanks, Felicity for entertaining us!

Here it is:


OLDMAN by Felicity Lennie

I could not choose so you are all involved in this little tale of mine.



As the spiteful shower ceased, water droplets plopped onto the lids of the large corporate bins lining the alleyway like sentries on duty. Julie pulled the discarded plastic sheeting closer around her as she struggled to stay warm in the doorway where she was sheltering.
It was her first night sleeping rough and sleep was impossible because of the insecurity of her situation. Her landlord had evicted her for non-payment of rent and her whole life was squashed into the few bags round her.
Just a couple of months before, she had been the successful manager of a posh Antique shop in the most prestigious part of the City. It had been her chance to mingle with the rich and famous customers who spent fortunes on genuine artefacts for their homes, rare quality pieces that were unobtainable from any other source. Indeed she had wondered how her employer came by them but since she had never met him, she had never had the opportunity to ask.
Julie had registered with the Aggastyan Employment Agency as soon as she had arrived in the City. In order to be able to live there, she had to get a job and fast, her landlord requiring money upfront. This agency had been close to the Bus Station where she had arrived. She was surprised when they sent her still carrying her luggage off to a job interview. Her initial interview had been with a Solicitor acting for the mysterious Herr. Altmann. No-one else was there to be interviewed and the questions merely were whether she accepted the terms of employment and pay, both ridiculously flexible. Just as she was about to ask whether she could have an advance for her landlord, the solicitor had produced a thick wad of cash and pushed it across the table.
“First month’s money in advance’, he said.
Julie had grabbed it quickly for fear it might disappear. Smiling happily, she had offered her hand to shake but the solicitor had shuddered and called his spindly, elderly secretary in. She looked like a grey raven.
“My secretary will give you the necessary papers and keys. You will find everything you need at the shop. The code for the safe is whatever you make it as it is currently empty. Each day you will put all the cash in there, lock it, set the code and go home. Your employer will empty it each night and bank it,” the solicitor told her.
“What about the stock?” Julie had asked.
“There is a catalogue on the counter. It will tell you all you need to know,” the solicitor said. The secretary touched Julie’s arm. The iciness of her hand seemed to make Julie jump. It was like being touched by the dead.
Back at her new flat, Julie had laid what was left of the money after her rent on the small bed. She had forgotten all about the solicitor and his strange behaviour. Here were her first earnings for a job she had not even started. She slept well and awoke early full of tingling anticipation.
The first morning had been nerve-wracking and exciting since lots of her customers were celebrities that Julie immediately recognised. Each antique was carefully labelled with, what seemed an outrageously high price and scant information about its origin. Only a few pieces were sold in a day but the amount of money she put in the safe left Julie breathless. The next morning it was always gone and there were new artefacts added to the collection.
After a few weeks, Julie became used to her new job and began to get invitations to social events by some of the celebrities. A letter was left on the counter one morning telling her that her pay had increased and a load of cash piled up in another large envelope. Eagerly Julie bought new clothes, new shoes and even some jewellery. The more elegant she dressed, the more invitations she received.
At one party she met the famous rock singer ‘Ilvec Chio’. For years she had been a fan of the staggeringly handsome Ilvec . Suddenly, before she knew it, she was in his chauffeured limousine and she had become part of his entourage ….. his woman.
She had wanted to give up the job but he insisted she didn’t, saying the life span of a Rock star was unpredictable so less enthusiastically, Julie kept going to the shop. Then one day, in a rush to make Ilvec’s concert, she forgot to lock up .
At the concert he failed to turn up, fans were refunded and disappointed but not as disappointed as Julie. She went to his apartment. He was missing.
The next morning she arrived to find the shop had been trashed, graffiti sprayed everywhere and a strange elegant woman standing holding a priceless jewelled dagger dripping blood. On the floor lay a body, the body of Ilvec Chio.
The woman was mumbling, “My name’s Joanna . I didn’t do this…… I was walking by …the door was ajar and I heard some-one cry out ….. you have to believe me, I didn’t do this!” She dropped the dagger with a clatter and moved towards Julie who moved away quickly jabbing the police number into her phone.
Wildly looking around the woman called Joanna ran panicking towards the door as a tall woman appeared, surrounded by three others. The tall woman was dressed in a Police Uniform.
“My name’s Doreen and these are my friends. We were in the café next door and saw this woman come in then we heard screams so we called ……”, the woman stopped as she saw the body.
The police woman Darcia took charge.
More police arrived. Statements were made and the woman called Joanna was arrested and led away still protesting her innocence.
Julie was allowed home.
The next morning she went to the shop but it was boarded up. In fact it looked as if it had been boarded up for years. There was old graffiti sprayed on it, cobwebs , grime and old bills posted. She tried to use the keys but they no longer fitted the door. She went down the side alley where she found a broken window and looked in. The place was empty except for old broken glass from the window through which she looked.
A policeman spotted her and asked her what she was doing.
“The antique shop ….. owned by Herr Altmann…. Where is it?” she murmured.
“This place has been empty for years! It’s condemned and waiting for demolition,” the policeman told her.
Julie shook her head in shock. She went to the solicitor’s office. That too was a derelict building.
Nothing made any sense.
She went in the news kiosk at the bus station and bought a paper.
The headline read ‘Ilvec Chio’ stabbed to death by a crazed fan in an alleyway near his home. The face of the crazed fan was shown as the woman who had called herself Joanna.
Julie went down to the Police Station and asked if she could see the woman but they told her it was impossible.
Just then Joanna appeared flanked by two officers. Julie rushed towards her but was held back by Darcia.
“You killed him at the shop didn’t you,” Julie said desperately, “it was in the shop wasn’t’ it…. The one I was manager of….”
Joanna looked at her sadly, “Save your breath, they wont’ believe you and they won’t believe me. I was in your position once …. It’s a time loop. You will try and find the Old Man and kill him too eventually then the loop will twist round again.”
Julie watched as Joanna was led away.

Julie had lost everything in a single moment. The money evaporated as quickly as the shop had done and her employer. The rent could not be paid and she was evicted. She had struggled to find work for a few weeks but nothing. The landlord threw her out with her bags and now she was in a doorway sheltering from the rain.
Eventually it stopped and the Moon rose high and bright.
She gathered her bags and walked out into the main road. How far she wandered she did not know but she knew that in the morning she would go to the bus depot, ring her family and beg them to get her home.
As the early morning light started to appear, she noticed a familiar sight ….. an antique shop , different from the one where she had worked. The door was ajar and suddenly hope burst in her heart. Maybe the owner was there and would give her a job …. Perhaps all was not lost after all.
She hurried in.
An old pale man stood at the counter. He turned and smiled the sick twisted grotesque smile of one who knows he has triumphed.
Automatically whilst in some sort of trance Julie’s hand wrapped itself round an old bejewelled dagger and against her will, her hand plunged it into his chest.
Where she had once seen the old man, became a young handsome actor well- loved by huge hordes of fans. Into the doorway appeared a woman holding keys …..
“My name’s Julie. I didn’t do this… I was walking by … I heard cries.. I came in … I didn’t do this …. I DIDN’T DO THIS !”


Is there a hopeful end to the time-loop story?
Joanna and Julie were absolved from the murder accusations when the bodies vanished. The whole incident would have been swept under the carpet was it not for the fact that they collaborated on a book about the experience which raced to number one in the bestseller list of every country of the world. It is now being made into a movie.
Both are wealthy but neither has ever accepted an invitation to browse in any antique shop. In fact they avoid them altogether.
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Published on August 02, 2012 04:39 Tags: felicity-lennie, oldman, short-story