Quadrennial: Vinyed Flash & Shorts Collection, #1

Eduard Meinema

Vinyed 1 Quadrennial

First published by www.transfiction.nl 2022

Copyright © 2022 by Eduard Meinema

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

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Contents

1. Vinyed Flash & Shorts Collection # 1

2. 1 The Dikehouse

3. 1.1

4. 1.2

5. 1.3

6. 1.4

7. 1.5

8. 1.6

9. 1.7

10. 1.8

11. 1.9

12. 1.10

13. 1.11

14. 1.12

15. 1.13

16. 1.14

17. 1.15

18. 2 Allotment

19. 2.1

20. 2.2

21. 2.3

22. 2.4

23. 2.5

24. 2.6

25. 2.7

26. 3 Call it a Day

27. 3.1

28. 4 Barker

29. 4.1

30. 4.2

31. 4.3

32. 4.4

33. 4.5

34. 4.6

35. 4.7

36. 4.8

37. 5 Gifted

38. 5.1

39. 6 Man on a Mission

40. 6.1

41. 6.2

42. 6.3

43. 6.4

44. 7 Quadrennial

45. 7.1

46. 8 Vinyed Collection

47. 9 TexTees

48. 10 Delft Blue Crimes

About the Author

1

Vinyed Flash & Shorts Collection # 1

A collection of short and ultra-short stories with an unexpected twist (Twisted Tales). Imaginative, surprising and terrifying. In this issue you will find the following seven stories:

- The Dikehouse

The Woldring family is ready to move into a beautiful house on a dike. An old building in the middle of the Dutch fruit production county ‘The Betuwe’ where the Woldrings expect to escape the bustle of the citylife. The removal does not run as smooth as planned. Calamity and an unexpected, bizarre discovery are waiting behind the doors of the Woldrings’ new house. The troublesome circumstances soon show that the family ties are not as tight as thought. A removal with unpleasant consequences that no one could imagine…

- Allotment

Incidents of war have caused a never ending stream of refugees: people moving up north, trying to escape the warzone in the Middle East. Politicians and civilians disagree on measurements to be taken. Meanwhile society grows suspicious about the real intentions of the refugees. Are they really escaping war? Merely seeking for luck? Or is something else going on…?

- Call it a day

You know what they say: There is no elevator that will lead you to success. You have to climb the stairs yourself. And once you get there, you will find out: being successful isn’t always easy.

- Barker

Walking the dog, Brandon Flinders sees flashlights in the sky. They seem to be moving towards an unknown, but nearby airstrip. Flinders wonders what’s going on. Smugglers…aliens? He tries to find out, following the lights in the middle of the night. What will he find?

- Gifted

Predicting the future. Isn’t it something we all want? But, does foreseeing the future also mean you can change it?

- Man on a Mission

The daily routine of a patrol in the outskirts of the universe is rudely disturbed by an unexpected event. How will the crew cope with this threatening interruption? How will they face the unknown?

- Quadrennial

When Leap Day turns into a once in a lifetime experience…

Are you ready for the unexpected? Start reading!

2

1 The Dikehouse

The Woldring family is ready to move into a beautiful house on a dike. An old building in the middle of the Dutch fruit production county ‘The Betuwe’ where the Woldrings expect to escape the bustle of the citylife. The removal does not run as smooth as planned. Calamity and an unexpected, bizarre discovery are waiting behind the doors of the Woldrings’ new house. The troublesome circumstances soon show that the family ties are not as tight as thought. A removal with unpleasant consequences that no one could imagine…

3

1.1

It’s really the same house, Anthony Woldring says as he convulsively clamps one of the boxes in his arms.

The chill wind whistles piercing along the dike and rubs along the veins in their faces.

Well, when we first saw it, it seemed more fun, Tony calls. The oldest of the two children pulls his cap even further over his throbbing ears.

His younger sister giggles. You look like a Teletubbie, Jeany laughs.

Come on guys, what did you expect? Leah says, shivering from the cold. The first time we saw the house was in spring; all fruit trees were in bloom, right honey? Disappointed and as inconspicuous as possible Leah looks at her husband. This is not the time to say it out loud, but frankly she also had a very different image of the house in her mind. The last time they had seen their new house, the fruit trees still wore white blossoms; now the wind is building snowdrifts. Gloomy she looks at the white landscape around the old dike; their new home. The dike suddenly seems much higher. The entrance is at the very top; the house and garden a story below, at the bottom of the dike. We’ll make the best of it! she cries almost cheerful and resolutely steps inside.

Beware! Anthony shouts.

Mom! Jeany screams.

Anthony Woldring frightens and drops the box from his hands. The clatter reveals what is in the box. Or was; after the fall there is not much left of the china. Before Anthony can do anything, his wife has disappeared into the gaping hole right behind the door.

Lee? he shouts, peering frightened into the deep, dark hole. Holy shit, you’ve scared the hell out of me!

How do you think I feel? Leah groans. What idiot didn’t close the hatch?

Are you okay sweetie? Didn’t break anything did you? Anthony asks worried. With his right hand he pushes Tony and Jeany away from the hole. Get out of here! he commands. Get out of this narrow hallway!

Mom? Jeany squeaks. Are you still alive?

Duh-huh, Tony says. She just answered…

Come on guys, step aside, Anthony says angrily. With his left hand he reaches out to Leah. Come on honey, I pull you out of there.

I can’t reach your hand, Leah moans.

Yes, Anthony mutters, it is very deep for a crawl space. It almost looks like a basement. Can you move yourself dear?

My leg is feeling weird… I think it’s broken.

Sweet Jesus…

Watch your language Anthony. We now live in the Bible Belt remember?

Yeah, yeah…, Anthony sighs. Damned, this is really fucked up.

Anthony!

Sorry… but it’s still fucked.

Leah shakes her head. I think you should call 911 Ton. You can’t get me out of here all by yourself.

Damn.

Ton!

Come on, what else can I say? Hallelujah? Thank you, Lord? Angry he paves his way through the snow; out of envy he kicks the box with the broken crockery, picks up his cell phone which he had stored in the glove compartment of the removal van and calls the emergency services. Nearly twenty minutes later a bright yellow ambulance slowly glides through the snow to the house on the dike.

4

1.2

Good thing my wife did not have a heart attack, Anthony says. The two paramedics don’t miss the sarcastic tone. From experience, they know what to do and do not respond.

Where is the victim? the tallest man of the two men asks.

On the couch, enjoying a cup of tea… I already told you that she has fallen into the crawl space, didn’t I? Anthony says annoyed.

The small, corpulent brother takes the initiative. Wriggles himself into the narrow corridor and bends over the gaping hole. Are you alright ma’am?

Leah mutter-moans something unintelligible.

Sorry?

I want out! Leah screams as loud as she can. I’ve been down here for almost half an hour…

I know ma’am. Sorry for that. Because of the snow we are very busy. But don’t you worry we will get you out. Quickly he turns to his colleague and softly speaks: This isn’t going to work Jeremy. I just don’t fit in there.

No, that’s obvious, Anthony says hateful.

What is obvious Ton? Leah asks.

Nothing, we are discussing the plan honey.

Enough, Jeremy says and sends Anthony out. Then he bends over the hole. Um… Ma’am; the crawl space is deeper than we thought. And quite narrow too. I’m afraid we must call the fire department for help.

Oh, Leah reacts offended. I’m not a fucking cow that fell into a ditch.

Mind your language sweetie, Anthony says delicately from the doorway.

You call the fire department Peter, Jeremy tells his fellow paramedic. I will have a closer look on the lady’s condition. Jeremy lies down on his belly and stretches out in the hallway. He grabs a flashlight from his pocket and shines in the crawl space. Slowly he moves the light over Leah. Except for a few scrapes, and your broken your leg, I see nothing unusual ma’am. We will wait for our colleagues. Would you like something to drink?

A little water would be fine. Are the children with my husband?

I didn’t see any children, Jeremy says. If you wait here, I grab a bottle of water and ask your husband about the children.

If you wait here…, Leah mutters cranky. "If