HJ Furl subjects disarmingly vulnerable characters to distressing conflict in a world of isolation and controversy. A filthy glue-sniffing girl begs you for help at dusk. A mother and her children face robotic annihilation. Chaos breaks out on a long-haul flight when a tourist is incapacitated by bugs. Unclad soldiers hunt down a ruthless insurgent. A widower wanders through the wilderness searching for his dead wife and little boy. A male and female contestant fight a beast in the deadliest game of chance in the world. A schoolboy is challenged to a cruel dare by a bully.Thrill seekers are infected with a deadly virus in their remote jungle retreat. A WW2 airman is fated by a mysterious wartime dancer. A three-year-old girl goes missing presumed dead in a blazing inferno. A car crash victim stalks a gigolo hell-bent on revenge…
Is It Today? they meet their fate?
What will you do when the harsh realities of modern life become too much for you to bear?
Will fantasy be your only salvation?
*****
Is It Today? is my first, devastating, anthology of short stories. It is available to buy now as a limited edition signed copy from me at dston1742btinternet.com or from my local bookshop: thebookshopLoughton@gmail.com, and online as an e-book or unsigned paperback from Amazon. Com and Amazon. UK.
Thank you for reading me.
HJ Furl
Facebook: Is It Today by HJ Furl
e-mail: dston1742@btinternet.com
It’s Crying Gas, Girl!
In her own words, this is Harriet-Jacqui’s personal account of the Crying Gas attack – the story of the Girl in the Gas Mask:
I was learning to write when the crying gas attack happened. I will never forget how I crouched under the stairs waiting for the gas to come. The wailing of the sirens. The insistent, percussive hammering of stress messages in my ears:
‘Warning! Warning! It’s Crying Gas, Stay Indoors! Do not go out! Warning!!!!!!
I was curious. I wanted to see, touch, feel, smell the gas. I went outside. I took off my gas mask.
She was waiting for me on the front lawn. I reached out to her using her name,
‘Get you in your new yellow bio-hazard suit, Meg!’
‘It’s Crying Gas, Harriet-Jacqui!’ she cried.
As usual, I didn’t listen to her. I took off my mask. The gas etched my face in celestial patterns. I started to cry. I was beautifully scarred – for life. My face screamed. I lacked confidence!
I live in a converted lighthouse on a remote Scottish coast with my Siamese cats, Charly and Phyllis, robot Seth, and live-in lover, Meg. When I’m not busy dreaming, I comb the local beach for unusual shells, clear up all of your plastic waste, and save stranded marine mammals. Of indeterminate age, I love to swim in the ice-cold ocean to keep myself – looking young.
Life was wonderful before the gas attack in 2019.
They told me I should keep writing!
Harriet-Jacqui Furl
Tweet Harriet-Jacqui @FurlHj
