by Vance Huxley
Hand in hand, the little family walked up the road towards the big house with the flag, towards home. “Christmas soon Harold. Seventeen days. Have you made any plans?”
Harold laughed again. “Not really, I’ve been busy.”
Though some of the eyes watching had definite plans for Christmas and one or another member of the family.
This ends Book One of
The Fall of the Cities.
Find out what happens next!
Book 2 will be available soon!
CHARACTERS IN PLANTING AN ORCHARD
Harold (Harry) Miller – 20 – Corporal pay clerk with CGC Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. Civilian marksman even at sixteen but not comfortable with shooting live targets so won’t take sniper training, or qualify as a marksman.
London
Arnold Tredwell – Lance-Corporal on supply runs.
Chris Wilson – Sergeant who considers Harold an aberration, unfit for the medal if he won’t be a ‘proper’ soldier.
Cullen – Trainee cook in commandeered hotel.
Cynthia (Cyn) – 19 – Pretends to be kitchen staff because her home is a council estate and now a war zone. Daren’t go home.
Davie Maynard – 20 – Squaddie – Harry’s darts partner and a friend. Forbes – Private, crony of Suggs.
Gallaher – Private, crony of Suggs.
Janina – Young Polish woman.
Lieutenant Symonns – Has a chip on his shoulder about Harry’s medal.
Marcie – 17 – Young prostitute caught in hotel when rioting starts. Daren’t go on the streets because of riots, so volunteers for kitchen duty.
Nita – 18 – Spanish woman – very religious – Catholic – cleaning staff. Pretends to be kitchen staff because her home is a council estate and now a war zone. Daren’t go home.
Santos Menzies – Corporal that Harry meets on the way home.
Stones – 24 – Nickname because he has the ‘stones’ to tackle anything. SAS soldier who knew Harry when he was younger, and has been Harry’s friend since they were in a shooting club together.
‘Suggs’ Young – Corporal – All around trouble-maker.
The flats:
Bethany – 46 – Widow who has children elsewhere in the city.
Billy – 17 – Newly arrived resident.
Casper – 20 – Big well-muscled gay man who becomes Harry’s friend.
Clarence – Old resident who has difficulty with reality.
Daisy – 4 – Harold’s niece.
Faith – 35 – Short stout woman with light brown hair. Probably a widow since husband didn’t return one night. Toby’s Mum.
Finn – 48 – Electrician resident.
Isiah – 34 – Reclusive – telephone engineer – redundant.
Karen – 68 – Feisty blue rinse from the ground floor.
Kerry – 32 – Shy – Isiah’s wife and sold embroidered patches on the internet.
Liz – 21 – 5 ft 11 woman who does arts and crafts in iron and bronze. Strong, she pounds metal but is wiry, not bulky.
Logan – 17 – Quiet youth who is grieving for his parents.
Louise – 29 – Quiet small time graphic designer on internet.
Mary – 73 – Finn’s Mum, needs a wheelchair.
Mr Baumber (Stewart) – 56 – Caretaker for the flats.
Mrs Burren-Croft – Ground floor resident with big furry cat, Fluff.
Rob – 38 – Divorced Plumber resident.
Sharyn – 24 – Harold’s sister – newly widowed.
Susan – 31 – Divorcee living in flats.
Toby – 14 – Interested in computers and soldiers. Faith’s son.
Veronica – 13 – Quiet – daughter of Isiah and Kerry.
Wills – 2 – Harold’s nephew.
From next door flats: (10 stay)
Alicia – 21 – Small dumpy woman who retreats into herself.
Celine – 19 – Slight skinny redheaded typist. Shy and very frightened as she had already been raped coming home late from work a month before Harold arrived.
Emmy – 20 – Jamaican – newly widowed, tall, well-built woman. Lost David in the flats.
Gabriela – 23 – Southern European – maybe Spanish origins. Short and stocky. ‘Failed’ Catholic who lost her man, Abraham, in the flats. She hates looters with passion.
Hazel – 14 – Orphan whose parents were killed by looters in neighbouring flats. Second refugee with Patricia. Prefers to keep close Harold and his gun.
Holly – 17 – Tall and a little overweight but slimming rapidly through grief and fanatical exercise. Almost blonde with pale blue-grey eyes. Bitter because her boyfriend Brodie was killed.
Patricia Elliot – 27 – Trainee nurse. First refugee escaping from looters.
Original Orchard Close residents: (16 in total)
Alfie – 15 – Probable orphan since his Mum didn’t come home from work. Living with Betty. Absolutely hero-worships Harold.
Bernie – 26 – Slim bit not fit. Wants to work out with girl club.
Betty – 59 – Older woman on the ‘committee’.
Curtis – 25 – Short and stout, amateur gardener.
Harry – Spry 76 – Resident with his dad’s WWII rifle.
Hilda – 41 – Ex-clerical worker. Loves collating lists.
Matthew – 24 – Red haired ex-traffic warden.
Sal – 24 – Blonde woman who wants to tone up and join the girl club.
Seth – 25 – Tubby and unemployed. Likes chips, beer and watching videos.
Trish – 23 – has AIDS – her friend (HIV) Jane didn’t return from the doctor’s.
Collected from the city:
Berry – 17 – Daughter of Nigel. Taller, stronger, and also a brewer.
Nigel – 43 – Brewer, widower.
New Refugees pre-Armageddon: (29 in all)
Bess – 19 – Ex-girlfriend of one of gang running her estate (Spyke).
Chris – 23 – Man killed defending.
Conn – 22 – Short slim man, prematurely bald.
Gayle – 18 – Thin, long dark hair, dental trainee.
Georgina – 7 – Zach and Olive’s daughter.
Janine – 34 – Laundry assistant.
Joey – 6 – Pippa and Robert’s son.
Jon – 18 – Wounded defending the wall.
Lillian – 19 – Tall overweight woman who moves in with Conn.
Olive – 29 – Part-time cleaner – Zach’s wife, Georgina’s Mum.
Pippa – 22 – Genius baker.
Robert – 24 – Pippa’s husband.
Sandy – 56 – Carpenter but retired with bad arthritis.
Sue – 22 – Killed defending.
Sukie – 4 – Suzie’s daughter.
Suzie – 20 – Sue’s sister and Sukie’s single Mum.
Tim – 22 – Refugee with nothing but his fiancé, Toyah.
Toyah – 19 – Refugee with nothing but Tim.
Vince – Young man – friendless – collateral.
William – 32 – Diabetic.
Zach – 32 – Ex-office manager.
OTHERS:
Mr Pilsworth – Looks after rifle club.
Sam – Publican at the Dog and Stoat.
Spyke Pierce – ‘Minuteman’ rejected by Harold.
VANCE HUXLEY
Vance Huxley lives out in the countryside in Lincolnshire, England. He has spent a busy life working in many different fields – including the building and rail industries, as a workshop manager, trouble-shooter for an engineering firm, accountancy, cafe proprietor, and graphic artist. He also spent time in other jobs, and is proud of never being dismissed, and only once made redundant.
Eventually he found his Noeline, but unfortunately she died much too young. To help with the aftermath, Vance tried writing though without any real structure. As an editor and beta readers explained the difference between words and books, he tried again.
Now he tries to type as often as possible in spite of the assistance of his ca
ts, since his legs no longer work well enough to allow anything more strenuous. An avid reader of sci-fi, fantasy and adventure novels, his writing tends towards those genres.
