There are two kinds of journeys: the ones that get you somewhere, and the ones that briefly take you somewhere else.
Stories to Read exists for the second kind.
This site will publish free, weekly short stories – humorous, slightly odd, occasionally touching – written to fit into the gaps of modern life. They are stories for waiting rooms, coffee queues, missed connections, delayed departures, and yes, trains. Especially trains.
Our first collection is Stories to Read on the Train, a series of tales carefully calibrated to the rhythm of rail travel. Short enough to finish between stations. Long enough to make you forget where you are for a moment. Designed to be read while someone nearby sighs loudly, rustles a pastry wrapper, or explains their life story into a phone on loudspeaker.
Some of these stories may cause a quiet chuckle. If so, please don’t panic. Simply pretend you’ve received an amusing text, or glance meaningfully at the window as though you’ve remembered something pleasant about your childhood.
For readers travelling between London and Brighton on the non-express service, these stories have been arranged – through no real scientific process -to fill the precise gaps between stations, assuming the reading speed of an average small adult. Your results may vary if you skim, reread sentences unnecessarily, or become distracted by tunnels.
New stories will arrive weekly. They’re free. All you need to do is subscribe, and they’ll appear in your inbox like a polite companion who knows when to stop talking.
All aboard.
The book has been delayed due to leaves on the track.
Albert found his early years to be of great fun and interest. He was encouraged by his parents to explore and create. This helped to develop and form his mind and this in turn made him want to do more and learn. He had no responsibilities and he could enjoy life with freedom and fun. An inquisitive mind can create so much.
He loved the park and the excitement it would bring, and when he was done Albert always enjoyed an ice cream which he got at the end of a day’s exploring. It was his treat.
He embraced all aspects of life and connected with nature. Albert enjoyed the company of his friends and the chance to build his character. His parents granted him this opportunity and he grasped it with both hands.
Albert had parents who wanted him to be outdoors and appreciate nature and its animals. Whilst at home they presented him with fulfilling activities and he was encouraged to experiment with things.
As he approached his fifth birthday his parents talked of school and meeting new people and partaking in exciting lessons and games. He was excited by this and it seemed like an expansion of the glorious life he currently lived. For now he continued to appreciate that which was on offer and the joy of living. His time was his own and free time was not his enemy and he could always enjoy an ice cream.
But eventually his first day of school arrived and he bounded into class with all the expectancy that youth can offer and sat himself down on a chair by the window. The teacher looked up disapprovingly.
“You can’t sit there young man. I’ve put you on a table over here.”
Albert froze. “But I want to sit here please!”
“Do as you’re told, not what you want to do.”
Albert was only five but this resonated with him. He spent the next few minutes thinking about this before the teacher picked him and the chair up and deposited them across the classroom.
He looked at the beleaguered boy next to him with the thought of saying hello. He could not understand why this adult person felt the need to stand at the front of the class dictating a child’s every move. He had never encountered this before and it did not sit well with him.
Albert had a perplexed look on his face. He had already realised that he had to accept orders from someone just because this person had the authority to give unnecessary and random orders.
“And we will have no talking.”
The teacher went on to explain how the day and in reality the rest of school life would develop. Lessons till break, then after break more lessons before lunch at midday and then planned activities until the end of the day at 3pm.
Albert was distraught and could not accept or see why he had to sit there all day being fed information that he did not need to know. This also got him wondering. When in life could he make decisions for himself?
His father worked as a tradesman so surely he would be able to make choices on how to build things. He had a young mind and he wanted to learn. He had an old head on his shoulders.
Why not now?
Albert would test the waters again.
“Can I eat my food now please?”
“You most certainly cannot, young man. You will eat when the timetable says you can.”
The day progressed with Albert being given a few basic reading tasks and learning the beginning of the alphabet. He could recite the alphabet backwards and began doing so as a form of song.
“Albert you need to stick to the task and not do anything other than what you have been told. Otherwise it makes more work for me.”
He could at least look forward to his lunch break in the playground.
“Right children line up in the corridor before you go out and again in the playground before you come back in. Anybody not obeying these rules will be disciplined. Understood?”
Break time gave Albert some freedom so he thought. This was worth coming to school for. He wanted to play football and make new acquaintances. They could play in the sand and climb trees.
“Don’t go in the sand pit!” bellowed a voice from the playground.
“And you boys don’t go kicking that ball or you might break a window.”
Fifteen minutes later the whole class trudged back inside. Albert had a wry smile and was shaking his head in disappointment.
The next lesson involved spelling words such as cat and dog but Albert had other ideas.
“Can I write a short story? I’ve got a great idea about a boy who wanted to travel…”
“Stop there young man,” the teacher demanded. “We will get to that later in the year but for now it’s alphabet time.”
Albert recited it backwards in annoyance at being held back.
Albert was only five years of age but already could not understand why every movement, activity or noise had to be determined for him.
His mind was already processing what he saw and heard before him. He was puzzled and confused. Up to this day he had experienced the enjoyment in living and creating.
Lunch time came and the club on offer was art and drawing but Albert wanted to play outside.
“Not today I’m afraid it looks like rain.”
The rest of the day brought no more games, nature or creativity. There would be no more free will, choices or happiness and there would certainly be no more ice cream. The sooner he accepted this, the less trouble there would be for him.
As his first school day drew to a close Albert asked the teacher politely:
“Tomorrow, can I decide and plan the day?”
“Absolutely not.”
Albert was just a small boy but already he was asking life questions which he hoped he wouldn’t have to wait until he was an old man before he could answer. But he realised that for the rest of his school life this would remain the pattern.
Stories to Read... 