“I don’t like ants,” Claire said, as she watched them carry the picnic away piece by piece. “I don’t like ants at all.”
It was, she thought, very important that everybody knew that.
__________
Notes:
1. Written on June 1st, 2022
__________tales from the town
Tales From The Town #103: A Dream Of The Watch
Antoine opens his eyes and wonders what the time is. He looks at his watch. Or where his watch would have been if he still had a watch, if he hadn’t lost it in the woods years ago, if it was still on his wrist and the numbers still glowed like tiny green phosphor stars in the gloom of the cave.
He lies back down, closes his eyes, begins to dream. In his dream, he opens his eyes and wonders what the time is.
__________
Notes:
1. Written on March 20th, 2023
__________Support An Accumulation Of Things
If you like the things you've read here please consider subscribing to my patreon or my ko-fi. Patreon subscribers get not just early access to content and also the occasional gift, but also my eternal gratitude. Which I'm not sure is very useful, but is certainly very real.(Ko-fi contributors probably only get the gratitude I'm afraid, but please get in touch if you want more). Thank you!Tales From The Town #102: The Football
“Claire! What did you kick it up there for?! We’ll never get it down now.”
“It wasn’t me!”
“Well who was it then?”
“Mum!”
“It was not Mum. You know she refuses to kick things. She’s a pacifist.”
“What? Really? Well that’s just stupid.”
“So it was you?”
“Of course it was me! Who else would it be?”
“Mum?”
“But you said…”
“I was tricking you into confessing, Claire! Of course Mum’s allowed to kick footballs!”
“See, I told you it was stupid! And it was stupid because you made it up, and you’re stupid.”
“So? It worked, didn’t it?.”
“It did not. I was going to confess anyway. How else would you know it was me otherwise?”
“Why would you want anyone to know it was you?”
“Because I was the one that did it!”
___________
Notes:
1. Written on March 17th, 2023
__________Support An Accumulation Of Things
If you like the things you've read here please consider subscribing to my patreon or my ko-fi. Patreon subscribers get not just early access to content and also the occasional gift, but also my eternal gratitude. Which I'm not sure is very useful, but is certainly very real.(Ko-fi contributors probably only get the gratitude I'm afraid, but please get in touch if you want more). Thank you!A List Of The First 101 Tales From The Town And Who Primarily They Are About
For no real reason other than it’s kind of useful, here’s a complete list of Tales From The Town episodes so far (and who they’re primarily about):
Tales From The Town #0: A Cast Of Characters (introductions to every one and every where)
Volume 1: Part 1 – Summer
Tales From The Town #1: The Poetry Competition (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #2: Three Short Tales About Antoine (Antoine, Agnes, The Mermaid)
Tales From The Town #3: The New Boy (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Agnes)
Tales From The Town #4: The Classification Of Animals (Yulia)
Tales From The Town #5: There Is No Such Thing As Ghosts (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #6: On The Beach (Antoine, The Crabs, The Town)
Tales From The Town #7: The Most Disgusting Thing In The World (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #8: David (David)
Tales From The Town #9: The Doll’s Room (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, The Dolls)
Tales From The Town #10: The Speed Of Dreams (Yulia)
Tales From The Town #11: The First Ice Cream Van Of The Summer (Agnes, Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #12: The Sky At Night (Selene, Patricia)
Tales From The Town #13: An Alphabet Of Absences (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #14: The Little Drummer Girl (The Little Drummer Girl, Claire, Ethel)
Tales From The Town #15: Summer (The Town)
Tales From The Town #16: Broadcast Media (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #17: Emergency Repairs (The Dolls, The Witch)
Tales From The Town #18: The Eggs (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #19: Go (Jonathan)
Tales From The Town #20: Dimensional Perception (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, The Goldfish)
Tales From The Town #21: The Bookshop (The Town, The Cat)
Tales From The Town #22: The Slide (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #23: David (David)
Tales From The Town #24: Hell (Claire)
Tales From The Town #25: Beneath The Boat, On The Top Of The Hill (Eleonora, The Cat)
Tales From The Town #26: The Loft (Claire, Agnes)
Tales From The Town #27: Poems In The Dirt (Oya)
Volume 1: Part 2 – Winter
Tales From The Town #28: Literary Criticism (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #29: An Arrival (Christopher)
Tales From The Town #30: The Lake (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #31: The Town Hall (The Town, The Mayor)
Tales From The Town #32: A Gathering Of Crows (The Crows)
Tales From The Town #33: David (David)
Tales From The Town #34: The Boy With The Box (parts 1, 2, and 3) (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Ted)
Tales From The Town #35: Five Dreams Of Space (Selene, Patricia, Ted, Anna, The Whale)
Tales From The Town #36: Saturday Morning Spending Spree (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Simon)
Tales From The Town #37: A Simple Winter Scene (The Town)
Tales From The Town #38: The Frozen Sea (The Mermaid, The Town)
Tales From The Town #39: The Moons Of Earth (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #40: The Woman With Wings (Hana)
Tales From The Town #41: The Houseplant (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Agnes)
Tales From The Town #42: David (David)
Tales From The Town #43: The Alligator (Claire, Ted)
Tales From The Town #44: Modern Love (Anna, Oya)
Tales From The Town #45: A Cave Full Of Slowly Melting Snow (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Antoine)
Tales From The Town #46: The Cat In Winter (The Cat)
Tales From The Town #47: Winter (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, The Town)
Tales From The Town #48: The Door In The Wall, or The Worth Of Dreams (Yulia)
Tales From The Town #49: Shoelaces (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #50: Stop Motion (David)
Tales From The Town #51: Puddles (The Town)
Tales From The Town #52: Don’t Tell Me That I Am Free (Selene)
Volume 2: Part 1 – Other Stories
Tales From The Town #53: The Penguin (The Penguin)
Tales From The Town #54: Pollen Days (Tina)
Tales From The Town #55: The Worst Idea Ever (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Volume 2: Part 2 – The Lodger Suite
Tales From The Town #56: The Very First Page Of The Book (Tina)
Tales From The Town #57: The History Of The House (The House)
Tales From The Town #58: On The Nature Of Boredom (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #59: New Rooms (The House)
Tales From The Town #60: Entrance Interview (Agnes, The Lodger)
Tales From The Town #61: Explanations Of Necessities (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Agnes)
Tales From The Town #62: Weather Report (The Town)
Tales From The Town #63: Unpacking, or The Tools Of The Trade (The Lodger)
Tales From The Town #64: In The Summer In The Sun (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #65: The Lodger (Methods Of Success) (The Lodger)
Tales From The Town #66: Minor Complaints (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Oya, Anna, Agnes)
Tales From The Town #67: Midnight Disco (Daniel, The Cat)
Tales From The Town #68: Surveillance Tapes (1-4) (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Agnes)
Tales From The Town #69: Surveillance Tapes (5-7)(Oya, Anna, Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, The Dolls)
Tales From The Town #70: The Children’s Court (first session) (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #71: The History Of The Mirror (The Mirror, The House)
Volume 2: Part 3 – The Lodger Suite
Tales From The Town #71: The Mirror Of The History (The House, The Mirror)
Tales From The Town #72: The Children’s Court (second session) (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #73: Surveillance Tapes (21-23) (The Dolls, Agnes, Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #74: Surveillance Tapes (27-30) (Tina, Tina, Antoine, Agnes, Claire, Carolina)
Tales From The Town #75: Statues At Noon (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #76: Major Complaints (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Agnes, Oya, Anna)
Tales From The Town #77: The Lodger (Hints Of Failure) (The Lodger)
Tales From The Town #78: In The Woods In The Early Autumn (The Dolls, The Crows, The Witch, Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #79: Beneath The Witch’s Hat (The Witch, The Dolls)
Tales From The Town #80: Weather Report (The Town)
Tales From The Town #81: Explanations Of Events (The Lodger, Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, The Cat)
Tales From The Town #82: Exit Interviews (the Lodger, Agnes, Anna, Oya, The Witch, Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #83: No Rooms (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Agnes, The House)
Tales From The Town #84: On The Nature Of Excitement (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #85: The History Of The Well (The Well, The Lodger)
Tales From The Town #86: The Very Last Page Of The Book (Tina)
Volume 2: Part 4 – Other Stories
Tales From The Town #87: The Very Best Idea Ever (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #88: The Ever Growing Urge To Do Something Else Other Than This (Claire)
Tales From The Town #89: The Penguin Again (The Penguin)
Tales From The Town #90: The End Of The Year (Agnes)
Volume 3 (Not Yet Named)
Tales From The Town #91: The Watch
Tales From The Town #92: Tasting Menu (Courses 1-4) (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Nanny)
Tales From The Town #93: Poems From Minor Characters (The Spider, The Cat, The Crows, David)
Tales From The Town #94: Infinity Explained (part 1) (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #95: The Shop (A Trilogy) (The Town)
Tales From The Town #96: Infinity Explained (part 2) (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina)
Tales From The Town #97: Confessions Of A Poet (Tina, Claire)
Tales From The Town #98: Art Appreciation (Claire, Daniel, Ethel, Tina, Anna, Oya)
Tales From The Town #99: Daniel Dreams Of Clouds (Daniel)
Tales From The Town #100: Infinity Explained (continuing) (Claire)
Tales From The Town #101: Hide And Seek (Claire, Agnes)
Bonus Tales
Pocket Editions #1 (2021)
Pocket Editions #2 (2021)
Pocket Editions #3 (2022)
Pocket Editions #4 (2022)
Tales From The Town: A Summer Book (2022)
Support An Accumulation Of Things
If you like the things you've read here please consider subscribing to my patreon or my ko-fi. Patreon subscribers get not just early access to content and also the occasional gift, but also my eternal gratitude. Which I'm not sure is very useful, but is certainly very real.(Ko-fi contributors probably only get the gratitude I'm afraid, but please get in touch if you want more). Thank you!Tales From The Town: Volumes 1 & 2
Tales From The Town reached its 101st episode last week, so to celebrate here’s two free anthologies collecting the first two years of this never ending series of stories from some sort of small-sized city.
Volume 1 (Summer, then Winter) collects the first 52 (standalone) episodes, while Volume 2 (The Lodger Suite), which was an attempt at an ongoing episodic story (with a bonus, pointless, palindromic structure, which was the style at the time), collects the next 40 or so.
Download: Tales From The Town Volume 1 & 2 (zip file containing epub files)
And as an even more exciting bonus, here’s a sneak preview of Tale #107, featuring a skeleton and also a spacesuit.
Tales From The Town #107: A Skeleton In A Spacesuit
The skeleton in the spacesuit stands at the entrance to the pier. The stitches are unravelling, the helmet fogged, the insignia faded to the point of illegibility, but still it works. Put in a pound and it laughs and laughs. It even gives an awkward little wave.
No one has ever put in a pound nor ever will.
__________