Guest Blog Post: A Short Story 'The Homecoming' by Jacqueline Mulligan
A change from the factual to historical fiction for this post, with thanks to Jaqueline Mulligan for letting us publish it here. It was entered into the Beverley Literature Festival Writing Competition a few years ago, which was judged by the author Val Wood and was a joint runner-up. Nothing was as it appeared to be, not the road that led to the house, not the house itself or the garden and certainly not the occupants of the house who were waiting on the steps by the front door. This was not a good beginning...There was a sudden erratic shuffle forwards by the people on the step accompanied by an uproar of yapping that sounded like it belonged to at least three dogs, but on looking down at the source of all the noise there was just one very excited Jack Russell. Leaving everyone in disarray it leapt across the small path and on to the flagstones before me. Stopping almost at attention at my feet the little dog paused, and in quick succession sniffed boots, puttees, trousers ...