This is a long introduction to a much longer story, part two of which will arrive soon. This is more of a tease so enjoy. I would also like to thanks Anon, who suggested an expansion of these stories with his ideas.
Joyce Malone was driving her parcel van on her last delivery before finishing her work for the day. She brushed her curly red hair from her forehead as she drove her way along the road and following her sat-nav. She knew the way but she still kept glancing at the screen out of habit rather than needing the directions. The rain had let up for a while but the cold weather was expected to get worse overnight, perhaps even some snow.
The sat-nav announced that she had arrived at the address of her destination. Joyce turned the van into the wide parking area in from of a converted garage and workshop next to a large house. There was a sign saying
'Deliveries Here' so Joyce pulled her van alongside the doorway and came to a full stop. She tooted her van horn and got out and opened the side sliding door and just to make sure that the people inside knew she was there. Joyce knocked loudly on the door.
There were about a dozen parcels to be delivered. Some large some small. The usual selection of sizes and weights, some heavy some light. A cross-section of every type of parcel she delivered every day.
Joyce was relatively content with her life and her job. It paid reasonably well and she found that she enjoyed the work and the driving. It was however not her ideal job. She had left university with big hopes and ambitions for her new degree in 'English History'. But the job market was on a downturn and her degree was not the sort of thing that the business world was looking for. So her choices were limited. So now she was just a delivery driver.
The door opened and a young fresh-faced man appeared and called out to her.
"Joyce! It's yourself! What have you got for us today?" He said in a loud cheery voice.
She turned and looked at him with a smile and replied back to him.
"All the usual sort of things, brown boxes, brown parcels and odds and sods, all brown." She said back.
Together they managed to quickly unload the van. As the last packet was handed over the young man asked Joyce if she wanted a nice hot cup of tea.
"Oh, I could murder a cup of tea right now." She said accepting the offer of hot tea and perhaps a biscuit or a bun with it.
The young man was Tommy. He was a twin and so Joyce was a little unsure which of the two twins she was talking to. Inside she sat down and a cup of tea was put into her hands.
"So, your James and your Tommy," Joyce asked them both after having her first sip of tea.
The two young men laughed together at her question.
"Wrong way round again Joyce."
"I can never get it right, you are both absolutely the same, I'm glad I never put money on trying to guess who is who, between you to."
They chatted for a while and then it was time for Joyce to be on her way. She thanked them for the tea and opened the door to leave.
"Oh, Bugger!' She said out loud.
"What is it?"
"It's snowing!" Joyce called back.
As they had been chatting and having a break drinking some tea the weather outside had turned colder and snow was falling thick and fast. It had already covered the ground and the road in several inches of pure white blanket. The temperature also was dropping as fast as the snow. It was well below freezing.
"I'll have to hurry to get back before this gets any worse," Joyce said as she opened the van door and started the engine. She put the van into gear and began to drive off.
Suddenly there was banging on the rear of the van and she stopped hard and looked around. Tommy was at the door window waving at her to stop.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Your tyre is flat!" Tommy told her.
