The Apple Tree / Split Second

The Apple Tree
On that fine spring morning, he shaved standing at an open window. And when he leaned out to get fresh air, with lathered cheeks and a razor in his hand, his gaze happened to catch on an old apple tree. Perhaps the whole trick was in the lighting—the sun was just rising over the forest, and in its slanting rays he suddenly saw the tree anew—only the resemblance immediately became obvious.
A Fraction of a Second
Mrs. Ellis is the most ordinary housewife, taking real pleasure in watching jars of preserves in the pantry, in getting the maid’s chores sorted, in talking with her daughter who visits during the holidays—in short, the most ordinary woman. On the first day of the month, in high spirits after tidying the house and after lunch, she goes for a walk. And when she returns home, she finds strangers in her house who insist they live in that very house. Everything has changed irrevocably literally in a fraction of a second…