Friday, October 15, 2021

New release sample: RETURN OF THE LIVING PROOF

 

Cerb darted through the door into the back room, and Kerri and her two henchmen raced after him. There were toppled boxes everywhere and yard decorations on stakes sticking up at all sorts of odd angles that somehow gave a spiky torture chamber look to the front office. The ornaments included the expected flamingos, cows, clowns, frogs, birthday cakes, storks, and some creepy looking black cats, gnomes, leprechauns, and I swear, an entire brigade of Gollums. Hopefully they had a licensing agreement with New Line Cinema and whoever on Peter Jackson's team created that ugly little stinker.

Pete agreed with me. The gnomes and leprechauns looked more creepy than cute. But that was later, on our short drive to Divine's Emporium. We knew better than to say anything until we were safely off that property.

Kerri came running out the door, looking a little frazzled, just as I was climbing into the front seat of the Jeep and Pete was folding up my wheelchair. For just a second, and it was more than just a trick of lighting and shadow, there was something skeletal about her face. Especially the hint of bare teeth and glaring, black eye sockets.

"I'm so sorry," she said, sounding a little breathless. She reached out like she would lean on the door, or maybe try to stop me from closing it. But she stopped with her hand less than an inch away and sort of flinched. Like maybe she felt something she didn't like, or maybe something about my Jeep hurt her. 

That might be useful to know. Although looking back later, I decided I didn't want to be in a situation where I would need to use that bit of knowledge.

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