Photo by Myicahel Tamburini on Pexels.com His whole body shook with the effort, emaciated muscles straining against the pathetic dumbell. He dropped it in defeat, nearly doubled over with exhaustion. Valiantly summoning his remaining determination, he regrouped, let go of the last scrap of pride he didn’t even know he had, and tried a lesser …
Novel Excerpt: Chapter One #4
Photo by Robin Stickel on Pexels.com Deliberately dispelling the flavor of ashes from his mind, Erek concentrated on superimposing what he thought he recalled french fries were supposed to taste like. Salty. Crispy. Greasy. But... in a good way? He tried a bite of the burger, ignoring the dull-as-dishwater juices dripping down his chin. There …
Novel Excerpt: Chapter One #3
Photo by Lara Santos on Pexels.com Erek mechanically collected the plates and beer glasses and brushed the crumbs from the table onto the sandy floor with a dirty rag. Behind him, he could hear Jean’s usual elaborately amorous pick-up lines as he chatted up the latest arrivals on the sleepy island, two blonde-and-bronzed Australians in …
Novel Excerpt: Chapter One #2
Photo by Raphael Brasileiro on Pexels.com His self-loathing increased one more notch at the familiar note of pity in the bearded bartender’s response. He could see his own pale frailty reflected in the mirror of the Frenchman’s eyes. But what did it matter? It got him the room and the job.
Novel Excerpt: Chapter One #1
Photo by Ahmed Muntasir on Pexels.com Hot, humid air smacked him wetly in the face and he regretted his long sleeves, so necessary on the sharply air-conditioned 30-hour flight, but now an unfortunate liability. Short, dark, foreign bodies crowded past him in the airport, strange tongues filling his ears from the people and speakers all …
Novel Excerpt: Prologue #13
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com In one click, the remaining balance on the prepaid credit card was nearly wiped out. One final gift from his mother. He was on his own now. The pale and distant booming bass rattled the frosty windows holding back the frigid nearly-midnight air. Abruptly, the rattle ceased, replaced by unintelligible …
Novel Excerpt: Prologue #12
Photo by Ryan Miguel Capili on Pexels.com The heavy stench of unwashed flesh and dirty sheets comforted him in the dark, silent dorm room. Molding scraps of processed food products clung to the trash littering the floor from his few ghostly mid-night forays to the nearest mini-mart. Turning over in his own filth, he covered …
Novel Excerpt: Prologue #11
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com "You killed her!” The hard cracking hoarse explosion from his uncle’s constricted throat scraped against Erek’s soul, mimicking his own internal rebukes, no less harshly felt for its lack of volume. The shocked, uncomfortable looks from the few reception attendees within earshot went unnoticed by the two, locked in …
Novel Excerpt: Prologue #10
Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Pexels.com Erek sunk into the numbness, wrapping himself in a blanket of tepid dull gray. The still, rouged face, hair professionally coiffed, mocked him in his shame. Distantly noting the muffled awkward shuffles of feet on thin berber carpet behind him, he turned away from the casket before the falling …
Novel Excerpt: Prologue #9
Photo by Anastasia Zhenina on Pexels.com Sighing with concern and resignation, she set the phone down on the internally warmed passenger seat and pulled out of the parking lot, searching through the few shivering pedestrians for the familiar figure of her son. Distracted, she didn’t notice the dark sheet of ice as she approached the …
