Paranormal Anthology with a TWIST

by Bart Hopkins

Of course, Superbitch is now all over Stevie. I swear that she didn’t like him at all until she found out that I did! And now he spends more time talking to her than he does to me. She’s totally playing with his mind and getting him all confused. If she doesn’t stop, I’m going to have to do something bad to her. Dad will probably ground me forever, but it will totally be worth it.

  Megawhore Stephanie is going to get it too!!!!! She tripped me in gym class and I hurt my knee! I didn’t do anything to her. Just because she’s friends with Miss Priss doesn’t mean she has to be so nasty to me. They’re both going to get it! All of the other girls in class laughed.

  They always tell me I’m weird, which is totally true, but they don’t try to hurt me or steal Stevie. Dad says don’t sweat the small stuff. Well, I don’t think that Superbitch trying to make out with Stevie is small stuff!

  Today is the last day of school before Christmas break. I’m writing this during lunch because Stevie is talking to S.B. and it makes me sick to see them together. She needs to get her ass kicked! I just have to get through this last day…

  December 21

  Update #1

  Superbitch threw gum in my hair! OMFG! She is so dead!

  December 21

  Update #2

  I slapped Superbitch H.A.R.D.! She cried!!!! She tried to say that she was crying because she was so mad, but I know the truth! Everyone else did too! They all laughed at her and pointed! Now she knows what it feels like. She and her little butt face friend Megan ran away.

  Everyone stared at us in the hall after I smacked her. They all looked shocked and most of them didn’t even seem to recognize who I was. Dad says it’s important to hide in the background, but it sure felt nice to be noticed for once!

  Stevie stayed behind and talked to me then! He is so awesome!! I wanted to pass out right there in the hall. He said that he didn’t really like Superbitch and he still wanted to hang out with me over Xmas break! I thought he was going to ask me to the Winter Dance right then, but he didn’t. I think he was just being shy though. I hope.

  If my parents don’t let me take Stevie to the house… I’ll die!

  December 24

  Dear Diary,

  I hate my life!!!!

  I begged and pleaded, but they won’t let me take Stevie to the house! I’ve been bawling for days but Dad still says no! This is such crap! Tomorrow is Christmas and I couldn’t care less! All I want for Christmas is Stevie and I can’t have him. I don’t care what stupid books or robes or candles I get this year! What good is all this stupid stuff if I can’t have one boy over to the house?!

  Dad said he was tired of hearing me complain and he left to go for a drive. Mom has been sulking around, trying not to get involved, which is total B.S. I can’t understand why she won’t stand up for me! I bet Superbitch is going to get whatever she wants tomorrow! And that better not be Stevie!

  I can smell Mom cooking a stew downstairs, the same she does every Christmas, but I’m too mad to help her like I usually do. If they want me to stay a kid forever, then I’m going to act like one. Maybe that’ll show them.

  My gifts are already under the tree. Usually I pick them all up and give them a shake, trying to figure out what they are. I’m too mad to even do that! I’m just going to lock myself in my room and hope I die!

  Christmas Day

  Dear Diary,

  I wanted to stay in my room all day but I got hungry, of course. I keep telling myself I’m not going to keep eating so much, but I’m just so stressed! Ugh! So I went to the refrigerator and drank from the cartoon, just like Dad hates, when I saw a new present under the tree. Well, it was more like beside the tree, but it was way big.

  I tried to push it with my toe, but it was so heavy it didn’t move. So I tried to pick it up and I couldn’t. Then it moved! Not a lot, but it shook a little and scared the crap out of me! What the hell is it? I wanted to tear it open right then but I knew that Dad would go on a rampage so I didn’t.

  Crap!!! It’s only 6 A.M. so I’m the only one awake. Last year I woke Mom and Dad up so we could open the gifts early and Dad almost had kittens. I swear his eyes turned red when he rolled over. Now I’m sitting here writing in my stupid diary, waiting on everyone else to wake up. This sucks!!

  Christmas Day

  Update #1

  I went downstairs and nudged the box with my foot again, but nothing happened. Maybe I was just really tired this morning…

  Christmas Day

  Update #2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  OMG! OMG!!!! My parents finally got up at nine, but DAD had to take his sweet time making stupid coffee! Then he wanted to eat breakfast first! Not awesome! He was smiling when he said it though, so I think he was just screwing with me. I’m so happy I can’t even be mad at him for it!

  Mom said I should open all of the other gifts first, but screw that! I tore the wrapping off the big one first—and found a dumb cardboard box that said Maytag on the side. WTH right? I cut through the tape with my fingers and broke one of my nails, which was just soooo stupid of me, but whatever.

  When I opened the top of the box, I saw a cage. It sorta looked like a dog’s crate or something, I don’t know, but what was inside it almost made me faint! STEVIE!!!!! I know, right?! Stevie was in the cage!

  I screamed. Loud.

  Dad was really mad at me for that. He said that I had to act like an adult if I wanted to be treated like one. Well, soooorry! It’s hard to be all mature and stuff when you’re looking at the perfect boy in a cage by the Christmas tree! I gave Dad the biggest hug EVER! Mom went to the kitchen to put the stew on the stove.

  Poor Stevie had most of his face wrapped up in plastic and a gag in his pretty mouth. Dad hadn’t covered his eyes though, and he looked so scared. I almost felt bad for him, but I was just too excited to worry about anything! He started to cry when he saw me! Awww!!

  I tried to tell him that he was the most important thing to me, like ever! He kept crying though and I did start to feel a little bad. When I told him that I had to eat him to get all of my powers and become a full witch, he REALLY started crying! He just didn’t want to listen! I told him I chose him because he was soooo perfect! He would always be my first! We would be together forever!

  Mom told me that my first time would be the hardest, but it wasn’t too bad. I actually got really, super excited when Dad handed me the dagger!

  Christmas Day

  Update #3

  I was right!!! Stevie was PERFECT!!!!!! BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!

  In the Eyes of the Beholder

  Penelope Bartotto

  Author Dedication

  To my husband, Allen, for being the yin to my yang; my sons, Nikolaus and Zachary; my daughter, Micheyla, who bears with mom’s rants...and the writers and readers who said...keep writing.

  About Penelope

  Penelope Anne Bartotto, was born, raised, and still calls Wisconsin her home. She has been writing since she could hold a pencil correctly, and continues to ramble. Married to her soulmate, she finds pride in being a homeschooling parent to three not-so-young cubs. She has worn many hats from cashier to Boy Scout Leader, but currently tries to hold on tight to her...book blogging, tour coordinating, insane author hat. When not found in front of her computer, she loves to craft, quilt, draw, paint, and read.

  Follow Penelope

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/PenelopeAnneBartottoAuthor

  Blog: libraryendofuniverse.blogspot.com

  In the Eyes of the Beholder

  Dominic lifted the chipped porcelain mug to his lips and took a sip of the bitter coffee as he stared out the grimy window of the Hwy 51 Diner. He was daydreaming of one day having a family and of living a life that wasn’t on the road. He glanced over at the buxom, plump—but pleasant—waitress, Ellen, who was reading a romance novel. He realized then that the last time he spent any quality time with his gal, Rose, was three weeks back. They kept in touch when he was on the road, texting and sexting when the oppor
tunity arose. He missed her voice though, her touch, and most of all, her brilliant hazel eyes. Something about her eyes called to him over the miles, making him miss her even more. Her eyes were what had drawn him to her, like a mystical web that threaded its way into his soul and took hold the instant he saw her. Looking into them was like drowning in pools of root beer, and he loved that sensation.

  He finished his coffee, grabbed the check, and headed up to the counter.

  “Edible?” Ellen asked as he handed her the check with a twenty.

  “Enough to keep me trucking,” he said with a smirk as he retrieved his change and dropped a couple of crumpled bills on the counter. “Take it easy, Ellen; don’t take no damn wooden nickels!”

  Dominic headed out to his truck—his beautiful lady—Betty Lou. She never left him, no matter what the circumstances. They were both fueled up so it was time to hit the road. The highway that Dominic had traveled for what seemed like an eternity—that long and lonesome highway.

  The date had been wonderful. Rose dropped her keys into the bowl on the dresser, kicked off her shoes, and shut her bedroom door with a satisfied smile on her face. Kevin was everything she had ever looked for in a man. Her roommate Janice thought she was cheating on Dom, but Rose knew Dominic was just another tally on her boyfriend roster—not a man of means. Janice was just an old fuddy-duddy who thought that monogamy was essential to a relationship. Oddly enough, Janice had yet to know what a relationship even was, but she loved to preach. Rose and Janice were quite different in all aspects of life, yet they had been friends since the third grade. When they moved to Atlanta, it made perfect sense for them to become roommates. Janice was at Georgia State and Rose was just tired of living in the backwater town her parents called home—she was seeking adventure and a husband. Kevin, the pilot, just might be that husband.

  An all-to-familiar ringtone coming from her purse drew her out of her sweet dreams. Dom was texting again. Rose flopped down on the bed, grabbed her purse, and rummaged through it for the phone. It was a present from Dom last Christmas—the fanciest available at the time. She had him wrapped around her little finger extra tight—it was always nice to have a man under your control. She silenced the noise, got undressed, slipped into a nightshirt, and crawled under the covers before looking at the message.

  “Miss u baby, be there 2morrow, cyu then. Love u.”

  Great, she thought. Now what was she going to do?

  Dominic had sent his text to Rose right before he hit the road. He never responded to his phone on the road, yet he kept it on the console so he’d see when a new text arrived. He’d left the diner six hours ago and Rose hadn’t responded—not all that unusual for her. She was a busy girl after all—with school, work, and her dance classes. There were times he could go days without hearing from her, but when he was heading that way she usually responded quickly. Their time together was so limited with his job keeping him on the road for weeks at a time. Trucks didn’t run on a driver’s time clock, they ran on the clock of the delivery schedules, and those clocks were damned strict. Whenever he could find a run that would take him near Atlanta, he made a point to be with Rose and make sure she knew just how much he loved her. He had an enormous surprise for her this time around. He’d been pondering the thought for months and wasn’t sure how she would react—but his mama always told him to follow his heart and not to let the grass grow under his feet. So it was time to make the ultimate step.

  Rose was frantic. She paced her room for an hour before finally heading out to the kitchen for a drink. Only after she got to the fridge did she realize that the strongest beverage in the apartment was coffee. Janice had purged the alcohol again. Damn her Puritanical ideals anyway, Rose cursed to herself as she made some orange tea. Kevin was planning a surprise; something he promised would blow her mind. Her job was to be ready for a week of fun. He was picking her up Saturday night. She knew only of theater tickets, champagne, and a journey on a private jet. Dom was suddenly a wrench in her plans.

  Rose was an independent woman, she ruled her roost, and she was the master of her domain. Her mama had given her only one good piece of wisdom in her useless waste of an inebriated life. Men had one purpose in the universe—to provide women with what they need, want, and desire. Why shouldn’t that woman be her? Under her strict monitoring, of course. A battered suitcase, and the fifty thousand her mama had managed to squirrel away, was all Rose was left with after her mama’s unfortunate accident. Last she had heard, her mother’s sudden disappearance barely made the police blotter, and was deemed a cold case faster than Flick’s tongue stuck to the flagpole in that Christmas movie her mama loved so dearly.

  Dominic suddenly seemed like a rusty anchor weighing her down, something no longer desired. He had been the perfect fish dangling on her hook; he’d kept her entertained and well taken care of—like all of her men did. Rust had no place in her diamond encrusted, golden dreams; it was time to drop the anchor. She left her house to put her plan in action.

  Dom pulled into the truck stop and climbed down from his cab. He needed a restroom something fierce and another shot of coffee before he finished this leg of the trip. The sun was just cresting the horizon as he stretched his legs before locking up Betty Lou. He would reach Atlanta about ten in the morning, make his delivery, catch some sleep, and clean up before he took Rose out for a night he hoped would be the most memorable of her life.

  The truck stop was one of the better ones he stopped at, he tried to find quality wherever he could, but the road was master and places along it were not always top-notch. The Nickelback had been around since the thirties, but upgraded to keep up with the times. A nice diner tucked in one corner, a bank of showers and nice restrooms, and the fact the owners knew how to treat a customer right, kept Dominic coming back.

  “Howdy, Dom,” Chuck said from behind the diner counter. “Your usual?” Dominic smiled. He loved that Chuck and Amy knew his order. It made him feel like he was at home, or as close to a home as he would ever have. His dream home wasn’t on wheels.

  “Thanks, Chuck,” Dom replied and attempted to make his way to the restroom before being interrupted by the old man’s ramblings.

  “Damn, you’re aging well, boy. It seems I keep getting older while you don’t age a day. The road must be treating you well, huh Dom? Yeah, I remember when I bought this beauty back in 1954 from that bitter old cuss, Gritty Smitty. Shoot, I was only twenty-two then yet I remember it like it was just yesterday…”

  Dom rolled his eyes at the old man’s rambling, one-sided conversation as he allowed the man’s voice to fade in the background and made his way to the bathroom. Even though Dom has been a regular face for decades, old Chuck always seemed to tell the same story, reliving the times when he was just a young man, fresh out of the service, money burning a hole in his proverbial pocket. He was hitching rides across the country looking for adventure, and maybe, a place to call home. Gritty Smitty was the old fellow that had been manning the pumps. He was a bitter old cuss, who hated the stench of gasoline and abhorred people. That day in May 1954 changed both of their lives, or so Chuck says. Smitty sold faster than a lightning strike and hopped in the nearest truck that was heading anywhere but there. Charlie stood in the dust holding the keys to his new life.

  Now, old Charlie, better known as Chuck, had owned the Nickelback Truck Stop since 1954; it was his livelihood, his home, his universe. Whatever happened there, Old Charlie knew every gritty little secret, or so he liked to tell Dom anyway.

  Once Dom returned from the bathroom, Chuck seemed to be in his own little world, staring at the steaming pot of coffee in his wrinkled hand.

  “Earth to Chuck, you in there, dude?” Dom’s asked quizzically.

  Chuck chuckled, a deep throaty sound that filled the air. “Cool as a cucumber, kid.”

  As expected, a thermos filled to the brim of hot, rejuvenating coffee with just a hint of sweetness and two breakfast burritos hot off the griddle were waiting for him. The aroma of
spicy sausage and hot sauce made him salivate at the thought of taking a bite out of those righteous rolls that were currently seeping grease through the white paper bag on the counter. Slapping a twenty on the counter, he winked and left before the usual argument over the tip being too much ensued.

  Checking his phone, there was still no word from Rose. He got into his truck, ate his breakfast, and thought things over. Concern outweighed her foolish rules. He had to call—that was all there was left to do. They had an arrangement that phone calls were to be limited, generally initiated by her. When she called, he stopped and called right back, no matter where or when—that was the way things were to keep her happy. She knew he was heading in for the weekend... Maybe something had happened—he had to know, he loved her. Stuffing the trash from breakfast into his garbage bin and taking a shot of hot, liquid courage, he grabbed his phone and made the call. He wasn’t sure if she would pick it up. It rang and rang, and just as he thought it would never stop, she picked up.

  “Dom?” Rose’s voice came from his phone, sounding weak and frightened.

  A wave of concern washed over him. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

  Tears were what he heard first, which caused him to slam his fist into the steering wheel. “He hurt me. One minute I was safe, then hell! I need you—can you come now?” she begged, her voice stabbing him through the heart.

  “Rose, you need to call the police. If you’re hurt, I can’t get to you quick enough. Call them now, or I will,” Dom demanded, worried she may be more injured than she was letting on to spare his concern.

  “Dominic, no! I’ve already been down that road and I even saw a doctor. I don’t need the law right now—I just need you. I’m scared. Please, Dom.”

  “I’m heading out now. Screw the delivery! I’ll be there at ten sharp. Stay at home, lock the door!” he said with urgency through gritted teeth.