Her reaction is awful and instantaneous. Her body jitterbugs for a terrible, violent second, and then something flashes through her. When it’s done, she falls apart, ashes scattering across blood-spattered marble.
I run. More screams follow me, but they die one by one. Afraid of getting lost in Michael’s gigantic home, I return to the window and crawl out.
By the time I reach the Mercury, the snubnose still clenched in my fist and my lap slick with blood, the cloud has started billowing out of the mansion’s windows. Shelly tries to examine my wounds, but I yell at her to drive, just drive, goddammit.
She speeds away from Michael’s home, and Hell follows.
Shelly walks me into the motel room—a flop worse than my place back in the city—and I sink onto the bed. I’m cold, freezing, and the only warm things in the room are Shelly’s hands against my face.
“It’ll be all right,” she tells me, and I’m happy she cares enough to lie.
“Maybe…for you.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I’ll say a lot more, babe.”
Her hands leave my face, and suddenly she’s busy ripping up sheets that have probably seen more sex than soap. “We just have to get you bandaged up,” she says.
“No!” The shout runs a spike of hot iron straight through me, and I scream.
Shelly freezes. “Baby?”
“You gotta go.”
Her lips tremble. I know what she wants to say.
“I can’t let…you die with me,” I tell her. “I’m not gonna make it anyway. Besides, I…I did this so you could get free.”
Shelly stands there, tears running down her face, and I can tell she’s full of love. When she mashes her lips to mine, it’s the most welcome kiss I’ve ever received.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you. Now go.”
She kisses me again and disappears out the door.
So that’s it. I listen for the Mercury’s engine, for the sound of tires peeling away over hot asphalt. When I hear it, when I know she’s safe, I close my eyes and listen for the other sound, that rumble that turns into a roar.
Soon, the light begins to flicker, only this time it’s nothing in the room. It’s the sun. Everything shudders.
As I wait for Hell to arrive, I think of Shelly, of her pale skin and dark curves. I think of what I’ve done for her, and I think of everything I’d do if I could, and the last blister on my heart breaks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nate Southard is moody, shy, lanky, bald, and has bad skin. When he isn’t writing scary stories, he’s probably cooking Thai food or fried chicken. Seriously, he has something like fifty fried chicken recipes. It’s ridiculous. He recently discovered coffee-flavored ice cream, and it’s ruling his entire world. Did you know if you mix it with chocolate ice cream, you can kinda make mocha ice cream? Nate does!
Nate lives in Austin, Texas.
He sucks at skateboarding.
www.natesouthard.com
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Stories can break you. They’re so much more difficult than most anything else you can do. Or maybe I’m exaggerating. I’m not sure, because I just ate a big meal and the food coma is trying to drag me down.
Anyway, I want to give a big thank you to the various authors who read many of these stories and helped me make them better: Lee Thomas, Paul Tremblay, Kelli Owen, Bob Ford, Maurice Broaddus, and Brian Keene. They helped me grow by leaps I didn’t know I could make.
Also, I want to thank some of the editors who originally published these stories and gave them their first shot at life: Ellen Datlow, Richard Chizmar, Paul Goblirsch, Brian Keene (again), Shane McKenzie, Todd Robinson, and several others I’m sure I’m forgetting. I hope you’ll forgive me. Please see above food coma note.
Finally, a special thanks to you for reading. You’re more awesome than this damn food coma.
AVAILABLE BOOKS
THE CARP FACED BOY AND OTHER TALES
by Thersa Matsuura
Collection – Printed and Digital Edition
February 2017
ALL AMERICAN HORROR OF THE 21ST CENTURY: THE FIRST DECADE
Edited by Mort Castle
with stories by Jack Ketchum, Steve Rasnic Tem, Paul Tremblay, Sarah Langan, David Morrel,
Tom Monteleone, Livia Llewellyn, F. Paul Wilson, Nick Mamatas, and many others
Anthology – Printed Edition
December 2016
BENEATH THE NIGHT
by Greg F. Gifune
Novel & Novella – Printed Edition
October 2016
THE BEAUTY OF DEATH
Edited by Alessandro Manzetti
with stories by Peter Straub, Ramsey Campbell, John Skipp, Poppy Z. Brite, Edward Lee
and many others
Anthology- Digital Edition
July 2016
DOCTOR BRITE
by Poppy Z. Brite
Collection – Digital Edition
December 2016
THE HITCHHIKING EFFECT
by Gene O’Neill
Collection – Digital Edition
February 2016
SONGS FOR THE LOST
by Alexander Zelenyj
Collection – Digital Edition
April 2016
THE USHERS
by Edward Lee
Collection – Digital Edition
May 2016
SELECTED STORIES
by Poppy Z. Brite
Collection – Digital Edition
February 2016
THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE
by Poppy Z. Brite
Novella – Digital Edition
May 2016
USED STORIES
by Poppy Z. Brite
Collection – Digital Edition
June 2016
THE HORROR SHOW
by Poppy Z. Brite
Collection – Digital Edition
August 2016
SELECTED STORIES
by Edward Lee
Collection – Digital Edition
July 2016
WHAT WE FOUND IN TE WOODS
by Shane McKenzie
Collection – Digital Edition
September 2016
Independent Legions Publishing
by Alessandro Manzetti
Via Castelbianco, 8 - 00168 Rome (Italy)
www.independentlegions.com
www.facebook.com/independentlegions
Selected Stories Page 18
