DRIP DROP DEAD (Emma Frost Book 12)

by Willow Rose

  "So, you self-published it? Because they didn't want to publish it?" Sophia asked.

  "Yes. It seemed like a great idea at the time. Now, they're all speculating that I think I’m better than everyone else and that, from now on, I’ll just be one of those self-published authors who couldn't get their books published by a real publishing house and so on. Because I refused to accept the fact that my book isn't good enough."

  "But isn't that the truth?" Sophia asked. "That you self-published it because no one else would?"

  "This is a good book. I love it, and I wanted my readers to read it and love it too."

  "But it's so different," Sophia said. "People have come to expect a certain type of book from you, and this…well, it's not the same."

  "I still think it's good," I said with a sigh.

  Sophia put a hand on my shoulder. "I think it's good too. I really like it. You know I do. What do you care what everyone else thinks? If you're proud of it, then so be it. You should be."

  "You don't think I should take it down then?" I asked.

  "And let them win? Never! The book is out there, and there is nothing you can do about that. If you take it down, they'll think they were right. You won't hear the end of it. It's like kids. You can never let them think they were right."

  I nodded. My marshmallow had become gooey from the warm chocolate milk, just the way I liked it.

  "Okay," I said. "I'll leave it up."

  "Just stay away from reviews and newspapers from now on. And don't Google yourself anymore. I know you say you don't do that, but I know you do. Stop it. Don't read any of the nonsense they're writing. And no Facebook. Don't read emails either. Just stop going on your computer and enjoy your family instead. Maybe write a new book. Do you have any new ideas?"

  "Not really," I said and looked into the fire. After the reviews I had spent the morning reading, I wasn't sure I even wanted to write anymore. It was going to be very hard getting back up on that horse again.

  12

  "Omigosh! Alexander is wearing that red sweater today. It makes him look sooo yummy."

  Maya looked at Christina, then glanced at Alexander at the table next to them where he was sitting with all his friends eating their lunch. As he sensed her eyes on him, he lifted his head and smiled at her. She didn't smile back.

  "He's so into you, Maya. You have to do something about it. You have to go out with him."

  Maya shook her head. "I don't have to do anything. I’m fine where I am. I told you."

  Maya looked down at her algebra book. She had a test later today and wanted to read up for it. She thought she heard Christina shriek, then lifted her head again and realized Alexander was standing right in front of her. Her heart dropped.

  "Hi," he said.

  Maya finally smiled, but only to be polite. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was into him. She kind of was; she thought he was really cute, but she didn't want to be. She wanted to finish high school and move on.

  "Hey, there."

  Alexander sat down across from her. "I saw you riding your bike through downtown this weekend."

  "Really?" she said unimpressed.

  He looked at his fingers. "And I was wondering if maybe one day you and I…could…bike downtown together? Maybe to see a movie or get something to eat? Or how about this Saturday you and me bike to Thomas K's party together?"

  And there it was. The question she had dreaded would come. She had prepared for it, but it was always harder when you actually sat in front of the person. Especially since this person was so cute and, had things been different, if it hadn't been for what she went through with Samuel, then well…she would probably have said yes.

  "I don't think so," Maya said, her eyes returning to the book.

  Please, go away now. Please.

  Alexander's friends made noises in the background, and someone yelled. "Ouch."

  Maya didn't look at him till after he got up. She felt heartbroken and lifted her gaze to watch him walk away.

  In another lifetime maybe.

  "You turned him down?" Christina could hardly breathe.

  Maya closed her book. "I told you I would."

  "But why? He's so hot!"

  "I told you. I need to focus on school."

  Maya grabbed her book and held it against her chest, then rushed out of the cafeteria, feeling devastated yet determined. Alexander was cute, yes, but she didn't want to go down that road again. She simply didn't dare to. If Christina couldn't understand that, then, well…then that was her problem.

  13

  I tried my best; I really, honestly did. I baked a ton of cookies, then prepared a pie for dessert tonight, while getting the roast ready and marinating the potatoes. I listened to music while cooking, whistling along, trying hard to push all the bad thoughts away and not wonder what else people were writing about me online.

  And, much to my surprise, I succeeded. I managed to go all day without opening my computer, checking emails or looking on Facebook on my phone, and I even let the voicemail handle my many phone calls. Most of them were from journalists who wanted a comment on the bad reviews and on my decision to self-publish, but I deleted them as fast as they arrived.

  At two-thirty, Skye came down from upstairs and rushed toward the front door. I knew then that Victor was almost home and, just as I suspected, the minibus drove up into our driveway less than a second later.

  He came up to the house, and I opened the door to greet him, but he completely ignored me and rushed toward Skye. They hugged, and I felt so jealous it screamed inside of me. I hadn't been able to touch my son for years and here she was, hugging him? Just wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight? And he didn't scream. He didn't even complain?

  I should be happy that my son was socializing with other kids, letting them come close to him and actually touch him; I know I should, but I was just so…jealous. I missed holding my boy.

  "Afternoon tea in thirty minutes," I yelled after them as they rushed into the living room. I knew they would be playing in the yard in only a few seconds, talking to the trees or whatever weird stuff they did out there.

  I followed them, then noticed that both of them had stopped in front of the bathroom door. Both small bodies stood like they were frozen, staring at the closed door.

  "What's going on?" I asked. "Aren't you going to the yard?"

  That was when I noticed that Brutus, Victor's strange and very quiet pit-bull was also sitting there, glaring at the door, like he expected someone to come out of it.

  "Victor?"

  He didn't move. I noticed his hands were shaking as he stood there staring at the door.

  "Vic? What's going on? Skye?"

  But no one paid any attention to me. They just stood there, completely paralyzed, looking at the darn door like they expected it to open or something, but nothing happened.

  I knew Victor often believed that bathrooms were evil for some reason and avoided them at school, but I had never seen him react to them at home. I had always believed it was just his way of telling me he didn't like school or something like that. Maybe they had beaten him up or bullied him in some way inside one of the bathrooms, and he just didn't want to tell me.

  "Victor. It's just our bathroom. You go past it every day," I said, trying to talk some sense into the boy. Then I sighed, walked to the door, and opened it, wanting to show them that there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of.

  "See?" I said and walked inside.

  And that was when I heard it. A loud slithering sound, like a big snake or something disappearing down the drain of the bathtub. I grabbed the curtain and pulled it aside. Whatever it was, it moved so fast I couldn't see it.

  I shrieked and hurried back out, then closed the door, heart throbbing in my chest.

  "Okay. That's it. I’m calling in the experts."

  14

  Sven Thomsen loathed his neighbor more than anything in this world. While shoveling snow outside his own house, Sv
en threw a glare toward the neighbor's sidewalk. Just this morning, Sven had stopped his neighbor as he rushed for his car, a cup of coffee clutched in his hand.

  Always so busy, busy, busy. Doesn't even have time to drink his coffee because he's so darn busy all the time. Always on the go with that stupid coffee in his hand. Why doesn't anyone have time just to sit down and drink their coffee anymore? Why must they take it everywhere, always on the go-go-go?

  Sven didn't care much that his neighbor was in a hurry. He had rushed out to him, wearing big boots underneath his bathrobe, then yelled at him.

  "Hey. Wait a minute."

  The neighbor had paused with a sigh. "What now, Sven? I have a meeting at eight."

  "You still have half an hour. That's plenty of time," Sven had told him. "When I was your age, I drove to…"

  "I don't really have time for your stories there, Sven. What do you want?" the neighbor had cut him off.

  Sven had grunted, annoyed. Again with the busyness, never time to even listen to people. What if Sven had something important to tell him? Some deep advice that could change his perspective on life? But, oh, no, the young of today have no time for that because they're so darn BUSY!

  "I just wanted to remind you that you have to shovel the snow on the sidewalk. It's the law, you know."

  The neighbor exhaled and looked at his watch for the fifth time during their brief conversation.

  "I know, Sven. You told me that last month too when it snowed."

  "Aha, but you didn't do it, remember? And there was a lady walking through it who almost fell. Can't have that, can we? Must obey the law. That's why it’s there. No one is above it."

  "All right," the neighbor said. "I'll take care of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important meeting to attend to."

  Important meeting. A meeting was never just a meeting anymore. It was always important.

  "Very well," Sven had said. "But if it is not cleared this afternoon, then I see no other way than to have to call the police."

  The neighbor had been halfway inside his BMW by that point.

  "See you later, Sven," was his answer before he took off.

  Now, Sven was standing on the sidewalk. It was afternoon, and the neighbor's part of it was still covered in snow. Sven knew the neighbor wouldn't be home till late tonight when it was already dark out.

  Sven hissed, annoyed, then walked back toward his own house. By now, he had shoveled snow twice already today. It was your duty as a homeowner, and he couldn't for the life of him understand why people didn't take these things more seriously.

  Inside his house, he grabbed his phone with the intention of dialing the number of the local police, but as he pushed a button to get his darn smartphone to light up, there was a noise coming from his bathroom, one that made him forget the phone, forget about sidewalks and law-breaking neighbors and walk toward the open door instead.

  15

  It was nice and quiet outside the school when Maya rushed out after the end of her last class. It was still snowing but not as much as it had this morning. Maya loved how the snow subdued everything and made her feel like she was standing inside her own dome and not having all the noises from the world disturb her. Ever since she had suffered the memory loss, something else had happened to Maya that she didn't talk to her mom about. She heard things differently, louder in some way that she couldn't really explain. And she was so sensitive to them. Noises annoyed her greatly. Like when people ate, she could get almost aggressive toward them if they made the smallest noise. Even in class when the girl sitting next to her swallowed too loudly or played with her plastic water bottle, it made Maya's toes crumple with irritation. Sometimes, she would run to the bathroom and hold her ears just to make the noises of the world go quiet for a few seconds, so she could relax. It was quite exhausting. She knew her brother was sensitive to noises and there were days when she wondered if she was becoming more and more like him. Maybe she just found it difficult to think straight when there was too much noise. Because there was so much noise inside of her mind.

  "Hey…wait up, Maya!"

  The silence was broken by a familiar voice. Maya sighed and turned to look at him.

  "Alex, hey…"

  "You walking home?" he asked.

  She nodded. "Not really weather to be biking in."

  "Same here. Can we walk together?"

  She hesitated for a few seconds, wanting to say no because it was the smart thing to do, but there was something about the look in Alex's eyes that made her soft, made her not want to hurt him again.

  "Sure."

  His face lit up beneath the beanie, and they began to walk. It was only about a five-minute walk for her, so it couldn't be too bad. Besides, she kind of enjoyed his company. She was being very careful not to let him think she was into him in any way. Because she wasn't. She wouldn't let herself be. It was out of the question. The result was, she didn't say a word to him, and soon the silence between them felt awkward. After a minute or so of walking, Maya regretted her decision.

  "So…will you be going to the party on Saturday?" he finally asked, after searching for the right words for a long time.

  Maya shook her head. "I'm not really that into parties and stuff like that."

  "Yeah, me either," he said.

  It was a lie. Maya knew he liked to party. He was the type of boy who always went to every party there was.

  "So…what do you like to do?" he asked, kicking a pile of snow on the side of the road.

  "Read. Watch Anime."

  "Ah…I see," he said.

  "Listen, Alex," she said when they stopped outside her house. "You're a nice guy and everything, but we don't really have much in common."

  He looked so disappointed that she almost lost her courage. Did she really have to let him down twice in one day?

  But the real problem wasn't that she had to let him down for the second time; the real issue occurred in the seconds later when Alex leaned over and kissed her.

  Maya pulled away forcefully.

  "What the heck are you doing?"

  He gave her a look, one of confidence. "I know you like me. Let's stop the charade for a second. Just admit it."

  Maya stared at him. Who the heck did he think he was?

  "I…I that's…not true."

  He pointed at her with both his fingers, then started to walk away. "I got to kiss Maya Frost. I got to kiss Maya Frost."

  "You did not…I wasn't even…"

  But Alex was already gone. She could hear him whistling through the heavy curtain of snow long after she couldn't see him anymore.

  16

  I was in luck. Apparently, our local plumbing company had a guy right down the street attending to another house when I called, and he had promised he could stop by my place when he was done there. So, ten minutes later, a small minivan drove up in my driveway and parked in the snow. I opened the door, and the guy holding his toolbox walked up to my door, snowflakes on the top of his cap, where it said:

  PETERSEN PLUMBING - IF WATER RUNS THROUGH IT… WE DO IT!

  "It's right in here," I said and walked ahead of him toward the guest bathroom. I was about to grab the handle and open the door but then didn't. Instead, I stepped aside.

  "In there."

  The plumber opened the door. Standing behind him, I watched as he walked in.

  "The bathtub," I said.

  "And what exactly is wrong with the bathtub?" he asked.

  "There was something inside it. It disappeared down the drain when I pulled the curtain aside. But it was definitely there."

  The plumber knelt down next to it with an exhale. "I can take a look, but if it's an animal, I can't really do much about it," he grunted. "You'll need an exterminator. Is it clogged?"

  "I…I don't know. I rarely use this one."

  The plumber leaned forward and turned on the water, then watched to see if it ran down the drain with no trouble. It did.

  "Seems fine to me," he said.
/>   "But there was something there, down there…" I said and pointed.

  "Has it been flooding?"

  I shook my head.

  The plumber rose to his feet, complaining, "Listen, lady. It could have been anything. Frogs, toads, snakes, maybe even a squirrel."

  "A squirrel?" I asked, baffled.

  He shrugged. "It's been known to happen. Believe it or not, some critters can crawl, creep, or wriggle their way into your pipes, causing clogs of all kinds. If you have an animal invasion, then it will probably start with a baffling flood and only end when you grab a broom and hysterically sweep the poor creature out the door."

  "So, you're telling me I have some sort of critter down there? And that it came up through the drain and might even run into the house?" I shuddered at the thought.

  "Yes, well, since there is no flooding or clogging, it can hardly be a big animal, if you want my opinion. Maybe just a frog. Maybe there's more than one."

  "Frogs? I can live with frogs as long as they stay down there. A frog infestation sounds less appealing."

  The plumber shrugged. "It's cold out. Lots of animals search for shelter in the pipes when it’s cold. They might disappear on their own. Just wait and see."

  The plumber grabbed his toolbox and walked back into the hallway. I wasn't sure I felt any better, maybe a little. As long as it was just frogs. A frog, preferably. One. Not multiple.

  The plumber walked to the door and was about to open it when he spotted Victor's backpack on the floor. It was half open, and a book had slipped out of it. It had a sticker on the front of it stating, THIS BOOK BELONGS TO FISHY PINES. The plumber stared at it, then up at me.

  "Your kid is at Fishy Pines?"

  I nodded. "He goes to the school. He's not there full time."

  The plumber became distant, then nodded. "Okay. Good."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  He shook his head. "It's nothing. I just…well, I have a colleague, well, one I used to work with back in the eighties when we were both young. He went to attend to a job there and disappeared. We’ve never heard from him since. He never made it home to his wife that night, and he didn't come to work the next morning. The van was still parked outside the building when we found it the next day."