Monday, February 24, 2014

First Dark Reflections teaser

So, today I'm happy to release the first ever teaser for the first book of my Dark Reflections series, coming in April.

I was running out of options when my phone chimed. Expecting it to be Maggie, I dove for it. I hissed when I realized it was a video. I recognized the parking lot of the coffee shop and knew it must be one of the phones I spotted in the crowd of douche bags.

Within seconds my phone chimed again with another video, then another. It went on and on, one video after another. I turned the ringer off, setting the phone on my desk. I felt like I was going to be sick. All the numbers were blocked, so I couldn't be certain if it was the same person or a different one. The notification light kept flashing for a long time, but I refused to pick up my phone. I just stared at it helplessly as nausea wormed through my belly.

The house phone ringing jarred me from my thoughts. Figuring someone had tried my cell and got no answer, I jogged to the unit in the hall and picked it up. There was a long silence, then some heavy breathing. As I was just about to hang up, someone mooed, then more heavy breathing. Disgusted, I put the phone in the cradle and yanked the cord out of the wall. I went around the house doing the same with all the phones.

When the doorbell started to ring, I ignored it, returning to my room and huddling on the bed. I wrapped a pillow around my head, a wailing sound coming from my throat no matter how hard I tried to stop it. I heard a phone ringing, realizing too late I hadn’t unplugged the one in my dad’s room.

I have no idea how long I sat rocking on my bed, pillow wrapped around my ears as the phone rang, the doorbell chimed, and knocks sounded at the door. Glass broke in the living room, but I didn’t move to examine it. I just sat there, rocking and crying and praying to die.

Silence didn’t register when it fell at long last for a good long minute. At first I didn’t trust it, though I was finally able to still myself. I dropped the pillow from my ears, though I kept it in my hands. There was no sound except for the normal ones - the refrigerator running, the crickets chirping outside. I slid to the edge of my bed, afraid to move for fear of the torment starting again.


My door swung open and I screamed, turning to bury my face in the pillow as sobs wracked my body. Hands pulled at me, trying to turn me but I fought them, refusing to give them the satisfaction of my tears. An urgent voice suddenly registered and I turned and threw myself into my dad’s arms, sobbing.

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