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Okay, so I know that I have not been on here in a while. Life happened for me… Anways, I have here a sample from a novella that I’ve been working on. If you have any questions as to how I got the idea, or questions about characters, anything, please let me know!

If you are interested in reading more, please let me know.

I need help making my writing better, and finding out if readers like my style. I have been working on it for quite some time now, so please help by reviewing this for me. Thanks!

Also, please note that my name has changed from “theswordinthebook”, to “luciusbraun” @jane-maree

 

Gas Station Nightmare: Chapter One

Carl drove in his Ford pickup down the dark road, his headlights barely illuminating the one lane bback way. His tires crunched on the gravel road, kicking up rocks and dust behind him. It was silent, except for his truck radio playing “Together Forever” by Alan Jackson. He yawned and stretched his head to the side; blinking when he finished stretching as he tried to keep himself awake.

His phone suddenly rang and he swerved to the side as the loud, an obnoxious noise ringing out. It was some kind of song by Taylor Swift that blasted out of it. He scrambled to turn his truck back on the road with his left hand, and with his right, he searched for the offending object.

His hand struck the phone between the glovebox and his chair and he picked it up, swiping the screen to answer. He held the phone to his ear and said, “Hello?”

“Hiya buddy, you like the ringtone?”

Carl’s eyes rolled back in his head from annoyance, “Sam.”

“Yeah,” said a laughing voice, “I thought you might like it. I turned it on the highest sound setting there was this morning.”

“My sides are splitting.”

“Oh come on big brother, laugh already. By the way, when are you going to be home?”

Carl smiled in the dark at his brother talking, “Oh, I’m on my way right now. I’m in some place called Tokes county, or something like that. I’m stopping at a gas station to get a coffee so I can stay awake.”

“Okay. Drive safe.”

“It’s not like you know what the word “safe” even means.”

“Well, neither do you,” came back the offended reply.

Turning in an entrance at a gas station, he pulled into a parking space of the left side of the building. It was dark, with only light emitting from out of the building’s windows. As he pulled up, a light suddenly switched on the gutter.

Carl chuckled, “We need one of those.”

“One of what?”

“Oh sorry, I was talking to my-self. You know, one of those automatic lights that turn on when it detects motion.”

Sam replied, “Yeah, okay, whatever. I mean you can get one I guess but-”

“But it would inhibit you from sneaking out?”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds when Sam slowly said, “Uh, well, that’s not the reason why, uh.”

“Then what reason?”

“Uh, yeah whatever you say.”

Laughing, Carl unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his truck door, “Okay, well I have to go now buddy. Love you.”

“You too.”

“Okay, don’t think I’m forcing you to return some brotherly love here.”

Carl snickered, “Love you too!”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Hanging up is phone, Carl looked at his watch. It read 11:34. Well, he would probably be home around 2 in the morning or so. A tad too late for him, but he could handle it.

Carl finished opening his door and stepped out of his truck shut it behind him. He stretched his back and arms from the long ride, and also to prepare himself for another two hours of driving at night. He stepped up on the sidewalk and started walking down towards the door. He pushed the glass door open and a wave of smoke it him. He coughed once then turned to the counter where he saw a woman in her mid 30’s sitting behind it, smoking like a chimney. Well, he thought, I guess there aren’t any rules about smoking here.

“Uh, excuse me?” he asked.

The lady looked up and grinned at him. He had seen that grin all too many times.

“Hi there stranger, you looking for anything?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said scratching his head, “You got any coffee?”

“Yup, over there in the dispenser cutie,” she rasped.

He forced a smile, “Yeah, thanks.”

Carl walked over to the ancient looking machine grabbed a styrofoam cup. He placed it under the spout and pressed the lever and the boiling black liquid poured into his cup. Grabbing a creamer, he peeled off the lid and poured in the white liquid. Then, he grabbed a lid and popped on a lid. Bring it back to the counter he set it down and fished his wallet out of his pocket.

“That’ll be 2.58 honey.”

“Here.”

As she put the money in her register he asked, “Hey, by the way. I’ve been looking for a good set of automatic lights. How much were the ones out front?”

The door buzzed again as it opened and a man stepped inside. He was tall, so tall that his head brushed the top of the door. He looked like the kind of guy that Paul Bunyan would be hanging around with, from his plaid shirt, all the way down to his big, brown boots.

Carl nodded politely at him and the man returned his nod with a glare.

“Where’s your bathroom at?” he asked gruffly.

The cashier sized him up then replied lamely, “In the back right corner.

Steve, (the name Carl gave to him)  looked back at Carl and asked, “What are you looking at mister.”

Blinking Carl said, “Uh, nothing.” The last thing he wanted was brawl at almost midnight with someone almost twice his size. In a gas station no less.

Steve grunted then rumbled off over to the bathroom.

The cashier looked back at Carl, “Anyways, the lights were about $70 or so. After 2 minutes they turn off.”

He looked at his watch and it read 11:39. “Yeah,” he agreed, “They should be off by now. Thanks for the coffee.”

“Anything for you sweetie.”

“Yeah, the same I’m sure.”

He turned, and with a boiling hot coffee in his hand he opened the door and went out on the sidewalk. The front of the gas station was poorly lit, especially since the light was off. He carefully took a sip and recoiled as his tongue touched the top of the liquid. It was hot.

His phone rang again. Looking down at the dimly lit screen he sighed. Sam. Again. He had probably burned down the house.  The things he did for that kid.

“What now?” he wearily said holding the phone in his left hand.

“Oh, um, I just wanted to see how far your were now.”

“I’m still at the gas station Sam. I will be home around 2 or so.”

“In the morning?” came the weak reply.

“Yes, but don’t wait up for me okay?”

“Are you sure? I mean, I am the guy that can stay awake through it all.”

“You mean the guy who snores so loudly I can’t think at random times in the day.”

“Oh yeah, well don’t bring up past deeds.”

“Past as in the last time I  saw you.”

“Whatever mister know it all.”

Carl put his head back in impatience. “Okay, goodbye.”

“Yeah, well, bye.”

“Like bye as in don’t call me in an hour. Don’t even text. Don’t even hire a physic to summon my brain”

“Hey, that’s actually a good idea…”

“SAM!” Carl practically yelled.

“Okay, okay fine. Bye.”

“Bye!”

Carl shoved the phone into his pocket and leaned up against the building. Maybe he should have stayed in DC a few more days or something.

Then, the light where he was parked switched on.

Odd, he thought to himself. A man then came around the corner. A broadly built thug with long, stringy blonde hair. and a sharp nose. He had lit up phone in his hand as if he had been talking to someone. Carl minded his own business, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Steve coming out of the gas station very quickly.

A little too quickly in his opinion.

His hand strayed down to where he kept a knife in case of emergences. This seemed like a possible emergency to him.

Blondie passed the door and kept coming while Steve came out the door and slid in behind him. Well, as if a mountain could slide in behind someone.

Carl started to edge away as he sensed trouble. He was right.

The two broke into a run and he threw his first weapon at them. His boiling coffee that he had neglected to drink.

It splashed on Blondie and he yelled as it got on his arm. His other hand instinctively went up to his face, where it too got burned.

Steve barreled over Blondie and came at Carl like a bull.

Carl realised the direness of the situation and immediately turned sharply to the left. Steve could not move a quick as Carl could, so he struggled to switch. He spun around.

Carl ran, fists pumping, his breath coming in spurts. He knew he could not reach his truck in time, Blondie was still there, angry as a hornet. He sped away then started to cross the road, where he knew he could lose them in the dark woods.

Suddenly as he was in the middle of the road, car squealed out from the side of the road where it had been hiding. Carl placed his hands out as the car came straight for him at full speed. It came to a screeching halt and it slid towards him.

The driver’s door open and a huge man jumped out, holding a crowbar in his hands. This was an ambush if anything.

Carl ducked as the first swing from the crow bar missed him, and swung over his head, air whooshing as it was displaced. He dropped and rolled away and the crowbar came down again, clanging on the cement beside him. Sweeping his foot out, he caught the crowbar wielding assailant and tripped him.

Carl jumped up and lurched forward towards the woods, his hand brushed against the road as he stumbled.

He spun around and held out his knife threateningly, the huge, crowbar wielding man swung his weapons and knocked the knife out of Carl’s hand.

Carl turned and ran towards the woods.

Then, without warning, Steve came from behind and launched himself forward, crashing into Carl, throwing him to the ground. They landed on the hard cement, and Carl cried out as pain flashed through him as he was pinned underneath the bear of a man. His foot came back instinctively and kicked him in the crotch, making the man let go and howl as keeled over on the ground.

Dazed from the impact, Carl tried to crawl away from the melee, when a powerful blow from a hard object hit him in the middle of his back. He dropped instantly and lay there, his eyes tearing up from the agonizing pain. He tried to move, but lighting bolts of pain shot through him, prohibiting him from getting up.

Blondie had finally joined and grabbed the back of Carl’s shirt and jerked him upright and pulled him towards the car. When they were at the diver’s side in the back seat, Carl tried to stand and pushed his feet against the side of the door’s rim. But, with a fearsome shove, he was pushed into the car, hitting his forehead in the top rim of the car.

Then all was dark.