nose.
Dozens of specters filled the room. Some were floating, some sitting, or standing, or lying, or other “ings” that were decidedly wrong on many, many levels. Keenan stood to stretch and took his time with a deep, satisfying yawn. Midway through it, the lights, and the ghosts, snapped off. The room went dark, silent, and empty.
He choked on the yawn and bent over with a coughing fit. When it was over, Keenan banged his shin against the coffee table and swore at it.
“Okay…this isn’t funny,” he yelled at the living room. “Reggie, if that’s you jacking with me, I…”
The words caught in this throat when a shadow traveled in front of the two large windows facing the street. Headlights came through it in glistening stars as it moved toward him.
Fear started as a hot ice pick shoved into the base of his neck and settled over his face.
He took a step back but hit his legs against the sofa and fell, landing with a thud on his ass. The shadow flitted back and forth in slow, even movements, giving Keenan enough time to get his feet on the floor and his butt off the couch.
Scuttling to the right, he found enough empty space to turn and run straight into his dining room table, smashing his right hip against the very solid fine oak.
He stopped breathing long enough to let the endorphins kick in and rubbed the injury fast to move them along.
The succubus materialized in front of him. She was even more beautiful than she had been the night before, though her face still hid behind an enticing mist. Keenan reached into a spot he didn’t use very often—self-discipline. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do. His resolve was paper-thin.
He put up his hands and backed away from her, knowing he’d have to talk fast, before he surrendered.
“Look, as much as I loved last night…and believe me, I did…you have to understand that your visits are probably not very healthy for me. I’m sure you’re a very nice…entity and all, but honestly, I think once is enough.”
The form hovered in front of him as if thinking, the hair flowing in liquid wisps around her head. Keenan edged toward the front door.
“I’m sorry.” His voice came out a bit shaky, but not bad, all things considered. “I really am.” And he really was. “But, there’s this woman I’m seeing and, well, I don’t want to hurt her and…”
All hell broke loose.
A high-pitched sound, almost like a scream, filled the house. Windows exploded outward. All the smoke detectors went off at once. Everything in the room not tied down lifted into the air. It swirled together until the stuff formed a cyclone that swept through the darkness.
The stunning shadowed spirit swelled in front of Keenan until her head hit the ceiling and her body crammed the room. Waves of what Keenan could only describe as jealously saturated his skin. He was terrified.
“Dabria, right?” he shouted in desperation. He wasn’t even sure what he was saying, but it was the only thing he could think of.
It worked; she stopped growing and held still.
“Dabria,” he repeated, taking the moment to move his back against the dining room wall. “Isabella is very special to me. I really want a chance with her.” He swallowed hard, not knowing if the succubus would kill him now or do it after she seduced him. Who could blame him if he hoped for the latter?
“I…you’re very nice and last night was wonderful, but…please…I think you know what it means to be in love. At least I hope so.” The words came out in a rushing flood of babbles. “I don’t want to betray her…I mean, I don’t really even know her and you’re so…oh man, I want you in the worst way, believe me. You are so…hot…” He cut off the word but it tumbled out of his mouth unsupervised. Squeezing his eyes tight and melting into the wallpaper at his back, he waited for the fatal strike.
It didn’t come.
He opened one eye a slit to find out why.
The shadow deflated in one swift
Dozens of specters filled the room. Some were floating, some sitting, or standing, or lying, or other “ings” that were decidedly wrong on many, many levels. Keenan stood to stretch and took his time with a deep, satisfying yawn. Midway through it, the lights, and the ghosts, snapped off. The room went dark, silent, and empty.
He choked on the yawn and bent over with a coughing fit. When it was over, Keenan banged his shin against the coffee table and swore at it.
“Okay…this isn’t funny,” he yelled at the living room. “Reggie, if that’s you jacking with me, I…”
The words caught in this throat when a shadow traveled in front of the two large windows facing the street. Headlights came through it in glistening stars as it moved toward him.
Fear started as a hot ice pick shoved into the base of his neck and settled over his face.
He took a step back but hit his legs against the sofa and fell, landing with a thud on his ass. The shadow flitted back and forth in slow, even movements, giving Keenan enough time to get his feet on the floor and his butt off the couch.
Scuttling to the right, he found enough empty space to turn and run straight into his dining room table, smashing his right hip against the very solid fine oak.
He stopped breathing long enough to let the endorphins kick in and rubbed the injury fast to move them along.
The succubus materialized in front of him. She was even more beautiful than she had been the night before, though her face still hid behind an enticing mist. Keenan reached into a spot he didn’t use very often—self-discipline. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do. His resolve was paper-thin.
He put up his hands and backed away from her, knowing he’d have to talk fast, before he surrendered.
“Look, as much as I loved last night…and believe me, I did…you have to understand that your visits are probably not very healthy for me. I’m sure you’re a very nice…entity and all, but honestly, I think once is enough.”
The form hovered in front of him as if thinking, the hair flowing in liquid wisps around her head. Keenan edged toward the front door.
“I’m sorry.” His voice came out a bit shaky, but not bad, all things considered. “I really am.” And he really was. “But, there’s this woman I’m seeing and, well, I don’t want to hurt her and…”
All hell broke loose.
A high-pitched sound, almost like a scream, filled the house. Windows exploded outward. All the smoke detectors went off at once. Everything in the room not tied down lifted into the air. It swirled together until the stuff formed a cyclone that swept through the darkness.
The stunning shadowed spirit swelled in front of Keenan until her head hit the ceiling and her body crammed the room. Waves of what Keenan could only describe as jealously saturated his skin. He was terrified.
“Dabria, right?” he shouted in desperation. He wasn’t even sure what he was saying, but it was the only thing he could think of.
It worked; she stopped growing and held still.
“Dabria,” he repeated, taking the moment to move his back against the dining room wall. “Isabella is very special to me. I really want a chance with her.” He swallowed hard, not knowing if the succubus would kill him now or do it after she seduced him. Who could blame him if he hoped for the latter?
“I…you’re very nice and last night was wonderful, but…please…I think you know what it means to be in love. At least I hope so.” The words came out in a rushing flood of babbles. “I don’t want to betray her…I mean, I don’t really even know her and you’re so…oh man, I want you in the worst way, believe me. You are so…hot…” He cut off the word but it tumbled out of his mouth unsupervised. Squeezing his eyes tight and melting into the wallpaper at his back, he waited for the fatal strike.
It didn’t come.
He opened one eye a slit to find out why.
The shadow deflated in one swift
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