(A tiny teaser from Bloodborn, sequel to Other.)
The werewolves howl at night, taunting me in a triumphant chorus. Dad doesn’t hear them—he’s passed out drunk on the couch after a day talking to the hospital and the funeral home. I’m not going to any funeral, period.
I go downstairs like a walking statue, unfeeling, unthinking. In the garage, the musty, mousy smell twinges my hypersensitive nose. I can hear a rodent scratching in the wall, even the high squeaks it makes to its mate. I grab my coat, two boxes of rounds, and Dad’s favorite shotgun. I’m more than a match for the werewolves.
It’s my birthday! Guess how ancient I am. Since it’s also Teaser Tuesday, here’s a snippet from Bloodborn:
Outskirts. That’s where I belong. Here, it’s quiet, a slightly moist wind blowing the smell of sagebrush over the tall blonde grass. I hike out into the wilderness, away from the warmth and light of Walla Walla, away to where there’s no one but me and the stars. I figure that if I don’t make it, at least I will die looking at the sky.
I wonder how long it will take people to find my body.
I shove that thought from my mind and start to undress. There goes the shirt Mom bought me, the hand-me-down jeans from Dad, the boxer shorts Chris teased me about. When I’m done peeling away layers of myself, my heart feels empty, and big. I wonder why I’m not afraid, wonder if I will be. This is it. There’s no other reason to keep standing here, naked and alone.
Bloodborn is done! As of 11:06 AM, PST, the first draft is 49,653 words long. Next: revisions…
