Happy Holidays. Im still (mostly) offline, but here is an excerpt from next years new Levi Stoltzfus novel, INVISIBLE MONSTERS, which takes place one month after the events of LAST OF THE ALBATWITCHES (which is on sale now). Enjoy! (And yes, that is Simon! And yes, that is Michele from CLICKERS VS. ZOMBIES. All individual threads are coming together. The Labyrinth series starts soon...) A year ago, Simon had begun to notice some ties between Black Lodge and various divisions of the Globe Corporation. At first, hed chalked it up to coincidence or perhaps synergy. After all, hed reasoned, the CIA and other intelligence and defense organizations regularly cultivated ties and relationships with various corporations and institutions. Why should his group be any different? But then Michele, a second-level adept assigned to the Remote Viewing and Astral Projection Department, and also Simons lover, had mentioned similar suspicions one night after pillow talk. Michele had been recruited to Black Lodge two weeks before graduating from college, and had been with the organization for five years. Shed had a thing for older men, and at nearly fourteen years her senior, Simon had qualified. He had been hesitant, at first. Even though they worked in different departments and field offices, he was still technically a superior. But Michele had worn down that hesitation. Simon had loved her, in his own way. After two brief marriages and two lengthy divorces, Simon knew what he was capable of--and more importantly, what he wasnt. And as for Michele, she enjoyed the experience of being with an older, more mature gentleman who was years past all the uncertainty and stupidity that came with being a younger man. Neither was looking for marriage. Michele wanted to focus on her career, and Simon his retirement. And so, theyd had a good thing going. Until yesterday when Michele had shown up at his apartment, complaining of a stomach ache. Simon had helped her to the bedroom and tried to make her comfortable. Hed offered to let her sleep, but Michele had insisted on talking. Shed had a sense of panicked urgency about her that Simon had never seen before. Her symptoms had grown progressively worse over the next fifteen minutes, but in between her gasps and cramps, shed told him about how shed uncovered concrete evidence that their suspicions about the collaboration between the Globe Corporation and elements of their own organization were true, and of how Globes upper echelon was involved with Kat, and their plans. Simon held her while she talked, stroking her hair and preventing her from falling off the bed each time a new stomach cramp seized her. Even though he was clad only in a pair of gray sweatpants and a t-shirt, Simon felt warm. He realized it was Michele. The heat seemed to bake off her. I think you have a fever, he said. What are we going to do? Michele asked, eyes wide, face slicked with sweat. Well, we should get you to a doctor. We cant risk going to a hospital, but I know a few professionals who might be willing to examine you. No. I mean, what are we going to do about Globe and Black Lodge? I dont know, Simon said. The first thing, I suppose, is to determine who else knows. And who knows that we know. What do you think theyd-- Michele never got to finish the sentence. Instead, she doubled over on the bed, clutching her stomach and shivering in agony. Here, Simon said, rising to his feet. Lets get you into the bathroom. Groaning, Michele grabbed his hand. He started to pull her to her feet, but she buckled forward and retched. Her grip on his hand tightened. She made a horrible mewling sound that Simon realized was a choked scream. And then he saw why. Michele vomited onto the carpet, but the contents that sprayed from her gaping mouth wasnt fluids or food or blood or bile. It was spiders. Thousands of tiny, wriggling, living spiders. They poured from her mouth and then her nose. Her grip on his hand tightened even more. She tried to scream again, but her airways had become completely choked, so Simon had screamed for her. Hang on, he shouted, desperately trying to pull her upright. Instead, Michele lurched backward, collapsing onto the bed. Her eyes rolled white in their sockets as more pinhead-sized arachnids scuttled from her mouth and nose. Simon reached for her, intending to roll Michele over and try to clear her throat, but before he could, the spiders began creeping from out of her ears, as well.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 14:41:31 +0000