My contribution to the series is titled Blood and Breakfast. Check it out below. And be sure to check out my contest where you can win an Amazon gift card!
Find details HERE (Contest ends Dec 15, 2020)
Fun Fact:
I was plotting my story and trying to figure out why a normal family man would suddenly snap and murder his family. I realized that hallucinations could cause people to do crazy things, so I researched what could make people hallucinate. I discovered that the plant, jimson weed, can cause serious hallucinations. I also wanted to incorporate some kind of an authentic local legend in my story, so I researched legends in various states and came across the Devil’s Footrock in Rhode Island. I was able to mesh the two–jimson weed and the Devil’s Footrock–to come up with how the husband/father in my story lost his mind and killed his family. It’s so much fun when ideas click and make a story come together.
Here’s a photo of Devil’s Foot Rock
“I’m
going to look for her. It’s not okay that she’s been gone for hours when she
said she’d be back in thirty minutes. Do you know where she was taking her
walk?”
“I-in
the woods.”
“Well,
of course she was,” I muttered. “Agnes, do you have a flashlight I can borrow?
And maybe something I can use for a weapon?”
Agnes
nodded. “I’ll get you a flashlight. I have a hammer.”
Dorset
rose as well. “I’ll go with you.” He cut his gaze to Bradley, but the dufus
just sat there without volunteering to help. “Nothing, old chap? Not going to
offer to come along?”
“I
should stay here in case she comes back,” Bradley murmured but he didn’t look
at them. Was he afraid…or feeling guilty?
I shivered when we stepped outside, drawing my
hoodie tighter around my body. The nearly half full moon hovered in the cloudy
sky behind the branches of a Tulip tree. Lightning flashed, illuminating the
back yard. The icy air held the scent of rain. “We need to hurry,” I told
Dorset. “It looks like it might storm.”
He
nodded. “I’d say let’s split up to cover more ground, but with one flashlight
and hammer, and with the odd happenings lately, maybe we should stick
together.”
“Agreed.”
My teeth chattered, though it wasn’t all that cold.
We walked
along the wood line, shouting for Macy, shining the flashlight between the
trees. Nothing. As if by mutual agreement, we entered the woods. I shuddered,
not only concerned about a potential maniac, but also leery of whatever
creatures might be scurrying around at my feet. I was a city girl and didn’t
even own a pet. I was not okay with encountering an animal, of any kind.
We
searched for another half hour with no sign of Macy. We were deep into the
woods when the sky opened up and doused us with buckets of rain. Thunder
rumbled and more lightning flashed. We gave up and hurried back to the house.
The
others were waiting for us.
“Anything?”
Bradley asked, his voice high-pitched with anxiety. He seemed much more
concerned about Macy than he had been about his wife.
“Not a
sign,” I said. “We need to call the police.”
“I
did.” Agnes was seated in the forest green wing chair in the corner of the
library. “They took the information but said she’s an adult and can leave any
time she wants.” She rose. “We waited dinner for you. Let’s eat.”
A pall
hung over the room as we ate in silence, the air thick with fear and confusion.
Afterward,
I excused myself and headed upstairs, anxiety weighing on me. I had an
overwhelming feeling that I wouldn’t sleep a wink. Nor would anyone else.
Please like Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Fri13thShortStories
All
stories in the Friday the 13th series:
Links
to Evil by Rolynn Anderson
Till
Death by Maureen Bonatch
Blood
and Breakfast by Alicia Dean
Retribution by D.J. FitzSimons
Shattered
Reflections by Tamrie Foxtail
A
Deadly Game by Jannine Gallant
Dead to
Rights by Margo Hoornstra
In the
Still of the Night by Callie Hutton
Glimpse,
the Dinner Guest by Stephen B. King
Scorned by Anna Kittrell
Vanity
Kills by Dianne McCartney
Fatal
Legacy by Krysta Scott
Azrael’s
Chosen by Leah St. James
Alicia Dean began writing stories as a child. At age 10, she wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley, and who shared the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.
Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley (she almost always works in a mention of him into her stories) and watching (and rewatching) her favorite television shows like Ozark, Dexter, Justified, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and Vampire Diaries. Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Stephen King, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.
Email: Alicia@AliciaDean.com
Website: http://aliciadean.com/
Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/
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Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean
