“You sure you don't want me there with you, lil' Shiela? You know how I can make a mean 'ole dish just to take your mind off matters there.”
The last thing I wanted was to let my guard down, but I didn't voice that out instead replying, “Yes, I'm very much capable of taking care of myself and Mrs. Chipendelle--”
“It's Miss Chip darling, how many times do I have to tell you that?” She had interrupted me mid-sentence and I just huffed before continuing,
“..aaand Miss Chip, please stop overfeeding Jaden. You know how he just loves eating your cooking..”
“Well at least I actually get to feed someone when you're not around. Come 'ere Jaden, let lil' Shiela hear your purrs of agreement.”
Though instead of purrs, all I heard were loud 'meows' from the other end of the line before Ms. Chip's voice came back again, “Guess that means it's time for his afternoon snack. You hurry up there Shiela, I can't wait to tell you where I'll be heading to next! I heard they've got some real gorgeous men out there!”
I could only shake my head at the sound of her laughter that followed, “Well don't let me stop you, though at least be discreet about it, okay?”
“I'll be sure to try!” Her voice suddenly took on a more tender tone as she continued, “You take care of yourself there, alright lil' Shiela? Jaden and I will be sure to wait for your return.” I smiled to myself as I heard Ms. Chip's almost-motherly concern for me over the phone.
“You keep safe too, Ms. Chip..” I said softly as I ended the call before focusing back on my laptop screen. I came across a number of articles about some minor vehicular accidents, but what really caught my attention were of the victims' statements moments before the crash, stating they saw something straight out of their worst nightmares.
Sounds like a job for me and coincidentally, it was also to be my next stop. I looked down at the map laid out beside me, plotting the distance between the two towns for a few minutes before I stretched out and headed towards the window of the B&B I rented a room in.
At first glance, I would have agreed that the town of Mavenville was the most “normal” of all the towns I've previously been to, so what was it that was keeping me from leaving?
As I glanced towards the dusky horizon, my eyes couldn't help but settle on the water tower I saw in the distance.
The sun hadn't fully set when I found myself looking up towards the water tower that my family used to own, I wasn't privy to the details of why my father suddenly wanted to rebrand what Lancaster Developments was known for, but I was sure it had something to do with my mother's murder.
Hearing the crunch of dried leaves amidst the afternoon silence, I turned around to see the Mayor of Mavenville slowly make her way towards me. The genial smile on her wizened face would have made me hesitate in reaching for the silver knife hidden underneath my shirt, had it not been for her eyes-- their dark pools seemed to reflect my very being.
“I knew there was something that wasn't making me leave this goddamned place.” I rested my hand on the hilt of my blade as I faced off this creature before me, “What do you want from me?”
Author's note: This is a teaser of the prequel novella Never Bother. Follow my account here for more updates on upcoming releases and more snippets of my ebooks.
My books are now available:
Never Bother
Don't You Cry No More
DYCNM Book cover design by @viking-ventures
More credits: Commissioned Cover 1, part 3 - Viking Visual Art Tutorial
NB Book cover design by @ilovewintergem
