Bed of Crimson Joy
Page 5
Her intestines and other internal organs shifted to accommodate the immense new bulk with an agony that was beyond Rose’s power to express. She simply had to bear it. To endure the intrusion of this fully grown human form where it had no natural right to be.
Sometimes she could tell whether it was Peter or Bethany. She could catch a stray thought and identify it, in the same way she perceived her unborn child’s brooding mind. Usually she was only aware of their terror.
Terror, and the dawning realisation that they were trapped inside an impossibly small space, a space that should be the beginning of life, but was now the site of endless, endless death.
Trapped with a tiny, vicious creature they had wronged, to whom they had promised life but brought only death and double cross.
A tiny, vicious creature with impossibly sharp teeth and claws and an insatiable need to be redressed.
Their screams and pleas did them no good. The contract was watertight, they were lawyers, they should have known. There was no escape, they were to be punished over and over and over again.
Stanley had been right. Rose’s womb was an instrument of revenge. The emptiness that filled Rose made it so easy for people to get inside her. And when they did, something deep within her always died.
About the Author
Jasper Bark is infectious - and there’s no known cure. If you’re reading this then you’re already at risk of contamination. The symptoms will begin to manifest any moment now. There’s nothing you can do about it. There’s no itching or unfortunate rashes, but you’ll become obsessed with his books, from the award winning collections Dead Air and Stuck on You and Other Prime Cuts, to cult novels like The Final Cut and acclaimed graphic novels such as Bloodfellas and Beyond Lovecraft. Soon you’ll want to tweet, post and blog about his work until thousands of others fall under its viral spell. We’re afraid there’s no way to avoid this, these words contain a power you are hopeless to resist. You’re already in their thrall and have been since you started this book. Even now you find yourself itching to read the rest of his work. Don’t fight it, embrace the urge and wear your affliction with pride!
Trust your Uncle Jasp on this, you know it makes sense.