He took his shirt off, which made her uneasy, but only for a second, because she saw. Running down his arms, across his chest and down his sides was what looked like a light brown fern-like outline of what must have been scars, but could easily be mistaken for tattoos or an application of henna. They branched out from his neck and feathered out in widening patterns from his shoulders down.
“What is that?” she said, in awe.
“Scars,” Faraday said, “From the lightning strike. The doctor called them Lichtenburg Figures. They’re lightning flowers or lightning trees.” Faraday would read extensively on these “keraunographic” marks or filigree burns induced by lightning.
“Wow, that is cool! You’re like a regular superhero or something.”
“Yeah, ain’t I though,” Faraday commented. He turned serious for a moment. “I’m really sorry about Ben. I know he meant a great deal to you.”
She bowed her head. “I did what I had to. Thank you.”
Faraday nodded.
“Who could imagine all these things lived in our town?” Amelia said.
“I hear there are even vampires,” Faraday said.
“Vampires, really?”
“That massacre at the town hall...”
“Whoa. Maybe there are some things better not knowing.”
“Maybe,” Faraday admitted. “Maybe we should just leave town.”
“I’ll consider it,” Amelia said.
Faraday looked at her intently. “Keep up the good fight, no matter what you do with your life, okay?”
“I will.”
“As much as I like chatting with you young lady, I think I’m going to fall into a death-like sleep about now. Don’t worry; I’ll wake up this time.”
“You better! All right, I’ll stop by tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
“That would be indeed.”
“Have a good day detective.”
Faraday rolled his eyes, “Aw geeze. Please, call me Dave.”
Special thanks to Allison Bonato and Oscar Gonzalez.
COMING SOON
DARKNESS
The third novel by Nathaniel Reed
The Depths of the Hollow (Mercy Falls Mythos Book 2) Page 26