Devil's Nightmare: Premonitions (Devil's Nightmare, Book 2)
Page 45
She glanced at Deputy Copeland’s cruiser.
“Shit!” she cursed herself and removed her sunglasses. She rubbed her hand over her face. “What am I going to do now?”
Aaron was right. Cody wasn’t going to accept her, not after knowing what she’d done. Not after… She gazed up at the sky. Several vultures flew in circles overhead. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She had no choice. “I’m sorry, Theresa.”
Dilbecky held a tight grip on her pistol as she approached the back of the cruiser. “Okay, Cody,” she said, as she unlocked the trunk and pulled the hammer on her weapon. “It’s time for a little family reunion.”
She lifted the trunk, but it was empty. She glanced at the emergency trunk release lever on the inside panel and clenched her jaw. Fucking demon didn’t think to restrain the little shit before dumping him in the trunk? She slammed the trunk and peered through the back window of the cruiser. The shotgun that was supposed to have been mounted in the vehicle’s cockpit was missing.
†
Cody’s arms trembled as he aimed the heavy shotgun at Dilbecky from behind her. He pulled back the hammer. His eyes were moist and his cheeks damp with tears. “Drop your gun,” his voice squeaked.
Dilbecky raised her hands, but she maintained possession of her weapon. “I’m here to help you, Cody.”
He tightened his grip on the shotgun and shook his head, crying. “You’re lying.”
She lowered her pistol, keeping it tucked close to her side. She glanced back at Cody. “Let’s talk about this, kiddo. You’re safe now. Aaron can’t hurt you anymore.”
“Shut up!” Cody took a step forward and poised his finger over the trigger. “I know what you did.”
“Whatever you think you saw in your dreams wasn’t real. It didn’t happen that way. Listen to me, Cody.” She looked over her shoulder. “Aaron was going to kill you. He never loved you.”
“Shut up! You’re lying!” He moved towards Dilbecky, aiming the barrel at the back of her head. “It was you. You did all of this. You’re the reason I have this curse! You’re the reason my family is dead!”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. If it weren’t for me—”
“None of this would have happened if it weren’t for you!” Cody sniffled and whimpered. “Aaron was the only family I had left… and you—”
“He was nothing but a sperm donor. If he’d loved you, he wouldn’t have brought you here. Think about it, Cody.”
“He wasn’t going to do it! I saw it.”
“You had a dream.”
“It wasn’t just a dream, and you know it.”
“Well, what the fuck do you want me to say, Cody? You want me to turn myself in? Is that it?”
“I want…” Cody took in a deep breath. “I want you to—”
Dilbecky spun around and fired her pistol. The bullet grazed
Cody’s shoulder. He cried out in pain and pulled the shotgun trigger. The recoil from the powerful weapon knocked him backwards. The back of his head hit the pavement as the rear window behind Dilbecky shattered into a thousand pieces. She dropped to the ground and glanced behind her.
Cody lay prone on his back, the world spinning around him. Dilbecky got up and kicked the shotgun away. “You worthless piece of shit.” She held her pistol to her side. “You just had to try and be a hero, didn’t you? I was going to take care of you, my nephew. Give you the life your mother would have wanted you to have.”
“Lies,” Cody mumbled. He coughed as something black descended from the sky behind Dilbecky. “You’ll never…” He winced from a throbbing pain in the back of his head.
“I’m sorry, Cody, but I did want this to work out.” As she raised her weapon a black vulture sliced her hand with its talon. Another vulture snatched the gun from her hand while two more attacked her. She screamed and flailed her arms around, attempting to ward off the large birds, shielding her face from their claws and beaks. Three other vultures swooped in to join the fray, knocking Dilbecky to the ground.
Cody sat up, his elbows giving him support, and feasted his eyes upon the large raptors surrounding the bitch. Another vulture grabbed the shotgun with its claws and dropped it next to him. It landed and spread its wings, staring into his eyes. Then it squawked at him several times. Cody stared at the shotgun and glanced over at the attacking birds, which soon dispersed into the sky. The vulture next to Cody squawked again and turned its head towards Dilbecky.
She was on her back next to Deputy Copeland’s cruiser, blood trickling from her mouth and several other wounds throughout her body. She moved her arm and moaned. The bitch was still alive. Cody grabbed the shotgun and stood over her for several seconds, glaring into her eyes. The vultures had spared her vision. He held the weapon to the side as clouds unveiled a ray of sunshine that cast a shadow over Dilbecky.
The corners of her mouth rose as she squinted up at him.
Cody narrowed his eyes and looked over his shoulder. He faced her again and frowned. “What are you smiling at?”
“You’re not a killer,” she said, her voice weak. “You look like an angel.”
A large white cumulous cloud moved in front of the sun, blocking the rays and pulling Cody out of his angelic silhouette figure. He tightened his grip and aimed the barrel at her face. He had one foot planted behind him.
Dilbecky’s smile faded. She lifted her head and lowered her brow. “Kill me, and it’ll haunt you forever.”
Cody’s chin quivered. He wiped a tear from his eyes.
“That’s right, Cody. You can’t do it, because you’re too fuc—“
The shotgun blast echoed across acres of wilderness as Dilbecky’s face exploded into a bloody pulp. Brain matter, bone and hair spread across the pavement.
The shotgun slipped from Cody’s fingers while he fell to his knees and screamed.
†††
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Writing and editing the final scenes of Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions were among the hardest things I have done as an author. Over the past four years, Aaron Sanders became a part of my life as I wrote the first two books in the Devil’s Nightmare series. It was almost like losing a close member of my family, and I actually cried when I wrote Aaron’s death scene. I know that may sound weird, but that’s what happened. Maybe some of you shared tears with me. Some of you are probably angry. Trust me, this wasn’t easy on me, either, but after consulting with beta readers and reviewing a few alternative endings, some that ended on a happy note, none of them felt right. But trust me when I say that Aaron’s story is by no means over. He’ll haunt me in my dreams if I don’t, in some way, keep it alive.
I hope you enjoyed reading Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions and found the twists entertaining and the horror elements fulfilling. So what comes next? After everything poor Cody has gone through, he’s once again orphaned. It’s heartbreaking, I know, but don’t worry about him. He’s a smart kid, and resilient. In Devil’s Nightmare: Redemption, you’ll find out exactly what that means. For a sneak peak, be sure to visit my website and sign up for my VIP newsletter for updates.
www.SharkbaitWrites.com
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I want to thank you, my readers. When I wrote Devil’s Nightmare, my debut in the horror genre (and only my second book ever written), I didn’t know what to expect. I am deeply humbled by the amount of support I have received from those who have given me the opportunity to share my stories with the world. Simple words ca
nnot express my gratitude for each and every one of you.
Writing novels can be a very lonely profession, so I can’t forget to mention the countless number of fellow authors who have shared invaluable advice and words of encouragement during the lengthy process of writing and revising Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions. And to my team of beta readers who gave me valuable feedback on the original manuscript. You all know who you are. Thank you!
And special thanks to my creative team: Carolyn Ridder Aspenson, editor; Bill Campbell, proofreader; Laura Hidalgo, cover designer; and Melissa Flickinger, project manager. Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions is a much better novel because of your hard work and professionalism. I’m proud to have you all on my team.
Finally, to my parents, José and Linda Pruneda, thank you for not believing I was completely nuts (okay, maybe a little) when I decided to dive headfirst into this whole writing journey. Your support is priceless. I love you both!
~ Robert “Sharky” Pruneda
DISCOVER OTHER FICTION
WRITTEN BY ROBERT PRUNEDA
Novels:
Devil’s Nightmare
Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions
Devil’s Nightmare: Redemption (Spring, 2017)
Pursuit of a Dream
Short Stories:
The Secret Diary of James Killborn
Sharky’s Book of Horrors (Fall, 2016)
Flash Fiction:
Dead in Pink
Get them all here:
www.SharkbaitWrites.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert “Sharky” Pruneda is a native Texan, video game “enthusiast” [addict], and fan of all things horror. He left a career in the newspaper industry in 2011 to pursue the life of a nocturnal author, brainstorming new and creative ways to creep out his readers. He doesn’t only write horror though. He also pens the occasional family-oriented tale just to keep from going completely nuts with all those creatures of the night whispering in his ears. When he’s not pulling ideas out of his twisted brain, you’ll likely find him on social media or fighting alongside his fellow gaming buddies where their enemies shoot them up into Swiss cheese… or Sharky turns them into little bite-sized chunks because of his obsession with explosives. Medic!
Pursue your dreams… and never look back!
www.SharkbaitWrites.com
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