I am heading off to find my own peace, and to honor my end of the bargain, so this will be the last time you hear from me.
Goodbye for now.
Your friend,
Jacques Joseph
Instead of hiding the postcard in the drawer, he had tacked it on the edge of his desk, for all to see.
He felt he owed Mr. Joseph that much—after all, the man had saved his life.
The school bus arrived, a great big yellow beast of a machine that Toby was sure he would come to know intimately once his days at Holt High were over—which seemed so far away. But then again, so did high school not so long ago.
Toby followed the line of students onto the bus.
He chose a seat near the back. By the time the bus started off with a lurch, no one had sat next to him.
Which didn’t bother Toby. He didn’t mind being by himself. He wasn’t ready for a new best friend yet anyway. Maybe in the future. But for now he was content to live his life one day at a time. Once he got through one day, then he would concentrate on the next.
As the bus gained speed, Toby turned and gazed out the window.
It wasn’t an overly warm day. Still, Toby unlatched the window and pulled it down. Fresh fall breeze blew against his face and hair. The sensation invigorated him, and as he sat watching the world speed by, he savored the simple pleasure of being alive.
And free.
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brett McBean is an award-winning horror and thriller author. His books, which include The Mother, The Last Motel, Wolf Creek: Desolation Game, and The Invasion, have been published in Australia, the US, and Germany. He’s been nominated for the Aurealis, Ditmar, and Ned Kelly awards, and he won the 2011 Australian Shadows Award for his collection, Tales of Sin and Madness. He lives in Melbourne with his wife and daughter. Find out more at: brettmcbean.com
ALSO FROM
BLOODSHOT BOOKS
The Specimen (The Riders Saga – Book 1)
From a crater lake on an island off the coast of Bronze Age Estonia...
To a crippled Viking warrior's conquest of England ...
To the bloody temple of an Aztec god of death and resurrection...
Their presence has shaped our world. They are the Riders.
One month ago, an urban explorer was drawn to an abandoned asylum in the mountains of northern Massachusetts. There he discovered a large specimen jar, containing something organic, unnatural and possibly alive.
Now, he and a group of unsuspecting individuals have discovered one of history's most horrific secrets. Whether they want to or not, they are caught in the middle of a millennia-old war and the latest battle is about to begin.
Available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.com
ISBN-13: 978-1495230004
NO VAMPIRES . . . NO WEREWOLVES . . .
NO ZOMBIES . . . BEEN THERE. DONE THAT.
You’ve heard their stories before and you’re screaming for a different breed of horror. Say “Hello” to the ones that are still hidden by the shadows. The ones that peer from behind the gravestones with multi-faceted eyes and crawl from the sewers on slime-covered tentacles. The ones that stain the pages within this tome with the blood of their victims . . .
NOT YOUR AVERAGE MONSTER:
A BESTIARY OF HORRORS
THIS AIN’T YOUR DADDY’S NIGHTMARE!
Available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.com
ISBN-13: 978-0692567937
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD
VENTURE OUT OF YOUR HIDING PLACES,
HERE COMES ANOTHER HORDE OF HORRORS
Slithering, wriggling, lurking, and creeping. Leaving slick trails of pustulent slime behind them. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill monsters populating the pages of this tome. No, these critters feed on the fear that bubbles up inside you when all appears lost and the scent of blood is on the wind. Now is the time to face these demons and read on . . .
NOT YOUR AVERAGE MONSTER, VOL. 2:
A MENAGERIE OF VILE BEASTS
THIS NIGHTMARE HAS JUST BEGUN!
Available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.com
ISBN-13: 978-0692644737
ON THE HORIZON FROM BLOODSHOT BOOKS
2016
The Frighteners – Stephen Laws
Vyrmin – Gene Lazuta
Blood Mother: A Novel of Terror – Pete Kahle
Tunnelvision – R. Patrick Gates
Odd Man Out – James Newman
2017*
Eternal Darkness – Tom Deady
Shadow Child – Joseph A. Citro
The Boulevard Monster – Jeremy Hepler
The Breeze Horror – Candace Caponegro
The Abomination (The Riders Saga, Book 2) – Pete Kahle
Not Your Average Monster, Volume 3
2018*
The Horsemen (The Riders Saga, Book 3) – Pete Kahle
* other titles to be added when confirmed
The Awakening Page 48