Wildlife- Reckoning
Page 19
“Shut up!” He made the sign of the cross on his chest.
“…actual footage of the terrifying ordeal, filmed by the perpetrators of the crime. We must warn you; some of the footage you are about to see might disturb you.”
Chapter 48
New York City, New York
One year later
Stacey sat alone in her apartment. She did not want anyone, even family, to be with her when the completed documentary for Netflix aired.
She had already seen the final cut of the documentary, of course, even giving consent to use all available footage from the camera she’d saved, good and…bad.
Still, censors had edited a great deal of that raw footage, both for its sheer graphic nature, and out of respect for the surviving family members of the victims who’d insisted on it, yet additional producers who later came on to the project had added a strong amount of supporting story, both retrospective and current:
Interviews from the warden (now “retired”) at Clarke Correctional regarding Tucker Roy and what had transpired therein between him and Travis and the COs (inmates that heard any and all talked for a price).
Travis Roy’s horrific stay at Hattenworth (after a thorough investigation, its doors had finally been closed forever), the lawyer responsible (since disbarred), Travis painted as somewhat of a victim, not entirely responsible for his actions, almost a sort of antihero (something Stacey was not wild about).
And of course, the infamous Roy family, including footage of the surviving Roys: Harlon (just a quick profile shot of him in a state hospital—not that he could have said much of any comprehension—staring out the solitary window in his room, as feeble as ever) and little Darla (her spitting in one of the interviewers’ faces before laughing hysterically and thus quickly concluding that and any additional interviews with her) who now currently resided in an undisclosed state home, one Stacey hoped made Hattenworth look like Disney World by comparison.
Stacey had been assured that the documentary (especially because of—but, if you asked her, unequivocally in spite of—the raw footage chronicling the goings-on she and her friends had endured) would likely become one of the most widely viewed documentaries in history, guaranteeing Stacey a green light on any future project of her choosing, with one hell of a lump sum of money to boot.
And with that notoriety, with that money, came responsibility. Responsibility Stacey was not currently ready to undertake. She’d been high from the day they’d written her the first check, and she was about to get high tonight.
Seated now on her sofa, the small leather zipper bag next to her with everything she needed, she rolled up her sleeve and looked at the underside of her forearm, where a large and colorful dragon had since been tattooed—the closest she would ever come to catching it.
She unzipped the bag, prepared the needle, and plunged it into the dragon’s tail. Time to watch some Netflix.
Author’s note:
Thank you so much for reading Wildlife: Reckoning, my friends. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the swamp, eh?
Please know that every single reader is important to me. Whenever I’m asked what my writing goals are, my number one answer, without pause, is to entertain. I want you to have fun reading what I write. I want to make your heart race. I want you to get paper cuts (or Kindle thumb?) from turning the pages so fast. Again—I want to entertain you.
If I succeeded in doing that, I would be very grateful if you took a few minutes to write a review on Amazon for Wildlife: Reckoning. Good reviews can be very helpful, and I absolutely love to read the various insights from satisfied readers.
Thank you so very much, my friends.
Until Darla becomes a proper young lady…
Jeff Menapace
About The Author
A native of the Philadelphia area, Jeff Menapace has published multiple works in both fiction and non-fiction. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Red Adept Reviews Indie Award for Horror.
Jeff's terrifying debut novel Bad Games became a #1 Kindle bestseller that spawned three acclaimed sequels, and now the first three books in the series have been optioned for feature film and translated for foreign audiences.
His other novels, along with his award-winning short works, have also received international acclaim and are eagerly waiting to give you plenty of sleepless nights.
Free time for Jeff is spent watching horror movies, The Three Stooges, and mixed martial arts. He loves steak and more steak, thinks the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest movie ever, wants to pet a lion someday, and hates spiders.
He currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Kelly and their cats Sammy and Bear.
Jeff loves to hear from his readers. Please feel free to contact him to discuss anything and everything, and be sure to visit his website to sign up for his FREE newsletter (no spam, not ever) where you will receive updates and sneak peeks on all future works along with the occasional free goodie!
Connect with Jeff on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and Instagram
www.facebook.com/JeffMenapace.writer
http://twitter.com/JeffMenapace
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmenapace
https://www.goodreads.com/jeffmenapace
https://www.instagram.com/jeffmenapace
Other Works by Jeff Menapace
Please visit Jeff’s Amazon Author Page or his website for a complete list of all available works!
http://author.to/Jeffsauthorpage
www.jeffmenapace.com
Copyright © 2018 by Jeff Menapace
Published by Mind Mess Press
All Rights Reserved
WILDLIFE: RECKONING
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner or the publisher of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.