Death Calls

By Courtney Vail

A free collection of short stories, poems and other goodies.

Each piece in Death Calls touches on life’s journey, death or dying in Courtney Vail’s own freakish way. Some works are quirky, some funny, some gross, some resonating, but all pretty weird. Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Courtney Vail
• Release date: Oct 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465807526

Courtney Vail

COURTNEY VAIL writes totally twisted YA. She enjoys braiding mystery, suspense & romance with some kind of weirdness. Her addictions to crazy coffee concoctions, Funny Bones, Ben & Jerry's, and bacon keep her running and writing. She currently lives in New England with a comedian stud and a wild gang of kidlets.

Book preview

by

Published by

Little Prince Publishing

Copyright © Death Calls by Courtney Vail

Published by Little Prince Publishing

Cover Design: Amy Rooney

Cover Photo: istock

Font: Bleeding Cowboys, commercial license acquired

First Smashwords Edition, 2011

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, photocopy, recording, scanning or other—except for brief quotations in reviews or articles, without written consent from the publisher.

Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

License Note: This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

Each piece in this collection touches on life’s journey, death or dying in Courtney Vail’s own freakish way. Some works are quirky, some funny, some gross, some resonating, but all pretty weird. Enjoy!

Carousel ~ a short story

The Chill ~ a villanelle

Songs to Avoid on American Idol ~ a poem

No Flowers ~ short story

Forgotten You ~ a sonnet

Life in Paris ~ a short story

Time ~ a haiku

Creative Burst ~ a poem comprised from search terms from blog visitors

That Look ~ flash fiction

Sweet Justice ~ 55er, a story structure that descends from ten words to one

Excerpt from Kings & Queens

Meet the Author

Though the cherry chip cupcakes topped with pink icing and sprinkles—not the sugar crystals, but the little ball ones that come in five colors and crunch when you bite ‘em—tempted her from the game table, gobbling one would have to wait. The birthday freak-show about to unfold in the leisure room of her mansion would surely be more delicious anyhow.

Aubrina grinned devilishly. Her unsuspecting pajama-clad friends were right where she wanted them: Holly flat on her back, Madison and Claire kneeling at Holly’s sides, Evie at her feet. They waited with fingers underneath Holly, preparing to hoist.

Aubrina had chosen the red-headed, freckly Holly as the mock-corpse … because she was the meatiest and the homeliest. Definitely harder to raise. Definitely the most hilarious imagining up in the air.

She knelt down at Holly’s head. We can begin.

Her twelve-year-old guests all giggled from nervousness or silliness. Aubrina figured silliness. Of course. The fools had no idea what to expect, but obviously they assumed this was some kind hoax or child’s play. They’d soon learn it wasn’t.

Come on, guys, stop laughing. This is serious. It won’t work if we’re goofing off. Buzzing with anticipation, Aubrina added, "Now … close your eyes and concentrate."

When they obeyed and adopted gravity, she beamed, admiring her authority over them. She was, after all, the only one thirteen. She noticed Evie peeking with one eye open and her bottom lip quivering. Come on, Evie, stop being a baby. You’ll spoil it.

All eyes popped open.

I’m not so sure about all this, Evie bleated.

Why’s she scared? Aubrina squinted at her, wondering if she knew. She couldn’t possibly. It’s my birthday party. This is what I want to do. Do it, or go home!

Evie tucked her black hair behind her ears with shaky hands and wheezed, But, it’s two in the morning.

Right! No one can take you home now. Looks like you’re doin’ it then. Annoyed that everyone was delaying the fun, she barked, Come on! Stop breaking the circle. Now we have to hold hands again to draw in good energy.

When the players held hands and closed eyes, Aubrina nodded in approval. The stage was perfectly set. The lights glowed dimly. The pillows lay scattered like headstones. Her parents slept soundly in the east wing. Even a full moon lit the night sky. Everything was perfect … except for the absence of rumbling thunder and flashing lightning, which would’ve added tremendously cool atmosphere.

The only unsettling thing was the eye staring back at her. Glossy and black, evil and crazed, nearly glaring in disapproval. The dusty, old carousel unicorn she’d drudged up from the basement for charity seemed to ogle from the corner where it had been standing erect all week, awaiting pickup. Aubrina wasn’t especially charitable, but her parents left her in charge of cleaning out the basement to make space for the home theater she wanted. The stupid, colored catastrophe with its twisted golden spike had been a gift from them on some past birthday. The sixth one maybe. Why’d I want it? She’d begged for it but had hardly touched it since the initial gasp of surprise. It was large enough to sit on, but she’d never done so. Can’t remember. Oh well. Now it can clutter up some other kid’s basement. She couldn’t wait for the creepy thing to disappear. Especially now.

Hopefully, Sarah wouldn’t mind it. She was sensitive. Aubrina should have considered that, but it was too late to move the carnival reject now.

Aubrina shrugged. Okay. Let’s begin. Concentrate and believe. Everyone repeat after me … Light as a feather. Stiff as a board.

After they chanted, Light as a feather. Stiff as a board … Light as a feather. Stiff as a board, for a couple of minutes, Aubrina muttered, Now, raise her up as we say it.

The girls easily lifted Holly about a foot off the carpet and cheered their success.

You did it, said Holly from her bed of fingers.

No. The spirits are here, Aubrina whispered with her gaze roaming. I’ll prove it. Lift her some more.

Evie started to quiver and cry. Stop it, she sobbed. Please. This doesn’t feel right.

Shut up, Evie. Or you’ll make them leave. Lift her, I said.

Aubrina smiled as the twits inched Holly up until she was