Wade and Butcher

By Red Jackson

A collection of short stories and poems for young people. These are stories of horror that are enjoyable but wont give young readers nightmares. This collection contains material that will appeal to a broad range of readers and can be enjoyed by adult readers as well.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Jackson
• Release date: Apr 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476334752

Red Jackson

I love to read the works of Poe and Shakespeare. I like to read the Bible as well as Science fact or fiction. My favorite genre is epic fantasy. I currently write articles about emergency pre-hospital medicine. I write short stories for family and friends. I enjoy spending time with my wife and children. My goal is to spend more time outdoors than indoors and more time at play than at work. My secret hobby is the practice of martial arts.

Book preview

Wade and Butcher

Tales of terror for tweens and teens

by Red Jackson

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Copyright 2012 Red Jackson

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Smashwords Edition

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Contents

Wade and Butcher

The Night Faeries

The Taxidemist

Grandpa's pocketknife

Hansel and Gretel

Sojobo

Stumpy

The Black Wraiths of Forest Green

Simple Geometry

The Purple Raven of Hokkaido

Rescue

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Wade and Butcher

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Willie held the old straight razor. It had once been his great grandfather's. Age and years of use had caused the blade to become a grey patina with a shiny silver edge on its business side. The scales had been replaced with new horn scales that gave the razor a sophisticated old world look. The tang was long and beautifully curved. On the tang were stamped WADE & BUTCHER and Sheffield. This antique razor gave a shave that was unlike anything that Willie had ever experienced. He knew that he would never use a conventional, modern razor ever again.

With the badger hair brush he lathered up some soap and spread it over his day old beard. He held the razor poised to begin a down stroke and remove his sideburn.

Have you been into my stash of ecstasy again, boomed Eva from behind the pulled shower curtain.

Startled by the unexpected question, Willie had quickly turned his head and the blade of the razor bit deeply into his ear lobe. There was a faint quick sting but no further pain. The only sign of the accident was a thin red line and a constant drip, drip, drip into the sink. Willie set the razor down and grabbed a bandage for his ear because the stiptic pencil and toilet tissue would not staunch the flow of blood. Willie had not realized that Eva was in the bath and hidden by the shower curtain. It was her habit to hide her sexy, beautifully curved body in what seemed to him to be mock modesty.I only took one tablet, just this morning. I didn't think you would miss one. Willie answered as he dried his ear lobe and tried to get the bandage to stick.

I have my ecstasy and you have your weed. How would you feel if I was always helping myself to your weed? persisted Eva.

Ignoring her last question Willie commented that she had startled him and now he had cut his ear. I did a good number on my ear lobe, added Willie.

You shouldn't use that old razor anyway. One day you'll slip and slice your neck wide open. You'll bleed to death just because you think it's romantic to use an old straight blade, teased Eva.

Annoyed, Willie said, People don't kill themselves with straight razors unless they want to. It's not the sort of thing that happens accidentally. Even as he said it he nicked the flesh in front of his ear. It was a slight cut that barely bled. The ecstasy that Willie had taken was starting to kick in and the newly cut flesh had an exilarating feeling. Willie made a couple more cuts where his sideburn was. They were shallow, superficial and soon he made a couple more. The feeling seemed to reach to his very marrow. It just felt, well, nice. All the cuts were really shallow and barely bleeding. Willie looked in the mirror to check the cross hatched bloody scrimshaw that now occupied the space where his sideburn had been.

What the hell am I doing? Willie said aloud as he realized he had just been having a conversation with his dead girlfriend.

Eva had been out at the dance club, partying, washing down ecstasy with Jack Daniels and Coke. In the morning she got up and walked out to the kitchen. She took a butcher knife and walked back into the bathroom. After carving up her forearms she waded into the hot bath she had drawn for herself. It was the last bath she ever took. Willie was at work and Eva was found by her mother. Nobody ever knew why she did it. It was the only time she ever bathed without pulling the shower curtain closed. Now as he was enjoying a good old fashioned shave Willie was talking to her just like she was still alive.

He made a few shallow cuts on the other side of his face and sucked air through his teeth as he enjoyed the sensation. All that was left to do now was shave his neck and roll himself a nice fat joint so he could get her voice out of his head.

Willie? Willie?

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The Night Faeries

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Anastasia was so happy to be on the family picnic. She loved picnics and her mom had packed fried chicken, her favorite. Everyone had eaten and the other kids had run off to play. Not Anastasia, she was laying on her belly on the blanket watching the most beautiful butterfly flitting around the edge of the blanket. It was blue