Bad Juju: Volume 1

By Ro Van Saint

This collection of horror/dark fiction stories features 7 never before published tales. A man gifted/cursed with the language of music in "Native Tongue". A bizarre twist on a very old tale in "New Eden". A look into a man's obsession with taking notes, a strange love story of sorts in "Scribbles". Also includes: The secrets of mothers, A Coda, The Body Vacant, The Faster You Run.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ro Van Saint
• Release date: Dec 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9781458051790

Ro Van Saint

I write strange little stories. These often contain elements of all the things I enjoy reading or watching in films (horror/pulp/dark fiction/sci-fi/fantasy/surrealism/thriller/suspense). Best way to get in touch with me is via twitter. @zerotorockstar

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Bad Juju: Vol. 1

by

Ro Van Saint

SMASHWORDS EDITION

*****

PUBLISHED BY:

Ro Van Saint on Smashwords

Bad Juju: Volume 1

Copyright © 2010 by Ro Van Saint

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Table of Contents

New Eden

Native Tongue

A Coda

Scribbles

The Secrets of Mothers

The Faster You Run

The Body Vacant

New Eden

Enter Lilith.

These days she can often be found confiding to her newly found acquaintance about her latest obsession: getting even with her ex.

Seven years investment on that louse, and for what? Being replaced for bigger and greener pastures I suppose!

She swats at the fly that’s been performing a blood transfusion on her left forearm for a good minute now, and then takes a sip out of her herbal tea.

I put up with all of his rules, demands, and conditions and this is where it takes me. I’m barely surviving off of the rancid bodies of the filthy animals that are stupid enough to stray this far from the garden. Sitting around in this dark cave with nothing much to look forward to.

By now several flies have come to avenge the death of one of their own, buzzing persistently around Lilith’s head.

I swear, if it wasn’t for you stopping by checking up on me and all, bringing me some decent food every so often, I would surely be dead by now. Where do you get all this food anyway?

Her companion sets his cup ever-so-gently down, crosses his legs, and flashes a smile.

It doesn’t matter where I get it from. I am your friend, and I am here to help you whenever I can.

Lilith bites down on a piece of cooked meat and continues to bitch and moan in between chews.

It’s unfair!!! Look at him! He gets to keep all that beautiful land, be in the company of strange and beautiful creatures, and to top it all off he’s already found a replacement for me. The nerve of that bastard!

She tosses the bone aside, licks her fingers off, wipes the grease off her chin and picks up another slab of meat.

Disgusted as he was at the sight, her companion bites his forked tongue as he plays the polite guest and composes himself.

I mean, what does she have that I don’t have? she asks, examining what was left of the animal part that she devoured.

Having ingested most of it, she tosses it aside and punctuates her display of gluttony with a belch that was foul enough to put the fright on the flies that had taken up residence on her once silky, smooth hair.

The gentleman bites down on his tongue once again. Keeping his thoughts to himself, for the meantime.

I know I’m not much to look at right now and this may be hard for you to believe but I was once quite a refined woman you know, she declares.

I’m sure you were, he quips. His usual unwavering patience is quickly wearing thin. He is accustomed to more challenging conversations than the one he is currently engaged in. If you can even call it a conversation. Still, he reminds himself why he is doing this to begin with. He has to, every now and then, to keep himself from throwing the towel in and just waiting for another window of opportunity to come up. It would be