Compendium: A Horror Novelette

By Roxie Prince

Humanity has fallen victim to an apocalyptic condition in which the affected become bloodthirsty monsters out of the most terrible of nightmares. Different people, different situations, same hellish circumstances — what would you do?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roxie Prince
• Release date: Jul 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781386379584

Roxie Prince

ABOUT ROXIE PRINCE Roxie is a creative soul who turns her life into stories, poetry, and art. She was born HIV+ and was orphaned by AIDS at the age of 10. She tells a story of survival through her works. Her first publication, COMPENDIUM: A Horror Novelette, is available as an e-book download now for all e-readers and as a paperback available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other major online retailers. Her first full-length, young adult novel, The Way We Go, a tale of growing up, friendship, hope, and young love is available NOW! Growth Spurt, the companion novel to The Way We Go, picks back up with Katie Sterling and her friends as they turn thirteen and enter the confusing era in which they are unsure whether to start growing up or to cling tightly to their childhoods. The girls have a lot of growing up to do; whether they do it together or not is what they'll have to decide. It releases January 1, 2016. Roxie is also working on compiling a collection of poetry about growing up and living with HIV to accompany her memoirs. She is a self-taught artist who currently works through the digital medium to create pieces that speak to her. Her style is ever-evolving. Her art prints are available through her Society6 page. Join her on her journey.

Book preview

COMPENDIUM:

A HORROR NOVELETTE

––––––––

By Roxie Prince

Copyright 2013 Roxie Prince

––––––––

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

www.roxieprince.com

Table of Contents

––––––––

Knock, Knock

The Rising

Breasts, Blood, and Baby Names

Choices

The Burning End

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Connect Online

I.

Knock, Knock

Knock, knock! C'mere, Ma! Giselle's African Grey Parrot called to her from the living room. Her old, yet astute mind didn't want to break away from the watercolor in progress in her tiny kitchen. Painting was easy there, for natural light streamed in through large French doors overlooking her backyard. The bird called again, and caring more about it than her art, she tore herself away from the painting.

Be quiet, Bruce! I'm coming. You gotta give an old lady time to move, dearie. I can't just flap my wings and be there in an instant like you, she said. Her hips groaned as she stood from her stool and laid her brush upon the edge of her easel. She wiped at a drop of red paint that had fallen on her dress, but it was already mostly dry. The surface flaked off, leaving a perfectly circular stain on the fabric reminiscent of dried blood.

Bruce was Giselle's only companion in the world. She had a great-grandson, Alex, but she only saw him once a month when he brought her groceries, parrot food, toiletries, and art supplies. She knew Alex saw her as a burden, passed down onto him by his late parents. He was a good boy, she was sure, but he cared far too much about that doohicky phone of his. He was always touching it and looking at it when he came to her house, and she was lucky if she could get him to look up from it once during his short visits. It was insufferable, just as he probably thought his duty to the doddering old lady.

Giselle hadn't left her house in decades. She was what a psychologist would call an extreme agoraphobe, but she didn't give two shakes what any quack had to say about the way she lived her life. Things were just better inside her cozy little house. Agoraphobia — nothing but psychobabble and a blatant dismissal of her feelings.

The world outside has nothing to offer us that we don't already have, does it Brucey-Bruce? All we need to get by are each other and some decent art supplies. Although, an occasional bit of company would be nice, too, she said, letting the last part fall beneath her breath.

Nothing to offer us, Ma! Bruce said with firm conviction. He spread his great wings out in a stretch, as if to say that he had all he needed as the master of his kingdom.

Giselle was lonely though, despite Bruce’s companionship. She might have been agoraphobic, if one must use that word, but she wasn't afraid of people. She enjoyed company very much, but as her family began dying off, leaving her with only Alex, her chances of having any dwindled to nothing. There was no way she could get Alex to visit with her, she knew that, but it would have been appreciated.

She particularly missed the company of children. She missed her own, often daydreaming of being surrounded by them, then her grandchildren, and even little Alex. When she felt particularly lonesome, she liked to remember the smell of a child’s sweaty head. It was an odd thing to gain such solace from, but she’d always smelled it when the kids were happy and healthy and enjoyed being around their Granny. She could remember what it was like before she became closed off from the world. But that was a long