Thorns

By Dakota Priest

Mason Asylum is not to be taken lightly. Everyone in town knows that one would have to be heinous, ruthless and detached to get in. And that person would have to be even more clever, cunning and conniving to get out. The hill upon which it rests stands as a daunting shadow over the city, often interpreted by citizens as both a reminder of heroic services rendered and a symbol of tyrannical power over the populace, holding a proverbial atomic bomb of the criminally insane.
Thorns, the first book in the Mason Cases series, is a detailed account of the only escaped convicted patient from Mason Asylum. Its validity has never been confirmednor denied. Follow him as he quests for the woman he lovesoutside the walls of the hospital/prison. Armed with a pen, a notebook, and an endless arsenal of mental resources, and fueled by an undying dedication to the girl for whom he longs, his journey takes him along a twisted road that he himself creates.
This series is a very twisted and mysterious story[trailing] a lover unfolding countless disorders and dysfunctions, not only of himself, but of the many characters that he meets, while on a mission to reunite with his lover. Hell stop at nothing to find her and prove both his love and his stability. (Aleigha, MD)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 18, 2011
• ISBN: 9781469124841

Dakota Priest

Dakota Priest was born in Baltimore, MD. At age 4, he began writing poems, and his mother knew this would become one of his many interests. He attended elementary school in Huntsville, AL, where he was introduced to such poets as Edgar Allen Poe. A published poet at age 11, Dakota was determined to continue honing this skill. When he began writing out of anger one night at age 19, he didn’t plan to create a series. But he found that stories in verse were a niche for him. He attended Coppin State University as a psychology major—this didn’t begin his affinity for psychological thrillers, but certainly enhanced it. Major influences on his work now include Robert Frost and Edgar Poe, and movies like “Silence of the Lambs” and “Saw”. “The human mind is the most intricate puzzle—bends and twists aren’t complex. And dissembling the pieces is oftentimes more fun than putting them together,” says Priest.

Book preview

Thorns

90745-PRIE-PBint.pdf

D   A   K   O   T   A      P   R   I   E   S   T

Copyright © 2011 by Dakota Priest. 90745-PRIE

ISBN:    Softcover        978-1-4568-5338-9

ISBN:    ebook             978-1-4691-2484-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission

in writing from the copyright owner.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

Contents

Part One – Fever

Section 1.1 – Return to Sender

Section 1.2 – Failure to Deliver

Part Two – Fireman’s Carry

Part Three – Tech Savvy

Part Four – Size Matters

Part Five – Eulogy of the Seraph

Part Six – Chains of Glass

Section 6.1 – Apocalypse

Section 6.2 – Last Rites

Section 6.3 – Blackout

Part 7 – I Don’t Want Those Colors

Section 7.1 – Midnight Phantom

Section 7.2 – Yours…truly

Section 7.3 – Road to Perdition

Part 8 – Left for Dead

Entry 1 ~ L.A.F.S.

Entry 2 ~ You’ve Got the Keys

Entry 3 ~ Ensign

Entry 4 ~ I Wanna Learn Guitar

Entry 5 ~ Sunken Crown

Entry 6 ~ Tempe Sede Vacante

Entry 7 ~ Sound the Alarm

Entry 8 ~ Arming the Bomb

Entry 9 ~ Transcription

Entry 10 ~ Revoked

Entry 11 ~ Special Delivery

Entry 22 ~ Swallowing the Key

Part 9 – Crunch Time

Part 10 – Angel Wings

Entry 23 ~ D-day Report

You know who you are.

1.tif

Part One – Fever

I can charm her panties off and lay her for a night;

I can change demeanor in the middle of a fight.

I can make your day a nightmare using what I say;

I can make you think your problems have all gone away.

I can be your confident and listen to your words;

I can be a monster and pretend I never heard.

I could spread your darkest secrets, slandering your name;

I could be the one you call when someone does the same.

I could be your knight in shining armor for the day;

Save the damsel first and slay the dragon, anyway.

I could use my energy to take him to the floor,

Grab a caffeinated drink and beat on him some more.

Don’t you think it’s fantasy, because I have my ways:

Find out where you live in just a matter of a day.

Wake up very early, pack a bag, and wait in line;

Takes a bit to get there, but I find it worth the time.

You may think I’m bored, but I’ve been occupied all day

Listening to music while I plot my night away.

Get in town at 3 or 4 a.m. and hitch a ride.

Nix the inn, I think I’ll sleep outside your place tonight.

I can watch you sleeping while you’re unaware of me.

Getting comfortable will be a challenge in a tree.

I won’t wait until you leave the house to start my spree:

I’ll spend breakfast taking notes about your family.

Go get ready, I’m prepared to follow you to school.

I’m a student for the day, got every class with you.

Got my backpack on, but I don’t care about the grades,

Greyhound didn’t pat me down or check my bag for blades.

You don’t know I’m loaded down while sitting next to you,

Mapping out your character and noting every clue.

I’ll keep my low profile whereas not to make a fuss;

You and I know they don’t check for weapons on the bus.

Lunchtime is the easiest to watch your from afar.

Got your face on camera, every blemish, scratch and scar.

I’m recording all your conversations end to end.

Best believe I’ve taken down the names of all your friends.

Go on, sit beside her, I’ll just sit back here and shrug.

Now you’ve shown me you can’t go too long without a hug.

School day’s over and my notepad overflows with facts:

Things that people tell you and the way that you react.

Flip the sheet and you’ll find all the info I could get.

Special notes on stuff I think you’re not proud to admit.

Keep on turning; tracking how you live has been a breeze.

Next page holds a list of all your insecurities.

Sectioned off the info on that page in groups of ten,

Underlined the ones I showed the greatest interest in.

I can hide within the crowd as we all leave the school.

Stealthy is superior. That’s always been my rule.

On the bus, I see you sitting next to her again.

Now the jealousy and rage are percolating in.

Watching you two talk is really something to behold.

Put your arm around the girl, you see she’s getting cold!

School bus rounds the corner and your house is now in view.

I know you don’t see me as I exit after you.

Sit and do your homework; I find this no time to play.

Twilight’s fallen, moon is full, and so has been my day.

You seem hungry, and distracted as it would appear.

While you’re eating, I’ll just sneak in through this window here…

Careful, quick, and quiet movements, there’s no time to lose.

Start my sabotage by pouring thumbtacks in your shoes.

Hiding in the closet, I’m sure not to make a peep.

I just slide the door ajar and watch you fall asleep.

You’re engaged in stage 4 R.E.M. from midnight on;

2 a.m.—I’ve snuck and stuck a needle in your arm.

You may think to ask me, Just what does this needle do?

Toxins in it burn your blood—they paralyze you, too.

Watch you fidget in your sleep from 3 a.m. to 4—

4:15, you’re wide awake and I’ve blocked off the door.

Blade in hand at 4:18. At 5, it’s on the floor.

Wonder how she’ll take it when you ain’t around no more.

1.1.tif

Section 1.1 – Return to Sender

Maybe I stepped on a pebble, maybe on some glass.

Maybe on a crunchy leaf while walking through the grass.

Guess I could have been a bit more mindful of the dust.

Guess I dropped a butterfly beside you on the bus.

Maybe I just got distracted by the outer noise.

Maybe I got tripped amidst the rushing girls and boys

And someone knocked off my hood, and thus exposed my face.

Maybe you just caught me staring into outer space.

Could have I left the window open after creeping in

Guess you were not really sleeping and you caught me then.

Either way, you’ve spotted me. Oh, NOW I’m really scared.

Doesn’t stop my plan—because you KNOW I came prepared.

Perfect murder doesn’t go without the perfect flaw.

That’s why I’m not really who you think you thought you saw.

Person that you turned around and caught while on the bus,

Guy that you sat next to, yeah the one that doesn’t cuss.

Brother snapping pictures from across the room at lunch.

Guy you saw because you paid attention to a hunch.

I knew you were never really listening to me.

Told you once before, my friend, I’m everyone you see.

Even when you thought you saw caught me creeping from behind,

I’m the guy in front of you, the one you’d never find.

Everything’s invisible when hidden in plain sight.

Darkness can walk freely when it’s cloaked within the light.

Nobody could hold me liable for such a crime.

Even I don’t know where I’m located all the time.

I don’t mean to scare; I’m freaking out as much as you.

Hey, I could be ANYWHERE—I don’t know what to do.

Came down here intent on keeping you away from her.

She and I were closer knit than you two ever were.

Had my heart set on revenge, determined to pull through.

I know I still don’t deserve her, therefore, so should you.

Here’s a stab at what you’re thinking has now come about:

You became a threat to me; I’m here to take you out.

Nothing could be further from the truth, I do assure.

You were sick and I came to deliver you a cure.

See, she told me how much you’d be hurting if she left.

Said that you’d be pining long as you were drawing breath.

I’ve been there before—that was the darkest time for me.

I would hardly wish that on my own arch enemy.

Opening your eyes and not wanting to leave your bed,

Waking up in pain, but should be thanking God instead.

Letting dreary