Lubrican's Strange Tales Volume II

By Robert Lubrican

In this two book special, more of Lubrican's twisted mind is revealed. Book one, "You Have To Choose" is about a girl who doesn't die but finds herself in the land of the dead. She has to chose a kind of spirit to be while they try to figure out how to get her back home. In book two, "Ghost" an entity awakens with no knowledge of what or who it is, but knowing it has a mission. As it explores the world around it, it interacts with two shy people and makes them much less shy. In doing so, it finally remembers what it should do.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Lubrican
• Release date: Dec 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463068380

Robert Lubrican

I grew up in the fifties and sixties, and that is reflected in my books quite often. I spent twenty years in law enforcement, and traveled the world, which also can be seen in my books and stories. While the genre I write in is technically called erotic romance, what I actually write are stories with a plot, which include sexual behavior on the part of the characters. That is because most people's lives include sex and erotic gratification. And, since most people wonder about lifestyles that are sometimes called taboo, or forbidden, I write about them, occasionally too. I believe that two consenting adults know more about their own happiness than anyone else, and that even if they are mistaken, they have the right to make their own choices. I also believe that love is the key to making choices that will not turn out to be mistakes.Many of my ideas involve coming of age, which usually takes place in the early to mid teens. Publishing standards, however, require that all characters in the published version of the book be over 18. That's not realistic, but it's just the way things are. If you purchase one of my books and would like to have the original version, unedited for age, send a copy of your receipt to [e-mail] and I'll happily provide you with a copy of the original at no additional cost. It is not illegal to write or possess such versions. It's just unpopular with certain special interest groups who desire to restrict your freedom.

Book preview

Lubrican's Strange Tales

Volume Two

by Robert Lubrican

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2019 Robert Lubrican

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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 recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Contents

Book One: You Have To Choose

Book Two: The Ghost

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You Have To Choose

Foreword: This book had to be edited for age to comply with publisher standards. The ages didn't have to be changed that much, but you, as the reader, deserve to know it, in case the behavior of a particular character, in context, seems off somehow. Should you enjoy the book and wish to read the original, uncensored version, at no additional expense, instructions will be provided at the end of the book.

Thanks for reading.

Bob

Chapter 1

Caroline awoke. She'd had a dream ... one of the weird kind. The details were already fading, but the image of a figure, shrouded in a dark cloak, was still there. The weird part was that that image had turned to something like tendrils of smoke, reaching toward her. She remembered being afraid.

A voice suddenly said, Next! and her eyes snapped open in confusion. It was as if an old movie projector had suddenly been turned on, and the reel on it came to life.

It wasn't dark in her room.

It was very noisy in her room!

In fact ... she wasn't even in her room!

Next! came a strident voice from in front of her.

A sort of mist all around Caroline seemed to clear and she looked around to find herself in a line of people. There were other lines of people to her left and right. Ahead of her was a counter, behind which sat a little man with reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

The person behind her shoved her forward.

Come on, he complained. We ain't got all day.

Yes we do, said the woman behind him. We have all of eternity.

I don't understand, said Caroline.

NEXT! yelled the little man, impatiently.

Caroline stepped forward. It was habit, actually. It's just what you do when you're in line. The little man peered at her.

What'll it be? he asked, lifting an old-fashioned quill pen and dipping it in a small pot of ink nearby. His hand brought it to hover over a long sheet of what looked like parchment.

I don't understand, said Caroline.

You have to choose, said the man. Ghost? Goblin? Beastie? Witch? What do you want to be?

Caroline blinked, trying to bring some kind of meaning to this ... dream?

Where am I? she asked.

The little man stared at her and then went still.

Crap, not another one, he said under his breath. Looking at her he said, Don't go anywhere. I'll call somebody to explain.

"Explain what?" moaned Caroline. I don't understand what's going on!

Instead of saying more, the little man held up a finger in the universal just wait gesture. Then he picked up the heavy-looking handset of an antique rotary phone and dialed zero.

We got another one, he said into the microphone. I wasn't watching the line so I don't know if she popped into existence or not. But she don't know why she's here. He listened for a few seconds and said, Okay.

He hung up and looked at Caroline.

Stand over there. Somebody is coming to get you.

"I don't want somebody to come get me, said Caroline. I want to go home! Where is this place?"

But the little man simply looked past her and called out, Next!

******

Caroline had progressed from confused and annoyed to frightened by the time a man approached her, cutting through the crowd of people in line as if some invisible force field surrounded him, repelling whatever it encountered. People griped and yelled at him, but he seemed to take no notice. He approached Caroline and stood in front of her. He stood very close, invading her personal space. It occurred to her that whatever had repelled all those other people wasn't affecting her. He was gorgeous ... which to her annoyance... was affecting her.

I'm Chad, said a golden, liquid voice. Come with me and I'll explain everything.

Okay, she sighed. Chad's voice made her feel better, which was crazy, because he was a complete stranger. His voice was so soothing. He was so tall. He was so handsome!

She didn't remember following him anywhere, but suddenly she was sitting on a settee. Chad was sitting next to her, half turned toward her.

Where am I? she asked.

Where do you think you should be? he asked, instead of answering her question.

In bed, she said. I was in bed, at home. I had a dream.

I suspected as much, he said.

What do you mean? she asked. "What's going on? Where am I? Why am I here? How did I get here?"

You were hacked, said Chad. He held up a finger to forestall her anticipated outburst. I'll explain. Are you hungry?

Hungry? The question astonished her. Here she was, awakened from a bad dream, somehow transported to some unknown place, like an airport terminal with lines of people and a funny little man demanding she choose something and another man who was gorgeous, a perfect stranger who she somehow trusted.

That was it. She was still dreaming! That had to be it.

You're not dreaming, said Chad, as if he could read her mind.

Caroline's stomach growled. She was further astonished to find she was absolutely famished!

"I must be dreaming," she said.

Let me get you a snack and I'll explain, suggested Chad.

Okay, said Caroline.

After all, what else could she do?

******

Caroline stuffed a fourth chocolate-covered strawberry in her mouth. The snack Chad had brought her would have covered her dining room table. What confused her was that, somehow, he went to get it and returned with all that food in the space what seemed like just a few seconds. And, somehow, she went from sitting on a soft settee to an un-cushioned oak chair at a beautiful round oak table ... without moving a muscle.

She'd been too ravenous, upon seeing the food, to think of anything else but eating. Now, though, she was finally satisfied. It was odd, because she knew she'd eaten enough to fill two grown men, but felt only comfortably full.

Chad had sat placidly, watching her eat. He had nibbled on a blueberry muffin while she ate. Just one muffin. His blue eyes had felt sensual upon her.

Better? he asked.

She nodded, but followed that with, I don't understand any of this.

This will sound odd to you, but that's natural because this is an odd situation, so please listen and I'll explain everything, he said.

She nodded again. That cheesecake just over there to her right looked like it would taste divine.

Where you are, at present, has no name that would mean anything to you, he said. You're not supposed to be here. He held up a finger to ward off her questions.

She reached for the cheesecake. If she wasn't allowed to ask for details, at least she could enjoy something delicious.

Most mortals - people like you - believe one of two things, he said. "They either believe there is an afterlife, or they don't. If they do believe there is an afterlife, most of them think there are only two realms, Heaven and Hell. Either way, whichever side they're on, all of them, as it turns out, are wrong. There is an afterlife, but it takes many, many different forms."

How many? asked Caroline, her mouth full of cheesecake.

Currently there are... Chad paused. The exact number isn't important. For the sake of argument, let's just say millions.

That's ridiculous, said Caroline.

Are you going to let me explain? asked Chad, patiently. I have forever, unless another one of you people shows up.

What do you mean, 'you people'? asked Caroline.

Chad sighed. Obviously she wasn't going to just let him explain.

Mortals, sighed Chad. He sat up straighter. You haven't died. You're not supposed to be here.

Of course I haven't died, she said. His frown made her heart ache. Suddenly, the last thing she wanted was for Chad to be unhappy with her. I'll be quiet, she promised. Go on.

Under ordinary circumstances, when a mortal passes into the realm of the dead, where he or she goes depends on a number of things. One is what kind of personality he or she had while living. If she was a happy person, then she goes to a happy place. If she was a nervous person, then she goes to a nervous place. If she was a violent person, then she goes to a violent place, he said.

Caroline suppressed her impulse to say that was ridiculous, too. Instead she reached for a chocolate cupcake, decorated with Jack-O-Lantern frosting.

"There are other criteria that determine where someone goes when they die, but that's not important right now. What's important