Abused

By Donald H Sullivan

Contains two stories. 1. Abuse: Josh can no longer take the abuse of his alcoholic parents and runs away. On the road he is picked up by a child molester. After a scary experience he is again picked up, this time by an elderly lady called Granny. Granny learns of Josh's abuse and decides to take him in until she can figure out what to do. He helps Granny with chores to pay his way. He is the happiest he has ever been in his life...until a sheriff's deputy pulls up in front of Granny's house.
2. The Ghost in the Beach House: Two boys enter a reputed to be haunted beach house for thrills. They enter, but the evil thing in there won't allow them to leave.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365003769

Donald H Sullivan

I'm a native Floridian, retired from the US Army, I started writing in the army, mostly training and tech manuals. Boring stuff, but it whetted my interest in writing. I've written sci-fi, thrillers, mysteries, humor, fantasies, horror, and more. I'm now living in NC. While in the army, I served in air defense artillery, military intelligence, and psychological operations. I also worked in Federal Civil Service as a quality assurance specialist, ammunition surveillance. I love writing, reading, most kinds of music, and animals--especially dogs.

Book preview

Abused

Title Page

Abused

Plus

The Ghost in the Beach House

Copyright Page

Copyright 2016  Donald H Sullivan

Part I:  Abused

It must be about 1:00 AM, Josh thought, and  his parents would be passed out from drinking by now.  He could no longer hear their screaming as they argued, but he could still hear the TV.

They probably passed out in front of the TV. 

He eased out of bed, his back and legs still smarting from the welts left by the bamboo garden stake his drunken father had used to punish him.  Josh could count on the bamboo stake, along with stinging slaps from his mother, every time he did something to anger either one of them.

Today it had been Kool-Aid that he had accidentally spilled on the table.  His father had been especially brutal, breaking the skin in several places.  After the slapping and beating, he was sent to bed without his supper. Big deal, he thought.  His supper was nearly always baloney or Vienna sausages and bread.

He eased open the window and dropped to the ground.  It was early August, but the north Florida night was cool and damp due to a recent rain.  He set out with no particular destination in mind; he knew only that he had had enough of the abuse his parents had heaped on him.

He hadn't the slightest idea where he was going; he only knew that must get away from his parents.  He just couldn't take any more of their abuse.

He wandered the streets of Newberry, dodging the headlights of the few cars on the road.  He feared that if the police saw him they would take him back to his parents.

He kept going until he came to the Green Ribbon Supermarket.  He was hungry, and hoped that he might find food in the trash bins behind the store.  His search produced a box of cookies with a rip in the outer packaging, and a tin of sardines with