A Tell Tale Heartless

By Vanterrius Westbrook

A twenty-one-year-old pharmacy technician, Melvin Standifer, who realized that he was a warlock, accidentally caused his mother’s death in a car wreck and became disowned by his father, which fueled him to set out to find a cure for his father after turning him into a zombie.
Melvin Standifer made the biggest mistake of his life when causing his mother, Stephanie, to get severely injured in a car crash. His father, Jack, found out about the incident and grew to hate his son for his wife’s death. Over Melvin’s early lifetime, he has tried to please both of his parents. His mother contributed him no problem in doing this, but his father was the real challenge. Despite this family drama, Melvin had an increasing interest with witchcraft, for his mother was a witch. Later, he found out what his father did on the day of his mother’s passing that raged him to kill his father. He grew weary and looked for the help of his mother’s sister witch, Ms. Maria, an electrifying enchantress. Melvin decided to bring his father back with a modified spell he originally learned from Ms. Maria, but it went in the wrong direction and turned his father into a zombie. Melvin must set out to correct his mistake and learn more about his parents' past to get a better understanding of his powers, destiny, and gain confidence in loving himself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vanterrius Westbrook
• Release date: Jan 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005088903

Vanterrius Westbrook

My name is Vanterrius Westbrook. I live in Tupelo, MS. I am currently an English major at Ashford University. I love writing and have been writing off and on since I was in junior high school. This is my first time I have successfully published one of my works. I hope to gain many fans in horror and science fiction.As of January 9th, 2015, I have my Bachelor degree in English and currently attending Full Sail University in the Creative Writing for Entertainment master program. I've started at this school in August of 2014. I'm bettering my writing skills at this school, and I've gotten better. I respect my readers' opinions, but I'm taking Stephen King's advice, which is to try to please some of the readers some of the time. I hope my readers will enjoy some more of my future works.

Book preview

A Tell Tale Heartless

Vanterrius Westbrook

Published by Vanterrius Westbrook at Smashwords

Copyright 2021 Vanterrius Westbrook

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Prologue

I came a long way from where I originally started. I had appeared to be a strong man, but on the inside remained a hurt adolescent. The events of my past helped mold me to the great warlock I am currently. Raising my diary, I uttered a phrase for which I have not named yet for this particular spell. I said the words as I drew in the air with big circling motions of my dominant hand. A hint of white light illuminated in the trail of my motioning. From this space, I formed a white, hazy portal, which looked like the turning of a hurricane. I placed my diary on a polished brown nightstand in my bedroom of the Covenant from which I am a part of now in the floating home of witchcraft that is always seeking understanding and more power from the Earth and heavens. I patted down my brown and gold robe that was given to me by my Aunt Maria to get out any wrinkles or lint. I began to walk back and forth in front of my new portal, eyeing it for the first time like it was my newborn child. This is where my story began as I waved at the portal. The portal brought about my journey up until now as I rediscover the heartless of my life.

Chapter 1

I have a written record of my proud mother's heart, but I can't say the same for my father. My name is Melvin Standifer, and I guess a twenty-one year old can still have some daddy issues. Ever since my mother passed away, my dad (Jack) and I have grown even more distant. For clarity, my mother, Stephanie, had a smile than can warm the coldest heart. She showed off her black hair that was as dark as a black hole. Whenever my parents hugged each other, my father used to get lost in her hair. Her light skin shined on his darker skin as if the rays of the sun proclaimed dominion over his Negro heritage. My mother revealed herself as a symbol for hope for my dad and me, but all of that changed on a Saturday night.

My family lived in Tupelo, Mississippi, which has a strong history of having humid summers and other strange weather patterns. Our house exhibited a one-story brick house that has seen better days. My dad hadn’t put any money into the estate lately. Instead he’d been drinking heavily without much care. The siding stained so dark that it seemed that a volcano had vomited ash over it. The brick foundation revealed a giant crack leading to almost the roof. I tend to keep the yard mowed and occasionally pampered the flowers my mother left in her garden. I wasn’t that much worth for having a green thumb. I lacked the quality my mother had.

On the night of my mother’s death, I drove, and she sat in the passenger side of her red GMC truck that had gardening tools in the truck bed. She read her favorite book, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly in the last hour of daylight. I admit that I drove ten miles over the speed limit in an urge to get home and bathe. I had a date with my girlfriend, Loretta, of two years. She had short brownish, black hair and she loved wearing denim jeans. She loved the look in my eye when I wanted to behold her ass – how round it boasted. The thought of that made me push on the pedal harder. My mother noticed and called out my name when she looked up from her book. It became too late. I hit the back of a diesel trailer; however, I tried to turn to the left, so I can miss it, hoping that I can get into the empty lane. The GMC’s passenger side collided with the trailer’s giant frame. My mom suffered severe head trauma in the collision. I only had a few bruises.

A daze took hold of me for a while, and as I focused, an EMT worker in a blue uniform put my mom on a stretcher. I yelled out, Momma! I watched as her eyes tried desperately to make contact with my own. She failed because they flicked in every direction but my own. She then finally closed her eyelids in her attempt to get some type of rest from that accident. I tried to reach out to her, but the other EMT denied me access to her.

I’m sorry, sir the EMT with tattoos on his tanned arms said. You’re pretty banged up as well. She’s being taken care of by the best first responders this city has to offer.

My heart fluttered, and I prayed that I would die in Mom’s place. At least, I hoped that she wouldn’t die. I hope they do whatever they got to do to make her better, I said. Then the EMT began to take my blood pressure. I tensed up worse when the cuff clasped my arm in its vice grip. The Velcro band felt like the devil had a hold of me. Before the wreck happened, that moment of lust distracted me from the most majestic person that I’ve ever known.

Mom, I hope you can use any spell in your arsenal to make it out of this, I said.

Witchhood became her sorority, but not just from any old movie or storybook witch. Sweet and caring belonged to her traits as a witch. She preferred to use her magic on her flowerbed to give them that extra push when she got tired of waiting for them to bloom. She had to have something that can help save her own life. She created even more nutritious food for longevity and flowers she had sold to other people of interests.

I decided to call my dad. I braced myself and dialed his number. Dad, I began. We had a wreck on North Gloster near the bypass exit."

Dad paused and started, What? Is your mother alright? How is she? Where is she?"

I noticed that he didn’t mention me but I believed that since I called him he would have thought that I was fine.

They took her to the hospital, Dad. I’m hoping she’s okay. She’s hurt pretty bad.

I’m on my way over right now. Tell me what happened.

I felt my heart sink even lower and tried to swallow before I spoke. I was speeding and hit a truck’s trailer.

On the other line, I couldn’t hear a thing until I heard sobbing. Then a growl forced its way out of his throat. You damn son of a bitch!

My eyes lit up from the gunfire of a voice he had blasting through my ear. I almost dropped my phone, but I just decided to hold it a little ways further from my right ear. I guessed that anyone wouldn’t blame him for cursing at me.

Listen you little fucker. If she dies, I disown you as my son. No son of mine would cause his mother to die. Shit, he said before hanging up.

My life just got worse, I said. My red T-shirt was splattered with a darker red from my mom’s cuts from broken glass.

Can you take me to the hospital with my Mom? I asked the attending EMT.

Sure, he said. Just hop in the back.

We were off, and I prayed and prayed for a miracle to intervene for her. The ambulance shook, but it seemed that it took so long to make it to the hospital. I then tried to call Loretta while the EMT worked on my mother. I looked at her as her body looked motionless and her arms sprawled out to her sides because the vehicle sped up faster. I finally got Loretta on the phone. As I informed her, I listened to the upkeep in her voice, and I could tell she kept her composure up on my behalf.

I’ll keep you in my prayers, and everything will be okay. Your father won’t kill you at all. He’s just super worried about your mom, Loretta said.

I really appreciate you, love, I said. It was my mistake. I feel so bad. I want my mom to be okay.

I’m on my way to the hospital, too.

I really appreciate that.

I hung up the phone, and by this time, we had finally made it to the ER side of hospital. The EMT let us out and I followed after them. We sprinted through the mechanical doors almost not letting them open on their own when the receptionist pressed the button.

When settled, Mom rested her distraught body in room # 17. Her room felt awfully chilly like death itself can settle right next to