Thought Process

By Max St. John

Here at Ashhand and Co. we specialize in making your noghtmares come to life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Max St. John
• Release date: Jan 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201016951

Book preview

The Eyes in the Dark (V1)

The alleyway was cold and dark and a maniacal wind was slowly making its way past the dumpsters. As it whistled balls of crumpled newspaper were swept up into the air and tossed back and forth. Somewhere in the furthest reaches, the darkest part of the abyss, something fell and a cat voiced its displeasure with it. Something fell again and this time it sent the frightened cat running for its life.

As it fled the dark confines of the ally it skid past the woman’s legs, making her jump to the side. The tall thin blond tightened the collar of her red coat and stared after the animal, hair standing on edge as it sped in the opposite direction. She could see her breath and feel her blood run cold as she looked from the now long gone cat back into the alley. This was a bad idea, it was more than a bad idea. She knew somewhere in her soul that she would not be making it out alive, or worse.

Her heels echoed as she took one slow step after another. She crossed her arms on her chest and tried to tighten the coat even more as she looked around for what would soon get her.

Bins and trash and flattened cardboard boxes that had at one point been someone’s bed. But what had happened to him? There were others as well, at least six in total but all were long abandoned. Empty bottles of brandy lay close by and she could see sandwich wrappers.

Probably at the soup kitchen, or getting a drink. The bottles are empty.

She tried to convince herself with little to no effect.

Maybe they’re sleeping somewhere else tonight, it is really cold.

The breeze picked up again and she felt it rush through her hair like a cold hand. This wasn’t worth it. The tall slender woman stood staring at one of the make shift-beds and wondered at the suspicious stain. It didn’t look like the kind of bodily fluid that drained voluntarily.

That’s it I'm leaving.

Her heart was in her throat and a cold sweat was breaking out on the back of her neck. She turned on her heel and was just about to leave when a shadow rose behind her. In that instant, she was frozen. Her legs had lost the ability to walk and she was slowly forgetting how to breathe. There was going to be a monster behind her. Something with sharp teeth and claws made for disembowelment. It would have the voice of a demon and be out for her soul and it was already too late to getaway. 

Slowly she turned just enough to see what was on the approach, but it did little to still her racing mind.

The shadow looked human, but the way it walked was unnatural. It jerked from left to right and at one point crashed into one of the dumpsters sending the lid crashing down.

Such a pretty lady.

It spoke but not in the kind of voice she had expected. It was human, maniacal, evil even but still human. The fact that it was not sent from hell was a small comfort but that did not mean she was out of the woods.

The woman took two steps back and tried to remember how to run as the figure stepped into the light of the full moon. There was no monster, not in the traditional sense. No teeth, no claws, and no spawn of the underworld. Just a drunk with a torn coat and booze in his blood. The man was plastered and had had that crazed look that only too much alcohol could give someone.

Not a good place to be.

The man advanced slowly, staring the woman’s small frame right out of her coat. She took another step back only for her back to