The Sandman

By S Courtney

Ryker
I bring death to this sleepy little town
But I am not the bad guy,
Or, maybe I am...
I made a decision that cost me my life and knowing what I know now...
I damn sure would do it again
My regret isn't what I did
It's what I didn't get to do
No point in dwelling on it
I've got a job to do
And that's putting the truly evil to sleep
They call me Sandman...

Autumn
I'm living the fairytale
Perfect job and the guy of my dreams
He has his flaws but nothing that'll keep me from saying, "I do."
I think...
I love this man to overlook his small indiscretions
As long as I don't get hurt, it's okay...right?
I've dreamt of a perfect life like this
So why is it starting to feel like a nightmare?
I thought the Sandman was supposed to bring sweet dreams?

What happens when death steps in and turns their world upside down? When the truth is revealed, when the dust settles, will their hearts still be whole?

• Language: English
• Publisher: S Courtney
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736108970

Book preview

Ryker

The sound of rain falling and covering every surface surrounds me. I sense everything it brings out; it’s that obligatory fresh rain fragrance, but also the fragrant smell of the grass it's watering. Even the sweet and musty scent of the sidewalk cement comes out as the cold, wet rain dampens the discarded gum and revives the smell of the thousands of footprints that marked its surface. The rain is a steady downpour as it quenches the thirst of this tiny town.

I prefer working in smaller towns. I don't have assignments every day and no quota. Those overcrowded cities have too much to do. The smaller the population, the more I'm able to watch them in their everyday life, in some way living through them.

The people here are relatively innocent, but some…

Some hold secrets... very sinister secrets.

Water saturates me; I’m soaked from head to toe but, no need to worry about catching my death from a cold…

You can't kill what's already dead.

I bring death to this sleepy little mountain town, but I'm not the bad guy. Well, maybe I am.

But these sinners disguised as saints are worse...so much worse. Masked under the guise of a normal human being is despicable. I reap the abusers, the rapists, the killers, the molesters, and every evil in between.

People call me karma for these monsters, but I prefer another identity…

Call me Sandman.

You know the story; the Sandman uses his magic sand to lull children into wonderful, beautiful dreams.

Not me.

I'm his evil twin, putting adults to sleep permanently.

If I'm here, their fate sealed, eternal damnation, and that's from the Devil's lips to my ears.

As the rain continues to fall, my response should be to use my six-foot-wide raven-colored wings to shield me, but I'm wallowing in pity. Sometimes when I realize all I'm missing out on, my human emotion surfaces. I wasn't married or in a relationship, but I did have a family. A family that I would do anything for… and I did, which is why I'm here. My only constant fear is to see one of their names flash in my head. I hope I never do.

How did I get into this predicament?

Well, I'm not quite ready to talk about the incident that brought me here; the heartbreak of finding out and the remorse for not finding out sooner still haunts me in the afterlife. I do not regret my actions; I regret having to make them in the first place. It was then I knew that evil truly roamed the Earth, and it tried to destroy my family.

You'd think I'd be upset and fighting for my innocence, but I'm at peace with my sentence. I earned it, and I'd do it again. Is that a sin within itself, admitting I’d commit it again?

It doesn’t matter. I don't spend much time down in the abyss. It’s like remote work; I still get to see the living world.

And I'm lucky to have a friend and mentor, Malach.

Why would you need a mentor in Hell?

There are fallen angels and demons, and the demons could drag you further into the depths. You absolutely can continue to sin beyond death, and you could cross over to becoming a demon. And that’s not something on my to-do list.

Besides, it’s nice to have someone to talk to about this afterlife stuff. We keep each other level-headed. We know what transgressions take us beyond our control, so we take over if we have to. The only difference between us is that he had a family, a lovely wife, and two adorable kids. Sometimes I can see his remorse, especially when he visits them. It's his atonement, but I’d be the same way. You don’t think about how this affects the ones closest to you, especially when you don’t come back.

Before his capture, Malach was a double agent, lying and selling intel to both sides. He said he did it for the money, the security that his family would be taken care of better than his crappy 9 to 5 office job. When they found out and took him prisoner, they tortured him for days before finally tossing his tied body off a bridge. Two days later his body washed up on the shore.

After he was assigned to be a reaper, he got his revenge when he collected the very men who made his last few days a torturous nightmare. They were in their hideout playing poker when they heard his sinister laugh coming from every dark corner of the room. He swears that his judgment was worth seeing their horrified faces before he dragged them into the everlasting fire.

My thoughts are interrupted when an assignment flashes in my head.

Wendall Locke

Well, time to get to work. I stand tall and expand my wings as I take flight. Time for his nightmare to begin and the Sandman to collect.

Autumn

Good morning, Cassie! Here's your venti, two-pump, no whip, soy, hazelnut frappuccino.

Thanks, Autumn, no one ever makes it as good as you. You're the best! Cassie waved, with her drink in hand, as she took the business exit that led to the noisy foyer.

Most of my customers were going to work in this building. It consisted of several businesses in this 10-story space. I loved working here, seeing that the orders I make bring a smile to their face before they start their long, arduous day.

Also, it's where I met my amazing fiancé, Mav, that's his nickname. Winston Maverick was a mastermind in stock-brokering. Honestly, he was way out of my league. He came from a wealthy family, highly successful, and he was extremely handsome. And here I was coming from a blue-collar family, my mother a counselor and my dad a construction worker. They met in college and fell in love and then had me. It was the ultimate fairytale story of love in my eyes. Also, I wasn’t a bombshell or supermodel. I didn’t have gigantic boobs or lip injections, I was cute with mousy features. I wasn’t inexperienced in dating, I'd had a few boyfriends; they were all shit, but still, I had my fair share.

Anyway, my Mav was a blessing to me. He started working at his firm almost two years ago. We met on his first day; I spotted him in the line; he stood out. Dressed in an oxford blue suit; you could tell the material was the highest quality, a white dress shirt, and blue plaid tie, even his pocket square matched. He had his head down, typing on his phone until he placed his order, but I could tell by his sharp jawline that he was overly handsome. I feel the blush rising to my cheeks, thinking about this total stranger.

Hi, uh, can I get a large coffee with a double shot espresso and two pumps of vanilla, thank… He looked up, our eyes met, and his gaze went wide. … you, wow, you're beautiful.

I know my blush was more prominent now, especially when I knew other people had heard him.

Thank uh, thank you. That'll be six bucks. He slides a ten onto the counter. I was about to hand him his change, but he stopped me. Keep it, gorgeous. I smiled so hard it made my cheeks hurt. I made his drink while my coworker took the other customer’s orders.

He stands at the pick-up area, still typing away. But I also feel his eyes watching me when I’m turned away, grazing over every inch of my body. I felt bare in front of him, enduring his lustful gaze.

I get up the nerve to say, I've never seen you here. Are you new in town?

His intense stare breaks, his eyes finally meeting mine. Not really, this is my hometown, but I went to Mount Vera Catholic private school instead of public school then Princeton for college. I've returned to work at my father's brokerage firm.

Wait, Jace Maverick is your father?

Wow. His dad is one of the richest men in town. I snap the top on his drink and slide it over. He takes a sip and smiles, That is amazing. Yes, he is. I’m Winston Maverick, but call me Mav, Miss? He holds his hand out.

I place my hand in his, Autumn, Autumn Hutchins, nice to meet you. His hand was strong, firm, and I was swooning internally.

He glances at his expensive watch. As much as I'd love to hang around, I still have to make a good impression on my boss even if he is my father. I’ll see you around?

I couldn’t answer immediately. He surprised me by kissing my hand and I felt the flutter of a hundred butterflies. It was only then that I could nod my head quickly.

From that day forward, he was here every morning when he had time. On those rare occasions he wasn't, I would send his drink up with a coworker, and I'd get a ‘you're my lifesaver, doll.’ text. I couldn’t tell if he was shy or it was a front, and he was secretly a ladies’ man who was going to add me to his lists of conquests, but I was content with the attention either way. I wanted to believe he was genuine as he courted me. After a few weeks, he asked me out, and we have been steady for a year and a half and engaged for almost four months. Once we started being serious, he always let me know that I was different from the other girls and never thought about being this serious with anyone else. He said I was a breath of fresh air. And he was my knight in shining armor, perfect in almost every way in my eyes.

Our engagement was simple, not something you’d expect from a Maverick, but he knew I didn’t need all that fanfare. We were at my favorite Italian restaurant, Eagle’s Landing. He hid the ring by pushing it halfway into my slice of cheesecake, so I wouldn't accidentally eat it and had them write Will you marry me? in strawberry sauce around the plate. I was so surprised I couldn’t immediately answer. Eventually, I managed to squeak out a yes.

It’s been a whirlwind romance, but even those have a bump or two in the road to happiness. His family, especially his arrogant, condescending mother, didn’t think I was good enough for their precious boy. It’s like you’re marrying the help, darling. You can do so much better! She exclaimed, not knowing I could hear them from the bedroom of his condo. To her, I was too plain and poor, nothing like the other girls he dated in preparatory school or college. She went so far as to try to set him up with an old family friend right in front of me! That’s how little she thought of me, but he made sure to openly tell his mother how wrong she was about me as we walked out of the family house hand in hand. Let’s say I left with the biggest smile. I enjoy knowing I will make them miserable with our happiness when we get married.

But as much as I like to think we are living a fairytale relationship, the fact is, we’re not. We have bumps in the road like any couple. The main one is him and his disappearing or staying out at all hours of the night. Not every night but especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays. And he would always come back in different clothing. I would ask about it every time he would do the laundry the next day. He assured me it was only because he and his friends were drinking and dancing, and someone either spilled their drink, or he worked up a sweat. He says he keeps a change of clothes in his car for accidents like this. But every single time?

Not that he isn’t allowed his freedom or a chance to hang out with his friends, it’s how I feel ignored when he comes home; he rarely touches me. You’d think the liquor would coax him to try to wake me up with little kisses that lead to him taking me in the middle of the night, giving me orgasm after orgasm until we were both exhausted from our intense lovemaking, but that’s only happened one time, and he fell asleep after the second round.

One night he went to sleep shirtless, and me being the worrywart I was, only pretended to be asleep. I turn over and sit up on my elbow and I see bruises and scratches on his arms and back. When I asked about them, he said there was a huge bar fight, and a girl pounced on him trying to defend her boyfriend who was getting beaten up by his buddies. It seemed plausible, but it also just made me more suspicious of his activities when I was at home waiting.

The front door chimes, bringing me out of my thoughts, and my best friend strolls in. She is the perfect complement to me, by personality, especially by name. It was no coincidence we were meant to be the best of friends.

Hey, Autumn!

Hey, Summer. Do you want your usual Acai tea with pomegranate and apple slices? She nods as she hands me her cup, taps her payment, and slides right over to the pick-up area.

Girl, guess what?! Wendell is dead. She sounded way too happy to be delivering such awful news.

Wait, weasley, creepy Wendall who just stands there watching women at the laundromat, that Wendall?

None other. They found his body this morning in his apartment after his neighbor heard banging against the wall they shared. He said it was three loud knocks like someone was being thrown against the wall. When the cops went in, there were no apparent signs of a struggle or anyone else ever being there. He was a loner, a creepy stalker. All they found was a bottle of hemlock in his hand but that doesn’t explain the noises.

I shook my head, Wow, that’s crazy.

Right. I hate to say this, but it was probably for the best. If he hadn’t already, he could have hurt someone if his weird staring obsession had gotten out of control. There were so many complaints and restraining orders in his file. He was caught several times outside a girl’s window touching himself. We both shuddered at the perverse thought.

Summer was an office clerk who transcribed all the gruesome details of all the crime scenes in town. She had the inside track on everything. Sometimes it can be too much.

I hand her drink over in her personalized pink tumbler and she grins, You and Mav got plans tonight?

I sigh long and hard. I hate having to admit it, No, he says he's going out with his friends, so I’m alone with my thoughts tonight.

She sighs and I know she’s disappointed. Again? It's not even Tuesday. Something is not right, Aut. I won’t lie and say I haven’t looked him up in the system, but he’s got nothing on file. The rich get away with everything just...I don’t know, be careful. I'll tell you what, come over to my place and we can do murder mystery night and manicures. I’ll even let you pick the food.

A smile creeps across her face making me smile, too. I love my best friend. If I don’t have anyone, I have her. I just hope she isn’t right about my fiancé. If he is up to something, I hope whatever it is, isn’t a dealbreaker.

Ryker

That one was oddly satisfying. Usually, I’m numb to reaping a soul, but this one was slightly different. He was a stalker, planning to assault a woman he’d been watching for about two months now, standing outside her bathroom window, jacking off to his sick and perverse thoughts. His mind wandered to torturing and killing her if she fought back or when he was done with her. Either way, he was determined to take her life.

I invoked the death knock, three deep, echoing knocks, signaling his end was near. He went to answer while I manifested inside. When he realized no one was there, he closed the door. I could see he felt ill at ease. He turned the knob to lock out the world, which made him feel safe...oh, how wrong he was.

I started his nightmare by controlling his mind, replaying all his sins. He was frozen in his recliner, breathing rapidly and muttering no repeatedly. I forced him to grab the hemlock bottle I conjured on his TV tray and watched his horrified face as it came to his lips, and he emptied the whole bottle down his throat. He was retching, convulsing, and dead within a few minutes.

When his soul appeared, his eyes widened when he saw me.

Am I... dead? His eyes followed my finger, pointing to his bloated purple corpse and bloody foam spilling from his mouth and the fear in his eyes.

I raise my brow because I’m sure another question is coming, the question. They always ask.

A-am I going to heaven or hell?

I extend my onyx wings, pushing the air towards him, causing him to close his eyes and his hand shot up over his face. I stood there while his eyes span the length of my wings. At that moment, he knew his fate, and I collected another damned soul.

Autumn

It was after 4 a.m. when Mav strolled into his bedroom where I