Glitched

By JC Doan

Lei Guthrie and her best friend, Iris, have a tradition. Every Friday night after work, they play a game—preferably vintage, the weirder the better. So when Lei finds a romance novel trivia game rumored to be cursed, she couldn’t be happier. Until she and Iris become trapped in the game. The rules are simple. Make it through three romance novel scenes gone horribly wrong and retrieve a silver key from each. Oh yeah, and stay alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JC Doan
• Release date: Apr 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005031978

JC Doan

Evernight Teen author ❣️

Book preview

Glitched

by JC Doan

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Cover by germancreative.

Copyright© 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission.

Dedication

To the keeper of the stars. The one who counts them and keeps perfect score.

Chapter One

The Gift

Lei Guthrie watched as the old woman stepped off the curb. The stooped figure wrapped her hand tightly over the rounded top of a cane and took one tentative step, then another, gypsy skirts shifting as she shuffled forward. She didn’t see the bus round the corner onto Ocean Drive. But Lei saw it. She shouted a warning from the corner of Fifth and Ocean, but the old woman didn’t pause or even look up. Lei let her shopping bags fall to the sidewalk, uncaring of the jars and lipstick tubes and books that spilled out. The bottle of red wine hit the sidewalk next, shattering on impact and sending alcohol sloshing in all directions. Lei was running now, full speed ahead, toward her. She screamed but instinctively knew she wouldn’t be in time. She pumped her legs faster anyway, cursing her five-foot-three height and expired gym membership.

The angry screech of brakes split the air. The old woman glanced up and froze. Lei’s weight slammed into her, knocking her forward a step before she closed her arms around the woman and propelled them both backward and out of the line of fire. In the next instant, enormous tires rolled to a stop where they had been standing. Lei heard the whoosh as the bus came to a complete stop, then the murmur of the small crowd that had gathered. Somehow, she managed to keep them both upright. Peering around the back of the woman’s head, she met the wide, concerned eyes of the bus driver as he rushed out onto the sidewalk.

Is she okay?

Lei nodded, struggling to catch her breath. I think so.

She just walked out into the middle of the street, the man huffed, looking flustered.

Lei carefully eased around the old woman to stand in front of her. She kept a steadying hand on the bony shoulder, using her other hand to carefully part the curtain of soft, steel-gray hair to get a good look at the woman’s face. Hey, are you all right?

Startled blue eyes met her own curious stare. The woman didn’t speak, although her gaze darted around and she seemed to be aware now of her surroundings. Her lips parted, a distressed sound escaping.

I didn’t hurt you, did I? Lei was quick to ask.

Oh … ah, no. I’m f-fine. I didn’t even see… She shook her head.

Lei’s shoulders slumped with relief, and she was only vaguely aware of the driver climbing back onto the bus and the passersby continuing on their way now that the threat of danger had been eliminated.

I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, the old lady was saying, and Lei’s gaze swung back to her weathered face. This close, she noticed the sheer, almost filmy spot covering most of the woman’s left eye. Cataracts?

Are you sure you’re okay?

The woman nodded.

Is there somewhere I can take you, then? She scanned the area for an outdoor cafe or a bench, anything. Do you need to sit down?

No. The woman paused, taking a step toward Lei and squinting hard. A moment later, she sighed. Oh, oh no, she cried softly, her lined face twisting into an expression of grief.

The old woman’s distress had Lei doing an automatic quick sweep of their immediate vicinity. She didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. People flowed around them, going on about their business. Ma’am? Lei asked, alarmed when the gray head bowed. She leaned in closer.

The woman’s head snapped up, cloudy eyes zeroing in on Lei. You have to be so careful, she whispered. So careful.

Okay. Lei nodded, then frowned. Wait, what?

Her face crumpled again. Sadness. Fear. Regret. Oh, I don’t want to tell you, I don’t. It isn’t fair. You just saved my life.

Tell me what? Lei asked hesitantly, thinking that crazy came in all shapes and sizes.

Gnarled fingers curled around Lei’s and squeezed, the papery skin cool to the touch. No, not cool. Cold. Like frost. She leaned in close and spoke, her voice a whisper. You’re going to die.

Lei wrenched her hands from the woman’s grasp. What did you just say?

I saw it. I always see it. I have the gift, she confided. Her intense stare seemed to touch every part of Lei’s face before she sighed again. I didn’t want to tell you. But maybe you can stop it. You have to be so careful, so careful, promise me.

Uh, I promise? she offered in a stilted tone.

The woman nodded once, then turned and began to