Bloody Mary

By John Watson

They often say that you can't go home again, but for Keith Mills, there is no other option.

Recently released from rehab and mourning the death of his mother, Keith inherits the family home where his father was brutally murdered 15 years earlier. It's not the ideal place to create a new beginning, but Keith is determined to make it work.

His plans for a peaceful existence are soon shattered, though, as a clerical error see's the wrong cremains delivered to the home. Rather than having his mother back home, an evil arrives, intent on staking her claim on the property.

Bloody Mary is looking for a place to dwell, even if it means unleashing Hell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crazy Ink
• Release date: Dec 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215749937

John Watson

John Watson is Professor of Electrical Engineering and Optical Engineering at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.

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Copyright © 2022 by Crazy Ink

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Book Layout © Crazy Ink

Bloody Mary/Crazy Ink—1st ed.

They often say that you can’t go home again, but for Keith Mills, there is no other option.

Recently released from rehab and mourning the death of his mother, Keith inherits the family home where his father was brutally murdered five years earlier. It’s not the ideal place to create a new beginning, but Keith is determined to make it work.

His plans for a peaceful existence are soon shattered, though, as a clerical error sees the wrong cremains delivered to the home. Rather than having his mother back home, an evil arrives, intent on staking her claim on the property.

Bloody Mary is looking for a place to dwell, even if it means unleashing Hell.

Dedication

For all my regular readers who keep coming back for more. I appreciate every single one of you.

Chapter One

Keith Mills awoke with a groan, squinting as the bright rays of morning assaulted his bloodshot eyes. Flipping over and away from the sun, Keith groaned again when he saw a girl lying beside him, a thin trail of drool running free from her open mouth. He tried to remember her name or how he met her, but the memory failed to come as the booze from the previous night continued to short-circuit his brain.

Sitting up in bed, Keith wiped the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand and glanced around the messy bedroom. It did not look familiar, which did not strike him as surprising. Drunken nights and one-night stands were a common occurrence now, all done with the intent of washing and fucking the pain away. The dull ache in his gut told him that the attempt was once again a failure.

He slid out of bed, trying not to dislodge the covers and wake the sleeping girl, and snatched up his clothes from the floor. Dressing quickly, he headed out of the bedroom and tiptoed across the floor, dodging empty cans and bottles and an open pizza box crawling with cockroaches. Keith swallowed down the bile rushing into his throat and stepped out into the daylight, wilting under it like a vampire exposed to the sun.

The cell phone in his pocket vibrated against his leg. Moving away from the ramshackle house, he headed for the corner of the street and tried to get his bearings. The street signs told him little, as it was an unfamiliar part of town. He fished out his phone and ordered an Uber, hoping he had enough money in his account to cover the cost of the ride. Once he saw the driver headed his way, he checked his alerts and saw several missed calls and texts from his mom. Sighing heavily, he opened the text app and read the latest.

We need to talk. Call me ASAP.

He scrolled through the previous messages and saw more of the same. He knew that Rebecca Mills would continue to call and text until he responded, so he messaged her back and said he would be in touch shortly. If he was going to visit his mom, he needed another drink or two to gather the strength to make it happen.

Keith dug into the pockets of his jeans and fished out some loose bills, most of which were damp and reeking of liquor. Thinking back, he remembered lifting the money off a table at the bar, money that was supposed to be a tip for the server. He felt a small pang of guilt, but he quickly shrugged it off when he realized there was enough to buy him a bottle of cheap liquor and maybe a bite to eat.

Closing his eyes, Keith leaned against the stop sign at the corner of the intersection, allowing his thoughts to drift to better days. All the good times were when he was a kid, before the madness that had arrived at the family home and changed his life forever. He tried not to think of that night too often, turning to alcohol to wash away the bad memories, only to see them return like flotsam washed in on the tide.

The sound of a car horn blaring brought him back to the present with a jolt. Keith opened his eyes and waved at the Uber driver, who eyed him warily.

Are you Keith? the driver shouted through the open window on the passenger side.

That’s me. Keith slid into the vehicle’s back seat and felt his stomach lurch as the scent of air fresheners hit his nose. It was like stepping into a pine forest drenched in cheap perfume, and it wasn’t pleasant.

Rough night? the driver asked.

Huh?

You look like you had a rough night.

One of many, Keith said, turning to look out the side window, hoping the driver would take it as a sign that he didn’t want to be bothered.

I’m Mike, the Uber driver said, missing the hint. Where did you go?

Some dive bar. Can’t remember the name, but the drinks were cheap. Keith wanted to scream at the man to shut up, to leave him be, but he continued to ramble on.

I used to be heavily into the bar scene, too, but I got myself clean. I’m now doing sales for a health and fitness company that makes protein powders and all kinds of...

Keith closed his eyes as Mike continued to talk. SHUT UP!! For the love of God, please stop talking.

"...I’m not making that much money yet, which is why I’m doing the Uber thing, but I got in on the ground floor with this company, so I’m hoping