Hunger and Bones: The Reset Series, #3

By Joshua Griffith

When The Balance Between nature and civilization is skewed more towards technology, the Reset occurs.

Red Jayne has lived a life of pain and suffering, enduring more trauma than most. Living on the streets, Jayne learned quickly that the only one that she can rely on is herself and it has hardened her heart.

Jayne never worried about dealing with otherworldly beings because of her gift, until the veil of the world falls during the Reset, making most of those entities corporeal and more dangerous than before. To make matters worse, everyone around her is either killing themselves with blissful smiles or going completely feral and killing indiscriminately. Jayne has no choice but to do what she has always done: survive at any cost.

Can she cope with this new reality or will Jayne's tortured past cause her to succumb to the apocalyptic horrors of the Reset?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joshua Griffith
• Release date: Jul 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798852897114

Book preview

​Chapter One

It was a busy Friday night in Portland. The streets were congested with impatient drivers and bicyclists. Pedestrians walked across the streets everywhere but in the crosswalks. Red Jayne gripped the steering wheel tightly, wishing that a break in the congestion would happen so she wouldn't be late for her night on the town with her friends.

Red Jayne glared at all the vehicles surrounding her van, wishing that she could toss them out of her way with her ability to use energy. She never understood why she had it in the first place but it did come in handy when dealing with otherworldly entities. She had long red hair with the sides shaved underneath the fiery mane. Both her arms were covered with tattoos of skulls and other images that represent death.

Jayne was told that she could easily get paid for this talent if she got certified as a Reiki healer, but she didn't see the point in it. She didn't have the time or the patience, which is one of the reasons she kept getting herself into trouble with the law.

Why have a career when the certification will get revoked and when I can steal what I need, Red Jayne reasoned?

Her breathing quickened as her irritation grew. Jayne repeatedly drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. She glanced down at the clock on the console several times, hoping that the night wouldn't be a total waste here on 82nd Avenue.

A light tap on her passenger side window caught her attention. Red Jayne rolled her eyes as she pressed the button on the power window button, barely cracking it. A man smiled warmly at her while holding a cardboard sign in his hands. He was unkempt and missing a few teeth. The malodorous smell that wafted into the van nearly made Jayne gag as she forcefully asked, What do you want, pal?

I was hoping that you could spare me some loose change, if you have any? I'd greatly appreciate it. The beggar asked.

The energy worker looked down at her purse and pulled out a couple of small bars of soap that she had taken with her from the motel that she was staying at. She motioned for the beggar to go around to her window as she rolled up the other window. The man happily trotted around the front of the van as Red Jayne cracked her window.

God bless you, young lady! The beggar jovially said.

The energy worker deadpan replied, Hold out your hands.

The beggar cupped his grimy hands, the tips of his fingers smudging the glass. Jayne dropped the individually wrapped bars of soap into the man's waiting hands and said as traffic slowly moved forward a little faster, Go take a bath, buddy.

The beggar's happiness quickly turned to anger as he threw the soap at the van and shouted, What the hell am I supposed to do with those? I can't use those to eat!

True, Red Jayne replied with a smirk, "but they can make you smell more presentable when you go get food. Take my advice: take the soap and go scrub down in Johnson Creek or something. You really need it."

You fucking bitch! The beggar yelled as the energy worker rolled her window up and drove away, leaving the man in the middle of the road.

He stomped back to the sidewalk as multiple cars blared their horns at him while swerving around the beggar. Red Jayne felt her tension slowly ebbing away as traffic flowed freely. She smiled when she saw the intersection for the Clackamas Town Mall coming into view. Jayne glanced at the clock and felt relieved that there would be just enough time to get movie tickets and a few snacks at the concession stand.

She stopped at the red light just as her phone dinged. Jayne reached into her pocket and retrieved it and saw a couple of messages from her friend.

Tera: Bitch where are you at? Are you pub crawling your bony redheaded ass to the theater tonight?

Tera: Pam snuck inside and is trying to get food. It's a long fucking line here for tickets!

Jayne released a soft huff, hoping that the tickets wouldn't be sold out before she got there. They decided to go see the new Marvel movie on its opening night because Pam absolutely loved everything and anything related to the Marvel universe.

Tera would have preferred to see the Star Wars movie that had been playing for the last couple of weeks but Red Jayne urged her into this little concession. It was rare that Pam got to go geek out and knowing her, she was already dressed up in full costume for the movie.

Red Jayne needed a good reason to go out and tonight felt perfect for a movie and going shopping, using their ten finger discounts. She and her friends were well known around the surrounding Portland area by law enforcement as troublemakers and violent thieves.

Jayne had been in and out of jail since she was fourteen. Her first crime was petty larceny at Macy's where she took a jacket and several pairs of underwear because she was cold. Red Jayne's home life was difficult for her growing up. Her father had died when she was two years old and her mother was an alcoholic that would let any man in the house that could support her habit.

One night, just a few weeks after her thirteenth birthday, her mother and her boyfriend walked into her bedroom. Jayne felt uneasy as her mother told the man to do whatever he wanted to her as she drank straight from a Jack Daniels bottle and staggered off down the hall. As her mother's boyfriend approached, the aroma of cheap beer and nicotine wafted off him.

Jayne attempted to sit up on her bed and flee but the man struck her on her left cheek with the back of his hand. It stung as Jayne felt blood oozing from the blow, the metal band of her mother's boyfriend's watch cut into her soft flesh. He reached out and grabbed Red Jayne by her ankles and tugged her towards the edge of her bed.

Jayne desperately reached out, trying to find something to fend the big man off. As he tore her cotton panties off, she grabbed the remnants of an old corn dog stick that she had been whittling on. He let his pants drop down around his ankles as he positioned himself between her thighs, sneering at Jayne as he said, What are you going to do with that, stupid girl? Your mom has given you to me and I intend on collecting payment.

Red Jayne screamed a little war cry as she stabbed the man in the middle of his scrotum. The man freaked out and was stunned just enough for Red Jayne to sit up. As he clutched his crotch, Jayne lunged on the man and stabbed him repeatedly in the side of his neck. The man managed to push her off of him but not before the last jab hit his carotid artery.

Red Jayne watched as the man bled out on her unicorn rug, clutching both his throat and his crotch. She climbed off her bed and threw her bloody nightgown off and went to her closet to grab some fresh clothes and a bag. Jayne went and found her mom passed out on the couch, a bottle of whiskey tipped over and soaking the dingy carpet.

Furious at her betrayal, Red Jayne grabbed a book of matches. She glared at her mother as she ignited the matches, letting the flames flare up before dropping it on the alcohol-soaked carpet. Jayne marched out the door as the flames quickly enveloped her childhood home with just a backpack on her back.

Ever since that night, Jayne had been on her own and on the streets. She bounced from shelter to shelter, finding food wherever she could in order to survive. Jayne learned much from her time being homeless and quickly managed to garner several new skills that helped her turn a profit.

Whether it was stealing simple things like a loaf of bread, cheese, and sodas to breaking into cars and houses, Jayne found a way to live but it came with a price. Local law enforcement and her became acquainted with each other. Red Jayne was in and out of the jail a lot. That is where she met up with Pam and Tera, which they literally became thick as thieves.

One skill that she learned was her natural ability to work with energy. It came in handy when, for whatever reason, otherworldly entities would appear before her, looking to cause her trouble. She wasn't sure exactly why so many things came to her, but she managed to use her magic well enough to ensure that those otherworldly entities never returned.

As she grew older Jayne had several spirit guides try to teach her more about her gift, but Jayne was more concerned about survival and barely paid much attention to them. The energy work was a great talent but it didn't put food in her belly or a roof over her head was her go-to excuse.

Jayne turned down the street as the light turned green. The parking lot was crowded, resembling a massive car dealership. She angrily groaned as people walked around everywhere and would seemingly step out from the vehicles without warning.

She reached out, trying to affect the pedestrians with her energy power as she bit out, Why can't I toss these assholes out of my way? It works well on ghosts and other invisible pricks!

Jayne practically creeped along the rows of the parking lot, hunting for a spot to park. She shook her head with a smirk as she said, Tossing cars out of the way would come in handy right about now.

The energy worker saw a vacant spot and aimed for it but more people trudged in front of the van. Jayne blared the horn out of frustration, motioning for the mall zombies to move out of the way. People only glared back at her, irritating Jayne even more. She kept glancing at her spot, trying to somehow will it closer to her, but then she yelled out obscenities as a small yellow scooter slipped in it with ease. The rider got there before Jayne by going down the row, using the pedestrian sidewalk illegally.

That's such a dick move! The energy worker thought as her ire grew.

Red Jayne glared daggers at the man as he dismounted from his ride. She saw him look back at her. The rider nodded and smiled, which pissed Jayne off even more. She looked down at the floorboard console and mischievously smiled, If you want to mock me, do so at your own peril.

As the people cleared out, Jayne drove over to the parking spot and parked behind the scooter. She reached down and grabbed a hammer, a flathead screwdriver, and a wire cutter before hopping out of the van.

Red Jayne didn't care if anyone saw her as she smashed the front housing with the hammer, exposing the ignition wiring. With a quick couple of snips, the energy worker spliced the wires together and then she used the screwdriver as a key in the ignition.

The scooter's motor roared back to life, which made it easier for her to move it out of the parking spot and over into a designated handicap spot. Jayne left the motor on the scooter running as she trotted back to her van.

As she finally parked in her spot, Red Jayne pulled her phone out and called the number of the towing company that the mall contracted with, which was conveniently posted on the lamp post in front of her. She explained what the rider did and that he was parked illegally without a handicap placard.

Jayne killed the engine and hopped out of the van with a little pep in her step. She saw people looking at her with either disapproval or surprise as a few had their cell phones out, recording her antics.

Let them stare. I'm not ashamed of who I am or what I do, Jayne thought to herself as she searched the crowd for Tera.

She stepped up on the concrete path that led into the mall, it colorfully sparkled when the ambient light hit it. The Clackamas Town Center Mall had people coming and going, making it difficult for her to spot her friend.

Red Jayne pulled out her cell phone and texted Tera.

Red Jayne: I'm finally here. So where the hell are you at?

Tera: You goofy redhead! I can see your pale ass! I'm not far from the ticket window and I'm not leaving so move that tight ass of yours and get over here!

Jayne looked up from her phone and could see Tera jumping up and down while waving an arm in the air. She grinned as she trotted over to the movie line. As Jayne came up to her friend, Tera said, I'm not sure if we will be able to see the movie. It seems to be a popular one that everyone's going to tonight.

I hope that Pam gets in. She deserves it, Red Jayne replied as they inched closer to the admission window.

If not, the Star Wars movie could be our next option, Tera said as a small family was ordering their tickets in front of them. Just as the family left, Pam came out of the theater, carrying three large sodas, three large buckets of popcorn that had an image of Wolverine attacking Sabertooth, a small bag that had candy and three hot dogs in it.

Red Jayne warmly smiled at her friend, who had a mashup costume of Black Widow's outfit, a Wolverine mask, and a brown trench coat that Gambit sometimes wore.

Pam jovially bounced with excitement as she said, I wasn't sure what you two were in the mood for so I grabbed a little bit of everything!

What did you do, max out your credit card for all this? Tera's eyes bulged at her friend's haul.

Tera, I said that I didn't know what you wanted! You and Jayne take a bucket before I drop them, please! Pam replied.

Jayne was about to speak as she took her popcorn bucket, but a slight clinking caught her attention. She turned in the direction of the odd noise and saw a young woman standing behind her.

She had long silky black hair and crystal blue eyes and dressed all in black, down to her calf high boots. She was carrying a book in one hand and a decent size cloth shopping bag that had several towels stuffed inside it, concealing its contents.

Jayne could make out a couple of bottle shapes that contoured to the fabric of the bag. The woman was smiling as Red Jayne finally looked up at her face and knew that she was sneaking something in with her.

What can I say, I get thirsty, the woman muttered with a sly smirk.

What exactly are you sneaking in to quench your thirst? The energy worker slightly nodded at the bag of contraband.

The woman grinned as she leaned in next to Jayne's ear and softly whispered in a conspiratory manner, Wine. I figure if I'm going to watch the movie that my favorite novel was inspired by, I might as well get a little bit tipsy.

Red Jayne enjoyed the cinnamon perfume that this lady had on and so she asked, What movie is it? I'm guessing it's not from Marvel or the Star War universe, is it?

Nope, the lady handed the book over to Jayne. She could see that it had been read multiple times, the spine was worn and beginning to show signs of tearing in spots. The cover had what looked like the outline of a blood red smear that had the backdrop of a swamp embedded in it from somewhere in Louisiana with the title Crushed by Jordan Leger.

The woman said as Red Jayne flipped the book over to read the description, If you love dark and steamy stories, you can't go wrong with Jordan Leger. My name is Meg, by the way.

Jayne handed the book back to Meg, making sure that their fingers touched. She could feel that Meg had some kind of magical abilities just from the energy that she put off. It felt dark and raw, which made the energy worker wonder if Meg knew about it or simply oblivious to her calling.

Red Jayne said with a coy smile, Just Meg, huh? No last name?

Meg snorted, I rarely give that out because I don't care too much for it personally. Maybe, if you play your cards right, Jayne, I'll tell you but then again, we probably won't be seeing each other after tonight. Your name is Jayne right?

That's right, but I also go by Red Jayne or Red, she pointed to her hair, for obvious reasons.

Meg playfully asked, but noticed that the redhead's demeanor shifted, And do you have a last name or...what wrong?

Red Jayne is all I'll go by. There's some parts of my life that I'll take to my grave, Meg. She hissed, scowling at the woman, Don't go prying or-

Jayne got cut off when she heard Tera cry out, Oh fucking hell! Are you kidding me?

She walked over to her friend and asked, What's wrong?

Tera looked upset but it was Pam that replied, her bottom lip quivering, The tickets! They're all sold out! We got the last two, Jayne.

Red Jayne furrowed her brow as she asked, Okay. I expected as much but what about the Star Wars movie?

Same issue, Tera bitterly replied, hoping not to anger her friend, all the showings for both movies are sold out. We ended up getting the final two tickets.

Can you ladies move along? A young man behind the ticket counter asked, I can sell you some other movie tickets, but not for those two features.

Pam appeared to be on the verge of tears, which upset Jayne more than not getting in the movie with her friends. She reached out and firmly squeezed Pam and Tera by their arms and said, It's okay. Go enjoy it. I'll find something else to watch.

Pam spoke with worry in her voice, Are you sure? We can cancel this and go somewhere else.

Jayne looked at her friends and all the food that they had and said, No, Pam. This is your night to enjoy. I'll find something else to watch.

Tera eyed her and said, I don't like that we have to split up. This was supposed to be a fun night on the town, but if that's what you want, I'm somewhat okay with it.

Red Jayne nodded and winked as she backed away, Don't worry about it, you two. Just know that our night of fun has only just begun.

As her friends walked into the theater lobby, Meg stepped up beside Jayne and said, "Guess it's just you and me, Jayne. Wanna come see Crushed with me? My treat?"

Red Jayne eyed the woman suspiciously as she replied, Sure. Why not.

Meg stepped up to the ticket window and cheerfully said, "Two for Crushed, Joe!"

The ticket attendant typed on the computer and said, That will be thirty five dollars, Meg. Do I even want to know if you're bringing in outside wine again?

Meg feigned shock as she handed him her debit card and said, What? I would never do such a thing as that! That sort of thing is frowned upon by management.

Joe nodded at her bag and said with a smirk, And what's in the bag?

Jayne couldn't help watching the strange interaction between these two people. They obviously knew one another but the energy worker wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Feminine hygiene products mostly, Meg replied with a grin as she reached in the bulging bag and pulled out a handful of tampons, It's a heavy flow this month. A girl can't enjoy a two-hour movie in peace without proper protection, can she?

Damn it, Meg, I don't need to know about that! Joe said as his face reddened. He shook his head as