Wednesday Briefs: An Unholy Alliance #12 (3.5)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day ! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts. 

Charlemagne is less than pleased when Tyrone shows up at the library where he is trying to research his family. How and why? See what's going on in this week's chapter of An Unholy Alliance. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale.

An Unholy Alliance #12 (3.5)

The last thing I wanted to do was create a scene. Not there and then. Later? Well, I wouldn’t guarantee anything about what might occur, given the opportunity.

Shelving my irritation, at least for the moment, I gave him a withering look. “Why are you here and how the hell did you find me?” I knew I hadn’t given him any clue as to where I was going when I’d received the text from Casey. I mean, why would I have? I hadn’t even said good-bye, or any variation thereof.

“Pure dumb luck,” he chuckled. “And a little bit of deductive reasoning.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I caught him eyeing my tea a bit too suspiciously for my taste, so I protectively moved it closer to me, just in case he had designs on it. Let him ask Casey for a cup and see how far that got him. Although they were nice, and might just give him one, not knowing how annoying he truly was.

“What kind of tea is that?” He was glancing more openly at my cup now. I shot him a baffled look at the way he’d not-so-subtly changed the subject. Like I’d forget what I’d asked.

“What difference does that make?” I countered. “And you didn’t answer my question. How did dumb luck, which I suspect is something you’re more than passing familiar with, and a bit of deductive reasoning lead you here, of all places?”

Again he ignored me. “You should probably drink green tea. It’s rich in antioxidants. Do you know what those are?”

“Do I look stupid?” I snapped.

He shook his head. “No, of course not. I just don’t like to assume anything. Then you know that antioxidants, like those found in green tea, help to improve blood circulation. Considering your condition, I assume you need all the help you can get in that area.”

“It’s not a condition,” I blurted out without thinking through my words. And now I’d just admitted to being what I am… and didn’t I feel stupid. I felt my temper begin to flare. How was he able to manipulate me so easily? I found him…that is, Tyrone was… damn the man, he was very… infuriating.

I was beginning to lose my words, and that I would not countenance.

“I don’t need lessons in biology from someone like you! I’ve studied at more universities than you can even imagine. What have you done? Graduated from tech school?” Now who was making assumptions? I couldn’t believe I’d let myself be goaded into engaging in a battle of wits with this… this… person. To what end? I could leave here at any time and never see him again. And yet I didn’t.

I told myself that was because this was my library, not his. If anyone was going to leave, it would be him. But if I were to be completely honest with myself, that wasn’t the truth. Whether I was willing to admit it then or not.

“Sorry,” he chuckled again. His hand seemed to snake toward me, as if he intended to pat my arm, perhaps in some manner calculated to soothe the savage breast. I jerked back, maintaining a respectable distance between us. That should let him know I didn’t want to be touched. Not that I owed him an explanation, I just wanted things to be clear between us.

“I guess it’s the biologist in me,” he explained. “I love talking about it. Well, you may have noticed I just enjoy talking…”

Isn’t that the truth?

“…and most of the people I talk to don’t have a science background, so I kind of take that into account and I end up explaining things more often than not. I certainly didn’t intend to insult you, I promise. I have no doubt you know many things, probably a lot more than I do. I mean, you’ve been studying for a lot longer than I have, so it’s only natural. Plus you sound very well educated, if you don’t mind my saying so. I can hear it in your voice. You have a very nice voice, by the way.”

I couldn’t decide if I was more flattered or insulted, or some combination of the two. And this conversation was drifting farther and farther afield.

As if he could read my mind (something I was beginning to wonder about, I admit), he finally answered my question. “I heard it on the police scanner. The BOLO.”

The what? What language was he speaking? And what did he hear?

“You know. Be on the lookout.” He must have noticed the blank look in my eyes and forged ahead. “The car. The Chrysler I spotted in the parking lot. The timing was too perfect. I mean you take off, the car gets stolen, here it is and here you are…” He made a hand gesture and his face wore a you see what I mean expression.

“The blind luck came in that I just happened to be coming this way. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have seen it and figured out it might be you. I wasn’t positive, but I was fairly sure. And of course, as you can clearly see, I was right.”

I couldn’t tell if he looked more complacent or smarmy or just plain pleased with himself. A desire to leave was growing within me, but I couldn’t. At least not until I finished looking through the books Casey had found. The papers I could keep, they were just print-outs she’d made for me. But not the books. I couldn’t check them out, not being an actual patron, not even a resident of the area.

“Damn!” Tyrone whistled under his breath.

What now?

I glanced up sharply to find what appeared to be a policeman heading our way with undoubtedly foul intent.

What had Tyrone just brought upon me?

 to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

 

 

 

 

 

 

Virtual Book Blast: The Secret of Drulea Cottage

 Please welcome author Claire Kohler to Full Moon Dreaming! She is here to tell us about her new release, The Secret of Drulea Cottage. Claire will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on her tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

 

The Secret of Drulea Cottage

by Claire Kohler

 

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GENRE: Historical Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

Briony Fairborn, a midwife in eighteenth-century Scotland, comes from a family shrouded in scandal. Left with only one friend after her mother’s death, she has little hope of gaining any others, let alone finding a husband. Instead, Briony tries to live a quiet life and avoid her neighbors’ ridicule as much as possible.

 

But things in Everton take a drastic turn when a storm brings foreigners to the village docks.

 

On the night Santiago Mendes arrives, he comes with a broken ship, a broken leg, and a broken spirit that Briony finds herself profoundly drawn to. Her scarred heart slowly starts to open, and although Briony suspects he may be hiding something, she cannot help but dream of the possibility of love.

 

That is, until another stranger appears in town, intent on repaying a childhood debt. A dangerously handsome stranger who shows Briony that she’s even more different than she could have imagined. And that her past is far darker than she realized.

 

Magic, romance, and political intrigue collide as the secrets surrounding one Scottish woman begin to unravel. Secrets that she may not be ready to face.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

 

“Capitão! Senhor Mendes! Come quick!” A sailor appeared in the doorway, his eyes distraught. “Silva went overboard!”

 

“Show me!” Santiago followed the sailor out, not bothering to check if Costa came too.

 

A monstrous storm the likes of which he’d never seen was swirling directly above the São Nicolau. Lightning descended in vicious bolts while giant black clouds blocked out all sunlight. Waves rocked the ship back and forth, making it almost impossible to stay upright. The mainmast started to bend; it wouldn’t be long before it collapsed.

 

Santiago gripped the side of the ship and made his way forward—

 

But something hit him from behind, propelling him toward the mast—

 

CRACK!

 

Santiago was on his back, trying to scramble out of the way, but he couldn’t quite move fast enough. The top half of the mast crashed down, landing on his right leg.

 

He cried out as pain tore through his body. It was so intense that he felt his mind swimming, drifting in and out of consciousness. He tried to pull his leg out, but it wouldn’t budge.

 

Santiago was trapped. “H-Help…”

 

Suddenly a silhouette appeared directly above him. Santiago’s heart leaped—

 

But then a pistol was in his face. With what was left of his strength, Santiago willed his eyelids to stay open. If this is to be my final moment, I’m going to make sure I look my killer in the eye.

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Claire Kohler grew up in Mooresville, NC, as the eldest of four daughters. Her love of stories began at an early age, and as a child, she could often be found borrowing way too many books from the library and scribbling away in a journal.

 

In 2016, Claire became a full-time middle school English teacher in a public school. In her second year of teaching, she also taught social studies. After becoming pregnant in 2018, Claire decided to shift careers and become an online ESL teacher so that she could also take care of her newborn at home.

 

She now lives in Statesville, NC, with her husband, two children, and three cats. She is also an active member of Christ Community Church Mooresville, where she often serves as a Bible study and small group leader.

 

Claire plans to continue creating exciting historical fantasy novels and potentially branching out into other genres as well.

 

Website Link: https://secretdruleacottage.wixsite.com/clairekohlerbooks

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/Claire-Kohler-Books-100151582291586

 

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Book Tour: Ghosts of New England by Lisa Olech

 Good morning everyone! Please welcome author Lisa Olech to Full Moon Dreaming! She is here to talk about her recent release, Ghosts of New England. Lisa will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on her tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

Ghosts of New England: Skullery Bay

 

 

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An anthology unlike any other...

4 Different Centuries

4 To-Die-For Romances

The Same 2 Ghosts!

 

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Widow’s Walk (1737)

RITA nominee & Best Selling Author, Lisa A. Olech

He’s the infamous pirate, Captain John Jacob Wilder.
She’s the daughter of his fiercest enemy.

Their love is the beginning of the legend.

 

Captain John Jacob (Jake) Wilder wanted the estate known as Fairwinds at any price. Like any pirate worth his share, maybe he’d just steal it. He had grand plans to build his private pirate domain and hide his wealth and mysteries beneath the sprawling grounds of Fairwinds. But soon the magic of the grand house and a kiss of a beautiful woman had him planning a life, a home, and a passion-filled future with a treasure he never dreamed of having—a wife!

 

Lillian Grace Langdon lived in the shadowed edges of her family, surrounded by memories of a charmed life that had tarnished and faded in the sea air after her mother died. Meeting the dashing Captain Wilder had been like stepping back into the sunshine. The fact that he was a rogue and a pirate despised by her father only added a rebellious heat of that light. Together they grew to deeply love one another as well as the treasured estate, and soon returned Fairwinds back into the magical place it once was. Full of love, happiness, and a brilliant future.

 

But the winds of fate shifted like the tide, and one stormy night Jake and Lily were cast apart and blown from each other’s arms forever. Anguish and sadness filled the halls of Fairwinds and threatened to return the estate to an empty shell. But Lily and Jake proved their love was stronger than death, their souls immortal, and their story became the breath and heartbeat of the grand estate. They became the legend of Fairwinds. It was their haven. Their heaven. Their port in every storm. A fierce blow might have ultimately taken their lives, but it took those same wild winds to unlock the secrets and open the door to their impassioned reunions for eternity.

 

Excerpt:

Widow’s Walk – Excerpt

 

 

Skullery Bay, Mystic Point, 1737

 

“Jake, all is secured.”

 

“Good work.” Captain John Jacob Wilder clapped his brother on the shoulder. The raid had taken more effort than expected, but the spoils were twice as rich. The five chests of silver alone would more than cover the slight damage to The Phantom’s mainsail and the surgeon’s fee to stitch the few minor wounds of the crew—and the sail. A goodly store of gun powder and shot, chests of spice, hog heads of rum. Aye, the crew was due a chance to crow and had well earned their drink tonight.

 

Jake tipped his head toward their prisoners. “Finish lashing those bastards to the gunnels, and we can take our leave.”

 

“Aye.”

 

A scrawny lad fought against his captors. “Capt’n! I beg ya. Take me wit ya.” He kicked at the two men trying their best to keep hold of him.

 

“Shut yer hole an’ git wit the rest.”

 

“Capt’n,” the lad insisted. “I’ll fight n’ scrape hard fer ya, I will.”

 

Jake turned and appraised the boy. There was nothing to the lad. He was all elbows and knees beneath the rags he wore. “What’s yer name?”

 

“Oliver. Oliver Sharp, Capt’n.”

 

Jake narrowed his eyes at him. “Tell me why I should take on a sorry specimen like you?” His men still held the boy as he shook shaggy hair out of his face and stuck his chin out in defiance. As he did so, Jake noticed the swollen, discolored skin around the boy’s eye and along his jaw. His lip had been split. He’d taken quite a beating, and recently.

 

“I told ya. I’ll fight hard. Work harder. Ye won’t be sorry.”

 

“Release him,” ordered Jake. The men did, and the lad rubbed at his shoulder and shot a sneer at their backs. “Who beat you, boy?”

 

The lad stuck his thumbs in his pockets and held his ground. “Are ye takin’ me wit ya, or not?”

 

Impertinent whelp. Jake raised his voice. “Answer the question.”

 

“No sense if yer just gonna leave me here with the ruttin’ bastard.” Oliver glared over his shoulder.

 

“Who?”

 

“Rasher,” the boy spit out the name.

 

“Captain Rasher?”

 

“Ye ken another Rasher?”

 

“What’d he beat ye for?” Jake asked.

 

The lad folded spindly arms across his narrow chest. “What ya think?”

 

Jake had heard rumors of James Rasher’s penchant for young boys. “I take it you didn’t share his…interests?”

 

“I did not.” Young Oliver notched his chin.

 

Jake pointed at the boy’s face. “He give you that eye?”

 

“He did.”

 

“Go.” Jake jerked his head in the direction of the mast where Captain Rasher was currently lashed. “Give it back to him. Then secure yerself aboard The Phantom.”

 

 

Book Links:

The anthology will be on sale for 99 cents during the tour.

Custom Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/Skullery

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58547966-ghosts-of-new-england

 

Trailer Info:

Direct Link: https://youtu.be/AKrSd0U0ggY

 

HTML:  <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AKrSd0U0ggY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

 

Author Bio & Links:

 

LISA A. OLECH—loves art, pirates and a cranky curmudgeon she affectionately calls the Wizard of O. Currently the author of eight Romance titles in both the contemporary and historical genres, she uses witty dialog with a side order of sexy to bring to life multi-faceted, adventurous, smoldering characters you’ll not soon forget.

 

A 2018 RITA Award nominee for her book, Within A Captain’s Soul, the final book in her Captains of the Scarlet Night series, Lisa’s won a variety of writing contests and achieved the ranks of Amazon Best Seller with her debut book in 2014.

 

Living on the shores of On Golden Pond, Lisa shares a drafty, old Victorian house with a wizard and two schizophrenic cats she brought into the house in an attempt to fill her empty nest and keep her from talking to herself in a British accent. As an author, artist, Justice of the Peace, and aspiring beekeeper, Lisa finds true inspiration in the beauty and love that surround her. And, she takes full credit for three homes on her quiet New England street now proudly flying the Jolly Roger from their flagpoles.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest

Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads

 

The Questions – please choose at least 5
1) You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice—who is that person and what item do you have?

Such a good question….hmmm…let me see. I should probably say my darling husband and a rowboat, but if this is just between you and me….  I’d be marooned with Sam Heughan from Outlander anywhere! And if you could manage a working coffee maker complete with a lifetime supply of coffee, I’d be a very happy woman!

2) Which musical would you say best exemplifies your life – and which character in that musical are you?

It’s funny you asking me that, as I’ve had a song circling around my brain for the last couple week. It’s Defying Gravity from Wicked. So does that make me Elphaba? I’m certainly not the ‘good’ witch.

3) Take these three words and give me a 100 word or less scene using them: hammer, saucer, traffic lights

Green, yellow, red. Green, yellow, red. The color changing glow of the traffic lights outside her window cast an eerie tint to the scene inside. Giselle slipped her tea cup into the gentle resting place of its saucer and sighed. Her soothing green tea beginning to ease her tension. The hammer resting next to the yellow sugar bowl left a bloody red stain on the flowered table cloth. Green, yellow, red. Green, yellow, red. Green, yellow, red.

4) What is your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?

Not with tea and hammers, I promise you! My significant other has been with me for forty years, bless him. Romantic time is as simple as holding hands while we watch a movie together, or perhaps a walk along a beach or a gentle wooded trail. Just quietly being together. Laughing over a stupid joke. Dancing in the kitchen. Enjoying the easiness of being in each other’s company.

5) When you start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?

It does depend on the story. I began one story with a smell! But, I generally begin with dialogue. How a character speaks and communicates tells you a lot about your characters and how they are going to interact with others. I always drop in the dialogue of each scene first. Then I build the character’s dimensions, their goals and conflicts and that naturally leads to creating the story plot.

6) If they were to make the story of your life into a movie, who should play you?

The popular opinion on this question is Kathy Bates….  Maybe tea and hammers are a thing!

7) Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?

 

8) Do you have an historical crush and if so, who is it?

Historical ‘FICTION’ crush? See the comment above….James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser from Outlander. If we’re talking about a real life historical figures, I’ve always loved Cary Grant.

9) Is there a story that you’d like to tell but you think the world isn’t ready to receive it?

The world is such a minefield right now so there are many stories that would test the edges of comfort for a lot of people. I believe that there is no story I wish to tell that can’t be told in a responsible, respectful, caring way. Certainly there are subjects I wouldn’t care to write about, but I take my job of storyteller very seriously. It is my job to do complete research to fully understand the people, cultures, and history of my characters so that I don’t fall into the laziness of presumptions and stereotypes. And above all, I have chosen to write romance for one simple reason, to spread love and light in the world. Yes, many of my books contain battles, villainous characters and conflict, but at their heart, my novels are a love story, between strong, passionate people who always get their happily ever after. The world is always in need of more love so I guess I’ll keep writing.

 

Thank you so much for having me here today. You asked some great questions and I’ve had a wonderful time! XOXO Lisa

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Saturday is Horror Day #23 - Krampus: The Christmas Devil, Krampus (2015)

 Krampus: The Christmas Devil

As a child,  police officer Jeremy Duffin (A.J. Leslie) was abducted, dragged in a sack and tossed into a frozen lake from which he managed to escape. It's thirty years later, and he still can't forget. Not to mention, he is convinced that the perpetrator of that crime is still out there, and every ten years he repeats the cycle. What's a cop gonna do?

Sure enough, it's happening again, and Jeremy has to do something about it.  Christmas is almost upon them, and all children know that Santa wants them to be good. What they may not know is that the flip side of Santa, who deals with naughty children, is the Krampus. He's got a list.... and he knows how to use it. Where does he get that list? From Santa Claus, of course, his brother!

As if this isn't bad enough, a criminal that Jeremy put away, Brian Hatt (Bill Oberst Jr) has just been

released from prison after ten years, and of course he has revenge on his mind. Who wouldn't, right? Which puts not only Jeremy but his wife and daughter at risk. Unbeknownst to Jeremy, his daughter Heather (Samantha Hoepfl) has also made the top of Krampus' list! Which evil is he going to have to fight off first?

So, what can I say about this movie? I had high hopes for it which were quickly dashed. Right off the bat, the acting sucks. Big time. I've seen better acting from high school students. Granted, I'm sure they all tried, but they failed, rather miserably. The best acting I saw was from a minor character in the bar, and I forget his name. As bad as Jeremy is, the actress playing his wife was worse.

What else? Oh yes, the writing was horrible. Terrible script. And the fight scenes were badly choreographed and virtually non-existent. The action would always cut away so you wouldn't really see anything and would cut back so you could view the end result. The blood looks like strawberry syrup, btw, and not the good stuff.

Krampus himself is not scary. Weird, sure. Creepy? Definitely. He is holed up in a cave or something, and keeps a child in a cage. He also has a half naked woman chained to the wall that he likes to... play with. Seriously? Wth? Why even bring that up? He's a demon, right? I have no idea.

From the start, this movie is ridiculous and not the least bit scary. The scariest thing to me was wondering how this even got made, who wasted good money on making it. And why were there sequels? Guess I'll find out when I watch the next one. It has to be better, right? One can hope. On that basis, I'll give Krampus: The Christmas Devil 1 flimsy Star, and that is being generous. This isn't a horror movie, it's a horrible movie.

Krampus (2015)

Christmas is almost here, and it should be a time of great cheer! But young Max (Emjay Anthony) feels otherwise, since it means his horrible cousins and their parents are coming for the holiday.  Mom Sarah (Toni Collette) and dad Tom (Adam Scott) are trying to be good-natured about it, because they are family, after all. But some people are just hard to take. And as if to make matters worse, Sarah's sister Linda (Allison Tolman) has brought along Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell). Can things get any worse?

Hell yes, it can.

It begins at dinner when Max's cousins reveal that they've found Max's letter to Santa Claus and proceed to read it in front of everyone, to Max's mortification. Lots of personal stuff in it regarding his family and theirs, and of course the two girls don't like what he's said about them. A fight ensues, and ends with Max taking refuge in his room. He takes the offending letter and tears it up, then throws it out his window, where it scatters to the winds.

It begins with a power outage. Although technically it began with the arrival of some unexpected gifts on the porch. Sitting in the dark is not how anyone had envisioned their Christmas. Max's sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) is worried about her boyfriend, who lives nearby. Despite the weather, she gets permission to check on him, since he isn't responding to her texts. What she finds is horrifying, and as she attempts to race home, to safety, she sees some very strange things.

Meanwhile, back at the house, everyone huddles together in the living room for warmth in front of the 

fireplace, attempting to sleep. But something strange is happening when a chain drops through the chimney, with a strange creature on it, which draws the attention of Max's cousin Howie Jr (Maverick Flack). The other wake up just in time to see him being sucked up the chimney.

This version of the Krampus legend is as different from the first one as night and day. This one has a solid cast, good writing, good direction, and an interesting story. Darkly humorous, it doesn't lag. I could easily identify with Max's parents, doing their best to get through the holidays despite having douchey relatives in the house. Tom's mother, whom they call Omi, is also there. She is Max's anchor, and she is the only one with a clue about what's happening.

The story is funny and also scary, it has a unique take on Christmas, and has all the elements of a good horror film. There are more sequels in this series and I intend to watch the ones I can find, except for the sequel to the first one. Same writer and cast, so I'm gonna just call it quits on that while I'm ahead, expecting nothing better. But I'll keep you posted on the others. I am giving Krampus (2015) a solid 4 Stars.

Book Review: The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science

 

The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science        

Author: Sam Kean

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

American release date:  July 13, 2021

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/History & Philosophy of Science/368 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

We’ve all heard of mad scientists, of course. Victor Frankenstein is surely the epitome of science gone wrong, although he had noble intentions. But he was a fictional character, that sort of thing doesn’t happen in real life because real scientists are good, intelligent human beings…

… until they’re not.             

This book covers science gone wrong through the years, instances where people did things that make us cringe today, the tales extending even into modern times. Pirates/naturalists hand in hand with slavers, graverobbers who worked to further knowledge of human anatomy, horrible experimentation on poor animals, surgery gone wrong, and more…

These are stories you won’t believe until you read them. A couple of them I was already familiar with, such as David Reimer, and Burke and Hare. Others will amaze you, like the cruel psychology experiment that may have contributed to the rise of the Unabomber.

Sam Kean tells these stories in a fascinating way, and makes me want to know more. I will be reading more of his books, and highly recommend this one because enquiring minds want to know!

Wednesday Briefs: An Unholy Alliance #11 (3.4)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day ! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts. 

Char is at the library in Mason Spring, Mo, where the librarian, Casey, has been assisting him with his research into his family. Not an easy task at all. See what's going on in this week's chapter of An Unholy Alliance. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

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An Unholy Alliance #11 (3.4)

As I scanned the lists, I pulled out my phone to take notes. Such an ingenious invention, this cloud. I was able to have access to my spreadsheets and word documents without the inconvenience of having to cart about a pc. I would crosscheck my sources against one another, searching for and take note of overlapping information. Since I knew the approximate area I was born, and somewhat of a timeframe, you’d think it wouldn’t be hard to locate members of my family…but you’d be wrong. Even if I had an actual name to search for, birth certificates were non-existent at that time, especially for slaves, since they were considered to be property, not persons. People assume that slaves were given the names of their owners for purposes of identification, but this wasn’t necessarily so. Add to that the fact that slaves were often passed down from one generation to another through inheritance and that muddies the waters, making it difficult to follow any particular family trail.

Sometimes I was able to locate bills of sale, but these too often offered scant information, omitting actual names but including such data as age, gender, and skin tone. In my case, I was stolen before I ever reached an age where I might be sold, before I was of any real interest to anyone outside of my family. And I came from an area where there were few, if any, plantations. Most slave owners in Missouri possessed small farms they needed help to work, often choosing to toil side by side with their slaves. That would have probably been my lot in life, had Dominique not taken a fancy to me and decided to make me her own, sometimes referring to me—somewhat facetiously— as the jewel in her crown. Sometimes I find it hard to reconcile the life I never had to lead—and what I gained in the process—with what my birth family must have gone through, the terrible life they must have led as slaves, so perhaps it’s fair to say there was a certain amount of guilt involved with my search.

On the other hand, I’d had to grow up with Dominique and the brothers from Hell. Not exactly a day in Paradise either. But at least I lived through what they dished out, when in the normal course of events I’d have died years ago. Some days I’m glad about that, other days less so. Which produces more guilt.

I’d recently begun to ferret out local folk lore, seeking stories about stolen children. A long shot? Maybe. But this entire enterprise went against all odds, so why not add a little bit more difficulty to the mix? Although so far, in that regard, I’d come up with bupkus.

I added a few more names to my spread sheet, comparing the two lists for families whose numbers had decreased in the decade which spanned them. I found none. There were names that were not present in the second census, but that could be for many reasons. Remember, there was a war on. People die in war. Not exactly encouraging.

“Here you go.”

I’d already detected the soothing aroma of the tea even before Casey spoke. Although blood was what I craved, for reasons beyond my control, tea possessed a quality that seldom failed to charm this savage breast, to paraphrase Congreve.

They set the delicate cup on the small table beside me. Like all traditional Japanese cups, this one had no handle. Cherry blossoms, aka sakura, adorned a black background. I lifted the cup and held it gratefully between both palms, relishing the heat it afforded, as she took a seat in a chair on the other side of the table.

I raised the cup to my lips and sipped, waiting for whatever she was about to say. I knew what she was really thinking—her eyes gave that away. She thought I should see a doctor because I was always cold, blaming it on poor circulation.

If she only knew.

But she was too polite to harp on that. She would let at least a few months pass before she brought it up again. No, I could tell she had other information to impart. I could only hope it was good.

But it wasn’t.

“So far, I haven’t found much from the Freedmen’s Bureau,” she admitted. “But they’re transcribing more and more records all the time. In the meantime, I’ve put out some feelers to an organization that specializes in regional folk stories. I’m waiting to hear from them now.”

The Freedman’s Bureau was the more popular name for the U.S. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. Set up after the Civil War, during the turbulent period of Reconstruction, it was meant to assist slaves in their transition from slavery to freedom.

Three guesses how well that worked.

In the end, it was every bit as corrupt and inefficient as you can imagine, and not very effective. But they did have some vital records, some that even predated the war by a little bit, and those were the ones we were after. Apparently that wasn’t going very well either.

“Anything in what I gave you?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. I still need to go through the books, though.”

“Well, take your time. I’ll stay as long as you like. I have some work to do myself.”

Besides running the library and its various organizations, Casey was working on her first novel. Didn’t I mention they were talented. Not to mention, generous with her time.

“Hey, it’s you.”

My head jerked up at that strangely familiar voice. What the hell was he doing here?

Before I could even word a reply, Casey had discreetly slipped away and Tyrone had taken her place. As if he had a right to be there.

“Small world, isn’t it?” And there was that smile again. The one I wanted to punch.

 to be continued

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Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb