39 Results in the "Burned Cover" category
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Story
Burned Cover
Erika Walker has a problem. Her mother isn’t who she says she is. An urban-fantasy set in supernatural Chicago. -
It was some small consolation that there was next to no traffic or pedestrians in the area of the Old St. Patrick’s Church at three in the morning. Erika didn’t want to look too suspicious as she stalked around the church, but even a priest would get an odd side-glance walking around at this hour. That said, Erika wasn’t one for subtlety. That nun was in some way associated with this church. Maybe finding Friar Tuck inside would be an acceptable alternative. If Erika could ask a question or…
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147.6 K • Ongoing
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06 – A Proper Investigation
“So, I call you on a Friday, and you can just come right out and hang?” Daniel shifted in the passenger seat of the old pickup, looking uncomfortable. “Sorry,” Erika said, not taking her eyes off the road. “Didn’t mean to imply that you had nothing better to do. But… did you not have anything better to do?” “My… family likes to go out on Friday nights,” he said, still looking distinctly uncomfortable. It was probably the worn seats—though the passenger seat wasn’t half as…-
147.6 K • Ongoing
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“Hello!” Erika called out. “Anyone home?” The aged wooden door creaked, long and squeaky, as Erika pushed it open. A darkened foyer greeted her. One musty rug sat on the floor while massive webs clung to the corners. A grandfather’s clock, frozen in time, stood just in front of a set of stairs. A heavy scent of mold hung in the air, thankfully swept away by a sharp draft that blew in from behind Erika. She stepped inside, taking in the environment. It certainly gave off a perfect spooky…
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147.6 K • Ongoing
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10 – A Brief Moment of Normalcy
Erika sat in the back of her math class, phone in her lap, flicking her thumb up and up and up. Mister de Vries teemed with a lot of news about binomial theorems, but she found the subject even less interesting than she normally did. School as a whole wasn’t quite what it used to be in her mind. Before, she had thought she would live a relatively normal life, albeit one in which she had a few party tricks to show off. It was a life where she still needed connections, networking, and social skills to…-
147.6 K • Ongoing
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Erika held fast to the handrail of the subway car, watching the sparse lights outside the windows fly past. People sat around her, occupying the seats and, occasionally, standing off to the sides. They talked among themselves, listened to music with their earbuds, and generally just lived. It had been a week since that ‘gas leak’ shut down the subway, and everyone was already perfectly willing to trust that everything had been taken care of. To be fair, everything had been taken care of. Erika knew…
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147.6 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
08 – Unpressed Charges
“Yep… dragged us off to the station and read us our rights,” Rick grumbled as he sat in the back room of Varn’s, typing away on his laptop. “Good thing Leslie wasn’t there. He’s got a family to worry about.” “Excuse me?” Anna said, narrowing her eyes. “I have a mother to take care of. Leslie’s family can take care of themselves—” “It isn’t a competition, Anna. And you know Leslie would help your mom out if something happened to you.” Anna stared at the back of…-
147.6 K • Ongoing
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He adjusted his necktie as he stood in the elevator, watching the floor indicator slowly increase. Even though the building was only ten floors, the aged elevator took its sweet time. He occupied the time by picking off small bits of lint or dust from his suit—most were probably imaginary specks, but a clean suit made for a clean mind. A single chime accompanied his arrival to the final floor. Picking up the long black case at his feet, he stepped out into the old Gilmore Building’s…
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147.6 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
05 – Pedway
“Subways are creepy enough,” Sofia said, peering into a darkened tunnel. “Underground walkways that lead on forever… gives me the shivers.” “Don’t forget the monsters,” Erika chirped, swinging her flashlight back and forth. She had been in the Chicago Pedway one time, walking the short route from the Red Line to the Macy’s State Street. It had been clean, brightly lit, wide enough to accommodate a dozen people side-by-side, and moderately empty. Not a lot of people used the…-
147.6 K • Ongoing
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Erika Walker stared at the Red Hot Chili Peppers poster hanging from her ceiling. She noted the four strips of masking tape at each corner were peeling away from the ceiling, losing their adhesiveness at a glacial yet noticeable rate, reminding her that she needed to replace it soon. Otherwise, she would end up with the poster falling on her while she was sleeping. Or, it would if she ever managed to get some sleep. In the last five days, since becoming aware of her mother, Erika found it difficult…
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147.6 K • Ongoing
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