Tomorrow is the big day!
The fourth in our Triskaidekaphilia series Haunted is released!
Because we’re so excited, we’ve been giving you a sneak peek of the stories. Don’t forget you can pick up the e-book for a special price until tomorrow.
Today we have Gin and Vin’s Last Ride by Elesha Teskey.
Gin and Vin’s Last Ride
by Elesha Teskey
The 1932 Model B Ford they’d lifted two days ago drifted towards the shoulder. Virginia shook her head to keep the darkness from dragging her down. The sun was high, almost noon, but it did little to keep her awake. The monotony of the landscape, trees and fields, didn’t help. She squinted at the driver’s side mirror, but only a cloud of dust billowed behind the car; there were no signs of the men who had chased them after their failed bank robbery. She hoped they were safe but knew better than to let her guard down. With the immediate danger gone, the adrenaline that had kept Virginia going long past the time she should have passed out drained away.
“I think we lost them, Vinny,” she said to the wiry man slumped in the seat next to her. The side of his dark green shirt was almost black with the blood that had seeped from the wound in his side. His short, dark brown hair was plastered to his head with sweat. The sallow look of his skin frightened Virginia. He’d make it. They’d been through too much for it to end like this.
Vincent shifted, his narrow features pinched in pain. “We need to get off the road, Gin.” His voice had lost the usual good-humour that lurked beneath his words. Instead it was flat, tired.
“I know.” She swiped a lock of her short, dirty blonde hair out of her eyes. “We need to get you a doctor more.”
“I’ll be fine. Just need a rest.”
Virginia’s fine lips turned down. They rarely quarrelled and she hated to be contrary, but she wasn’t sure he could wait. The flow of blood seemed to have slowed. Maybe he was right. If they were caught, the men would probably let Vincent die. She couldn’t risk that. Once they found a place to hide, they could develop a plan.
A farmhouse sat back from the road, almost hidden completely by trees. Unlike the others they had passed, the grass was too long, and there was an empty feel to it—exactly what they needed. So many people had lost their homes since the depression began four years ago that she was surprised she hadn’t seen more homes like this.
Without consulting Vincent, she turned onto the narrow lane almost hidden by weeds. She grimaced as the car bumped along and hoped it didn’t hurt Vincent too much. Shafts of sunlight peeked through the bright yellow, orange, and red leaves of the maple trees that lined the long laneway to the house.
“This place looks good,” Virginia said as she maneuvered the car around another rut.
Vincent grunted his agreement.
When they reached the house, Virginia stopped the car and let out a long, tired breath, allowing some of the tension to ease from her shoulders. It would be good to rest.
A large corn field stretched out behind the white two-story house. To the left, across the neglected lawn, was a bush, the fall colours vibrant against the dark grey clouds in the west. The white paint around the windows was flaking and a weathered brown board filled the gap where a window had been. The covered porch sagged; the half rotten posts barely holding it bent with age, like withered spines. It was one strong wind away from collapse.
A sense of déjà vu washed over Virginia, making her sway. Something was familiar about the house. Maybe it reminded her of one she’d seen while she and Vincent had travelled across the country robbing small stores and gas stations.
Sustained by tea, books, and writing, Elesha Teskey likes to write about magic, strong women, and the darker side of people. By day, she works as a librarian with a side job as a publicist, but after her kids go to bed, she delves into her fictional worlds. She’s also known for her ability to read Tarot cards, teach Kundalini yoga, and find her children’s lost items.
You can find her on Twitter, her blog, or join her mailing list.
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