Dylan has some work to do, now that he's actually up and awake... ----- Chapter 9. New York City, 2010 The evening went swiftly, and they had a fair number of customers, most of them either students from local universities or art students, since O'Reily's was only a few blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art. Dylan worked the back, mixing batter and baking up a storm, while the twins and Qui worked the front. "The twins" were two teenaged Canadian girls from British Columbia who had shown up on his [ Continue reading... ]
French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 8
March 1, 2018 By Leave a Comment
We're back in the present, and Dylan had made quite a night of it... ----- Chapter 8. New York City, 2010 The black nothingness of death’s sleep slowly broke to the pounding of a fist on the door and the throbbing of Dylan’s head. He heard a click as the door to his studio apartment opened. With a groan, he rolled over, arm draping over the back of the couch and his face sinking deep into the plush white cushions. "Go away. And let me suffer in peace." "Doc Sacco said you’d be hung over," said the lanky, dark haired Latino [ Continue reading... ]
French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 7
February 27, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Dylan was reliving the event that changed his life... ----- Chapter 7. New York City, 1980/2010 With that decision made, he felt ready to at least face what was coming. "You can't fool me," he said, returning to their prior conversation, "there is no cure for someone going revenant, save blowing 'em up before they turn all the way. I’ll still raise." Dylan's voice dropped and he curled his shaking hand around his injured shoulder. His soul would be doomed if either he killed himself, or if she killed him. Unfortunately he [ Continue reading... ]
French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 6
February 22, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Dylan had blacked out after an unexpected savior had shown up... ----- Chapter 6. New York City, 1980 Darkness. Pain. Memories of a chair pushing through something that ripped and crunched and screamed. He sat up with a gasp – and knew right away that was a mistake, because pain ripped through him from his toes to his scalp. He sagged back into the cushions but let his eyes open. He did feel cushions. In a bed. Turning his head, he realized it was a hospital bed. Metal railing, obviously adjustable. The faint beep-beep of [ Continue reading... ]
French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 5
February 20, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Dylan was having a not-pleasant-at-all flashback... ----- Chapter 5. New York City, 1980 Darkness gave way to awareness and a tight, painful feeling in his chest. Slowly, Dylan cracked open his eyes. He was lying on his side, in tall grass, back up against a small hard surface. Three tall shadows stood around him, two nearby, their reflective silvery eyes focused on him. The third stood a few feet away; he drove a shovel into the earth, and scooped away heaps of dirt as he dug a shallow grave. Struggling for breath, Dylan [ Continue reading... ]
French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 4
February 15, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Dylan's about to have a flashback to a not-very-happy day... ----- Chapter 4. New York City, 2010/1980 Didn't I promise myself I'd never drink the blood of others? Dylan thought to himself. Immediately his brain responded, This blood is donated, from volunteers. It's not like I'm eating from a fresh kill. It's fine, and I really need some tonight. Yeah, good work on that rationalization, brain, Dylan thought, as he stared at the Doc Sacco's patio garden and thick vine covered lattice. The ghoul lived in a basement [ Continue reading... ]
French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 3
February 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Dylan and his friends had just heard horrifying news about Paris... ----- Chapter 3. New York City, 2010 For a moment, the entire table went silent, everyone staring at Douglas. Finally, Dylan managed to speak. "Kilotons… A nuke?" His gut churned. Both Sacco and Daniel looked just as horrified as Dylan felt. "Who in their right mind would nuke the frogs? Not that they've done anything useful. When was the last time they won a war?" "Does that matter?" Sacco said. His face was grave. "What horrible news." He [ Continue reading... ]
French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 2
February 8, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Dylan had sensed something, but didn't know what... ----- Chapter 2. New York City, 2010 It was later in the evening, and after dropping Angelus off at the SoHo Rehab Center, Dylan found his way to McSorley's Old Ale House. It was an old pub, dating back to 1853, and a constant, reliable landmark for the older members of the Rehab staff Dylan had befriended. It was an historic ale house with well-used wooden furniture that had seen better days; varnish was worn away in places, and the tables never had chairs that [ Continue reading... ]
French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 1
February 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Time to meet our other main character (who will dominate for a while -- our first protagonist seems to have ended up in a bit of trouble already!) ----- Chapter 1. New York City, 2010 It was a brisk autumn evening, and Central Park was lit by its swan-necked street lamps with decorative heads. The sun had set, casting long shadows across the winding tarmac sidewalks and dirt paths. The air was ominously still, and very few people were out on this early October evening. Not that Dylan O'Reily, once of Texas, [ Continue reading... ]
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