“What do you want from me?” I stammered, starting to inch toward the telephone mounted a few yards away on the wall. I was sure the girl was utterly out of her mind. My own father was a GI, and if not for the bomb … I wouldn’t even be here, and I should be glad to be alive, huh, Henry?” “America fixed Japan up so nice afterward, and put in bases to protect us. “I mean, I can’t be mad about what happened, can I?” she said. The scent of her rose perfume was thick in the air, but under it was the faint stink of sulfur and scorched metal. “I was a bitch, wasn’t I? Shouldn’t be bitchy to a nice old man like you. “I came to apologize, Henry.” Her words came out in a breathless rush as she stepped toward the cash register. Her eyes were glassy, and I wondered if she was sick, or on drugs. The girl had the spooky, unnatural grin I’d seen on the faces of shell-shocked soldiers who’d cracked to the point of endlessly giggling at the horrors they’d seen. I pushed that thread away and moved on to the next. I wondered if her hair would feel like silk. Thick hair, as shiny and black as her blouse, hung nearly to her waist. The first three buttons of her black silk blouse were open, and I could see her breasts swaying free under the fabric. She wore tight worn-out cutoffs that barely covered up enough to keep her from getting arrested, and she was barefoot. The girl stood at the new releases shelf, and God almighty, she was a looker.

I bit down on the mouthpiece and tried to ride it out, tried to catch the memory-threads I could feel drifting below it. He put the bone in my outstretched hand immediately I was hit with Henry’s primary death-memory. “Pal, put his bone in my hand take it away if I have a seizure or lose consciousness or anything like that.”

“Please leave my jaw and my flesh hand free.” “Anyway, I need you guys to strap me back in this thing.” I popped the mouthpiece in. Sorry.” I sat down in the restraint chair. “Are you possessed by an evil spirit or something?” The Goad might slip out and take over my body while I’m under and try to do some serious damage.”Ĭharlie stared at me. But the imprints are so strong … the old guy went through some horrible things. “My gut’s telling me that there’s something here we can use against Miko. “Guys, I need to try to find some useful memories in Henry’s bones,” I told Charlie and Pal as I picked up my mouthpiece.

Once we got back to campus, we checked in our weapons and went up to the eighth floor.

Shotgun Sorceress by Lucy A. Snyder