A Doll's House

  ***

  Morning sunlight streamed into the car but was blocked by Officer Hendricks’ aviator sunglasses. The state police officer, bored out of his mind, patrolled the interstate looking for trouble that never seemed to materialize. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to find someplace quiet to park his car and take a nap. One little rest wouldn’t hurt, would it? He decided not to because it would reflect poorly on him and the last thing he needed was another bad performance review.

  Up ahead he saw the Ford Escort pulled off to the shoulder and slowed when he saw the figure emerge stumbling out of the tree line, fall, get up, stumble a few more feet, and then fall again. The man had fallen into the concealing tall grass.

  The officer pulled up behind the parked car, radioed in what was happening, and got out of the patrol car. He trotted over to the edge of the road and saw where the man had fallen. He heard the moans coming from the downed man and said in his best heroic voice, “I’m coming, hold on.”

  Hendricks dashed over to the fallen man and saw that he laid face down on the ground. He knelt beside him and began to take stock of the man’s condition. There was a small chunk of flesh missing from his left hand. The flesh around the wound was darkening and looked infected. Other than that he didn’t appear to be hurt, only filthy, but he’d never be able to tell unless he could get the guy to roll onto his back.

  “Sir, can you hear me?” There was another moan, which Hendricks took to be a response, so he continued. “This is state patrol office Hendricks, and I’m here to help. Can you talk?” There was another moan which Hendricks took to be a negative. “Alright, I understand. Just take it easy and we’ll get you…” but he was interrupted by the sound of children’s laughter echoing out from the forest. He looked up at the tree line and said, “What the…?”

  At his knees he heard the man on the ground roll onto his back. When he looked down he was staring into obsidian black eyes and an unnaturally wide mouth filled with row upon row of black needle-like teeth. If he wasn’t mistaken, the man was smiling.

  Now, keep reading for an Excerpt from A Ghost of Fire, the first in Sam Whittaker’s “Ghostly elements” series of novels!