Collision by Eric McLaughlin

Author:Eric McLaughlin [McLaughlin, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: supernatural fantasy epic, scary magical epic drama, gods versus man armageddon, dark post apocalyptic thriller
Goodreads: 30076910
Publisher: Eric McLaughlin
Published: 2016-04-30T00:00:00+00:00

XVIII

“Four twenty-five, Grandma?” asked little Hazel in that way children ask questions, in which every word gets an interrogatory inflection. If one didn’t see her bouncy with the irresistible and constant motion of childhood, or hear her laugh tinkle with each dimple producing smile, one would have thought Allison’s granddaughter was a life-sized doll. She was just the cutest thing in her frilly pink dress and brunette curls with perfectly tied ribbons. Allison thought she would literally have to hold herself back from eating her entirely up sometimes.

“Yes, Pie.” First Hazel was Sweetie, then Sweetie Pie, and now she was just Pie. Allison liked calling her Pie and she decided if she didn’t die or lose her mind, Hazel’s new name was going to be Pie for as long as she still breathed. “And for how long?”

Hazel put her perfect little fist under her perfect little chin and squinted hard. It could have been a mathematical genius deciphering the secrets of the space time continuum she was concentrating so hard. Then her eyes shot wide and her smile lit up a room by noticeable degrees. “Ten minutes!” she squealed.

“Good girl. You get to be my little helper for the day. Here,” said Allison, holding up the spoon still covered in enticing chocolate mix, “hold this, but doooon’t eat it,” she fake glared. Say promise.”

“Promise.”

“Did you cross your fingers?”

“Nope.”

“Did you cross your toes?”

A laugh. “Nope.”

“Did you... cross... your... eyes?”

Another laugh. Allison thought she could die right then and be happy. Not really of course, but lately she liked getting right up until the pivotal moment, brush up against her last breath before she wiped the board clean once again. “Grammy, you’re so silly.”

“Okay, Pie. I trust you.” Allison handed her granddaughter the spoon and went back about her work. She got lucky this time around. In the other lives she’d lived, she had made every consequence of every decision to her liking. Always picked the right school. Never got stuck at a red light. Every time she played the lottery she made sure she won, that type of thing.

But not this time. Allison whipped her head around to catch Hazel licking the spoon and was rewarded when the girl stopped, brought the spoon to her lap as fast as she could, and let out a mischievous laugh.

“What was that?” Allison shouted.

“Nothing!” Hazel lied through chocolate stained teeth.

“Okay. I really hope it wasn’t you licking that spoon.” Allison went back to her work. This time she’d decided to just let her life take the shapes it wanted. She tried to make sure the rules of the game were the same as the ones in the real world. Injustice, pain, death, rage, et cetera. Then she played as though she never had before. She played from almost the start, her first year of high school. Now she was an old woman and she thought her life this time around had turned out just perfectly. Kids, grandkids, true love and artistic fulfillment. All of

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.