The Ultraviolet Castle
Novel written by Richard Nielsen
Excerpt: Leticia Camusa threw a can-filled milk crate backwards over her head and bolted through the dark apartment hallway and down two flights of stairs, taking four or six steps at a time. Five predatory humans howled behind, hungry, and closing fast. Her adrenalin-fueled thoughts screamed, “God! I want to live. Should have known. The smell…”She reached the landing, crashed into a wall, then jumped down the last steps. She hit hard, rolling head over heels. Preds reached the landing, clawing across each other for her flesh.The front door, slightly ajar, allowed a mere sliver of light to illuminate the dusty, cobwebbed lobby. Not enough to dissuade the preds from their prey. She regained focus and scrambled to her feet, more falling forward than running.One of the preds leapt from the landing and struck the floor hard, buckling to his hands and knees. Bellowing and scratching across the filthy carpet, he launched, grabbing her boot. Others pounded down the stairs in pursuit. Leticia dug her fingers into the carpet to escape. The pred pulled her closer. The thick Levi’s material saved her from infectious scratches. With her free leg, she kicked rapid-fire at his face. The creature’s scream echoed through the building. He released her, cupping his hands over a bloody nose and mouth. She struggled to her hands and knees as the other preds reached the bottom of the stairs. They ran over the top of their bloody comrade as if he were a ragged scrap of carpet, their arms outstretched for their next meal.Leticia regained enough balance to stand and charged the door, yanking it open just as dirty fingers raked her back. She burst into sunlight, sprawling onto the leaf and weed-strewn sidewalk. She panted on all fours, wheezing for oxygen.Insane screams flew from inside the building. Leticia sat up and faced the structure. She inventoried her body, letting her heart settle out of her bone-dry throat. She pulled her pistol and without aiming, fired once at the door then holstered the weapon.“Bastards. A whole case of food. Dammit.”She pulled a worn street map from inside her green tactical vest, unfolded it onto the sidewalk, ignored the screeching chaos, then pushed a lock of black hair from her face. She realized she lost her ballcap during the chase. The snow-white Dulce & Gabban cap was her favorite. She cursed, pulled her pistol and fired another shot into the apartment building for the cap. She smoothed the map out then took a red felt-tip pen and drew a tiny square on one of the avenues just below the ‘Santa Barbara CA’ heading.“Scratch the Pine Street apartments from potential food sources,” She muttered.
Novel written by Richard Nielsen
Excerpt: Leticia Camusa threw a can-filled milk crate backwards over her head and bolted through the dark apartment hallway and down two flights of stairs, taking four or six steps at a time. Five predatory humans howled behind, hungry, and closing fast. Her adrenalin-fueled thoughts screamed, “God! I want to live. Should have known. The smell…”She reached the landing, crashed into a wall, then jumped down the last steps. She hit hard, rolling head over heels. Preds reached the landing, clawing across each other for her flesh.The front door, slightly ajar, allowed a mere sliver of light to illuminate the dusty, cobwebbed lobby. Not enough to dissuade the preds from their prey. She regained focus and scrambled to her feet, more falling forward than running.One of the preds leapt from the landing and struck the floor hard, buckling to his hands and knees. Bellowing and scratching across the filthy carpet, he launched, grabbing her boot. Others pounded down the stairs in pursuit. Leticia dug her fingers into the carpet to escape. The pred pulled her closer. The thick Levi’s material saved her from infectious scratches. With her free leg, she kicked rapid-fire at his face. The creature’s scream echoed through the building. He released her, cupping his hands over a bloody nose and mouth. She struggled to her hands and knees as the other preds reached the bottom of the stairs. They ran over the top of their bloody comrade as if he were a ragged scrap of carpet, their arms outstretched for their next meal.Leticia regained enough balance to stand and charged the door, yanking it open just as dirty fingers raked her back. She burst into sunlight, sprawling onto the leaf and weed-strewn sidewalk. She panted on all fours, wheezing for oxygen.Insane screams flew from inside the building. Leticia sat up and faced the structure. She inventoried her body, letting her heart settle out of her bone-dry throat. She pulled her pistol and without aiming, fired once at the door then holstered the weapon.“Bastards. A whole case of food. Dammit.”She pulled a worn street map from inside her green tactical vest, unfolded it onto the sidewalk, ignored the screeching chaos, then pushed a lock of black hair from her face. She realized she lost her ballcap during the chase. The snow-white Dulce & Gabban cap was her favorite. She cursed, pulled her pistol and fired another shot into the apartment building for the cap. She smoothed the map out then took a red felt-tip pen and drew a tiny square on one of the avenues just below the ‘Santa Barbara CA’ heading.“Scratch the Pine Street apartments from potential food sources,” She muttered.
Novel written by Richard Nielsen
Excerpt: Leticia Camusa threw a can-filled milk crate backwards over her head and bolted through the dark apartment hallway and down two flights of stairs, taking four or six steps at a time. Five predatory humans howled behind, hungry, and closing fast. Her adrenalin-fueled thoughts screamed, “God! I want to live. Should have known. The smell…”She reached the landing, crashed into a wall, then jumped down the last steps. She hit hard, rolling head over heels. Preds reached the landing, clawing across each other for her flesh.The front door, slightly ajar, allowed a mere sliver of light to illuminate the dusty, cobwebbed lobby. Not enough to dissuade the preds from their prey. She regained focus and scrambled to her feet, more falling forward than running.One of the preds leapt from the landing and struck the floor hard, buckling to his hands and knees. Bellowing and scratching across the filthy carpet, he launched, grabbing her boot. Others pounded down the stairs in pursuit. Leticia dug her fingers into the carpet to escape. The pred pulled her closer. The thick Levi’s material saved her from infectious scratches. With her free leg, she kicked rapid-fire at his face. The creature’s scream echoed through the building. He released her, cupping his hands over a bloody nose and mouth. She struggled to her hands and knees as the other preds reached the bottom of the stairs. They ran over the top of their bloody comrade as if he were a ragged scrap of carpet, their arms outstretched for their next meal.Leticia regained enough balance to stand and charged the door, yanking it open just as dirty fingers raked her back. She burst into sunlight, sprawling onto the leaf and weed-strewn sidewalk. She panted on all fours, wheezing for oxygen.Insane screams flew from inside the building. Leticia sat up and faced the structure. She inventoried her body, letting her heart settle out of her bone-dry throat. She pulled her pistol and without aiming, fired once at the door then holstered the weapon.“Bastards. A whole case of food. Dammit.”She pulled a worn street map from inside her green tactical vest, unfolded it onto the sidewalk, ignored the screeching chaos, then pushed a lock of black hair from her face. She realized she lost her ballcap during the chase. The snow-white Dulce & Gabban cap was her favorite. She cursed, pulled her pistol and fired another shot into the apartment building for the cap. She smoothed the map out then took a red felt-tip pen and drew a tiny square on one of the avenues just below the ‘Santa Barbara CA’ heading.“Scratch the Pine Street apartments from potential food sources,” She muttered.