Haunting Shade

With Negotiations finished, my mind instantly turned to the remaining exclusives for my patrons. Typically, when I pull the genres for the month, I’ll take the genres in alphabetic order. However, as I tinkered with the initial stories, I realized I could tell a pair of connected stories with the thriller and science fiction, provided I published the thriller first. With that connective tissue in place, the overview of the tale flowed through my fingers. Throughout the drafting process, the story I wanted to create for my patrons emerged.

While these two tales are disconnected from my default storyline for science fiction, they probably won’t stay that way for long. I’m eager to explore these new characters and their journeys and their potential interaction with Daniel Shaw.

Sit down and get cozy while you follow Bobby’s walk through a space station’s corridor.

Despite insulting a self-proclaimed witch, Bobby ignores her ramblings and finishes his drink. Once he’s done, he leaves Matthew’s bar…

Slender fingers laid an empty glass onto the counter as he swiped a card across the terminal.

“Are you sure you don’t want another one, Mr. Jacobs?”

“Matthew, how many times have I asked you to call me Bobby?”

With a shrug, the stocky man plucked the empty cup off the pristine surface and placed it in the sink. “Entrenched habits are hard to break. Though I think you should consider apologizing to her.”

Jerking a thumb at the establishment’s entrance, Bobby leaned toward the proprietor as a chuckle filled the space between them. “Are you honestly listening to that crazy woman?”

The owner draped the damp cloth over his shoulder. “You’re not taking her seriously?”

With a grin, the slender man rose from his stool, shoving the card into his pocket. “Magic, curses, or hexes don’t exist.”

Matthew grabbed a glass from under the counter, filled it with an amber liquid, and extended it to Bobby. “I have a spare room so you wouldn’t have to leave.”

Bobby rapped his knuckles against the counter’s edge as his head shook back and forth. “Given the time,” Bobby said, lifting his hands up as he backed away. “A walk through the station’s corridors is exactly what I need to unwind.”