In A Universe Without Stars 1: Skyeater Read Free

strength but it’s too forceful. He just wants some god
damn cookies!
    The
fridge falls over! Cole rolls out of the way as it crashes down next to him.
Cole lies on his back.
    Just
his luck.
    “ Goddammmiitt !”
    He
lifts his fist and swings it toward a cabinet.
    A
ding sound is heard, a display pops up on his watch just as his fist goes
through the cabinet, with a crack. What the hell? He pulls his arm out,
there’s not a single mark on it.
    He
puts his hands on his head, this morning has been hell so far. Nothing has gone
right. But even still he needs to calm down. The only way to do that is to get
out of this godforsaken house. He takes a deep breath, sighs and gets up.
     
    …
     
          
Erin Bell sits on her living room couch and reads a magazine. Sunlight pours
through her bay windows overlooking San Fernando Valley. Lines of suburbs and
highways sprawl out into the distant mountains, her living room has a rustic
touch to it with a mix of modern style, like a modern log cabin. She always had
a love for the wilderness.
          
Erin is a beautiful woman, but she hers is more of a classic beauty rather than
a striking one, just a great face framed by dirty blond curls. Her younger
sister, Carissa Quoin, paces up and down in front of her on the phone. She’s
the stunning one with her perfect hair, perfectly proportioned breasts, thighs,
and waist, and perfect personality. But Erin doesn’t get jealous. Most of the
time.
    Carissa
stops and disconnects.
    “I
got it!”
    Erin
jumps up. “Congrats!!” she says while hugging Carissa. “My own little sister on
Channel 5 News! You’re going to be so famous.”
    Carrisa worked so hard for it, studying in
college, interning for years and now she’s finally a reporter, only a lowly ‘on
the scene’ reporter but a reporter nevertheless.
    “I’ve
been waiting for this forever!” Carissa says.
    “You
deserve it,”
    They
finally let go of each other.
    “So
what now?” Erin asks.
    “Now
we celebrate!” Carissa pulls out a small champagne bottle out of her purse.
    “You
just carry that around with you?”
    “No,
I figured if I get it or not I would still drink anyway.”  
    Erin
just laughs.
    “Let’s
turn on some music!” Carissa pulls out a CD. Erin grabs her arm.
    “ Shh — oh man! You came prepared.” Her sister always does. “I
forgot that my friend is staying here and she hasn’t gotten up yet.”
    In
the guest bedroom, Thora lies under the covers, eyes wide open, staring at
nothing.
     
    …
     
    Cole
limps through a hardware store in his usual designer jeans and red and green
plaid shirt, with the left jean leg cut off at the bottom for his cast.He looks for nails and wood but he’s not really
paying attention. He’s just doing this to get things off his mind.
    He
failed again.
    He
is this close to using a gun next time, but he doesn’t want anybody to find him
like that with his brains splattered all over his bed’s headboard.
    He
finds the nails and takes some. He hears something in another aisle.  A
low whine, it sounds like crying. Cole drags his cast to the end of the aisle
and peeks into the next. A young boy cries his eyes out, there’s nobody else
there.
    He
should do something.
    Cole
approaches him. “Hey little buddy,” he says in a calming tone. The little boy
steps back.
    “Hey
now it’s okay.” Cole slowly inches toward him, he doesn’t want to look like a
predator. He already has a lot on his plate, being on the sexual predator list
would just add to that. “What’s wrong? Are you lost?”
    “I
lost my—mom-my!” The kid sputters, he looks only about three years old.
    “ Shh — it’s okay, where’s the last place you seen her?” Cole
kneels to the kid’s level.
    “I
don’t know!” The kid sobs louder.
    “Okay,
little buddy, how old are you?”
    “I’m
four years old!”
    “You
sure are a big boy. Are you a big boy?”
    The
boy doesn’t answer.
    “Well?”
    “Y-Yes,”
the boy