New Voices 002

Two Months of Published Short Stories in One Collected VolumeFeaturing original works by S. H. Marpel and J. R. KruzeThis anthology contains:By S. H. Marpel:Ghost HuntersWhen Fireballs CollideWhy Vampires Suck At HauntingThe Haunted GhostGhost Exterminators Inc.Two Ghost's Salvation 01-04By J. R. KruzeThe AutistsExcerpt from 'When Fireballs Collide': AND THERE CAME ANOTHERone. BAM!Right against the car we were crouched behind. Wewere stuck behind a red subcompact, a recent American model.Here at the Los Angeles Observatory parking lot. The night was clear,a very rare occurrence, very unusual for this city of smoke and fog.The stars above mirroring the endless street and building lights thatmarched out to their California coast. But a clear sky didn't helpour situation any.Getting pummeled by red-orange fireballs behindthis car couldn't last forever. Especially since they smell ofsulfur like a whole case of rotten eggs being broken at once.Big, really huge fireballs had been coming at usfor something like 15 minutes. Heat and stench. Coming one rightafter the last one.The red car was shaking like it would never stop.It was going to need a paint job after this. If they could stand thesmell to get it into the shop.Jude and Sal were there with me. Hunkered downlike I was. At least I was in my blue jeans and work boots, graysweatshirt. Sal was in her regular tailored beige suit with goldpinstripes, low-heeled dress shoes. An outfit more ideal for turningheads on Rodeo Drive instead of crouching on dirty asphalt and gravelin a remote parking lot. Jude was at least better off in her blackjeans and a tailored black leather jacket, with her clunky blackTimberland boots. (OK, she likes black. And looks good in it.)Admiring these two beauties wasn't helping toget us out of this.'Hey, can't we just teleport out of here?' Iasked, behind my sweatshirt sleeve covering my nose..'If we were able to concentrate. Not when theyare coming a few seconds apart,' said Sal.'And it's all I can do just to keep this carin one piece,' said Jude.'Wait, that explains how there was suddenly thiscar appearing on an empty parking lot.' I replied.'Just keep it quiet, so I can keep on keeping itthere, in between those fireballs and us,' said Jude.'With that noise, I'm surprised we can thinkat all,' I added.'Wait. That's it! It's how we arethinking...' Sal said.At that, Sal suddenly stood straight up and walkedout away from the red car.She shouted out, 'Hey - you. Fireball Guy. Yeah,that's you. Is that all you got? Really?'And the fireballs started coming right at her -all in a row and streaming right at her, twice as many than werecoming at us before.But Sal just stood there.And the fireballs passed right through her. Sheflinched at the first ones, but after a few of them she just stoodthere. Straight, tall, defiant. And started laughing. Complete glee.I thought she'd lost it. But her actions gaveJude enough time to disappear the car and get us out of there.The sceneshimmered, like usual. Fireballs, parking lot, all it justdisappeared...