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  Copyright © Jack Salva (2022)

  The right of Jack Salva to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

  Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  First published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers (2022)

  ISBN 978-1-80378-012-2 (eBook)

  www.cranthorpemillner.com

  Cranthorpe Millner Publishers

  About the Author

  Jack Salva has always had a knack for writing and creating stories. Additionally, he has a passion for science. Also, he has what some people would refer to as an unhealthy interest in the weird, odd, and strange.

  While at university getting Bachelor of Science degrees in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, he plunged into gaming culture, playing board, card, roleplaying, computer, and miniature based games. At the same time, his voracious reading habit had him consuming science fiction, manga, horror, fantasy, detective, and comic books.

  Somehow, he landed a government job with a security clearance and worked as an analyst for 16 years. After that, he had jobs as a program manager, security guard, cost estimator, fast food crew member, gaming store owner, blogger, and technical expert designing power plants for remote locations.

  Given this unique blend of experiences, there is little wonder that he has turned to writing in order to exorcise the daemons in his head. His world building is complex and detailed. His characters are relatable, witty, and know how to have fun. His stories are designed to entertain.

  Sadly, his attempts at stemming the flow of burgeoning ideas by writing has only resulted in a greater influx of notions.

  Never one to shrink from an honest challenge, he plans on continuing his writing until he stems the tide of characters, situations, worlds, and adventures that persist in having their stories told.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I wish to thank the cats for controlling their mirth as I gyrated, waved my hands about, and in general performed like a drunk marionette as I worked out scenes. As always, the feline contribution to the creative arts is appreciated.

  Thank you, Michelle, for providing me with endless hours of interesting conversation on diverse topics. The interplay, and sometimes actual content, are reflected in the characters’ voices.

  Heartfelt appreciation to all the members of the Cranthorpe Millner team. Your expertise and support continue to transform my raw novels into captivating, polished books.

  DEDICATION

  To Logan, my first cat, my first rescue, and the inspiration for Otaku. I look forward to seeing you again in time, across the Rainbow Bridge.

  CHAPTER 01

  Something was wrong.

  He had been sleeping soundly, but now he was awake. Awake and terrified. Something had ripped him from the comfortable embrace of his dreams, and had him lying there, heart hammering, sweat pouring out of him, breath coming in ragged gasps. The problem was that he had no idea what it was.

  His eyes darted around the darkened room, trying to see what had jarred him awake. Morning sunlight barely filtered around the edges of the heavy drapes, blocking the sliding glass doors to his tiny balcony.

  Nothing.

  Taking stock of his surroundings, he tried to slow his breathing, and survey the room without any unseen watcher knowing he was doing it. All this managed to do was feed his paranoia. The fact that the illumination barely lit the room didn't help, nor did the fact that nothing seemed wrong, or out of place.

  Maybe it was all just a bad dream.

  However, he usually remembered something of the nightmares that had been plaguing him of late. Now he had no idea what had torn him from sleep, other than an overwhelming feeling of wrongness. Of course, it was then that he felt it.

  He was not alone.

  There was someone, or something, in the bed with him. Whatever it was, it was snuggled against his left side. Panic bubbled up in his mind once more. Forcibly, he thrust it back and tried to analyze what was going on.

  Something had woken him. Apparently, that something was causing the pressure along his side. Could be that he had slept funny and his left side had been asleep and was now waking up? It didn't have that tingly feeling, so he dismissed that. Maybe it was the cat? While Otaku was fairly large, he could hardly sprawl along the entire length of Darwin’s body. Even though it seemed like he had tried to do exactly that on more than one occasion.

  Carefully, Darwin turned his head to peer at the form lying next to him. All he could make out was what he assumed to be the top of someone's head. The lack of light really did make that exercise futile.

  Since he had definitely gone to bed alone last night, he had no idea who this person was. The first thing he needed to do, he decided, was to get some space between himself and this intruder.

  Darwin gingerly crawled his right arm towards the edge of the bed. After finding it, he began to inch his body away from his surprise companion. He was just moving from under their weight, when, they stirred. The movement caught him off guard and he panicked.

  Darwin’s spasmodic movements sent him jerking toward the edge of the bed. Unfortunately, he had failed to realize how close he was and found himself tumbling from the bed, landing in a heap on the floor with the air knocked out of him. Freed, he scrambled away, managing to smack his head on the nightstand in the process.

  Tears welled up in his eyes as he slithered the short distance across the floor to his dresser. Laying there, head cupped in hands, he tried to calm down. Finally, the pain subsided, and he cautiously peered from under his arms. Apparently, his not-so-subtle exit from the bed had left his uninvited guest asleep.

  With physical distance came the beginnings of a mental one. Anger started to replace fear as he gazed at the silent sleeper. Why was he running scared from a stranger in his own home? If anything, he should be demanding answers from the person. The first question was going to be, “how the hell had they gotten there?”

  Slowly, he stood up and looked around the room with eyes that had begun to adjust to the dimness. Everything was where it should be, with the exception of the snoozing stranger and a dark blob near the foot of the bed. Hoping to get a better understanding of what was going on, before confronting the person, he moved to the dark mass on the floor. Crouching down, Darwin picked through what felt like a pile of clothes, finding shirt, shoes, and slacks. His groping fingers came across something silky and he pulled it from the pile, holding it up, dangling from one finger.

  A bra?

  Darwin shot to his feet and turned back to face the bed. The sleeper lay partly concealed by covers, but one shapely leg was clearly revealed in the faint light. Then, as he watched, the figure rolled over and there was no mistaking her gender. Dropping the bra as if burned by it, Darwin turned from the partially revealed woman and hastily stumbled for the bedroom door.

  He hurried through the doorway almost slamming the door shut behind him. He backed off a step and stood there, staring at the closed door.

  He had no idea who the woman was.

  He had no idea how she had gotten there.

  He had no idea if they had -- he bit down hard on th
at thought and cut it off.

  “I think you have a serious problem, Darwin,” he whispered to himself.

  Turning to head into the living room to think, his foot came down on something that squirmed. An animal howl accompanied his own shout of surprise as a large, charcoal grey cat raced from under his feet.

  “Damn it, Otaku,” snapped Darwin. Immediately regretting taking his anger out on the cat, he said, “I'm sorry fella, come here.”

  The cat watched him warily from a distance. Darwin moved towards him, mouthing apologies, and picked him up. Holding the fluffy animal in his arms, he entered the living room. Moving over to the couch, he flopped down, absently scratching his pet behind the ears.

  “What the hell is going on?” he asked the animal. The cat looked back at him and purred. “Right, I guess all you care about is getting a little breakfast.” The cat gave a happy meow and wriggled from out of Darwin's grip.

  After giving the cat fresh water and food, Darwin padded back from the kitchen into the living room. He eyed the bedroom door to find it still closed. Apparently, his guest hadn't been disturbed by the commotion. He dropped into a chair and turned on the TV. Scanning through the channels, he settled on one and let the program play unnoticed before him.

  Darwin mulled over the problem of the person in his bed. He remembered going to bed, decidedly alone, about eleven last night. He didn't recognize the person, at least what he had briefly seen of them. He didn't remember doing anything other than staying in and going to sleep. Why would someone break into his home and crawl into bed with him?

  Just as he was gaining courage to go into the bedroom and confront the sleeper, there was a knock at the front door. Darwin moved to the door and looked out the peephole. It was Bob. “What does he want?” mumbled Darwin as he opened the door.

  “You just getting up?” asked Bob brightly. Darwin looked at himself and realized that all he had on was a pair of pajama bottoms and a souvenir t-shirt from Carlsbad Caverns.

  “Yeah,” he replied. “What time is it anyway?”

  “It's just after ten,” answered Bob. “You going to let me in?”

  “Sure. Sorry.”

  The two moved to the living room. Darwin took a chair and Bob sat on the couch.

  “What's wrong?” asked Bob, pushing his thick, green framed glasses back up the bridge of his fleshy nose with a finger. “You seem kind of out of it.”

  “Well,” began Darwin, not exactly certain of what he should say. Before he could make up his mind, a husky voice interrupted him.

  “Where do you keep the towels?”

  Both men turned towards the speaker. She stood at the entrance to the bedroom. Her black hair was disheveled, concealing her face. She had on a t-shirt displaying a flotilla of dieselpunk airships, and nothing else.

  “Um, in the closet next to the bathroom,” answered Darwin, waving vaguely.

  “Thanks,” mumbled the woman sleepily, rumpling her hair. She padded tiredly off in the indicated direction. Both men watched her, noting how the t-shirt barely covered her while a tattoo on her right buttock made an appearance with each step.

  They heard her open the linen closet and grab a couple of towels before entering the bathroom. After a few moments, they heard the shower turn on.

  “You dog,” said Bob, with a conspiratorial chuckle. “Now I know why you look so tired. Where'd you meet her? Taking her to the party?”

  “What?” asked Darwin, blinking uncomprehendingly at his friend.

  “The girl,” answered Bob with a dramatic sigh. “The one in your shower. The one who was wearing your t-shirt. You never told me about her.”

  “That's because I don't know who she is!” hissed Darwin, leaning forward to prop his elbows on his knees. “She was in my bed when I woke up this morning.”

  “And this is a problem?” asked Bob jokingly. “I should have such problems.”

  “But I have no idea who she is or how she got here.”

  “You must have had one hell of a time last night.”

  “I didn't!” screeched Darwin. Taking a steadying breath, he continued in a quieter tone. “I went to bed about eleven. Alone. When I woke up, she was there with me.”

  “So, you're telling me that this woman snuck in after you were asleep just so she could crawl into bed with you?” asked Bob, incredulity in his voice and disbelief clearly written across his face.

  “I don't know,” said Darwin, leaning back, exasperated. “It sounds ridiculous, but that's what happened.”

  “Uh-huh,” said Bob, obviously not convinced. “So, what are you going to do?”

  “Do?”

  “Yeah, do. If, as you say, she broke in here, why don't you call the police?”

  “And tell them what? I woke up with a strange woman I don't remember going to bed with. Somehow, I don't think they'd see that as a crime.”

  “What about ID?”

  “I found some clothes, but I didn't search through them.”

  “What about now,” asked Bob, getting to his feet.

  “I don't know,” said Darwin, rising also. He looked toward the closed bathroom door; the shower could still be heard running.

  “What?” asked Bob, corralling his friend and pushing him ahead of him. “You're afraid of offending someone you say broke in here and attacked you?”

  “I didn't say she attacked me,” grumbled Darwin.

  “Right, I forgot. She just broke in here to sleep next to you.”

  “Knock it off.”

  The two men entered the bedroom. The drapes were open now, letting in the morning light. The pile of clothes was exactly where Darwin had found them. They walked over and Darwin searched through the pile but could find nothing beyond the clothes themselves. Guiltily, he tried to replace everything as it had been.

  “Why don't you wait in the living room and I'll get dressed,” said Darwin. Bob shrugged and let himself be ushered from the room. Darwin closed the bedroom door and quickly changed. He dressed in jeans, an anime t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Glancing around the room, he hoped to spy something else left by the mysterious stranger. He found nothing, gave up, and headed back to the living room.

  “Well, I'd love to stay and help you solve this little memory problem of yours,” said Bob, scratching at his thick blond beard, “but all I really came over for was to see if you'd finished the testing yet.”

  “Not yet. I should be through by Wednesday. I'll stop by the office with the results then.”

  “Good enough,” said Bob, starting for the front door. “You're coming to the party on Friday, right?”

  “I don't know.”

  “No excuses. Margie made me promise to get you there. If you're not going to show, you can explain it to her.”

  “Okay. I'll stop by for a while.”

  “Great,” said Bob, opening the front door. “Why don't you bring along your lady friend?” he added with a mischievous grin and wink.

  “She's not,” began Darwin, but his friend was already out the door and laughing as he headed down the stairwell. Darwin closed and locked the door. Water could still be heard coming from the bathroom. Otaku stalked across the floor and rubbed against his legs.

  “What am I going to do?” Darwin asked the cat.

  CHAPTER 02

  The water finally stopped.

  Darwin looked expectantly towards the short hallway leading to the bathroom door. He had been sitting on the couch in front of the TV, trying to figure out what he was going to say to the woman when she emerged from the shower

  “Thanks, that was great,” said the woman, walking into the living room. She had one towel wrapped around her, only just covering her, while another dried her hair.

  “Who the hell are you?” blurted Darwin, jumping to his feet as anger over her cavalier attitude got the better of him.

  She stopped and looked at him from under the towel and through damp hair. “Mind if I get dressed first?” r />
  “Uh, sure. Sorry,” answered Darwin, feeling foolish for apologizing, but unable to help himself. He watched her resume drying her hair and head into his bedroom, shutting the door.

  “Idiot,” he admonished himself, smacking his forehead with the heel of his hand as he dropped back down onto the couch.

  After several minutes, the bedroom door opened and the woman emerged. Darwin turned, ready to bark out his questions before he lost his nerve, but ended up starring at her with his mouth hanging open.

  The woman was dressed in the clothes he had found discarded on the floor. She had on a black shirt, the top buttons were undone, encouraging his eyes to linger on her chest. A pair of black jeans were tucked into plain mid-calf black boots, partnered with a wide black belt emphasizing her curvaceous figure.

  She moved gracefully over to the couch and sat down near Darwin, facing him, curling one leg under her. Her black hair framed her dusky face, reaching to just past her shoulders. She regarded him from intelligent black eyes perched above lips that were curled up at the edges in a slight smile.

  Darwin closed his mouth and swallowed.

  “I guess you have a few questions, Darwin,” she said in a husky voice, her smile broadening and giving a twinkle to her eyes.

  “You know who I am?” responded Darwin, taken off guard.

  “I don't just turn up in anyone's bed,” she replied coyly, lowering her eyes theatrically for a moment. Before Darwin could get out his angry retort, she raised a long-fingered hand to silence him.

  “I am really sorry for surprising you this way. Well, maybe not really sorry,” she said mischievously, causing Darwin to blush, “but I am sorry. If there had been more time, I would have approached things differently. As it is, we may not have enough time, so I had to take some rather drastic measures.”