Today I'm doing something special: My amazing author friend Carly Compass is stopping by to share a chapter of her upcoming book. Yes, not just a teasing snippet, but 1 whole chapter. So read on and get sucked into Electric, Book 4!
Electric, The Aftermath, Book IV - Excerpt
CHAPTER CI
SOME EXPLAINING TO DO
Gina proceeded to make the coffee as she looked out the kitchen window at the police cars, thinking, this looks like a crime scene as she wondered how she was going to explain it to her neighbors. "I'm just so glad the kids aren't here," she murmured under her breath as she switched on the coffee maker.
"Seriously! What is going on?" Carlotta asked as she entered the kitchen.
"I wish I knew," Gina said as she grabbed a few mugs out of the cabinet. "I don't even have time to grieve with all this chaos."
"Oh, Give me a hug, sweetie," Carlotta mewed, as she opened her arms and embraced Gina in a hug.
"Now that you have someone with you, I am going to head home," Officer Casey said joining the women in the kitchen.
"Okay, thank you so much Officer Casey," Gina said, handing him, his coat.
"I'm just a phone call away if you need anything," he added as he slipped on his coat and went outside to speak with officer Reynolds.
"So, tell me what is going on already," Carlotta prodded as she removed her coat and hung it in the front hall closet.
"Please, coffee first."
"Damn he's hot. Did you sleep with him?" Carlotta asked, as she watched officer Casey walk to his squad car by the curb.
"Actually, I did just wake up in his arms. He gave me some sedatives last night. He said I was screaming in the night and asked him to stay with me. I don't remember any of it. At least I am still wearing my flannel pajamas!" Gina shuddered as she poured two cups of coffee. After adding the milk and sugar to her mug, Gina plodded into the sunroom and plopped down in a chair at the table and said, "I think I am still under the influence of those sedatives. Everything just seems like it is in a haze."
"Well you have been through a lot," Carlotta said as she joined her at the table.
"I can't believe he had cameras all over my house. He was watching all of us, in the bathroom, in the bedrooms."
"Wow, how did you find all this out?"
"Last night, I was alone in the house, really beside myself. I just started doing laundry, anything to keep me busy. I was upstairs when I heard this loud bang at the front of the house. I came down to find a car pulling out of the driveway. I called officer Casey immediately and I don't know how, but he was at Mikhail's house, probably watching me from all the cameras. I don't know. I seriously don't know. Was the pie poisoned?"
"What pie? What are you talking about?"
"I went outside and found the house covered in that hideous red paint. I called officer Casey and he came by and told me that Mikhail Vladimir was dead, sitting in front of the computer monitors with all different angles of my house. There was a piece of half eaten pie beside him. See, he gave me a fresh baked pie last Thursday and a poinsettia. He insisted in coming by my work and meeting me in the parking lot. I thanked him and got out of there quick. I was just going to throw the pie and poinsettia in the garbage when Brad pulled up and took it out of my hands and helped me carry it into the house. I just put the pie on top of the refrigerator and started to cook dinner. I got the kids to bed and went to bed myself. When I woke up Brad was dead in the chair. I thought he had a heart attack, but with this new information. When officer Casey told me about the pie, I ran to the refrigerator and grabbed the pie down to find apiece missing. Brad must have eaten it! Oh my God, Carlotta, was that his plan. Did Vladimir think that I would eat the pie and we would be, what, in heaven together?"
"That is a gruesome thought honey," Carlotta said as she sipped her coffee, "I just can't believe this all happened in such a short period of time. Where are your kids?"
"They're at my in-laws. Thank God, they didn't need to be here last night and see all this. God, I don't know what to do?"
"Look, I felt so bad yesterday that I called Don and told him about what happened. He sends his condolences and wants to help you in any way that he can. I told him we would meet him for dinner tonight at an exclusive restaurant above Redheads in Chicago, La Perla. How long will the kids be gone?"
"I don't know, I suppose I should call my in-laws and check in on the kids."
"Okay, you do that and see if they can keep the kids for a couple of days. We need to get organized and start making plans. Did Brad have life insurance? How are you financially?"
"No, we let the premium lapse so many times due to non-payment that I don't think there is anything there. My health insurance at my job doesn't kick in until I become a permanent employee; right now I am a temp working out of an agency. So I don't even have health insurance. I have bills, plenty of bills. It costs $60,000 plus just to survive, what with the kids, the mortgage, car payment and insurance. Oh God, I don't want to think about all this! Can't I just grieve my husband?"
"Look, why don't you jump in the shower, no better yet, let's run you a nice hot bath. I will raid your closet and find you something nice to wear and we will meet Don for dinner. He will be able to help you and after the stunt I pulled yesterday, I owe you that much. Don really likes you. He wants to help."
***
"You were known as Brad Parrot in your last regeneration I see," Binah said holding a clipboard in his hand. "You and I are in the physical form right now until we can reorient you."
"What's going on?" Brad asked laying on table as he picked up his hand to look at it. The room he was in seemed to have no walls and everything was white.
"My name is Binah. I have been your spiritual guide throughout your entire life. There was some sort of accident that has brought you here. You will have time to readjust yourself so that we can hold a debriefing and an investigation."
"Gina, Where is Gina? And my kids? What is going on? Where am I?"
"All in good time Brad. You must rest now. You have been through a death in your mortal form. We will have all the answers for you in due time. Right now I want you to raise your hand in the air and swipe it from left to right."
Brad raised his hand and did as he was told as a screen of images appeared before his eyes.
"This is your life. You must review it before we can proceed. I will be back in a little while to check in on you. You must not try to get up. Just review the screen and rest for now."
Brad closed his eyes and rested.
***
Gina went upstairs to run a bath. As the water ran she grabbed some towels and a book and decided that she would just relax in the tub.
***
"Quiet, now Mikhail. You have just been through a very transformative experience. You need to rest."
"What? Where am I?"
"Just watch the screen and I will be back to check in on you," Haniel explained.
Mikhail closed his eyes and rested.
***
Carlotta grabbed her cell phone and put in a call to Don.
"Hi"
"How is she?"
"She just ran a bath."
"Okay good, do you think she will be able to join us this evening."
"Yes, I have explained that you want to help her so we will leave here at 6:00 p.m. to drive downtown.
"Okay, good. Very good, I will see you tonight."
"Okay bye."
"Bye."
Don, dialed a number, "everything is ready for 6:30 p.m. tonight, so be there."
"Okay boss," came the voice on the other end.
Don hung up and proceeded to make more calls.
SOME EXPLAINING TO DO
Gina proceeded to make the coffee as she looked out the kitchen window at the police cars, thinking, this looks like a crime scene as she wondered how she was going to explain it to her neighbors. "I'm just so glad the kids aren't here," she murmured under her breath as she switched on the coffee maker.
"Seriously! What is going on?" Carlotta asked as she entered the kitchen.
"I wish I knew," Gina said as she grabbed a few mugs out of the cabinet. "I don't even have time to grieve with all this chaos."
"Oh, Give me a hug, sweetie," Carlotta mewed, as she opened her arms and embraced Gina in a hug.
"Now that you have someone with you, I am going to head home," Officer Casey said joining the women in the kitchen.
"Okay, thank you so much Officer Casey," Gina said, handing him, his coat.
"I'm just a phone call away if you need anything," he added as he slipped on his coat and went outside to speak with officer Reynolds.
"So, tell me what is going on already," Carlotta prodded as she removed her coat and hung it in the front hall closet.
"Please, coffee first."
"Damn he's hot. Did you sleep with him?" Carlotta asked, as she watched officer Casey walk to his squad car by the curb.
"Actually, I did just wake up in his arms. He gave me some sedatives last night. He said I was screaming in the night and asked him to stay with me. I don't remember any of it. At least I am still wearing my flannel pajamas!" Gina shuddered as she poured two cups of coffee. After adding the milk and sugar to her mug, Gina plodded into the sunroom and plopped down in a chair at the table and said, "I think I am still under the influence of those sedatives. Everything just seems like it is in a haze."
"Well you have been through a lot," Carlotta said as she joined her at the table.
"I can't believe he had cameras all over my house. He was watching all of us, in the bathroom, in the bedrooms."
"Wow, how did you find all this out?"
"Last night, I was alone in the house, really beside myself. I just started doing laundry, anything to keep me busy. I was upstairs when I heard this loud bang at the front of the house. I came down to find a car pulling out of the driveway. I called officer Casey immediately and I don't know how, but he was at Mikhail's house, probably watching me from all the cameras. I don't know. I seriously don't know. Was the pie poisoned?"
"What pie? What are you talking about?"
"I went outside and found the house covered in that hideous red paint. I called officer Casey and he came by and told me that Mikhail Vladimir was dead, sitting in front of the computer monitors with all different angles of my house. There was a piece of half eaten pie beside him. See, he gave me a fresh baked pie last Thursday and a poinsettia. He insisted in coming by my work and meeting me in the parking lot. I thanked him and got out of there quick. I was just going to throw the pie and poinsettia in the garbage when Brad pulled up and took it out of my hands and helped me carry it into the house. I just put the pie on top of the refrigerator and started to cook dinner. I got the kids to bed and went to bed myself. When I woke up Brad was dead in the chair. I thought he had a heart attack, but with this new information. When officer Casey told me about the pie, I ran to the refrigerator and grabbed the pie down to find apiece missing. Brad must have eaten it! Oh my God, Carlotta, was that his plan. Did Vladimir think that I would eat the pie and we would be, what, in heaven together?"
"That is a gruesome thought honey," Carlotta said as she sipped her coffee, "I just can't believe this all happened in such a short period of time. Where are your kids?"
"They're at my in-laws. Thank God, they didn't need to be here last night and see all this. God, I don't know what to do?"
"Look, I felt so bad yesterday that I called Don and told him about what happened. He sends his condolences and wants to help you in any way that he can. I told him we would meet him for dinner tonight at an exclusive restaurant above Redheads in Chicago, La Perla. How long will the kids be gone?"
"I don't know, I suppose I should call my in-laws and check in on the kids."
"Okay, you do that and see if they can keep the kids for a couple of days. We need to get organized and start making plans. Did Brad have life insurance? How are you financially?"
"No, we let the premium lapse so many times due to non-payment that I don't think there is anything there. My health insurance at my job doesn't kick in until I become a permanent employee; right now I am a temp working out of an agency. So I don't even have health insurance. I have bills, plenty of bills. It costs $60,000 plus just to survive, what with the kids, the mortgage, car payment and insurance. Oh God, I don't want to think about all this! Can't I just grieve my husband?"
"Look, why don't you jump in the shower, no better yet, let's run you a nice hot bath. I will raid your closet and find you something nice to wear and we will meet Don for dinner. He will be able to help you and after the stunt I pulled yesterday, I owe you that much. Don really likes you. He wants to help."
***
"You were known as Brad Parrot in your last regeneration I see," Binah said holding a clipboard in his hand. "You and I are in the physical form right now until we can reorient you."
"What's going on?" Brad asked laying on table as he picked up his hand to look at it. The room he was in seemed to have no walls and everything was white.
"My name is Binah. I have been your spiritual guide throughout your entire life. There was some sort of accident that has brought you here. You will have time to readjust yourself so that we can hold a debriefing and an investigation."
"Gina, Where is Gina? And my kids? What is going on? Where am I?"
"All in good time Brad. You must rest now. You have been through a death in your mortal form. We will have all the answers for you in due time. Right now I want you to raise your hand in the air and swipe it from left to right."
Brad raised his hand and did as he was told as a screen of images appeared before his eyes.
"This is your life. You must review it before we can proceed. I will be back in a little while to check in on you. You must not try to get up. Just review the screen and rest for now."
Brad closed his eyes and rested.
***
Gina went upstairs to run a bath. As the water ran she grabbed some towels and a book and decided that she would just relax in the tub.
***
"Quiet, now Mikhail. You have just been through a very transformative experience. You need to rest."
"What? Where am I?"
"Just watch the screen and I will be back to check in on you," Haniel explained.
Mikhail closed his eyes and rested.
***
Carlotta grabbed her cell phone and put in a call to Don.
"Hi"
"How is she?"
"She just ran a bath."
"Okay good, do you think she will be able to join us this evening."
"Yes, I have explained that you want to help her so we will leave here at 6:00 p.m. to drive downtown.
"Okay, good. Very good, I will see you tonight."
"Okay bye."
"Bye."
Don, dialed a number, "everything is ready for 6:30 p.m. tonight, so be there."
"Okay boss," came the voice on the other end.
Don hung up and proceeded to make more calls.
About the Author
Carly Compass has been a writer all her life. She is pleased to announce that Electric, The Beginning, Book I is now available for free download! Electric, The Consummation, Book II and Electric, The Resolution, Book III are available on both Smashwords and Amazon! The Electric Series is her debut novel and her life's work! Electric, The Aftermath, Book IV, is due out on April 30th of this year. So get reading if you haven't already so you can catch up in time for her new release!
Become a fan on Goodreads!
Like her author page!
Read short stories on Wattpad.
Check out her boards and follow on Pinterest.
Connect with her on Linkedin.
Connect with her on Twitter.
Follow her on Google!
Become a fan on Goodreads!
Like her author page!
Read short stories on Wattpad.
Check out her boards and follow on Pinterest.
Connect with her on Linkedin.
Connect with her on Twitter.
Follow her on Google!
RSS Feed