A Menu of Death

By Lucy Pireel

A Menu of Death

A collection of eight short stories in which things don't always turn out to be how the characters would like them to.

Whether it be a woman in need of rescue, a man craving his wife, or a zombie on the run ...

"You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need."
Rolling Stones

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lucy Pireel
• Release date: Sep 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301112715

Lucy Pireel

Lucy is an avid reader and likes to dabble in the kitchen when she's not writing or editing.She doesn't like to be confined to any kind of style or genre, which basically means she writes whatever comes up in her mind. Be it twisted fairy tales Red Gone Bad, horror, erotica, fantasy, or even regular fiction. Neither does she restricts herself to any kind of length. Her work ranges from flash fiction. (a double cover feature in Isotropic Fiction #3 called Cradle of Life and Life for a Trea) to full length novels. She has a manuscript in its final stage at the moment.

Book preview

A Menu of Death

A Menu of Death

By Lucy Pireel

Copyright 2013 Lucy Pireel

All rights reserved

Cover art by Lee Turnbull (Nineteen68)

Cover design by Kriss Morton

Smashwords Edition September 2013

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, trademarked products, events, and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgements

Vengeance Whispers

Permanent Fix

A Dollar's Worth

Craving

Message in a Bottle

Hunger

Bloodwork

Reunion

Shortcut

About

A big fat thank you to:

Lee Turnbull(Nineteen68), for allowing me to use your picture as basis for the cover, again! You are a very talented photographer and great friend.

Kriss Morton for designing the cover and helping me in more ways than I could have ever asked for.

Leanne, John Holt, and Danielle for reading and giving your valuable opinion. Thanks my friends, you are invaluable.

Andy Szpuk for writing an opening poem especially suited to this collection.

John Cameron McClain, the best editor any author can ever wish for.

The gardener for making me write these stories,

and finally The Moulettes for creating their wonderful music which set the tone to the stories.

Vengeance Whispers

Beneath the earth, human remains lie

In this wicked world, ambition is suppressed

Greedy eyes gaze upon a glittering prize

The thorn of a thought delivers poisonous surprises

The voice of vengeance whispers on the wind

A hurricane waits for those who sin

The darkest of deeds can never be redeemed

Only death brings sleep to stealers of dreams

By Andy Szpuk

author of ‘Sliding on the Snow Stone’

Permanent Fix

I’ve denied it as long as I could, but my hand’s been forced. Dave’s latest show of temper finally opened my eyes to the undeniable truth. He is dangerously unstable, and I must do something before it is too late for me. I have to act now, because time is running out.

I should have gotten out right at the start. He nearly beat a waiter to death for looking at me. The poor guy served food at our wedding reception. I mean what else should he have done when asking me if I wanted another serving, face away from me? In the years since, I’ve gathered quite a few broken bones and scars to show for his way of ‘fixing’ our unhealthy marriage. He likes to prove he’s a man. A strong man; a man who can—will—fix things with his own hands.

These days I mostly just stay at home. He doesn’t like it when I attract attention from strangers. Like I don’t want to attract his attention. At least when I stay in he has no excuse to use his hands to ‘tell’ me not to forget my place.

This morning the gasman came around to fix the meter. It had failed, cutting off the gas. So I rang the emergency services for them to come and replace it. Dave just happened to come home for a quick bite while the unfortunate guy filled out his paperwork at the kitchen table.

I’ve cleaned the kitchen, bleach and hydrogen peroxide do a great job, but the bigger problem isn’t going to go away as easily. Do as Dave says and I’m damned; don’t and it’s game over for me anyway.

What if I run away? As fast and as far away as I can? I’ll be hiding for the rest of my days, he’ll hunt me down wherever I go and he will find me. But I will not lie for him anymore. There is only one option left for me if I don’t want to join the utilities guy.

I carefully prepare Dave’s meal, chili with enough Bhut Jolokia to burn the inside of his stomach to a crisp, just the way he likes it.

He always says, If you like to play with fire, you better be able to stand the heat. He’s proud of being able to eat even the hottest of the hottest meals anyone can whip up, and so eager to taunt me for not being able to. I’ve learned to smile while he destroyed my self-esteem after he laughed at it while beating me for being weak and not worthy of him.

I never eat his spicy meals, I can’t, won’t. It’s enough he torments the outside of me, I won’t let him torture my insides too. My food is the only thing I can control.

When Dave comes in again after digging the hole for our new sewage tank, the first thing he says is, And? What if you confess? Say he tried to rape you, you won’t be convicted. First timer, self-defense and all. On the other hand, if they find out it was me … He motions as if cutting off his head. But I’ll make sure they know you made me do it. He laughs and says, Man, the cadaver is beginning to get on my nerves. You have to decide fast before someone calls the cops.

He won’t call the police, he’ll no longer be able to control me if he does. But I don’t have to obey him anymore. That big hole in the back yard he’s been digging to install the new septic tank has given me the perfect solution.

He sits down and shovels the chili in