Psychotic

By Artemis Hunt

WARNING: This short story contains graphic sexual material that may be offensive to some. For ages 18 and above.

THIS IS A THRILLER SHORT STORY (8800 words)

Chinatown, San Francisco. A serial killer prowls. The victims are always women, with their eyes gouged out and index fingers missing. Rachel – bartender, virgin – steps into this uncertain future, only to encounter a man who has been watching her from afar. But something shocking happens that neither of them could have foreseen.

Praise for A.R. Hunt's (previously writing as Xeus) work:

“... an adept writer, weaving the darker elements of society, serial killers, the dangers of a woman walking alone at night, greed, lust and their five accompanying sins to great effect ...

The Star (Bookshelf)

“ . . . a particularly vicious twist at the end. See if you can spot it coming”

The Star (Reading Room)

“A portrayal of what happens when you merge paranoia with everyday life. If horror stories are your cup of tea, be sure to grab a copy of this.”

Borders

“Sensational and thought-provoking”
Galaxie

“Will entertain and keep you turning the pages”

Quill

• Language: English
• Publisher: Artemis Hunt
• Release date: Sep 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465841704

Artemis Hunt

Artemis frequently wishes she has telekinesis, so she doesn't have to lift a finger to change the room temperature. She's constantly glued to her computer, which serves as her gateway to her friends, books, movies, TV serials and sometimes husband, even though they're sitting on the same bed two feet apart. Artemis writes under the name of multiple bestselling erotica author APHRODITE HUNT for straight erotica. Together, they have had 18 books in the Amazon Top 100 Erotica and 1 in the Top 100 Romance.

Book preview

Psychotic: A Thriller Short

By A.R. Hunt

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

Copyright 2011 by A.R. Hunt

Published by Artemis Hunt at Smashwords

Cover art by Stacey Thompson-Geer

Visit www.artemishunt.org

http://artemishunt.blogspot.com/

OTHER WORKS BY A.R. HUNT (the dark side of Artemis Hunt)

Psychotic

The Scarlet Woman

One if by Land

The Resistance (to be published in Saffina Desforges Presents)

WORKS BY ARTEMIS HUNT

Snow White and the Alien

The Hunt for the Catalyst (the Ether World Chronicles)

The Ether World Chronicles: Beginnings

The Body Snatcher Wears Lipstick

PSYCHOTIC

THE gentleman who wears crisp white shirts comes into the pub every day, orders a pint and sits down to watch television.

He wears only white, Rachel notes, never blue, green or cream, unlike the more rambunctious young executives who punctuate the low pub bustle with occasional bursts of ha-ha-ha laughter. He pairs this with sedate-colored ties in safe patterns. He is not a garish man. When he speaks, it’s in soft, dulcet tones.

The usual? Rachel asks. He has been coming in here for the past few months, always alone, and she doesn’t know his name. Who irons those white shirts? A wife, or a laundry service?

He nods, never taking his eyes off the television, mounted two feet above the bar in its precarious metal casing. Rachel wonders if he gets a crick in his neck watching day after day. Hell, if he can pay for the drinks, he can certainly afford a chiropractor. She places a pint of chilled Heineken on a tattered Carlsberg coaster and slides him a bowl of peanuts.

The man is watching the news now, one of the very few customers doing so; most pub crawlers engage in definitive male bonding over ESPN. Rachel catches snatches of the anchorwoman’s report: Serial killer still at large . . . victims always women . . . bodies found with their skulls smashed, index fingers sawn off and their eyes gouged out . . . police have very few leads . . .

From the pit of her stomach comes a clenching so visceral that she gasps.

You following this case? The man nods at the TV screen.

Not really. She stifles the belch. This is embarrassing. Calm down.

The man doesn’t notice. Plenty of those around.

Newsreaders?

Serial killers.

She nods warily. World’s a big place.

Happenin’ right here. In our own city.

Rachel massages the undersides of her wrist. "There are

Reviews for Psychotic

[olga nyamakope · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG the author truly surprised us. The direction the story takes is completely unexpected!?
This was very short but it definitely made it's mark!
If you like psychological thriller then you need to read this.