Much Too Familiar: Cole Wright

By Sean Monaghan

Cole Wright finds too many evenings in his tiny cul-de-sac apartment shattered by rumbling engines and squealing tires.

His neighbors miss their sleep.

Cole needs to do something about it.

Unless someone else does something about it first.

A Cole Wright story that asks the question 'can we make a difference?'

• Language: English
• Publisher: Triple V Publishing
• Release date: Dec 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223683629

Sean Monaghan

Award-winning author, Sean Monaghan has published more than one hundred stories in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and in New Zealand, where he makes his home. A regular contributor to Asimov’s, his story “Crimson Birds of Small Miracles”, set in the art world of Shilinka Switalla, won both the Sir Julius Vogel Award, and the Asimov’s Readers Poll Award, for best short story. He is a past winner of the Jim Baen Memorial Award, and the Amazing Stories Award. Sean writes from a nook in a corner of his 110 year old home, usually listening to eighties music. Award-winning author, Sean Monaghan has published more than one hundred stories in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and in New Zealand, where he makes his home. A regular contributor to Asimov’s, his story “Crimson Birds of Small Miracles”, set in the art world of Shilinka Switalla, won both the Sir Julius Vogel Award, and the Asimov’s Readers Poll Award, for best short story. He is a past winner of the Jim Baen Memorial Award, and the Amazing Stories Award. Sean writes from a nook in a corner of his 110 year old home, usually listening to eighties music.

Book preview

Much Too Familiar

MUCH TOO FAMILIAR

SEAN MONAGHAN

Triple V Publishing

Copyright © 2023 Sean Monaghan

All rights reserved.

Published by Triple V Publishing

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Cover illustration

© Amy/prettysleepy (street)

© Akshay Khetmalis (figure)

© 705847 (sky)

all via Pixabay

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Paperback isbn: 9798871996218

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Discover other titles by this author at:

www.seanmonaghan.com

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This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, except for fair use by reviewers or with written permission from the publisher. www.triplevpublishing.com

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

About the Author

Also by Sean Monaghan

Hard Ground - Preview

Chapter One

Chapter Two

CHAPTER ONE

From out on the road came the too-familiar sound of tires squealing as tearaway kids spun their too-fast, souped-up cars in tight circles around the cul-de-sac’s keyhole.

Cole Wright lay back in his comfortable bed, stretching out, watching the flicker of light on the ceiling. It was a warm night. As far as nights Spokane went at this time of year.

He had a quilt drawn up. It was patchwork and light and surprisingly comfortable. It had come with the apartment. Fully-furnished meant fully furnished, right down to hand-stitched cushions on the living room sofa, crockery and cutlery in the kitchen, and a filled bottle of laundry detergent for the machine.

He’d taken a three month lease. Quiet part of town. Had seemed like a good idea at the time.

A pity about Saturday nights, when the wannabe driver’s arrived at random times into the small hours, for burnouts. And Fridays. And Thursdays.

Even other days.

The apartment was in back of a two story home. A nice place, for sure, though Wright had never seen the inside rest of the house.

The first floor was occupied by a double garage, a foyer and mudroom beside that, with the stairs to the second floor where Daphne Fletcher lived. Well into her eighties, she was still spry and sharp and quick to explain to the guy who cut the lawns and trimmed her hedges exactly the parts he’d missed.

Not the kind of person you’d want to cross.

Still, she was taking care of him. Not just the furnishings, but she would ask if he’d eaten right and if he was getting enough sleep.

Some mornings he would wake and find a plastic-wrapped plate of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, and a silvery bag of coffee waiting on the back step.

The apartment was a simple thing in the corner behind Daphne’s foyer, facing out into her manicured yard filled with stone fruit trees bursting with green leaves. The apartment had a combined living room, kitchen and dining space,