Fear and Laughter

By W.L. Peterson

Fear and Laughter is a collection of six short stories that will scare you and make you laugh. From the supernatural, to being lovestruck, to urban legends.

 

In "The Diner, The Waitress, The Movie Star", Big Lou, the owner of Big Lou's diner, is in for a surprise when a stranger walks into her diner right before closing.

 

The supernatural comedy, "The Great Entertainer" tells the story of Jackson Michaels, who recently passed away and has arrived in the afterlife. Now, he must visit the afterlife human resource manager, Mr. Fritz, and find a job. What follows is an exchange that's sure to bring laughter.

 

"Please Forgive Me" is a ghost story with a modern-day twist. Two former friends, Lisa and Shannon, whom haven't seen each other in over 10 years, get stuck in an elevator together and must face what drove a wedge between them all those years ago.

 

In "Bodies on Route 66", two shapeshifters, Santu and Natu, check into a hotel. They have less than 24 hours to claim their next victim or one of them dies. This creature story has fear and laughter.

 

Love is on display in "Worth the Cost?". It's urban legend day in a small town and Roger is in love with Maddie. He wants to get her a special gift for urban legend day and seal the deal. Over the course of the day, Roger must do things that might be out of character for him. He does this all in the name of love for Maddie.

 

In "The Legend of Crybaby Bride: The Francine Abebe Story", Crystal and her friends are all freshmen at Stone's Throw College, and they decide to do the freshman challenge based on the urban legend of Crybaby bridge. Brenda warns them not to go through with the challenge and tries to talk sense into them. Decicisons have consequences. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Darryl D. Peterson
• Release date: May 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223646723

Book preview

Fear and Laughter

W.L. Peterson

Copyright by W.L. Peterson, 2024

All Rights Reserved

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

The stories, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

The Diner, The Waitress, The Movie Star

Heavy rain blankets the small coastal town of Stone’s Throw, South Carolina. It’s hurricane season, and the town’s catching the tail end of hurricane Wilma.

Big Lou’s Diner is open. It’s the last place to stop, eat, and gas up for the next hundred miles, according to the faded billboard out front.

Big Lou, weighing a hefty three-hundred pounds, runs the diner herself.  It’s almost closing time and Lou just wants to close shop and go home.

She grabs a metal spatula and scrapes the black build-up off the grill, when the bell above the door dings and someone walks in.

I’ll be closing in 20 minutes, Lou says as she continues to clean the grill with her back turned. The only thing I can offer you is a cup of coffee.

The sound of shoes sloshing slowly across the floor echo in the empty diner as the person walks to the far end of the counter and takes a seat. Okay, that’s fine, the person replies. I’ll have a black coffee.

Lou drops the spatula and freezes. That voice.

Lou turns around and sitting there at the end of her counter, soaking wet from the rain, is David Steele.

David’s been the number one box office draw for the past ten years. He’s a handsome man in his mid-forties, tall, chiseled, and with a smile to die for.

Lou says, Oh my god. You’re—

Yes, David Steele, David replies. I’m in town shooting a movie and had car trouble down the road. I figured I’d walk here and wait for my wife to come get me. I didn’t want to be stuck out in that storm.

Yes, it is terrible out there, Lou says. It’s as if god unzipped it, whipped it out, and pissed it down on Stone’s Throw.

David laughs, That’s one way to put it, he reaches out and touches Lou’s hand, How about that coffee?

Lou draws her hand back instantly.

David’s hand is frigid and wet. I’m sorry. My hands are normally warm, David says.

Lou blushes and says, Let me get your coffee.

Thank you, David replies.

Lou brews David a fresh cup of coffee. Steam emanates from the cup as she hands it to David.

This’ll warm you up, Lou says. I need to go to the back of the dinner to do a few things before closing. Lou rushes to the back of the diner through the double doors to call her husband Kenny, the local sheriff.

Hello, Kenny? You’ll never guess who is sitting in my diner, Lou