I’m so excited to be able to share the first chapter / prologue of my upcoming short story called, “Dying To Meat You.”
BLURB
What if you were hired as a ghostwriter to pen your own death sequence?
Struggling writer Arianta Collins receives the offer of a lifetime: ghostwriting for the renowned horror novelist Katherine Bishop. Excited by the prospect of honing her craft and learning from her idol, Arianta eagerly accepts the invitation and moves to Katherine’s secluded rural farmhouse in the southeast.
As Arianta delves deeper into her ghostwriting job, she begins to experience unsettling and vivid dreams that blur the line between reality and fiction. She feels herself becoming more and more immersed in the world of Katherine’s twisted tales, and she can’t shake the feeling that she’s becoming the protagonist of her own horror story.
Caught in a nightmarish mix of sexual tension, deception, and horror, Arianta races to unravel the truth before it’s too late.
“Dying To Meat You” is a graphic, stomach-churning horror short story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the chilling conclusion.
PROLOGUE
How much clothing to pack for a three-month job assignment was a dilemma for Arianta Collins. She scrutinized her choices, hastily tossing clothes onto the bed, trying to decide what to pack and what to leave behind. Not wanting to come off as too butch, but femme wasn’t her style either; she hated most everything she owned because nothing fit her right after the break-up with her last girlfriend. All her clothes hugged her new curvy figure, which had eaten too much ice cream over the past few months.
She considered the unpredictable weather of southeast Texas, and decided to pack for all possibilities. Arianta knew she had to be prepared for any temperature. She couldn’t overpack, however, wanting to take up as little space as possible while living in a stranger’s home for three months. Assuming laundry facilities were available on this Texas ranch in the middle of nowhere, she would be able to do her laundry as needed.
Shannon, Arianta’s current roommate and best friend, stood in the doorway of the room while Arianta packed a sweater into her luggage. “Are you sure this is safe? Why not just work from home and have her email you the concepts? Or even better, use videoconferencing.”
“She wants it to be organic. Creativity comes when it comes, and I need to be there when it strikes. Besides, Katherine Bishop isn’t some unknown author. She has written a couple of dozen books. I’ve done my research, and I wouldn’t go for just anyone,” Arianta explained.
“A couple of dozen horror books. If she wrote romance, I wouldn’t be so apprehensive. But you’re going to rural Texas with someone who thinks of ways to kill people for a living,” Shannon replied.
Arianta chuckled. “If it were Stephen King, would you worry?”
“Yes,” Shannon said.
Shannon fretted about everything. She despised the monotonous routine of a nine-to-five job, and she was not one to seek out adventures. She and Arianta had been inseparable best friends since graduating high school. They attended the same college and shared an apartment, with Shannon shouldering most of the rent burden. Arianta struggled to find a full-time job with her English major, settling for sporadic temp jobs that lasted only a few days. She had diligently pursued a full-time writing position, but nothing materialized until the opportunity arose to ghostwrite for a published author. Despite the job taking her away from her comfortable city life, the handsome paycheck and the boost to her resume were too enticing to pass up.
“It will be fine. And besides, how much trouble can I get into on a remote ranch in the middle of nowhere?” Arianta reassured Shannon, her tone confident.