[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”short-stories” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ custom_margin=”-74px||-71px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ text_font=”Trade Winds|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#8300E9″ text_font_size=”32px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”Trade Winds|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#8300E9″ header_font_size=”52px” header_5_font=”Trade Winds||||||||” custom_margin=”||-16px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_intensity_slide=”0%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” header_text_shadow_style=”preset5″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
A Creepy Little Tale<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ text_font=”Trade Winds|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”35px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”Trade Winds|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#000000″ header_font_size=”11px” header_2_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_5_font=”Trade Winds||||||||” header_5_text_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_intensity_slide=”0%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” width_tablet=”” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|phone” max_width_tablet=”” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|tablet” height=”1000px” max_height=”1000px” custom_margin=”0px||2676px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”||4105px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”||7864px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”GLORIA’S POPPIES” text_orientation=”center” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Aclonica||||||||” title_text_color=”#ed3e0f” title_font_size=”41px” content_font=”Baskervville||||||||” content_text_align=”justify” content_text_color=”#000000″ content_font_size=”19px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” min_height=”120px” height=”100px” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” title_font_tablet=”Aclonica||||||||” title_font_phone=”Aclonica||||||||” title_font_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Dodger bounded through the poppies, his sleek body, like a bouncing black beach ball, contrasted with vibrant orange blooms.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Calvin smiled from his perch on the cliff sixty feet above the placid meadow. Gloria would have loved Dodger\u2019s playful excitement.<\/em> But like Gloria, the poppy blossoms only last a few days and he will be left hunting for a new thrill.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Calvin hopped from rock to rock down the familiar passage to the trail. He jammed his shovel into a mound of freshly turned soil, and slapped his leg. \u201cCome on, boy. It\u2019s time to head back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Doberman\u2019s ears pricked, and he halted amidst the gregarious flowers. Pouncing back through the poppy field, he raced to meet Calvin, stopping briefly to sniff the shovel before running down the trail.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dodger arrived at camp first, just in time to greet two new candidates. A pair of teenage girls. Both dressed for a day at the mall; Flip-flops, tank tops, tote bags and short shorts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Calvin leaned against a tree and struck a pose. The same relaxed beach-bum pose he\u2019d used on his website. A tanned hand pushed bleached blond locks away from ocean-blue eyes. He didn\u2019t need a bot profile pic. His chiseled jaw and engaging smile were as natural as his six-foot four stature and rock-hard abs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bailey giggled, peering from behind a mass of long-blonde hair. She clamped her knees together and leaned forward slightly as if peeing her pants was imminent. Calvin sucked mountain air across pearly white, perfectly straight teeth and muttered, \u201cGlorious.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Amelia, the taller of the two, stood straight, one hand on a hip, the other twisting a dyed strand of violent-red hair. Calvin\u2019s jaw tensed. \u201cWhat the hell! Your hair was blonde on your profile.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Her chin jutted forward, and she shook her head, swaying tresses that skimmed her narrow waistline. \u201cThat was last week. Blonde is boring.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Calvin clenched his teeth, pulled a phone from his hip pocket and opened the Uber app. He submitted a request for a pick up for one. \u201cI made it very clear I was looking for blonde models. Your ride will be waiting at the trailhead where you were dropped off.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat! I\u2019ve wasted half a day coming up here.\u201d Amelia\u2019s face blushed as red as her hair. \u201cDon\u2019t expect me to refund your two-hundred dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo worries.\u201d Calvin flashed the phone\u2019s screen toward her. \u201cI just canceled the payment.\u201d He stepped forward and stared at her heart-shaped face. Her green eyes and sprinkling of freckles were perfect. Damn! She could\u2019ve been the one.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He leaned in, towering over the tarnished redhead. \u201cGet the hell out of here.\u201d The curve of her hips and her long shapely legs as she walked down the trail stirred a memory that burned in Calvin\u2019s gut. Dodger sat beside him, whimpering and shifting nervously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMister. Um, Calvin.\u201d Bailey whispered his name. \u201cWhere\u2019s the bathroom?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His broad chest expanded with a seething breath. \u201cPick a tree.\u201d He turned and studied the contours of her face; oval with a cherubic nose and dimples. Cute in a childish way. He stared at her pouty lips. \u201cHow long have you two been friends?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bailey glanced down the trail to where Amelia\u2019s red hair was fading into the distance. \u201cWe met in the Uber.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Calvin\u2019s head nodded imperceptibly. Perfect.<\/em> He pointed at a roll of toilet paper on a low-hanging branch. \u201cTake care of business and meet me on the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The candidate did not have Gloria\u2019s face, but Dodger was antsy to play. Calvin slung his photography backpack over his shoulder and guzzled half a bottle of water. The chase always made him thirsty.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bailey\u2019s unrestrained grin faded as Amelia disappeared from sight. \u201cAre we going to take pictures now? Where do you want me to pose?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe light is good right here.\u201d He withdrew a camera from the backpack. \u201cI want some shots of you and Dodger running the trail. Nature Magazine is always asking for forest activities.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He aimed the lens at her. \u201cStart with a few stretches. Show me those firm legs.\u201d He began clicking as she performed some rather awkward moves. \u201cThat\u2019s great.\u201d Her moves became more natural as she relaxed. \u201cYes, the magazine will love these.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow, start at a slow run, so I can get shots of just you. Then, I\u2019ll send Dodger after you.\u201d He coughed to hide the chuckle that almost escaped.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bailey ran her fingers through her hair and blew kisses at the camera as she trotted down the trail. Calvin flashed a thumbs up. \u201cOkay, start jogging.\u201d He signaled Dodger, who bolted after her in a loping gallop, his head low.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Long muscular strides closed the gap between dog and candidate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRun faster! Don\u2019t let him catch you.\u201d Calvin continued snapping shots. A twisted grin crossed his face as her sultry, lash-batting expression became a look of wide-eyed terror.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dodger nipped at her heels, his tongue slinging slobber in a joyous romp.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A dislodged pink flip-flop slapped the Doberman before tumbling to the side of the path. He snapped at the second sandal, sinking his fangs into the soft rubber. Bailey stumbled and screamed. She scraped a knee, but regained her balance and lunged forward, barefoot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dodger stopped to chomp and shred the pink toy, then loped up the trail to herd Bailey toward the destination of his training.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Calvin jogged along behind until the chase rounded a bend in the trail. He slowed to a walk, in no hurry to catch up. He knew exactly where the trail ended, and he would know when the dog\u2019s mission was accomplished.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The trees rustled as he walked. A reminder of a wisping breeze that swirled natural blonde tresses around a heart-shaped face. A face he would never forget. An image flashed in his mind. He grimaced, recalling red hair framing green eyes. Gloria\u2019s eyes.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dodger barked, and Bailey\u2019s scream echoed through the passageway from the cliff\u2019s edge. Calvin\u2019s nostrils flared. \u201cGlorious! The poppies will thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Doberman lay waiting at the rim of the bluff, his front paws and snout pointing at the poppies. Calvin grinned and stepped forward to praise Dodger. He halted mid step. Blood pumping from a perforation between the dog\u2019s ribs pooled on the stone surface. \u201cWhat the hell!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He spun toward a maniacal snicker and froze. Staring down the bore of a silencer, Calvin stepped backwards, teetering on the ridge. His arms flailed, and he shuffled forward, his boots gripping the ledge. \u201cHow did you get here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks to your Uber, I hiked from the upper trailhead. And I run faster than you pretend to take pictures.\u201d Amelia\u2019s lungs pumped with each labored breath, but the gun in her hands did not waver. \u201cAnd without your beast to run me over, I did not fertilize the poppies.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Calvin glanced over his shoulder at the field. His eyebrows arched and his mouth twisted. In a song of lamentation he chanted, \u201cAh, my glorious poppies. Every blood-orange petal flitting in the wind, waiting to take flight. Like a field of social butterflies. My social butterflies. Unlike Gloria their wings\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Amelia spat the words as she drowned out his rant. \u201cHow dare you speak of my sister! Your evil lips should burn at the utterance.\u201d She stepped forward. \u201cGloria\u2019s wings are those of an angel. Your butterflies will carry you to hell.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Smoke spiraled from the muzzle as Calvin, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape, plummeted backwards until the poppies consumed his soul.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bailey stepped out of the shadows. \u201cWhat\u2026\u201d Her voice quivered. \u201cWhat happened to your sister?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Amelia wrapped an arm around the girl\u2019s trembling shoulders. \u201cGloria is in an asylum where she spends her days painting poppies.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They followed a path to the bottom of the cliff, and there, among Calvin\u2019s social butterflies, they dug a hole for fresh fertilizer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the shovel swung over her shoulder, Amelia peeled the red wig from her head, and tossed it across the fresh turned soil. She ruffled fingers through a short crop of natural-blonde hair. \u201cCome on Bailey. Let\u2019s go home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wisping across the meadow, a breeze swirled through the poppies. A host of blood-orange petals flitted and took flight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Amelia raised her gaze to the swarm. \u201cOff to hell with you!\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”my-books” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ max_width_tablet=”” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” height=”307px” height_tablet=”542px” height_phone=”449px” height_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”|-1px||-2px|false|false” custom_margin_phone=”|-1px|0px|-2px|false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”69px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”2560px” custom_margin=”-14px||-39px||false|false” custom_padding=”||40px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/sandyjuker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/HIDDEN-Loot-Must-be-Found-PAPERBACK-MS.png” title_text=”HIDDEN Loot Must be Found PAPERBACK MS” show_bottom_space=”off” align=”right” align_tablet=”right” align_phone=”center” align_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”34%” width_tablet=”34%” width_phone=”38%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_margin=”-66px|32px|||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”-66px|241px|||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”-66px|||125px|false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”|0px||5px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”23px” header_font_size=”32px” width=”100%” custom_margin=”-38px||||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”-38px||||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”-38px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”10px||12px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”23px” text_font_size_phone=”21px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “HIDDEN” a suspense novel.<\/p>\n Available now on Amazon.<\/p>\n Sign up for two FREE chapters.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|800|||||||” text_font_size=”32px” text_line_height=”1.9em” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”24px” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”31px” header_2_line_height=”1.3em” header_3_font=”Carter One|700|||||||” header_3_font_size=”24px” background_enable_color=”off” text_orientation=”center” width=”38%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”-25px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”6px||0px||false|false” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” border_width_all=”3px” border_color_all=”#ff5757″ border_style_all=”none” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n<\/h5>\n
Suspense-filled, weird, or off beat story for those who seek the unexpected.<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n