Shadowlands by Louann Carroll #ebook #shorts

Being sick has its advantages. I finally got my short ready to go and am hoping to share it with you the first of February. In the meantime, here's a few opening paragraphs for your perusal. I hope you enjoy it. 

​Louann

CHAPTER ONE

But, but, but…if anybody says he can think about quantum theory without getting giddy it merely shows that he hasn’t understood the first thing about it!

---Niels Bohn

“Damn!” Leanore stumbled into the kitchen banging her hip against the counter. Curly red hair with sparkling gray highlights hung in her face, partially obscuring her view of the kitchen door. A slimy bug-like creature with hoary ears attempted to creep across the threshold.  

Stomach roiling, she put her lips together and blew an errant strand of hair from her line of vision. She shouted, “Get back!” and waved a warning at Sam, her three year-old. He scooted toward the dilapidated kitchen table with a look of amusement on his chubby face.  

“Get out you bastard!” Leanore rushed forward. She slammed shut the door and pinched off the bug’s head that crumbled to dust when the bolt-lock slid home. Wiping her forehead, her fingers came away wet.

She was too old for this. Nearing her mid­-forties and exhausted from searching for her husband, she took a deep breath and rested against the wall, eyeing her son. “Scared?”

Sam shook his head, but there was a question in his eyes. “Mommie’s back?”  

A smile tugged at her lips. She said, “You know?”

He nodded, got to his feet and toddled toward her.

She scooped him into her arms and he heaved a sigh of relief. “How can you tell the difference between us?” With her other hand she scratched her nose. Traveling always made her itch. A strange reaction she found amusing. Thankfully, it lasted just a second or two.

 “You shine,” Sam said matter-of-factly. He popped a thumb into his mouth, struggled to get down and made himself comfortable on the floor.