Dr. Bakersfield on BarnesandNoble.com

Greetings

I recently traveled back to the great city of Knoxville, where the weather is oddly spring-like (IT WAS 74 DEGREES TODAY). With all the weather and free time, I have begun a quest to get back into shape. So far, so good. But I must confess some activities like running have never been so hard.

I'll blame it on the hills.

Anyway, my story The Secret Life of Dr. Bakersfield has finally made it onto BarnesandNoble.com along with my other short story The Haunted Corn Maze. Hopefully this works out well and people are interested in the coming of age tale. Anyway, to celebrate I have included a segment of the novel I am still working on: Last Dance for Me.

By the way, the link to the book is http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secret-life-of-dr-bakersfield-eric-carlson/1108817961?ean=2940033018758&itm=1&usri=the+secret+life+of+dr.+bakersfield

So without further ado.

The tunnel leads deeper and deeper into the ground. So deep it doesn't make sense that anyone would build a garage so far underground. Also unerring is the incessant darkness, fought only by a weak light bulb every 20 feet. Fisher thinks about going back, but doesn't want to risk being hit by an oncoming cab in the narrow tunnel. Why didn't he just ask the office lady if Dennis was in at the moment? Why did he always have to be so sneaky? Fisher shakes his head and continues into the near-darkness.

Behind him, Fisher hears a low rumble and feels a vibration in his feet; hopefully just a big truck crossing the street above. This consoling thought it is proven false when the rumbling comes closer, echoed louder in the narghile driveway. Fisher begins to walk a little bit faster as he looks back with wide eyes. Just then, his worst fears come true as he spots a slight flicker from headlights on the wall. He breaks into an all-out sprint as the car begins to illuminate the stone corner directly behind him.

"Where is the end of this thing!?" Fisher yells out loud through desperate gasps of air. It had been a long time since he'd ran.

Meanwhile, everything around him illuminates as the car roars around the corner. It doesn't slow down a bit as it barrels through the curve, moving closer and closer to the running Fisher. His face lights up in two different ways as he looks back at the oncoming enemy. The driver of the cab must have seen him by now, but it doesn't seem to be slowing down in the least. In fact, if the cab was doing anything it was speeding up.

Fisher tries to move his feet faster, stumbling slightly as his left foot catches a big crack in the concrete. Somehow he manages to regain his footing and move back into full stride. The full stride comes with consequences, though. Fisher clutches at his side, feeling a bad stitch developing from the exhausting effort. He would usually quit at this time in a normal situation, but at the current moment that would mean turning into a pancake. Fisher wonders if he would taste good with maple syrup as he runs on.

Closer. Louder. Faster. The cab is almost on Fisher's heels. He feels like he can almost feel the heat from the headlights, and he knows that the vehicle isn't going to stop for anyone; especially him. Exposed by the light from the car, Fisher sees a ladder just above and to the side in the oncoming tunnel that seems to lead up to another level. Fisher knows this is his only shot at escape. Instead of preparing for impact he takes two powerful strides and leaps towards the ladder. His hands grasp the lowest rung, the momentum swinging his lower body forward and up, hopefully out of the way of the speeding cab. Luckily, the cab sign on top misses him by inches as it whizzes by. Panting, Fisher speedily works his way up the ladder and out of the tunnel.

***

It's almost halfway done.

Song of the day is Raining Buttons by Dovekins.

Have a lovely day.