End Of The Line
Emma Meade
Cassie wants to die. When midnight rolls around, she stands on the tracks waiting for the train to come.
She loses her nerve the first couple of times but returns to try once more.
After all, third time's the charm.
Well, I screwed up. I was supposed to have this post on March 8, not April 8, as I had marked on my calendar. Big oops on my part! So my apologies to Emma, and I hope the rest of you enjoy the excerpt and run right out and buy this book! I think it sounds fantastic, and its definitely on my TBR.
End of the Line
In the distance, the familiar white light appeared, cutting through the
dark of midnight. She’d watched it come before, but always from the sidelines,
imagining what it would be like to face such a beast.
Cassie drew in a shaky breath and steeled herself. Legs splayed, arms
by her sides, fists tightly clenched, she waited on the tracks as the train
approached. Her legs shook, and strands of hair licked her cheeks in the gentle
night’s breeze.
She swallowed the fear threatening to overcome her. Hang in there, she
told herself. Another sixty seconds, and it will all be over. No more drowning,
murky thoughts, heavy dreams or stilted breathing. She lifted her head and
stared straight ahead, willing her body to freeze.
Closer now, but not coming fast enough. She was scared. As much as she
desired to have it all over with, the fear gained ground. Could the driver see
her yet? No, still too far away. Why had time slowed down? An ache began in her
ankles, spreading up her legs and winding its way around her thighs and into
her clenched hands.
The feel of her fingernails scraping the soft flesh of her palms roused
her, just as she became aware of the vibrations on the tracks.
Cassie stumbled into the grass growing beside the tracks and ran, tears
running down her cheeks. She stopped as she reached the first line of trees and
leaned over, resting her hands on her thighs, trying to get her breath back.
Damn it! She wanted to die. Why couldn’t she have stuck it out?
The train thundered by, unaware of the woman hunched over in the
darkness, sobbing. She raised her head to watch the carriages pass, slithering
alongside Wilkins Woods like a dark snake. In thirty seconds, the night was
once again silent.
She’d try tomorrow night. Maybe pick up a bottle of Jack Daniel’s after
work. Might help with the nerves.
Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, and she wiped the tears away.
Cassie followed the edge of the woods the mile back to her dingy flat. She let
herself in and headed straight to bed. One more day. She could make it that
far.
Author's Note:
Depression is still somewhat of a taboo subject, yet it has touched most people's lives, either personally or among family and friends. In "End of the Line" Cassie can't make sense of her despair. All she knows is that she's had enough.
Bio:
Emma Meade lives in rainy Ireland. She loves vampires, slayers, witches, ghosts, aliens & shadow men (or at least the youngest of the Shadow Men), and regular people who live extraordinary lives (think Slayerettes and you’re on the right track).
Books, DVDS & TV show boxsets take up lots of space in her home, and she collects all the Point Horror books she can get her hands on.
Writing supernatural stories and watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.
Website: emmameadebooks.com
Twitter: @emmameade83
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