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AmyStrange & the Criminal
(PART 1: THE ESCAPE)
A Novel by Dave Ayotte
Copyright © 2019 by David P. Ayotte
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CHAPTER 001:
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Wednesday, October 15th
(dictated 4:20 pm, Oct 29).
The guy at the store said it’d be
easy, but he must’ve been fucking
drunk, because the instructions were
pure, fucking gibberish. Here, check
it out.
No thanks. I get enough of that
gibberish crap from you and guess
what? Now you know how I feel. Hey!
What the f... look!
What?
The screen. Look at the screen.
Look at the...? Holy shit! It’s
working! It’s finally fucking working!
Yay! Yay! Yay!
Calm down, Jumpity Sam. It’s just a
dictating program, and not the cure
for cancer, but it is pretty cool
watching our words pop up.
It’s almost instantaneous, like...
like it can read our minds or
something.
I think that's called auto-fill.
Auto what?
Auto-fill. The machine’s predicting
what you’re gonna say.
Oh, ok, but other than that, doesn’t
it still look weird?
It does a little. All that space and
shouldn’t there be quotation marks or
something? Wow! Now it looks even
weirder, or in your case, dorkier.
I should fix that.
You can’t fix dorky, and I know,
because I’ve been trying for almost
nine years now, and you’re still a
dork.
Come on. Am I that bad? Really?
Well, it’s more funny than true, but
you do have your moments.
Now that, I have to agree with, but
what’s with the dork fixation all of a
sudden?
I was playing around online, you
know, looking for weird shit, and I
ran across something called
Dorks-Are-You, and it’s funny as hell.
Dorks-Are-You? Are you sure that’s
not Dorks-Are-Us?
Nope. You’re the dork, not me, and
it’s got all the latest dork news,
weather, jokes, and even has a
crossword puzzle. Did you know that
dorks can now wear jeans? I didn’t
even know that was a problem.
The weather too? How’s that work?
The same as ours, except it doesn’t
seem to do anything but rain in
Dorkland. As a matter of fact, it’s
been the headline news for weeks, and
that pretty much sums up your whole
life, doesn’t it?
It kinda does, but shouldn’t I say
something nice here, you know, like
how you give me all the sunshine I
need, and those rain drops are really
just tears of happiness, or something
sappy like that?
Hmm, those aren’t too bad for a
dork.
Ok, enough with the dork jokes,
please, and besides, I’ve always worn
jeans. I’ve got some on right now,
damn it.
I know. That’s what’s so confusing
about it.
Whatever. Now please, let me
concentrate, so I can find where
she... Fuck!
Now what?
Now I’ve got to start adding context.
Fuck!
Context?
“You’ll see. Settings... settings?
Ok, there we go, click, click, click,
aha and voila! There you go my love,
quotation marks and all that other
jazz.”
“Nice, but now, about this
arch-enemy thing. What’s up with that?
She’s like what, fourteen-years-old?
How can you possibly hate a
fourteen-year-old?”
“I know, I know, but I don’t hate
her, Beth. She’s just diabolical, and
if you don’t watch her like a freakin’
hawk, she’ll be running this place,
and then we’ll be out on the street,
shoveling dirt for peanuts.”
“Ok, this is one of those times,
Crim, because what the hell does that
even mean? Shoveling dirt for
peanuts?”
“It just means that she’s trouble
with a capital T.”
Beth rolled her eyes.
“Now see, that’s just more
gibberish, on top of all that other
gibberish, but whatever,” she said.
“Personally, I think she’s nice.”
“That’s the diabolical part, and
it’s what arch-enemies do. They act
all nice and shit, and make you feel
all safe and secure and happy, and
then they pounce.”
“Pounce?”
“Jump, or leap on you, like a rabid
peanut butter cookie and suck you dry
from the inside out.”
“Sheesh. I’m sorry I even asked now,
and I’ll probably also regret this,
but what’s this for?” Beth asked,
pointing to the computer.
After asking, she thought about it
for a few seconds, and then realized
she already knew the answer and just
needed me to confirm it.
“What answer? What the hell are you
talking about?” Beth asked with
disgust.
“I did not ask that with disgust,”
Beth said with even more disgust.
“Hey!”
“That’s what I mean by context,” I
said and chuckled.
While fiddling around with the
settings, I added, “This is for that
Journal Dr. Zinger wants. Remember?”
“I do, but not about that, ‘cause I
can’t tell if you’re talking to me or
the freakin’ machine?”
“What do you mean?” I asked,
pretending to be perplexed too, but I
knew exactly what she was talking
about. I just wanted to screw around
with her head a little bit.
“You weasel! That part, and all that
other dramatic context crap,” Beth
said, and then laughed.
“This Journal’s gonna be one long
dramatic lie, ain’t it?”
“It’s what Dr. Zinger wants. She
thinks my feelings are way more
important than your damn facts,” I
said and continued to fiddle with
some of the other settings.
“If you’re gonna get that worked up
about it, you can add stuff at the
end.”
“But what about your lies? Do I also
get to fix those, or maybe, if you
want, I could spice it up a whole lot
and make it even more unbelievable.”
“Spice it up? No, and no, you don’t
get to fix my... ARRRGH!! You can add
stuff at the end, and that’s it!” I
tried to pretend I was mad, but that
fucking crooked smile of yours.
“Damn it, Beth! Stop it!”
“Ok, that still might be fun,” she
said, and even stopped smiling.
“You know, Crim. I’m kinda beginning
to like this context thing of yours. I
can’t wait to read it and add my own.”
“When I’m done.”
“If you say so,” she said, and I
could almost see the gears turning in
her head. She’s cooking something up.
“Oh yeah, I’ve got something
cooking, all right. Dr. Zinger and I
are gonna straighten your ass out, and
you can take that to the bank,
buster.”
“That reminds me. How’s dinner
coming along?”
“Darryl’s doing an awesome job.
Can’t you smell it?” she said, sniffed
the air, and then looked back at me.
“And, don’t think you’re gonna
change the subject that easily.”
“What subject?”
She gave me her serious look.
“Are you really gonna lie about
things in this Journal of yours,
because then, what’s the point? I
mean, why see a shrink, if you’re
just going to lie to her about
everything? I’m sorry, but I don’t
see how that helps.”
“You and your brutal honesty crap,”
I said with disgust.
“You did say that with disgust, and
that’s what I mean. Getting down to
the dirty stuff. The stuff you don’t
want to hear or talk about, and that’s
when you’ll figure it all out.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, brutal honesty
ain’t pretty, and all that other blah,
blah, blah, bullshit. You’ve been
talking to Dr. Zinger again, haven’t
you? That’s all she talks about too.
That and getting butt fucked
everywhere I go.”
“You laugh and make jokes, but
you’ll see that we’re right,” she said
and sat in my lap.
“So?”
“So, what?”
“Are you going to be honest with
her... about everything?”
“About Scratches? Oh yeah, I
definitely have to be honest about
her.”
“Scratches definitely, but no, I
mean about the talking cat.
AmyStrange, right? Are you gonna tell
her about that?”
“I guess I have to,” I said and
started fiddling with one of the
settings. “I think in Amy’s case, Cat
should definitely be capitalized.”
“I agree,” Beth said and smiled.
“If she’s real.”
“I’m not even sure myself. Except
for the selfie, the ten-thousand
dollars, and the fact that I’ve
actually seen her talk, I’ve got
nothing. All I can say is we’ll
definitely know for sure Friday.”
“I can’t wait. This is gonna be one
freaky Halloween,” she said and
started scrolling to the top of the
page.
“Why does the date stamp say October
15th? That was two weeks ago. Why
don’t you just start today? Oh Christ!
That’s when you tried to save
those...”
“Beth, Beth, Beth!” I literally
screamed. “Don’t give it away!
Please!”
“Ok, ok, ok!” she literally screamed
back at me.
“Don’t go all crazy on me, buddy.
Save that shit for your shrink,” she
said a little quieter.
She pulled out her gun, and it looks
like she’s checking to see if it’s
loaded, but I’m not really sure. I’m
not a big fan, but she definitely is.
She carries that thing everywhere,
even to bed.
“She can cure you, but I’m the only
one who gets to shoot you. That’s my
job, and you know what my motto is,
right?” she asked, ignoring my comment
and aimed at the ceiling.
“BANG!” she yelled.
“Shoot first, ask questions later?
Make the first shot count? What?”
“Nope. Kill-shot, well, your second
one is half right,” she said, and then
put her gun back.
“In your case, though, I’ll probably
just shoot you in the leg.”
“How comforting.”
“I’m just bustin’ your bucket of
beans, boyfriend,” she said and kissed
me.
“And, if you can get that brutal
honesty jazz right, I might not have
to shoot you at all. Now come on, get
those lies down, and then get your ass
downstairs, before Darryl throws your
stuff out.”
“Throws my stuff out? What do you
mean?”
“I think he’s gettin’ just a
teensy-weensy bit impatient,” she
answered.
“He said that if you’re not down by,
like now, then your share’s going out
to the barn.”
“Really, and you waited ten-minutes
to tell me this, instead of right off
the bat?”
She walked over to the window and
opened the curtain.
“Nope, I don’t see him yet, but
don’t worry. I think I can get you
another thirty minutes, maybe.”
“Isn’t he just pretending to be a
butler?” I asked. “I don’t remember
ever seeing a butler do that.”
“Seriously, how many butlers do you
know, and the ones on TV don’t count?”
“Well, in that case, none really.”
“See, so for all you know. This
might be a common practice in the
butlering world, and besides, if you
really think about it. Wouldn’t it
piss you off, if after spending all
day cooking this fantabulous meal,
someone waited until it got cold
before eating it? Wouldn’t that just
piss you off? Come on, be honest.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“I’m always right,” Beth said.
“Now, shouldn’t you be putting this
into some kind of context, like how
I’m winning debate after debate and
shooting your arguments down like wet
cardboard boxes? You know, true stuff
like that.”
“Was I sleeping during all of that,
because I don’t remember any of it,
but you’d better go eat, and please
get me those extra thirty. That should
give me enough time to dictate a
really quick bio, and also what
happened on the 15th.”
“Ok then, I’ll leave you to your
lies, and see what I can do about
Darryl, but you’d better hurry,” she
said, gave me another kiss, and then
was gone.
Crap and all that fucking bullshit.
Brutal honesty can’t be that fucking
hard, but damn it. I know Beth
wouldn’t shoot me. She’s super safety
conscious about all her guns, but
sometimes I still wondered, just a
little bit.
Let’s see, I think she has five,
six...
“Seven. I’ve also got an assault
rifle in the attic,” Beth said from
the stairs.
“Shut up and get me those thirty
minutes.”
“Roger that, Mister Prickly Puss.”
Prickly Puss? Where the hell does
she get this shit?
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THE COMPLETE E-BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE:
To learn how to get Part 1 (FOR FREE),
and where to go to get Part 2 and 3
($3.99 each +tax), go here:
http://www.atomadness.com/
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AmyStrange & the Criminal
(PART 1: THE ESCAPE)
A Novel by Dave Ayotte
Copyright © 2019 by David P. Ayotte
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Or, [CLICK HERE] to read a
CHAPTER by CHAPTER SUMMARY
LAST UPDATED: Monday, July 8, 2019
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