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eBook Category: Science Fiction
eBook Description: Late one summer afternoon in a small neighborhood where people know each other and nothing much ever happens, we observe the horrific intersection point of two trajectories: one a little blond girl of seven sent to the store by her mother to buy a popsicle, the other a perfectly horrifying man in a dark van that cruises around looking for just such opportunities. Not a tale for the squeamish.

eBook Publisher: Clocktower Books and Far Sector SFFH (magazine), Published: Clocktower Books, 2002
Fictionwise Release Date: December 2002

42 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: eReader (PDB) [34 KB] , ePub (EPUB) [57 KB] , Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [7 KB] , Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [185 KB] , Palm Doc (PDB) [6 KB] , Microsoft Reader (LIT) [67 KB] , Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [77 KB] , hiebook (KML) [81 KB] , Sony Reader (LRF) [63 KB] , iSilo (PDB) [5 KB] , Mobipocket (PRC) [7 KB] , Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [47 KB] , OEBFF Format (IMP) [13 KB]
Words: 1830
Reading time: 5-7 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

Buck spotted the little girl walking alone in a quiet neighborhood where people knew each other and nothing much ever happened, and Buck felt a dryness in his mouth that told him he was about to risk more prison time.

She had blonde hair, was about seven, and was walking along the sidewalk toward a strip mall with grocery, drycleaners, video store, household robo repair, liquor store, and the like. The setting sun made her hair glow like spun silk.

Buck followed her a while, his van hovering with a whisper of fans, as he studied the situation. From the feelings inside, he knew he was going to take her sexually. After that, he would strangle her, tie a barbell to her ankles, put her in a garbage bag with her clothes, and dump her off a bridge into a river where she would not be found for months, even years.

The little girl walked slowly but purposefully. Perhaps her mother had given her a dollar or two and told her she could have an ice cream. Or told her to pick up a large bottle of soda.

The inside of the van smelled of coffee and cigarettes. In the back were blankets, some pots and pans for cooking out, some towels and soap for washing along rivers. He had some nudie holos, including kid porn. Buck lit a cigarette with trembling hand. He held the cigarette just near his mouth, his eyes hungrier than his mouth, following her every step.