“You ain’t poisonous to me, Jenny.”

“Yes I am! I’m poze-nuss al over!”

“You just got to stay careful.”

“Never touch people,” Jenny whispered quickly, like a student who’d learned by rote.

“Not with bare skin,” he said. “And never, ever play with snakes!”

“Never play with snakes,” Jenny repeated, adding this one to her catalog of “Nevers.” Like: Never touch people. Never talk to anybody but Daddy.

Daddy lifted her from his lap and set her down beside him on the couch. He picked an open beer can from the table and shook it next to his ear. A little liquid sloshed inside, so he drank it down. Then he lit one of his Winstons.

“I wish your momma was stil alive,” he said. “I don’t know what the hel to do with you. Little snake-kiler.” About J. L. Bryan

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with an emphasis on Renaissance and Romantic period literature, and screenwriting at UCLA. Between 1/15/2011

and 3/15/2011, you can win a Kindle, the Haunted Library, and other prizes through his Haunted E-book Blog Tour for the release of his fifth novel, The Haunted E-book. Also watch for his new short story colection, Dark Tomorrows, featuring bonus stories by Amanda Hocking. Learn more at www.jlbryanbooks.com.