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Back Black Ambrosia Save as PDF
Chapters (46)
  1. CoverImage
  2. Introduction by Grady Hendrix
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. About the Author
  46. About the Cover

“Don’t be afraid.” She sat on the edge of the bed, but I shrank away from her. “Rose doesn’t want you to leave for a while, okay? Just a little while, and then we’ll get into the car and Rosemary will drive you to Sarah’s. That’s what you want, right? Sarah’s? We’ll get to Sarah’s, just . . . just a little more Christmas for Rose, okay?” Her hand stroked my arm, lulling me. I was still on my guard, but helpless, and wanting to trust her, wanting desperately to believe her. “Rose­mary just wants some company right now, okay? Okay? Then she’ll drive you to Sarah’s.” She crooned to me, and I felt almost sleepy as she did, until her clawlike nails dragged furrows in my arm and I shouted with the pain of it, shamed as my bladder let loose for a moment.

“Shhhh, Angelina, sweet Angelina. I’m sorry, did we hurt you? Poor sweet baby. Here, let Rosemary make it all better,” and she grabbed the leather straps with a horrible strength and rolled me over so I lay curled on my side facing the edge of the bed. Blood seeped from my arm into the sheets. Then she walked around the bed and got under the covers behind me.

Oh, God, I thought. Oh, God. For a ride to Sarah’s. For a ride to Sarah’s. I can stand this; I can stand anything for a ride to Sarah’s.

There was an alternative. I knew She would spare me this humiliation, this ultimate degradation. I knew I had only to call Her, and together She and I would put an end to Rosemary and her disgusting Christmas cheer.

I felt Rosemary’s body heat, her skin could have been no more than a half inch from mine as she lay there, and my every fiber was alive with fear and expectation. I knew she would touch me, but I did not know where or when, or with what, and the terrible anticipation grew to immense proportions. Little vi­brations moved the bed as she fiddled with some­thing, I knew not what, but I knew that I was soon to discover the true extent of her deviation. I was again helpless in the face of life, in the literal claws of this horrible woman, and I had had enough of it.

The temptation to call upon Her was almost over­whelming.