bear-space - Tumblr blog

[bear-space]

“Abra Stone might look like an ordinary American girl, prettier than some and brighter than most, but when you got below the surface - and not that far below, either - there was a young Viking woman with a fierce and bloodthirsty soul. Dan thought it was a shame that she'd never had brothers and sisters. She would have protected them with her life.”

[bear-space]

“She handed the glass to her father and set the can on a coaster beside him. Dave took a deep swallow, sighed, closed his eyes, then opened them again.

'That's good,' he said.

I bet it is, Dan thought, and saw Abra watching him. Her face, usually so open, was inscrutable, and for the moment he could not read the thoughts behind it.”

[bear-space]

“There was no counterargument she could make to this, and Abra didn't try... but suddenly Dan's head was filled with her sorrow and her fear. His eyes welled up again and spilled tears down his cheeks.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.”

[bear-space]

“'Chia, I love you, honey.'

That - Concetta's old nickname for her - finally stopped her.

'With all my admittedly non-Italian heart and soul.'”

[bear-space]

“But how to begin? With Jack Torrance, he supposed. A deeply unhappy man who had failed at teaching, writing, and husbanding. What did the baseball players call three strikeouts in a row? The Golden Sombrero?”

[bear-space]

“Now come over here, Abba-Doo, and give your dad a hug. I don't know if you need it, but I could use one.”

[bear-space]

“Stay away from the woman in the hat, Honeybear.”

[bear-space]

“Stupid but normal. Most normal thing in the world, so cut yourself some slack.”

[bear-space]

“She had begun to rub her mouth, an anxiety tic her parents were trying to break her of, but they weren't here, so boo on that. Boo all over that.”

[bear-space]

“She thought that things could not get worse... but they always can, and often do.”

[bear-space]

“ I had a wonderful day!

Your friend,

ABRA

'That's good, honey,' Dan said. 'I'm glad.'”

[bear-space]

“'Billy-boy, I'm the one who owes you, and more than I could ever repay.'”

[bear-space]

“'Is your life better? Better than it was when you showed up here fresh off the bus with your ass dragging and your eyes bleeding?'

'You know it is. Better than I ever could have imagined.'

'Then think about sharing it with somebody. All I'm saying.'”

[bear-space]

“'Because it's hereditary?'

'No.' Dan sipped his coffee. 'But it is. You know that, right?'”

[bear-space]

“'Tony hasn't been around in a while, has he?' Lucy got up and fluffed out the displaced sheet. Abra giggled when it floated against her face. The best sound in the world, as far as Lucy was concerned.”

[bear-space]

“Later tonight, Crow would come to her camper, and in her bed they would burn like torches.”

[bear-space]

“He was her sometime lover as well as her second-in-command, but he never failed to show respect. It was one of many things Rose liked about him.”