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Guns, Gods, Ghosts, and Little Girls
Guns, Gods, Ghosts, and Little Girls
Guns, Gods, Ghosts, and Little Girls
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Guns, Gods, Ghosts, and Little Girls

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Everyone thinks Joseph is a good man. He is kind, considerate, humble, attends church several times a week, and donates money to a number of little children in other countries. His favorite is a Bulgarian girl he exchanges letters with several times a month. When he finally arranges to fly the little girl and her mother to the USA to meet him he is horrified to be told that she has been kidnapped and that he must give up the mysterious contents in his home safe if he ever wants to see her alive.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 5, 2011
ISBN9781458047472
Guns, Gods, Ghosts, and Little Girls
Author

Jude Parker

Jude Parker is a playwright, sculpture, and theater set designer who divides time between homes in Copenhagen and southern California.

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    Guns, Gods, Ghosts, and Little Girls - Jude Parker

    Guns, Gods, Ghosts, & Little Girls

    Jude Parker

    Guns, Gods, Ghosts, & Little Girls

    by

    Jude Parker

    Copyright 2010 Jude Parker

    Smashwords Edition. License Notes

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

    This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are the product of the author’s imaginations and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

    For Edgar Allen Poe.

    Thank you for writing 'Tell-Tale Heart,' 'The Cask of Amontillado,' and 'The Black Cat,' that inspired certain scenes in this literary work.

    *****

    The sun is rising over Ft. Myers Beach, Florida. Condominium buildings, houses on the water, boats, bridges, mangroves. In the distance is a small, horseshoe shaped motel that was built in the 1960s. It has been neglected, it does not appear to be occupied. The pool has been filled in with brick. A thin figure emerges from one of the rooms, walks across the courtyard and gets into his large, nondescript, 1970s-era automobile.

    Joseph, a lonely 60-year-old man drives from the motel and to the local supermarket to tend to his weekly food shopping. He is very meticulous about all the fruit and vegetables he buys. He dresses in a fashion from the 1970s. He wears a gold necklace with a large cross on it. He is slightly nervous. He is clean. Too clean. He looks down the long isle and at the very end he sees a little girl. She does not speak. She does not wave. She does not move. She appears to be looking through him. Joseph cannot see very well. He wipes his glasses, puts them back on and looks again, but the Little Girl is gone. He picks up his pace a bit and goes to the end of the isle where the Little Girl was, but she is nowhere to be found. Behind him, she quickly walks past. She is at the end of the isle where he was when he first saw her.

    Ten minutes later he finishes his shopping and he approaches the check out line and watches with great interest as his fruit and vegetables, soymilk, bread, and other items are scanned and added up. He looks at a magazine and sees a copy of Vanity Fair with an actress in a revealing dress on the cover. Joseph averts his eyes and turns the cover around so he - and others - will not see it.

    The customers behind him know what's going on. He's a bit of a religious nut. The Cashier looks up and smiles at Joseph.

    Happy Holidays, Joseph, the Cashier says with a smile.

    Joseph: You should say Merry Christmas.

    We're not allowed to, the Cashier tells him. Not all of our customers are Christian, you know.

    Joseph quickly says, Well, maybe someday. Joseph winks. He's a happy guy. Very personable. He's likable. When all is done, he takes out a wad of cash and pays the cashier.

    Have a blessed day, Joseph says.

    He leaves one of those little Jesus Books on the counter for others to pick up. He smiles at the cashier and exits the supermarket. She smiles back at him. She thinks he's nuts, but she knows he means well. As he walks away she picks up the Jesus Book and tosses it in the garbage and rings up the next customer.

    Joseph is in his car, driving home. He is listening to a religious program. The look on his face is one of intense interest.

    Radio Pastor: ... and the idea of tithing actually began in the old testament when god Would ask for the best of what everyone had to offer, not what was left over. And that is how it still is today. You see, what belongs to you actually belongs to god. You are not giving anything of yours to him, you are just giving him what is already his. And for those of you who are in debt, don't think for a moment that giving to Sears or American Express is more important that giving to god. It is god's money. Not yours! You cannot spend god's money! When you get your paycheck every week, the first thing you need to do is write a check and give at least 10% of it to god. Now for me, I would rather owe Sears and America Express than be in debt to god! Giving to god will help you get out of debt. Give the best of what you have because god demands it of you!

    Joseph pulls into the parking lot of the motel. The entire place is empty except for a few rooms he has renovated for his own use. He gets out of his car and approaches his mailbox. Someone or something is watching him from the top floor or roof of the motel. Joseph feels a presence behind him. He turns around but sees nothing. No one is there. He turns to the mailbox. Joseph's eyes light up when he sees a letter from Bulgaria. He returns to his car and takes out his groceries and carries them to his kitchen. He sees Jay, a local maintenance man and friend of Joseph's, walking along the beach behind the motel.

    Jay calls out, Hey, Joseph!

    Joseph waves and smiles at Jay as he approaches his front door. Joseph stops, puts down his groceries, picks up a hose and slowly and carefully waters his plants. While doing so he sees a mysterious man with long dirty blond hair, wearing linen

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