Sneak Peek of 23rd Announcement!

Wellllllll!!!!! Here is a short sneak-peek to one of the chapters of Dissention. Enjoy!

“You don’t get it, do you? Huerco doesn’t give a fuck about us! He’s in it for himself! We have to get our cut and get the hell out of here,” he pushed Billy aside and grabbed Lucina’s withering body, “listen here, bitch; tell me where your daddy kept everything.”

Lucina smiled and whispered, “your guess is as good as mine, asshole.”

Billy started giggling in the background. Noticing Keith staring back, he immediately silenced himself.

“Lucina, you’re not going to live no matter what. You can either die here, slowly, with Bill’s cock shoved up in you day after day, or you can just tell me and I’ll end it quickly.” He pulled Lucina up to his face so that she could smell nicotine on his breath.

“Hey, what the hell is going on out there?”

Bill stepped into the room and walked toward the window.

Keith threw Lucina onto the ground causing blood to slosh out of her mouth.

Keith joined him. “It’s those fuckin’ psychos again. They’re staring at us.”

The mental institute patients stood outside, looking up at the window. Like Nick and Phil witnessed back on the road before, they stood erect and poised. Their faces were emotionless as their white gowns blew in the breeze.

“Keith, we gotta get out of here. Let’s just leave her here and tell Huerco she’s here.”

Keith shoved him, “I’m not fucking leaving here. You want out so bad, you can get the fuck out!”

He pulled Bill by his hair and dragged him to the door where he threw him outside, locking the door. Bill tumbled down the small stairs and shook himself off. There was a fog that morning, and the area around him was musty, gray and somber. The smoke still billowed from the ruined neighborhood around them, adding to the depressive state of things.

He stood up and pounded on the door, “hey, Keith, let me in goddamn it!”

He pounded on the door and kicked it until he wore himself out.

“To hell with you, Keith!”

Bill kicked the door one, last time before adjusting his jacket and walking down the stairs.

Things were quiet, too quiet, in fact. There were no birds in the burned trees; the wind refused to blow; the place stood still...waiting for something.

Bill started walking around the side of the apartment where Lucina and Toh once discussed the monotony of day. Putting his hands in his pocket he pulled out a cigarette. He lit, took a puff and directed his attention toward the mental institute.

“You bunch of fucking nuts.” He stepped toward the steel fence and poked his hands through; it was hot to the touch.

“What the fuck?”

Leaving a long imprint on his hand, he tried touching again, but it was too hot.

“Do you think you can hide from me, Billy?”

Bill turned, “Hey, Keith, stop fucking around!”

There was no one there, only the foggy street behind him.

He put his cigarette to his lip, but before he could puff, he heard the faint sound of a bleat.

He walked toward the middle of the street; the houses all around exoskeletons—withered, charred, and destroyed. Bill followed the bleating sound till he came to a clearing in front of where Toh used to leave. Looking up at the house, he began walking toward the door. A tender lamb emerged from the entry away; its Snow White fleece dirtied with falling ash, and its eyes gazing into Bill’s.

“A fucking lamb,” he laughed, “you’re a little late to the party, my friend.”