Back in the Mercedes saddle again
Today, I jumped headlong into the work of writing the next Mercedes Masterson story. It’s a short story called The Book of Jude that will come out before the next novel. I like planting little stories between the novels to wet the appetites of the readers, especially since it takes me a few years to release the novels. You may recall Her Last Halloween was the first short story and it fell between the first two novels.
I managed to write chapters two and three today in full. It felt good to be back in the Masterson universe, if you will.
And because I’m nice, here’s an excerpt from tonight’s writing.
THE BOOK OF JUDE, Chapter 3 Excerpt.
Dr. Klein stood up and kicked the stool away again. “I think we’re good. I’ll call you in a few days about the bloodwork.” Jude stood up awkwardly. “The fatigue still being a bitch?”
“Always.”
“Well, Jude, I wanted to tell you I’m working with some guys. Some vets, some docs, a few nurses, and a couple of state senators.” He grabbed the folder and handed it to him. “We’re trying to get some movement on legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.”
Jude opened the folder and it had a document about the goals and purpose of the group written on the first page. There was a stack of maybe ten pages behind it. “Yeah, that’s good.”
“I’d like you to join us,” Dr. Klein continued, “so you can tell the state senate about your experience with Gulf War Syndrome and using cannabis to manage your symptoms.”
Jude scoffed, “I’m not going before the state senate to confess my crimes. That’d be about the dumbest thing I could do.”
“You can tell your story anonymously.” Dr. Klein rested a warm hand on Jude’s wrist. “Just give it some thought, will ya?”
“Sure, I’ll think about it.”
Outside the VA’s office, the wind had picked up and the temperature was dropping. Jude flipped the collar up on his military green jacket to block the brisk wind from his face. He pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips. He lit it with a lighter that said John on it, using the folder to shield the flame from the wind. After he got the cigarette lit and took the first puff of smoke, he discarded the folder into the combination trashcan and ashtray.
He climbed into his van and dreaded that the trip home later would be cold as hell without the heater working. He rolled the window down, letting in the wind, but also letting out the smoke. He turned over the engine to listen to the radio while he smoked his cigarette. A song by Canned Heat was playing on the radio and that immediately took him back to John’s bedroom.
