EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a new chapter from Lee Thomas's DAMAGE every Wednesday and Saturday. All previous chapters are archived for a limited time only.

28

A violent tremor pulled the road apart before him.

Doug swerved to the shoulder, his tires spitting gravel in two dramatic arcs. Less than a quarter of a mile from the house, he had been watching the approach of the storm, drawing Route Eleven into its bruised vortex. Then, the scene split and blurred amid an angry shudder, which rose up from the earth itself.

The momentary dislocation passed, and Doug found himself staring down the clean strip of pavement, which tapered in the distance to be swallowed by a bank of eggplant-colored clouds. ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a new chapter from Lee Thomas's DAMAGE every Wednesday and Saturday. All previous chapters are archived for a limited time only.

27

"Where have you been," Doug asked, leaping from the sofa.

Frank walked through the front door looking happy and exhausted. The happiness lasted for about three seconds before Doug had barked his question. Frank eyed him angrily, dropped his keys on the kitchen counter and said, "Good morning to you, too."

"I thought something happened to you."

"It did," Frank said. "But you don't want to know what it was."

"Look, I need you to take me to the house."

"No way," Frank said. "I'm taking a shower and changing clothes and heading back out. I've got ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a new chapter from Lee Thomas's DAMAGE every Wednesday and Saturday. All previous chapters are archived for a limited time only.

26

Lisa and Rebecca sat at Poppy's on the River and waited for their server to come and take their breakfast order. Outside, the river already frothed white, and the real storm hadn't even started yet. Lisa looked to the horizon, saw the black clouds creeping along the sky and wished she were anywhere but Pierce Valley. It felt like all the joy had fled the town. Even before the terrible incident with those dogs, Bob and Yvonne's party had seemed solemn with too many serious conversations. Looking around the restaurant, she noticed the trend ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a new chapter from Lee Thomas's DAMAGE every Wednesday and Saturday. All previous chapters are archived for a limited time only.

25

Sissy Tulliver dozed in a pile of clothes on the floor of her bedroom. The stray emptied his bowels on her sheets the night before, while she was sitting outside of the big house, waiting for the woman and her brat to come home. With all of the patience of the devout, she'd sat in the mud, occasionally swinging at the air with her buck knife, trying to tear through the vile memories. In recent days, she'd thought more and more about her cocksucking fuckstick of an ex-husband, Lou, but last night, she'd found herself slashing at the ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a new chapter from Lee Thomas's DAMAGE every Wednesday and Saturday. All previous chapters are archived for a limited time only.

24

Doug locked the door.

He went to the phone to call the police, but was stopped by the all-too-familiar pain. It exploded above his ear and sliced cleanly behind his eyes. Moments passed as he clutched his aching skull, gasping for air in between paralyzing flashes of agony.

When the attack faded, he again set off toward the phone.

The next bolt of pain came so intensely it dropped him to his knees. The room's details bleached out and tears poured from his eyes in cold streams.

Don't!

This time he took the message. In the aftermath of the ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a new chapter from Lee Thomas's DAMAGE every Wednesday and Saturday. All previous chapters are archived for a limited time only.

23

Doug went to bed early, exhausted by a day of disappointment and frustration. While asleep and wrapped in a blizzard world of dream, the dislocation came. The jarring sensation rattled him, stirred him from his sleep and into waking with the flat echo of a ringing in his ears. Remnants of dream clouded the room; transparent specters raced away from his clearing sight while his eyes focused. A hundred fingers rolled over his skin, only to pull away once he was awake. His heart racing, Doug felt what he could only call desperation.

He ... (more…)

22

Only after twenty minutes, and a dry martini, at the Bettencourt's party did Frank feel himself lightening up. He was finally able to rise above the condemnation of his sour-faced kid brother, who'd been scowling like a wronged felon, even though he had no one to blame for his problems but himself. Nonetheless, Frank felt some pity for him. Like Lisa had said the day Frank brought his brother home, Doug was a puppy being punished when he didn't know he'd been bad.

Sensing that lingering thoughts of Doug would kill his happy face, Frank wandered through the house for a second drink.

The Bettencourt's home was heavily decorated with modern warmth and accented to the hilt with candlesticks, ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a new chapter from Lee Thomas's DAMAGE every Wednesday and Saturday. All previous chapters are archived for a limited time only.

21


Lisa sat in the kitchen, nursing her cup of tea and staring at the broken pane of glass in the kitchen door. The remaining shards resembled teeth, jutting from the bottom and top of the moldings. Beyond the door, the uncultivated field ran to the distant tree line, and the rain continued its relentless assault as the sun began to set. The scene frightened her with its testament to her isolation. She was glad to know that Rebecca would be with her friends at the Tuckers for the night - in the middle of town and surrounded by people.

She ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a new chapter from Lee Thomas's DAMAGE every Wednesday and Saturday. All previous chapters are archived for a limited time only.

20

When experiments failed, they had to be taken back to theory, back to the beginning.

Ansen Riggs stood before a full-length mirror that was framed in intricately carved mahogany. Once deep and crimson-rich, the stain had faded and numerous scratches and chips marred the splendid frame. Riggs looked at his reflection in the mirror, stepped back, cocked his head, stepped forward, and then did the whole odd dance again. He thought about religion, and he considered its shortcomings.

It needed to be taken back to theory; he was doing just that.... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: With these two chapters, we've reached the halfway mark in this damned fine novel. And since the pace is picking up, so will the content. Beginning next week, we'll be running two chapters of DAMAGE every week--one on Wednesday and the other in the regular Saturday slot. Now is the time to get caught up, or to spread the word to fellow readers!


18


Doug woke to the sound of rain driving against the windowpane in a steady rapping. He rolled in the bed and stretched. The clock on the nightstand told him that he'd slept most of the morning away, after having been up half the night cleaning the living room.

The phone rang. At the second ring, Doug listened for movement in the ... (more…)