Read Online Autumn Moon by Karen Michelle Nutt - Free Book Online
Authors: Karen Michelle Nutt
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love bite Autumn sported was any indication. She couldn’t wait for Autumn to tell her all about him.
The temperature dropped and she shivered. The weather was strange today. It was often foggy, but not this dense. She could barely see more than a few feet in front of her. A whisper of unease teased her senses as she slowed her pace, not wanting to trip and fall. She’d have a heck of time finding all the items she carried in her box if they were sprawled all over the street.
She hummed a tune, trying to ease the tension building inside of her. She walked these streets her whole life and hadn’t been afraid, but she had an uneasy feeling as if she were entering something forbidden. Then she heard something whistle by her. Something big, fast ... She stopped in her tracks and looked around her, but the fog was so thick she couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her. Now she wished Yi hadn’t stormed off angry and had walked with her. “Who’s out there?” Her voice quavered.
“Who’s out there?” a voice mimicked like a perverted echo.
A scream clawed its way up her throat, but she bit it back. She clutched the box and ran. A dark shadow whipped around her and her long hair flew into her eyes. She dropped the box and ran faster. “Help!” She looked over her shoulder, but she couldn’t see what pursued her. Where was everyone? Why wasn’t anyone else on the street?
“Help me!”
“Help me!” the voice echoed back.
She tripped and fell, landing hard on her knees. Tears sprang to her eyes and she couldn’t stop shaking. Then a hand appeared in front of her face in an offering. She grabbed hold and he helped her to her feet. She looked up at her rescuer. “Oh, thank God.” She chuckled nervously and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “I think I let the fog spook me.” She looked at him again, wondering why he hadn’t let go of her hand. Her eyes widened as the truth set in. The scream never left her mouth as he lunged forward, sinking his teeth into her neck.
Chapter Fourteen
The fog had lifted to a ghostly whisper of what it had been in the morning. Autumn carried two coffees in her hands. She took a sip of hers, letting the warmth slide down her throat. “Perfect.”
She walked toward her booth only to slow her pace when she noticed the commotion up ahead. The police were roping off an area where her booth should be. Where Loann should be setting up for the day.
Fear slammed into her, making her chest hurt. “Dear God, no.” The cups slipped from her hands, falling to the ground. The lids popped off and the coffee splashed over the sidewalk.”
“Hey, watch it,” someone shouted at her, but she was beyond hearing.
She pushed her way through the crowd, frantic to see who’d been attacked. Her gaze landed on the victim and her hand flew to her mouth, stifling the scream bubbling in the back of her throat. She shook her head in denial. “No, no, this is not happening.”
Loann lay still and broken while onlookers watched, dressed in their Chinese costumes of bright colors of red, yellow, and pinks all trimmed in gold, too festive for the morbid scene.
“What happened?” She didn’t know she spoke out loud until someone answered her.
“A wild animal attacked her. Look how her throat is ripped out,” the man next to her answered. The gold of his costume glittered in the now surfacing sun.
“Will someone cover the poor girl?” Officer Fong ordered. Fong was in his early thirties and Asian descent. He grew up here in Chinatown. Autumn knew him as a patient. He’d been in her shop for treatment, suffering from stomach problems. No wonder when he dealt with death.
“A wild animal in the heart of Chinatown? It has to be someone’s Pit Bull. You hear about these attacks all the time in the news,” someone behind her said.
“Then why wasn’t there any blood?”
Autumn wanted to scream. She should have been here. She should have told Loann to wait for her and
The temperature dropped and she shivered. The weather was strange today. It was often foggy, but not this dense. She could barely see more than a few feet in front of her. A whisper of unease teased her senses as she slowed her pace, not wanting to trip and fall. She’d have a heck of time finding all the items she carried in her box if they were sprawled all over the street.
She hummed a tune, trying to ease the tension building inside of her. She walked these streets her whole life and hadn’t been afraid, but she had an uneasy feeling as if she were entering something forbidden. Then she heard something whistle by her. Something big, fast ... She stopped in her tracks and looked around her, but the fog was so thick she couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her. Now she wished Yi hadn’t stormed off angry and had walked with her. “Who’s out there?” Her voice quavered.
“Who’s out there?” a voice mimicked like a perverted echo.
A scream clawed its way up her throat, but she bit it back. She clutched the box and ran. A dark shadow whipped around her and her long hair flew into her eyes. She dropped the box and ran faster. “Help!” She looked over her shoulder, but she couldn’t see what pursued her. Where was everyone? Why wasn’t anyone else on the street?
“Help me!”
“Help me!” the voice echoed back.
She tripped and fell, landing hard on her knees. Tears sprang to her eyes and she couldn’t stop shaking. Then a hand appeared in front of her face in an offering. She grabbed hold and he helped her to her feet. She looked up at her rescuer. “Oh, thank God.” She chuckled nervously and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “I think I let the fog spook me.” She looked at him again, wondering why he hadn’t let go of her hand. Her eyes widened as the truth set in. The scream never left her mouth as he lunged forward, sinking his teeth into her neck.
Chapter Fourteen
The fog had lifted to a ghostly whisper of what it had been in the morning. Autumn carried two coffees in her hands. She took a sip of hers, letting the warmth slide down her throat. “Perfect.”
She walked toward her booth only to slow her pace when she noticed the commotion up ahead. The police were roping off an area where her booth should be. Where Loann should be setting up for the day.
Fear slammed into her, making her chest hurt. “Dear God, no.” The cups slipped from her hands, falling to the ground. The lids popped off and the coffee splashed over the sidewalk.”
“Hey, watch it,” someone shouted at her, but she was beyond hearing.
She pushed her way through the crowd, frantic to see who’d been attacked. Her gaze landed on the victim and her hand flew to her mouth, stifling the scream bubbling in the back of her throat. She shook her head in denial. “No, no, this is not happening.”
Loann lay still and broken while onlookers watched, dressed in their Chinese costumes of bright colors of red, yellow, and pinks all trimmed in gold, too festive for the morbid scene.
“What happened?” She didn’t know she spoke out loud until someone answered her.
“A wild animal attacked her. Look how her throat is ripped out,” the man next to her answered. The gold of his costume glittered in the now surfacing sun.
“Will someone cover the poor girl?” Officer Fong ordered. Fong was in his early thirties and Asian descent. He grew up here in Chinatown. Autumn knew him as a patient. He’d been in her shop for treatment, suffering from stomach problems. No wonder when he dealt with death.
“A wild animal in the heart of Chinatown? It has to be someone’s Pit Bull. You hear about these attacks all the time in the news,” someone behind her said.
“Then why wasn’t there any blood?”
Autumn wanted to scream. She should have been here. She should have told Loann to wait for her and
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