Read Online Polar (Book 1): Polar Night by Julie Flanders - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Julie Flanders
Tags: Horror | Supernatural
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to the car. He couldn’t wait to go home and go to bed, as he knew Christmas would be there when he woke up.
He pulled up the neck of his parka and trudged through the snow-covered sidewalks, wishing he had thought to wear his boots. He felt like the boy who couldn’t wait to get home again. But not because it was Christmas. Because the cold was sobering him up. He was glad he’d had the foresight to go to the liquor store and stock up before everything closed for the holiday.
Finally, he turned onto his street and walked up the sidewalk to his apartment. He fumbled with his keys and managed to unlock his door. He got inside and tossed his coat and gloves on the floor and kicked off his soaking wet boots.
He considered starting on one of the bottles in his cabinet but felt too light-headed to open the cabinet door. He just needed to lie down for a minute. He headed to his bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. He was out before his head touched the pillow.
Chapter 14
Danny woke up to the sound of more church bells. He groaned. Christmas morning church bells, now. He needed a drink.
He forced himself out of bed and stumbled to his kitchen, where he pulled a bottle of scotch from the cabinet. He didn’t bother to get a glass and took a long swig from the bottle. He padded to his living room and slumped onto the couch with the bottle in hand. He looked out the window at the heavy snow falling and blowing in the wind.
“Merry Christmas, Danny.”
He turned towards the sound of Caroline’s voice.
“You’re not here,” he said. “Leave me the hell alone.”
“What’s happened to you?”
Danny shook his head and took another drink. “Like you don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Are you really going to act like you don’t know?” Danny yelled at the empty room. “Give me a fucking break, would you?”
He leaned his head back on the couch. What had happened to him? She really needed to ask? He scoffed and closed his eyes.
He could still hear the asshole taunting him. There in the bedroom he shared with Caroline. He could see him, his hand around her neck as she knelt on the floor next to the bed. The knife touching her throat…
“Leave her out of this, Jackson,” Danny said. “I’m the one you’re pissed at.”
“ You got that right. So why would I leave her out of it?”
“ She had nothing to do with this!”
“ Yeah, I’m aware of that. But she’s the way to get to you, isn’t she? To hit you where it hurts? Surely even you can figure that out.”
Danny’s hand started to shake as he stared at the knife at Caroline’s throat. He couldn’t have that. He needed a clear shot.
“ Just get the knife away from her. Please.”
Jackson chuckled. “Please? You’re seriously saying please to me? Oh, okay, well, now that you asked nicely, sure I’ll let her go.” He laughed again. “Give me a fucking break, Fitzpatrick.”
Caroline stared at Danny, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Danny…”
Danny tightened his grip on his gun. No shaking now. He could put a bullet right through Jackson’s head.
He squeezed the trigger just as the knife slid across Caroline’s neck, and her pale skin erupted in a sea of red. The champagne colored walls of their bedroom were instantly splattered with Caroline’s blood. Danny heard himself screaming as the sound of the gun echoed in his ears, and the blood pumped out of Caroline’s neck.
“ Caroline!”
Danny sat up straight on his couch, startled. He looked around him, at first not recognizing the sparse furnishings of his dreary Alaskan apartment.
There was no blood on the walls.
He grabbed for the bottle of scotch, finding it empty, and slowly forced himself to his feet. He needed another bottle in order to forget that he had been too late.
He had fired the gun too late.
Chapter 15
Danny’s eyelids fluttered as he slowly came to consciousness, a state he immediately regretted. He was
He pulled up the neck of his parka and trudged through the snow-covered sidewalks, wishing he had thought to wear his boots. He felt like the boy who couldn’t wait to get home again. But not because it was Christmas. Because the cold was sobering him up. He was glad he’d had the foresight to go to the liquor store and stock up before everything closed for the holiday.
Finally, he turned onto his street and walked up the sidewalk to his apartment. He fumbled with his keys and managed to unlock his door. He got inside and tossed his coat and gloves on the floor and kicked off his soaking wet boots.
He considered starting on one of the bottles in his cabinet but felt too light-headed to open the cabinet door. He just needed to lie down for a minute. He headed to his bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. He was out before his head touched the pillow.
Chapter 14
Danny woke up to the sound of more church bells. He groaned. Christmas morning church bells, now. He needed a drink.
He forced himself out of bed and stumbled to his kitchen, where he pulled a bottle of scotch from the cabinet. He didn’t bother to get a glass and took a long swig from the bottle. He padded to his living room and slumped onto the couch with the bottle in hand. He looked out the window at the heavy snow falling and blowing in the wind.
“Merry Christmas, Danny.”
He turned towards the sound of Caroline’s voice.
“You’re not here,” he said. “Leave me the hell alone.”
“What’s happened to you?”
Danny shook his head and took another drink. “Like you don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Are you really going to act like you don’t know?” Danny yelled at the empty room. “Give me a fucking break, would you?”
He leaned his head back on the couch. What had happened to him? She really needed to ask? He scoffed and closed his eyes.
He could still hear the asshole taunting him. There in the bedroom he shared with Caroline. He could see him, his hand around her neck as she knelt on the floor next to the bed. The knife touching her throat…
“Leave her out of this, Jackson,” Danny said. “I’m the one you’re pissed at.”
“ You got that right. So why would I leave her out of it?”
“ She had nothing to do with this!”
“ Yeah, I’m aware of that. But she’s the way to get to you, isn’t she? To hit you where it hurts? Surely even you can figure that out.”
Danny’s hand started to shake as he stared at the knife at Caroline’s throat. He couldn’t have that. He needed a clear shot.
“ Just get the knife away from her. Please.”
Jackson chuckled. “Please? You’re seriously saying please to me? Oh, okay, well, now that you asked nicely, sure I’ll let her go.” He laughed again. “Give me a fucking break, Fitzpatrick.”
Caroline stared at Danny, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Danny…”
Danny tightened his grip on his gun. No shaking now. He could put a bullet right through Jackson’s head.
He squeezed the trigger just as the knife slid across Caroline’s neck, and her pale skin erupted in a sea of red. The champagne colored walls of their bedroom were instantly splattered with Caroline’s blood. Danny heard himself screaming as the sound of the gun echoed in his ears, and the blood pumped out of Caroline’s neck.
“ Caroline!”
Danny sat up straight on his couch, startled. He looked around him, at first not recognizing the sparse furnishings of his dreary Alaskan apartment.
There was no blood on the walls.
He grabbed for the bottle of scotch, finding it empty, and slowly forced himself to his feet. He needed another bottle in order to forget that he had been too late.
He had fired the gun too late.
Chapter 15
Danny’s eyelids fluttered as he slowly came to consciousness, a state he immediately regretted. He was
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