Boy meets girl at a diner - and condemns thousands of ghosts to haunt forever.
Young John Earl Stark met Mary in a diner, an innocent girl who was just getting over a tragic outcome in her life. He helped her regain hope and gave her the tools to sort out her life.
A simple gesture. He also gave her his phone number.
But then hell broke loose.
John found himself in a time loop, so that he never made the decision to become a Ghost Hunter. He job should have been to help ghosts move on.
To his rescue came one of those ghosts-turned-spirit-guide, the great aunt of the original Mary. Who would return to being a ghost if she didn't succeed at this mission.
In the background are two humans who had to seek that time loop to excape their own chasers. Could they help Mary help John to break that time loop and make the best decision?
Find out what happens to John, to the young Mary, to great-aunt Mary, to the world of ghosts that John may or may not be destined to save...
All in eight short stories collected into this single anthology.
This Anthology Contains:
- The Case of a Cruising Phantom by S. H. Marpel
- The Maestro, by R. L. Saunders
- The Case of the Walkaway Blues by J. R. Kruze, S. H. Marpel
- The Case of the Walkaway Diner Redoux by J. R. Kruze, S. H. Marpel
- Walkaway Redemption by S. H. Marpel
- Walkaway Mary by S. H. Marpel
- The Return of Walkaway Mary by S. H. Marpel
- The Last Piece Missing, by J. R. Kruze
Excerpt:
WE SHIMMERED INTO PLACE right outside a diner. Looked like L.A. because of all the asphalt, cement, and palm trees. The diner had a lot of glass and chrome. And it was decorated for Christmas with plastic wreaths and synthetic ribbons.
The sky overhead was clear, with a tinge of smog between us, the sun, and the cloudless sky. Still a West Coast idea of what passed for morning out here.
Carol turned to me and smiled, then wrapped her arms around me to hug me in a bear grip that showed her relief and thankfulness.
Not uncomfortable, though. This was the old Carol I knew better.
She let up and pushed back to look at me, her arms on my shoulders.
"It's been so long, Mary. You look great." Carol's smile was back, and the tenseness had dropped out of her voice.
I had to smile in return. "It's good to see you, too. And thanks. Now, what is going on? What's this all about?"
A slight frown crossed her forehead. "Now you and I are safe here. The others, well, not so much. Did you get through those books and the briefing file?"
I nodded. "Just barely."
"I wish you'd had more time, but no one has that luxury anymore. Thing's are unraveling."
"How's that?"
"You saw your old ship?"
"Sent to salvage, it said, Before John could rescue me."
Carol nodded. "That's the problem with most of the Ghost Hunter network. Every since John decided not to join. In fact, he never moved to that farm we all know and love."
I was speechless, even though my jaw was open ? nothing was coming out. So I closed it.
"Wait ? how did that happen?"
Carol hiked a thumb over her shoulder at that diner. "Since he was trapped in there..."
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