Blurb:

When Jena's new boyfriend, Herm, announces that he is traveling the North Shore of Lake Superior to meet Commander Donner, she is skeptical. After all, Herm is convinced that he is an alien from the planet Xylan who has been sent to Earth to search for rare minerals. As far as she is concerned, he is living in a dream world. However, Herm is also a nice guy, the best she's ever known, and she enjoys being with him. So does her eight-year-old daughter, Sylvie. If only it weren't for that alien issue…

Jena is conflicted. Herm's entire trip up north seems like a figment of his imagination. The night before he is scheduled to leave, they argue, but to no avail. He leaves the next morning, and Jena is not so much distraught as she is ready to forget all about him and move on. Six hours later, though, she receives a text. Herm has been put in jail for hitchhiking in a small town north of Duluth. Against her better judgment, Jena travels north to help him, taking Sylvie with her, along with her best friend Kalli.

Unbeknownst to Jena, on the drive north, Herm escapes from jail and goes on the run. Jena is able to find him, and she agrees to take him to his meeting with the commander. It is then she learns the awful truth about Herm's past.

This is a story of the horrors that some people can inflict upon the innocent. It is also a story of how incredibly strong the human spirit is. Ultimately, it is a story of how strong the bonds of love truly can be.

"Eye of the Beholder – A Novella" was published in 2024 by Dark Myth Publications

Chapter Eight Excerpt: "On the Run"

The marina was in a natural cove that stretched in a lazy "U" shape for half a mile along the shore. Off to the right was a series of docks where approximately fifty boats were moored, primarily pleasure craft. He could make out more than a few large thirty-foot cabin cruisers. Beyond them, out in the water and attached to buoys were about two-dozen sailboats. Now and then a small row boat manned by a long-haired high school-looking boy would ferry people out to one of the sailboats and leave them for an afternoon of sailing. Then he'd row back and pick up another group.

Looking beyond the marina it was easy to see why the sailboats were heading out onto the lake. He could see white caps breaking just past the seclusion of the cove and across the ten miles of water to Wisconsin. He watched as both sailboats and pleasure craft made their way over the calm water, out past the two "arms" of the "U" and then onto the big part of the lake. He smiled to himself. Boy did that ever look like fun.

To the left of the docks and out in front of him was a sandy beach that stretched for a couple of hundred feet further down the shore to the left. It was packed with people, everyone having a great time and cooling off in the water. Kids were building sandcastles on the beach and others were tossing Frisbees back and forth. Parents were out in the water with toddlers teaching them how to swim, and young couples were standing in deeper water talking intimately.

To the left of that, at the far end of the "U" was a lighthouse. It was painted with wide white and black bands. Herm could tell there was a road that led up to it where people could either drive or walk. Hm, he thought to himself. Maybe Jena and Sylvie and Kallie would like to go up there and check it out. He looked at his phone. It read 4:15 pm. He turned his attention to the crowd on the beach for a moment, but couldn't shake the thought of the lighthouse from his mind. Suddenly, he made a snap decision. Heck, I've got time. I think I'll go check it. See what there is to see.

Herm adjusted his hat and sunglasses and wiped some more sweat from the side of his face. He stood up, stretched, and lazily started walking, carrying his water bottle. As he sauntered along, he happened to glance over his shoulder toward the food truck. Oh, no! His heart leaped into his throat and his stomach turned over. Two police officers were talking to the reggae guy. A man and a woman. Herm looked closely. Dang. One of them was that Dopson guy. Danny Boy Dopson.

This time Herm didn't laugh at the name. Instead, he broke into a cold sweat and his hands started shaking. This turn of events was not good. He had a sudden vision of Stu and his bad body order waiting for him at the jail. Who knew what kind of punishment the freaky jailer would decide to exact on him if they caught him and brought him back? Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good, he was sure of it.

Herm picked up his pace as he wove through the crowds, dodging to the right and left to avoid bumping into people. More than once he'd had to say, "Excuse me." It seemed that the later in the day it got, the hotter it became, and more people were coming down to the beach to cool off. In a way, the crowds were good because they helped provide cover from the cops.

Past the swimming beach was a tar path that made walking easy. And hot. The sun was relentless and being on the asphalt path was like walking in an oven. Herm used his shirt to dab the sweat from his forehead and drank from his bottle. Shoot. It was almost empty.

To the right, the edge of the lake was lined with large boulders serving as a breakfront to protect the shoreline from waves if they ever got too high. The boulders went along the shore all the way to the light house. Lake Superior was a huge lake. Herm could imagine the size of the waves that could form during a storm. The sturdy breakfront was a good idea.

But today the water was calm, calm enough that people were sitting on the rocks. Some were close enough to the water that they could put their bare feet in the lake. Herm envied them. His feet were burning in his boots.

But he had to keep on the run.

As he moved away from the beach and into a more open area, he turned and looked back to where he'd come from. He couldn't see the food truck anymore. Or the cops. That was good. He slowed his pace and continued walking toward the lighthouse. The bay was on his right and to the left was another parking area for cars. A quarter of a mile past the parking lot was Highway 61. Ten miles up the coast, Captain Donner was waiting for him up in Yellow Knife River. Herm had to hide out until Jena got to the park at 5:30. With the cops at the marina, the lighthouse seemed like as good a place as any to do that.

Geez, Herm thought to himself. He'd never wanted to make any trouble. All he'd wanted to do was go see Captain Donner and have his meeting. Now he had the police looking for him. This trip was starting to get complicated.

He looked to the south. Where was Jena, anyway?

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