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 Nine Excerpt: "Growing Up Rough"

When Duke told Mary about maybe knowing their escaped prisoner, she said, "Okay. That's interesting." She got to her feet. "Come on. Let's walk and keep looking while you tell me what you know."

And that's exactly what they did.

"I didn't really know him," he said, drinking from his bottle of water as they strolled through the crowds. Man, was it just his imagination or was it getting hotter out? "I knew of him."

"Knew of him?" Mary asked. "What's that supposed to mean?" Then she took a deep breath. "Sorry. That came out wrong." She was initially pissed at him for possibly holding back, knowing their escapee, but not anymore. She'd been a young recruit once herself nearly twenty years ago and understood how things worked. And with all that was happening today, there was certainly a lot on his mind.

Duke looked at her, his expression serious. "No. I get it. I should have been more on the ball."

"Don't worry about it. Why don't you start at the beginning?"

They were now walking near where the pleasure boats were docked. It was nearly 5:00 pm and lots of people were heading out for an evening of cruising on the lake.

Duke took off his cap, wiped his forehead and put it back on. "Okay. Remember how I told you I went to high school in Hibbing?"

Mary nodded. "Yeah. About seventy-five miles northwest of here."

"Right. I'm pretty sure he went there too."

"Pretty sure?"

"Yeah. If he's the guy I'm thinking about, he wasn't a real stand out kind of person. Kind of stuck to himself."

"What do you remember about him? Was he in your grade?"

"I remember him from junior high school. He was a grade behind me but should have been a grade ahead of me. I was in ninth grade, and he was in eighth."

"He'd been held back twice? He should have been in tenth grade?"

"Yeah." Duke took a drink of water. It was hot but he didn't notice. He said, "Let's just say he had issues."

"Like what?"

"I guess his parents were speed freaks. They sold meth, too."

Mary shook her head. "That's a rough scene for a kid to grow up in."

"I know."

"Do you know his name?

Duke shook his head. "No. I've been racking my brain. It's like Galen or Gilbert or something like that."

"Gabe?" Mary ventured a guess.

Duke snapped his fingers. "Gabe! That's it. Gabe. Gabe…Shit. I can't remember his last name."

Mary cracked a smile for the first time all afternoon. "No sweat. We can check the library. I'll bet they have old high school yearbooks. We can look up this Gabe guy there."

Duke felt like giving Mary a high five but thought it might appear unprofessional. Especially with so many people around. Instead, he said, "That's a great idea."

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