Hot, Hard & Howling - OpenDrive

Mari Freeman
“She practically stripped for Howard Henderson. He had burned his hand but it
was no worse than a sunburn, really. Well, Linda basically ripped off her shirt to wrap
it up. As if no one knows they’re as fake as that bowl of fruit on Mi-ma’s kitchen table.”
Nell glanced over to see Trent drop the magazine and head to the front door.
Well…outside was better than nothing.
* * * * *
The basement had been nothing more than storage for years, but her father must
have spent some time down here. Behind one of the racks stacked with boxes and
tomes, she found an old glass lamp. She pulled the table nearer to an outlet and
plugged in the lamp, the glow in the room now much more pleasant and golden. She let
out a small huff of relief and triumph.
The moths were still attracted to the destroyed box and to Nell’s skin. Mi-ma came
down with a fresh drink. Trina followed. “Pizza’s put away.” Both women sat at the
table.
Sonja came down shortly thereafter. “So what is it with the moths?”
Trina urged one of the moths onto her hand. “They’re huge, aren’t they?”
“They’re also starting to get on my nerves.” Nell pulled her laptop out of her
backpack and set it next to the lamp. She plugged in a wireless access card and waited
for a signal. “I need a little more info about these ladies.”
“You can get internet with that thing here?” Mi-ma asked.
“Yep. I can connect to any mobile phone signal in the area. It can be a little slow
way out here, but it works.” She typed in a search for the moths. “Came in handy when
I was traveling so much.”
“I bet.” Sonja sat next to her while the others thumbed through more documents
that had spilled from the cardboard container.
Nell picked up the wooden box to study it further. She closed her eyes and ran her
hand over the texture of the wood. She was tempted to try using her telekinesis to blast
it open, and then thought better of it. That would make a mess of the box and probably
its contents as well.
One of the moths made its way to the end of Nell’s hand as she felt her way along
the ridges of a grain of reddish wood…
Of course!
She concentrated. A shape began to feel alive under her fingers and in her mind.
She opened her eyes and smiled. “Here ya go, little sister.” She urged the moth onto the
box.
“What are you thinking?” Trina asked.
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