The Night Of The Goat Excerpt

INTRODUCTION: Excerpt from the incomplete D Is For Damien 2: The Night Of The Goat. This was included in the same five-subject notebook as that story, written on the front of the back cover text page; I had the habit of starting the story in the beginning of one subject (of the notebook, I mean), and filling in the last pages with things like teasers, excerpts, blurbs, previews, etc. I decided to include this separately from the story as it stands well enough alone, and has a good deal of text to it. The "Black Cat Researchers Service," I believe, later became known as the Black Cat Paranormal Investigation Agency--if this is in fact the same thing I'm talking about--but this organization didn't survive in any of my newer writing. Notice all the extraneous characters I used to include in the stories, who don't feature in ANY of my writing, nowadays. I actually had a list of over FOUR HUNDRED students (most with weird names) at the college some of the stories take place at--that's almost four hundred characters I never had any reason to use!

Likely 1991, the same date as the only story chapter written.

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Excerpt from
D is for Damien 2
The Night of the Goat

He turned to see Psyche staring at him. "You sure you won't come?"

He looked over at the van, emblazoned with a leaping cat and the words 'Black Cat Researchers Service', with Martin, Ferret, Skeet, Dorey, and D. J. waiting inside, and shook his head. [Note--comma misplaced outside the single quotes.] "I don't feel too good, and somehow the idea of swimming makes me feel even sicker today. [Note--doesn't make much sense out of context, but look at the introductions/plot descriptions for D Is For Damien 2: The Night Of The Goat and "The Night Of The Goat Excerpt 4," then take into account Scorpio's fear of water, then maybe you'll see the connection.] Maybe tomorrow."

Martin moved over and Skeet stuck his head out. "Aw, c'mon, Dami! It'll be great!"

"Yeah, Dami," D. J. said, leaning on the roof from the other window. "Everyone'll be there. Even that sourpuss Ealer Konecki."

"Well, alright [sic]," Damien said, feeling a strange gnawing in his stomach. It wasn't hunger. It was something else, something worse. Trying to ignore it, he climbed in next to Ferret. "Let's go."

"To Adelphic House!" Skeet shouted.

"To Adelphic House!" everyone except Damien exclaimed. The van started off for LRU. Damien resolved to be cheerful and looked out the window, then felt sick all over again.

There, across the road, stood the lady in black. [Note--see "The Night Of The Goat Excerpt 2," "Excerpt 3," and the intro to D Is For Damien 2: The Night Of The Goat.]

"You okay?" Ferret asked. "You look like you saw a ghost."

Damien trembled. "I think I have."