fuonlyknew

Enjoy this excerpt:

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Chapter One

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            As she lay on the verge along the Pacific Coast Highway under a starless April sky, a faint bleat caught Goldie’s lips. Her heart pounded irregularly as her breath whizzed in and out of her mouth. Blurry faces swam in her vision, and obfuscated voices floated through and lingered in her distorted senses. She heard maybe six; maybe more, maybe less. Her fading bleariness made it hard to tell.

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Out of the corner of her eye, Goldie noticed the coils of steam spewing from the hood of an overturned Lexus underneath the mountain incline on the other side of the road. The red car had
smashed into a barrier.

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How did it happen?

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She sucked in the salty breeze, struggling to refocus despite her discombobulation. As she writhed in pain, she felt her eyelids flicker, pulled down by her mortality.

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Is it time to go?

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Too soon to die.

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At least let me say goodbye to…who?

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Why can’t I remember anyone?

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A hand repeatedly patted Goldie’s cheek, pulling her out of her stupor.

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“Stay with me, okay? Don’t sleep. Help is on the way.” The soothing feminine voice kept Goldie in a state of equanimity. Her gaze strayed toward its owner, a young woman with long, dark
hair bracketing a set of angelic eyes within a pale, long face etched with concern and worry.

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Angel Eyes leered down at Goldie. “Do you feel pain anywhere? Blink once for yes, and twice for no.”

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Goldie blinked once.

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“Don’t move.” Angel Eyes gleamed with emotion. “An ambulance will be here shortly.”

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“She sure looks like Goldie Saint Helen, the movie star,” came from another, astonished voice, this one belonging to a plump curly-haired girl with ringlets across her forehead. “Hey, wait a
minute―it is her!”

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Movie star? Who? Me?

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“You sure?” Goldie heard another voice ask, this one from a man. Moments later, he inched forward, revealing himself: A blond with a surfer haircut.

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“Remember Gun Kiss? We watched the movie last year,” said the curly-haired
girl.  “Goldie Saint Helen. She was kidnapped by a Mexican drug lord. Her husband saved her, and he wrote the original screenplay inspired by the incident.”

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Mexican drug lord? Husband? What’s my husband’s name?

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A chilly breeze carrying the salty air swept over Goldie’s warm body, and she shivered involuntarily.

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“Someone get her a blanket from the van,” Angel Eyes demanded.

About Khaled Talib:

Khaled Talib
is a former journalist with local and international exposure. His articles have
been published and syndicated to newspapers worldwide, and his short stories
have appeared in literary journals and magazines. Khaled is a member of the
International Thriller Writers.  He
resides in Singapore.

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