Crooked Cat Books – A Novel
Success
I never thought this would happen to someone like me. I’ve got many short stories published all over the internet, and now an awesome new novel, The Punished, is out. Alexis’s story – from downtrodden to triumphant. The Punished is available NOW.
Conduit & Walsh, City of London, 1982
“Mum’s not dead,” Alexis told Paul. “It’ll be cleared up soon. I need to get to Wexham.”
“All employees are entitled to time off for dependants.”
“I don’t want time off,” she said. “These are future clients. Important business. Important to me. They need a lot of input. Deal with it, Paul.”
“I’d rather you took compassionate leave,” he whispered. “It’s going to affect your work so why not use the approved process?”
“What approved process?” Alexis asked, seeing Paul pick up the phone and dial, his thin words opening her up like a surgeon.
“Get your bones over here now, Vicky!”
He dropped the handset and rolled up his sleeves.
“To protect yourself against accusations, Alexis. It’s a very far-sighted scheme and together we must think outside the box. For example, we just need a Bushwhacker’s eye here.”
Alexis put her hands against her cheeks and felt them burning.
“Paul,” she said. “Stop messing around for one moment and deal with it.”
“We need to conceal nature’s solutions throughout the workspace,” he said. “There’s a sparrow’s wing bone under Vicky Dunlop’s desk, for example, guiding her. She doesn’t know it, but hey! Look!”
Alexis opened her eyes and saw Paul stroking a furry grey willow seed on the desk in front of her.
“Just look at what the stalk brought in.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
The willow seed exploded and a thousand tiny seeds shot out and settled all round her.
“Pooooofff!”
“Paul!” she shouted, brushing seeds out of her hair and face.
The Punished – defiant, coming-of-age
“The writing is awesome and the pacing measured. I enjoyed the dialogues, the well-developed setting, and the balanced and deft writing. The Punished is, without doubt, a work of great entertainment, a book with great psychological allure and emotional depth.” Romuald Dzemo.
Cy Forrest 
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