The Vampire Squid and Other Stories
by
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The Vampire Squid:
A dark uniformed soldier opened the main gate and waved through their convoy of two . Rolling slowly they passed a patch of woods featuring Maine tree species, a hard surfaced exercise field and on the next bend low buildings, sidewalks and small shrubs.
The bus jolted around turns and a service man stood in the isle, cleared his throat ... began a prepared speech. "Thank-you for accepting our invitation to Fort Charon. Unlike most modern facilities Fort Charon is all male … but that doesn't mean we're amenity free … You can see we aren't exactly Sparta." The windows framed a moving picture of sun burnt snow, paved basket ball and tennis courts… a soccer field /baseball combo dotted with blue puddles sublimely awaited players. "Fort Charon competes against teams at other bases, our men are new but some of the best."
Around the next corner loomed a communications tower, disguised as tree, a boulder pile hid other features; relay dishes and metal geodesic domes. Several men appeared from behind barracks, lab coats worn loose over khaki, they were hatless, had a civilian air about them. "We have many of the finest minds in the US stationed here, collected from all over; M.I.T. , Cal tech, Michigan, Syracuse, Notre Dame …we're very proud of the quality of our researchers
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About the Book
In her new collection of stories, author Lucia Bartlett presents three tales that explore unexpected and strange departures from normal life.
The Vampire Squid continues a tale of the residents of Foster Lake. Fall, 2019 has families going about their business in the small northern Maine town when odd sightings are reported at the woman’s prison. Then in March 2020, days before Covid lock-down, The Lane School takes a field trip to a new underground military facility that leaves teachers & students with unsettling impressions. When the women’s prison raises the alarm; children are in danger, it’s up to Anne Stevens to find out the truth.
Set in year 2030, “Papercuts” follows twenty-three-year-old Wesley, a warehouse supervisor who yearns to become a CERT; part of the executive team. He obeys their orders but is manipulated into disaster when a beautiful coworker seduces him. The ultimate cost may be his sanity—or his life.
“The Community,” goes back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, at a time when epidemic suicide hits an upper middle class housing development and explores the possibility that expectations of perfect family life may not be healthy.
About the Author
Lucia Bartlett believes Northern Maine is a place of healing and peace, little settlements carved out of endless forest are her greatest love. She spends happy hours working in the woods with her family. She’s also believes in the power of plants, that stars have answers and life is spirit. People struggle with humanity and purpose and Lucia’s no exception. Her greatest wish is to give others a break, so they might live in her books for awhile.
Some may say Lucia’s a satirist. She takes it well.
The Vampire Squid is her 3rd novel in a sequence following The King of Maine and The Donkey Club. The Donkey Club is for all ages. Add a year for The King of Maine and four years later the characters reappear in The Vampire Squid
The Vampire Squid is contemporary fiction, ‘Papercuts’ is the future; 2030 and ‘The Community’ is the past.