And It Arose from the Deepest Black (John Black Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

look angry or vengeful. It was just big. Just as you could stomp an anthill without ever noticing, the Gorgol crushed houses and buildings without concern. People ran in every direction like the end of days had come. Maybe it had.
     
    Watching the scene on TV, I was stunned. And that was saying something. Because I had seen some really weird shit before.
     

5
    You won’t be surprised to hear that people lost it. A giant monster rolled out of the ocean to destroy towns. There was general, widespread panic.
     
    Still, to me, it seemed a world away. The scenes on TV were from places 2,000 miles away.
     
    I actually resented the damned monster. With the paparazzi finally leaving us alone and Sol gone, I wanted nothing more than a normal life, at least for a while. The Gorgol changed all that, despite being so far distant. Everyone talked about it. Everyone was freaked out. Normal ceased to exist.
     
    Bolstered by this doomsday atmosphere, I made a decision. I was definitely going to ask Carrie out again. Not to the movies. I had to think of something great. Underage, without a driver’s license, my options were limited, which sucked. I had to be creative and go for style points.
     
    I chose to ask her to a picnic.
     
    Not a big, social picnic. Just her and me. I had the whole scene organized in my mind. I would pack a basket of food and stuff. I know, I know. I’d truly gone domestic. Deal with it. We do things to win the favor of someone we’re interested in. You’ve done something, too, I just know it. So lay off.
     
    Anyway, that was the idea. There were two parks in town. Frank Merrick Park was wooded and flat, and had great baseball fields, but wasn’t terribly good for a date. Jeremiah Underly Park, however… that one had a lake. And if I could work it out — you know, get there before the families trying to do their recreational fishing and family cookouts — a few tables there overlooked the water. It was good. Like, romantic-comedy good. I was giving myself major credit before I’d even talked to Carrie. Come on, people. Work with me, here.
     
    I walked up to Carrie on a Tuesday, between second and third period. She was at her locker, chatting with another girl, Tina Caleb.
     
    “Carrie, can I talk to you?” Too dramatic, I know. Tina raised both eyebrows and faded away without a word. Carrie blushed. And her eyes… Okay, she just blinked. But to me, well, you know. “I was wondering what you were doing on Saturday.”
     
    She looked at me without saying a word. Time passed. It seemed like eternity passed. At some point, I felt like I was watching the movie of my life, not participating in it. “The John Black Story,” rated PG-13 for occasional graphic language and sometimes death-inducing magical powers. She still didn’t respond.
     
    I had the horrible, awful feeling she was about to shout Why did you close the door? The trauma of that flashback made me turn red, I’m sure.
     
    Then finally, she said: “Did you want to ask me something?”
     
    I blinked twice, hard. “Um, I think I just did.”
     
    “You didn’t.”
     
    “Huh?”
     
    “You said, I was wondering what you were doing on Saturday . That’s a statement, not a question. A question is a sentence worded to elicit information, ending in a question mark.”
     
    I blinked again.
     
    And finally, Carrie laughed. “I’m just kidding, John.” She reached out and gave a faux punch to my shoulder. Fearing what it might do, I flinched backward. “Oh yeah,” she said. “Double-jointed.” She laughed again, and then the laughter faded, and for a second time we looked at each other in silence.
     
    Why, oh why didn’t I write notecards or some kind of speaking prompts? I knew I was terrible at talking to girls, but I did it anyway, always unprepared. She was going to say no again. I was going to die.
     
    Carrie blinked. Maybe fluttered. Maybe. “I’m not doing anything on Saturday, John. Why?” She smiled.
     
    This