B-Movie Reels Read Online Free PDF Page B

a wad of tobacco into his mouth. Between the seats, a can of Bud Lite was half-finished. He swigged the rest of the cheap beer and gained new courage. This was the first time he’d trespassed on someone’s property. He carried a .28 Smith and Wesson revolver in his side pocket in case the boy returned home unannounced. Mary-Sue understood the importance of gaining access to an item of James Ryerson’s. He could sell it for a quick buck through one of his grandsons, who were familiar with the Internet. James’s magical items could be pricy keepsakes for a demented cult following of the late magician. He could retire, sell the dairy farm, and move somewhere nice with or without Mary-Sue.  
    Mary-Sue can get pregnant and drop off the face of the Earth for all I care.
    He slammed the car door shut and walked toward the house. The evening cast its cool black veil over the miles of woods. The Ryerson house was a blackened shadow. It would be easier to sneak in that way, he thought, with the cover of night at his back.
    He spat tobacco juice into the gardenias and crept to the front door. The door wasn’t closed, but the screen door was.  
    Andy cares more about protecting his house from skeeters than burglars.  
    The would-be burglar opened the screen door and crossed into deeper shadows. He turned on a Maglight flashlight and combed the front area. It was bare except for a wooden cuckoo clock and a stack of picture frames against the wall. He flipped them over and discovered James in his magician’s get-up escaping from coffins wrapped in chains and being shot out of cannon or lying on a bed of spikes with concrete boulders stacked on his stomach. GIDEON VANISHES AT A BLINK OF AN EYE! a poster boasted in bright red lettering. He noticed the magician’s signature at the bottom.  
    “Pay dirt. What else is in this dingy place? Papa needs to retire.”
    He snuck into the living room and noticed the film projector next to a leather chair. Reels of film were stacked in a bin alongside a bottle of scotch.
    “College boys. What a life.”
    The room was empty otherwise, and Jimmy redirected his search. He checked upstairs and located more of the same: empty rooms without any personal belongings. Ned might’ve thrown them out. “That bastard better not have cheated me.”
    Or did the man burn everything? Shit, I’m wasting my time here.
    The autographed posters were worth money, but he didn’t go through all this trouble to search the house for a few autographs. The top two floors were empty, but the basement was still to be checked. Before he put his hand to the door, he heard a moan from outside.  
    Anguish.  
    He breathed hard, panicking. An icy finger crawled up his spine and burst up his brainstem. A new cry ripped through the air. His body now stiff, Jimmy waited in place, afraid to move. He finally decided the person needed help, and he couldn’t hide any longer.  
    He heard steps outside, though faintly, of feet dragging against gravel. Jimmy didn’t speak up, but instead, he crept to the door and peeked outside. The shadow of a man limped and clutched both his hands over his midsection. The person lost his footing and landed in the front yard belly-down.  
    Through the screen door, Jimmy asked, “Are you okay?”
    No answer, except for mumbles and nonsense.
    Jimmy wasn’t sure who it was or what had happened to him, but the man wasn’t in good shape. He stepped out of the house to see the man up close, but he froze when the man shouted, “Shoot me, Ray—just shoot me!”
    What the hell is the man blathering about? Who’s Ray?  
    The next piercing shout made him jump back in shock. “IT HURTS! IT’S CRAWLING UNDER MY SKIN. IT’S SUCKING THE BLOOD FROM MY VEINS, AND IT’S WORKING ITSELF INTO MY BR-AAAAIN!”
    “Goddamn, you’re acting all crazy.” He raced to the human heap near the water fountain. “You need an ambulance. You must’ve gotten yourself into some serious trouble. Why do you want