The Dead Game Read Online Free PDF

to give herself time to stroll slowly along the beach outside her apartment. The small town on the coast of Florida woke early with the dawn. Fishermen took out their boats at daybreak in order to bring in their catch before dinner time. People jogged along the beach; some ran with their dogs.
    She felt the cool breeze curl its fingers around her neck and delicately lift the strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail—feeling like a soft caress. She took the path that ran beside the beach, passing other residents and some tourists, who were strolling by the beach. She waved a friendly hello to them. Bob, who lived in the town’s residential area, merrily waved hello to her. He never missed his morning jog. The Green family ran by, all waving wildly; the parents and two daughters were training for the upcoming marathon.
    The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves caused her to glance up at the trees bordering the beach. Through the tall trees, she spotted the bright sun shining majestically in the dark azure velvety sky. She remembered last night and the eerie sounds of the wind.
    The atmosphere in town at night was much different from the one during the day. During the day only tourists, the younger residents, and seasonal residents could be seen walking around town and shopping. Once in a while the fishermen’s families visited town for supplies. Only after nightfall did the older residents visit town to shop or to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. The mysterious parties on the hill took place only after the sun set. What a strange town, thought Linda, when the busiest part of the day occurred at night.
    This morning she recognized, from a distance, the man who’d bought the deserted house on the hill below End House. It was a huge modern structure with blacked-out windows. She raised her hand to greet him and his golden retriever jogging close beside him on the beach. He abruptly turned away and continued jogging. He was a tall muscular man with a full head of black hair and piercing black eyes. He had an elegant-looking face with a fine patrician nose. Too bad, contemplated Linda as she continued walking, he wasn’t too friendly. His dog turned his head to stare longingly at her, looking more human than his owner.
    Determined not to let this unpleasant encounter ruin her day, she chose to concentrate her thoughts instead on her delightful walk to work. She turned onto Main Street to follow the circular path that she took every morning.
    Her daily walk began at the grassy park, which was busy with children playing, people taking walks or jogging. She strolled past Edward and Tom’s hardware store, Shirley’s agency, and Louise’s dress shop. She crossed over a small side street to continue her walk by Hank’s Auto Body Shop and the huge brown brick Town Hall. On the block behind the Town Hall, she was able to glimpse the top of the church’s tall bell tower. The church was a popular meeting place for the younger residents on Sunday mornings.
    At the Town Hall, she crossed over Main Street to turn back in the direction of the beach. She passed the sheriff’s office, where the sheriff and his young deputy kept a close eye on everyone and everything in town, and then Minnie & Frank’s Grocery.
    She crossed back over the side street to reach her own block. Glancing into Mike and David’s store windows, she noticed that their antique shop was still very dark inside—the green tinting on its windows made it appear even darker.
    At her shop she unlocked the door. Each morning as she turned on the lights for the day, she experienced a warm feeling of belonging rush through her. She was happy that she had moved to Oasis, even though she had to force herself to overlook all the weird occurrences in town and to think of them as part of the town’s own special uniqueness.
     
    On Sundays many tourists and residents frequented Linda’s shop to sample her homemade coffee and pastries while lingering to socialize.