DEADTOWN

Chapter 1

** Special thanks to ObsessedwithChance for the AWESOME book cover!!

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Adam pulls into the 7-11 parking lot. He was going to get him a bite to eat before heading to work at the radio station where he was a disc jockey.

This was his daily routine. He always left home early so he could eat and joke around awhile with his best friend, Emoni, who worked at the store.

But today, he had an uneasy feeling. He couldn't place his finger on it but he felt extremely nervous about something. You know when you have this feeling that something bad is going to happen but just don't know what?

He should have listened to his feelings and went elsewhere to get something to eat.

As Adam opens the door and walks in, the smiling happy face that normally greeted him was full of fear.

"NO! ADAM! RUN!" Emoni screams.

Adam freezes in his tracks as he sees two masked gunmen. One gunman nervously turns his gun toward Adam.

Emoni's piercing scream was the last thing that Adam remembered.

~~~

"So is this the new guy?" A female voice says.

"Yeah, I guess so. He's been out of it for awhile. I guess he's going to join us." A bass voice says.

"He's cute." The female voice comments.

"Definitely." The bass chuckles.

Adam could hear the voices clearly but found it impossible to open his eyes. Did he get shot? Was he in the emergency room and the voices was the doctor and nurse?

"Well, I'm going to go. Take care of him." The female says.

"It's not my first time, Jenika." The bass laughs.

"I know." The woman giggles. "But he'll be quite shocked when he comes to."

"They always are." The man says.

What in the hell was going on? What were they talking about? If he had been shot, why wasn't he feeling any pain?

Adam heard a door open and close as the lady must have left. He tries to relax as the room falls silent.

He had the feeling he was not alone. The doctor maybe? He suddenly hears a sigh and then the sound of a lighter and caught a whiff of a cigarette.

The doctor smoking in the emergency room? Highly unlikely.

He tries once again to open his eyes. As his eyes flutter open, he slowly looks around the room. The decor was not that of a hospital emergency room but of an old western type hotel room that he had seen in western movies.

His eyes catch sight of cigarette smoke hanging in the air like a blanket of fog. The trail of smoke leads to a man sitting in a chair next to the bed.

The man sat with his legs crossed, stretched out in front of him. Staring off into the distance as he slowly smoked on his cigarette. As if he was patiently waiting on something.

His dark brown hair hung to his shoulders. A light beard adorns a very handsome face.

Adam groans as he starts to sit up.

"Well, I was wondering when you were going to join us." The man says calmly as he puts out his cigarette. Getting up from his chair, he sits down on the side of the bed.

"Where am I?" Adam asks as once again he glances around the room then back to the stranger sitting close by. Beautiful brown eyes stare back at him. "And who are you?"

"You're in Deadtown and my name is Tim. Any more questions?" Tim smiles.

"Deadtown? Is that in Minnesota?" Adam asks with a confused look.

"Uh, no." Tim chuckles and shakes his head. "Not quite."

"Well, where is it?" Adam asks.

"Before I tell you about our little town maybe you should tell me what happened to you." Tim says, turning his body to face the new guy. "Starting with your name."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Adam, Adam Rupp." Adam smiles holding out his hand.

Tim smiles as he shakes the newcomer's hand. "No need for last names around here."

"Really, okay?" Adam asks then slightly shakes his head. "Anyway, I was heading for work. I'm a disc jockey there at the radio station in Mankato. I stopped by the 7-11 like I always do to talk to my friend, Emoni."

Adam suddenly stops talking as images of the incident plays out in his mind.

"Oh, my God. She was getting robbed and she yelled for me to run. One of the robbers turned his gun on me and I heard Emoni scream. That's all I remember." Adam says, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry." Tim says softly in a low voice as he takes the newcomer by the hand.

"For what?" Adam says as he glances down at their hands.

"My turn." Tim says, ignoring the question. "Let's see. How would I describe Deadtown? Maybe an abyss between Heaven and Hell."

"What?" Adam laughs. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Adam, I said that I was sorry because you didn't survive the gunshot." Tim says sadly, shaking his head.

Adam's smile falters as he stares into Tim's eyes. The man sitting in front of him was being completely serious.

"What!? What are you saying, Tim?" Adam says, jumping up from the bed. Pacing back and forth in front of the brown-eyed man. "You trying to tell me that I'm dead? You're nuts! What kind of sick joke are you trying to play on me?"

Tim sighs as he slowly stands up. He has gone through this many times with the others when they arrived.

"Adam." Tim says as he reaches out and grabs the blonde's arm and turns him to face him. "I wish I was joking but I'm not. Every resident in this place is dead. Including myself. All of us died an untimely death. Murdered, car accident, suicide, drowning, plane crash."

"I can't be dead, Tim. My momma's birthday is in a few days. I never got a chance to tell her bye." Adam says, his voice cracking.

"I know." Tim says quietly as he pulls the blonde into his arms. "I never got a chance to tell mine bye either."

There was a light tap on the door as it slowly opens.

A skinny young man with long curly reddish-brown hair peeks in. He had a boyish face with a few freckles.

"How's he doing?" The man asks.

"Denial." Tim answers, rubbing Adam on the back. "Adam, this is Austin. He went fishing off the coast of Florida. His boat started taking on water and sunk. He was unable to swim back to shore. He drowned."

"Oh, my God." Adam whispers as he lays his head on Tim's shoulder, gripping tightly to his shirt.

"I think it's time you met the others." Tim says as he wraps his arms around the blonde to comfort him. "Austin, gather everyone and meet us at the Saloon."

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