Mean Spirited

by Nick Roberts

Her dying image was that of her daughter cowered in the corner between the toilet and the shower, eyes wide and fixed, mouth hanging agape, frozen in a scream caused by God knows what.

The lady with the two-thousand-dollar designer dog is quoting me on the virtues of animal rescue.

He was pulling the door shut when he saw the smiling face underneath Mikey’s bed. His heart froze as the black eyes and pale skin receded into the dark.

HELL NAH

The yellow light illuminated the hallway to show Mikey crawling across the ceiling and back to his bedroom.

Nope

Conehead was standing on his hind legs staring straight at Matt, grinning ear to ear.

“Jesus H. Christ,” Mund said. “Six deaths and two home invasions in just under a week, and the only link is a Labrador named Conehead.”

The dog had his head twisted completely around with the edges of his mouth twisted up in a hideously demonic grin.

The amount of times I have said "absolutely not" while reading this book is absurd.

The world experienced a collective existential crisis, and you’re expecting kids to keep chugging along like everything is hunky dory? Go fuck yourself.

He supposed that was one of the problems he’d have to work on: instant gratification.

Same

“It’s OK to be scared, son,” he said, keeping his focus. “It’s what you do when you’re scared that counts.”

Sometimes doing the right thing feels wrong.”