Out of Luck Read online

  Out of Luck

  Saga

  of the

  Shamrock Samurai

  Folktale 2

  By

  Dean Floyd

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Saga of the Shamrock Samurai Series

  Chronicles of a Chaos Wizard Series

  Dean Floyd Hangs Out Here

  Author Notes

  Chapter 1 | Wings of Death

  Chapter 2 | Rob Swellfellow

  Chapter 3 | Nightmares

  Chapter 4 | No Time

  Chapter 5 | Life Happens

  Chapter 6 | Old Oak Tree

  Chapter 7 | End the Sluagh

  Chapter 8 | Abandoned Mill

  Chapter 9 | Flight or Fight

  Chapter 10 | Justin

  Chapter 11 | Date Night

  Chapter 12 | How Not to End a Date

  Chapter 13 | Long Time No See

  Chapter 14 | There is No Game Plan

  Chapter 15 | That Changes Everything

  Chapter 16 | On the Water

  Chapter 17 | Sitting Ducks

  Chapter 18 | Bad Timing

  Chapter 19 | Through the Threshold

  Chapter 20 | The Fortress

  Chapter 21 | Lost and Found

  Chapter 22 | Black Birds Rain Down

  Chapter 23 | After All That

  Chapter 24 | Full Power

  Chapter 25 | Shattered Staff

  Chapter 26 | Payment, Pain, and Power

  Review

  BAD LUCK

  The Future of the Shamrock Samurai Saga

  Recommendation

  About the Author

  Saga of the Shamrock Samurai Series

  Tough Luck - Folktale 1

  Out of Luck - Folktale 2

  Down on Luck - Folktale 3 - Forthcoming

  Hard Luck - Folktale 4 - Forthcoming

  Pure Luck - Folktale 5 - Forthcoming

  Chronicles of a Chaos Wizard Series

  Bad Luck - Folktale 1 - *See Author Notes

  Broken Luck - Folktale 2 - Forthcoming

  Rough Luck - Folktale 3 - Forthcoming

  Lousy Luck - Folktale 4 - Forthcoming

  Dean Floyd Hangs Out Here

  Deanfloyd.com

  Goodreads Author Page

  Amazon Author Page

  Facebook

  Author Notes

  About This Story

  This is the second story of the Shamrock Samurai series, the first of which is TOUGH LUCK. If you didn’t happen to read the first story, fear not. You can get if for 99c on Amazon or Kobo, or you can click here and get if for FREE on me. You’re welcome! Either way it’s an exciting ride, and one you won’t want to miss!

  ABOUT BAD LUCK

  At the end of this story you'll find a link to yet another FREE side story featuring a major character in this story, Nehemiah Lewis Jr. If you’d like to know why it’s a good idea to grab it, head to the Bad Luck Notes at the end of the story to find out more details (also it will make more sense after you actually read TOUGH LUCK & OUT OF LUCK).

  Chapter 1

  Wings of Death

  I was working at the chiropractor's office Thursday night when something tried to kill me.

  I scrubbed the windows as sweat formed in my blue gloves. The smell of Windex and latex irritated me. I was ticked altogether. You could call me a utility specialist, but that's just a fancy way of making me feel like a special snowflake. In reality, I was a janitor.

  I was trying to get my work done before nightfall. The fluorescent lighting didn’t give any indication as to what time it actually was outside. The ultra tinted windows of the chiropractic office didn't help either. The problem with my part-time job as a janitor was that the office couldn’t be cleaned until after it closed. Closing time was an hour and a half before sundown, with little spare time to clean the whole place. Which is explicitly when Nehemiah the wizard said to be indoors. Before dark. But I only had several large windows left to clean and then I’d be done.

  I took about three paper towels, bunched them up and applied a healthy amount of Windex. Then I began a thorough scrubbing of the next window. Across the street a small homeless man took refuge under the bus stop covering provided by the city of Vallejo. With one hand he sorted aluminum cans and plastic bottles into trash liners within his shopping cart. His other hand clutched a tarp that served as a waterproof windbreaker and blanket. I'm like him, I thought, trying to sort things out.

  There was a spot of dirt on the window that resisted all my attempts to remove it. Much like the cursed symbol on my chest. No matter what I did, no matter how much rash cream, lotion, or soap I applied, the mark on my chest, the scar would not go away.

  I threw away the paper towels since they were starting to fall apart. The scratch bothered me because I couldn't go to the doctor for it. They’d think I was into some crazy occult skin burning practice. The wizard had called it a Keening, a curse Banshees conjured. She marked me for death, particularly welcoming Fomorians to come get a piece of yours truly.

  I noticed that the Windex was dripping and running down the container onto the floor. I set the container down and wiped the spots on the floor and then unscrewed the top of the Windex bottle. Nothing seemed wrong under further inspection.

  Since the big event last Thursday my supernatural senses had caught glimpses of things, and I did my best to get indoors before nightfall. The wizard's warning sounded like the very next day I'd get murdered. And yet nothing happened. No weird creaking doors opening by themselves, no ghostly apparitions appearing to haunt me, no angry Banshee’s sisters ready to avenge the death of their kin. Nope, just me and my senses stressing me out.

  I went to screw the lid back to the bottle but fumbled and dropped it on the floor. The contents splashed out into a huge puddle. I gritted my teeth. Perhaps the wizard doesn’t know what he’s talking about, I thought. He sure as heck couldn't help me at all.

  We defeated a Banshee together. You'd think we'd bond over our shared experience. Afterwards he mentioned something about training. He’d escorted my family and I home, saw us to the front door of my mom’s house, but when I turned to thank him, poof, the pickup truck drove away. No cell phone, no email, no way to contact him. Only a first name. He split as soon as the threat was over. Thanks, bro.

  As I bent down to clean up the mess something fluttered past the large window in the reception area. I looked out to the front parking lot but saw nothing other than the homeless guy who flailed his arms and moved his mouth. Probably a drug abuser.

  That’s weird. I thought I saw something. Is my mind messing with me? It’s like when your friend buys a blue Ford Focus and then all you see all around town is blue cars and Ford Focus models. Maybe I was on edge because of the Keening marring my chest and I was starting to see things that weren’t there. Take a chill pill Sean.

  I grabbed another wad of paper towels not even caring how much I used and wiped up the floor as best as I could. You’d think Nehemiah would be an easy name to track down on Facebook. Especially locally. But there was nothing on the guy. It was like he didn't exist on the interwebs. It didn't help that he had wiped my family's memory. It’s like none of it happened. The only thing that kept me sane, was the Keening itself, a constant reminder that the events of last Thursday were in fact real.

  The irritating burn on my chest wouldn't go away. I could live with it if it was more like a tattoo. But it wasn't a tattoo. In fact every day I would scratch off a fresh layer of dead skin from the mark. All this itching and scratching left my chest raw and stinging and no amount of cream did anything.

  The squeaking of the Windex on the floor almost covered up the screech. What was that? I stopped wiping and listened. It was quiet. I swear I heard a
loud bird, I thought. But it was hard to tell above the squeaking of the paper towel on the floor. The office was on Tennessee Street, one of the main streets in Vallejo where I lived. Like Georgia Street it ran the entire length of the city from East to West except this street led to the old Mare Island shipyard. I was a few blocks away from the city’s waterfront where birds flew and congregated, particularly near the docks. Probably just a big bird. People hear weird things when they're alone.

  I finished cleaning. Now I needed to return the cleaning supplies back to the cabinet, arm the alarm system, then get in my Mustang and drive back to my apartment in the dark.

  I could see almost nothing through the tinted black windows of the front office because it was now night outside. As my finger reached out to arm the alarm system, my Keening burned. A screech cut through the silence again. It was so loud this time I dropped the keys on the floor.

  Frantic movement outside caught my attention. It was the homeless guy. His redeemable recycle collection lay discarded as he sprinted away from something, looking over his shoulder every few seconds. He dropped to the ground bringing his tarp over him. No sooner had he hit the pavement then a feathered creature of shadow descend out of the sky. Had the man not dodged the winged creature, it would have collided with him.

  Ah crap, I thought, he needs help. I scraped up the keys, ran through the doorway and called out to the man. "Are you alright?" I stopped on the curb, putting my hand against a small tree and looked skyward regarding the monster.

  In shape and form it was a bird of prey. Midnight blue feathers adorned its body, and its wings were open wide like a seven foot bear trap. What was striking was not so much its mass but its butcher knife-sized talons outstretched and ready to rip my head off my shoulders. My senses were going off like crazy and my heart pounded harder than a dubstep beat.

  I reached into myself and found the well of power, the Good Luck, waiting to be tapped. I drew on it and my hands began to glow. Celtic knots swirled in intricate patterns around my arms.

  As the beast flew at me I raised my hands to blast it but hesitated, the spark of an idea giving me an epiphany. Instead of launching pure energy at the monster, I pushed the Celtic knots away from my hands. The lines extended out in front of me.

  The monster was swooping low for an attack and I was right in its path. At the last second I dodged to the side and flung my Luck at the creature.

  The Luck spread rapidly over the bird until it was literally tied up in magic knots.

  It crashed on the asphalt hard, letting out a heart-piercing screech that cut through the silence of the night.

  The little man peeked out from under the tarp.

  "Come on get up!" I said. "Let's get out of here." I grabbed him by the shoulders, and together we ran for my car.

  In a split second I grabbed my car key amidst the array of keys on my keychain. I was running so fast to my car I had to skid to a halt on the asphalt, losing tread on my sneakers. I tried to jam my key into the keyhole but it slipped out of my hands!

  The bird screeched again and I saw its wings expand, straining against my trap, the glowing knots stretching, until the Luck shattered. So much for calling it Luck magic.

  I needed my cell phone flashlight but there wasn't time because the monster was approaching for another strike. The sound of wings on the wind made me feel like a rat under the watchful eye of a hawk. I faced my attacker.

  As it swooped down I rolled away and felt a gust of wind. A foul stench invaded my nose. The monster almost ran headlong into my car but pulled out of its dive and perched on a nearby building.

  “Help me find the keys!” I yelled at the man as I reached under the car frantically seeking but my fingers just couldn't find them, like crumbs of food that fell far underneath the fridge. The terrible screech sounded again and then a loud thud as my car shook. The sound of talons scraping on the metal of my car chilled me like a whisper on my neck.

  While that happened my fingers found my keys, closing around them in a tight grasp. I arose quick, face-to-face with feathered monstrosity. Behind its beak something struck me as wrong. Humanoid eyes peered back at me behind the onyx beak and the sight made my mouth dry. They say our gut reaction is either fight or flight. Fight! Cocking back my fist, I hooked the disgusting creature upside the head and it fell off the side of my car. I sure wish my Luck magic had kicked in and blown its head clean off.

  I jammed my key into the lock, opened the door and got in. The little fellow jumped into the passenger seat. As I turned the ignition, I realized that in my haste I had forgotten to shut the door and the giant bird monster was now hovering over my car and grasped my shoulder with its claws.

  Chapter 2

  Rob Swellfellow

  The engine fired to life, and I slammed the door on the monster but not before it ripped away, tearing through my jacket and drawing blood. I cried out in pain as I peeled out of the parking lot, my tires answering the cry of the bird.

  Even though we were putting distance between the monster and the Mustang my senses were alerting me that something supernatural was close by. “Can you see it?” I asked the little man.

  He looked out the rear window. “Nah,” he said. “It’s flying West, the opposite direction.”

  “You okay?” I said to the little man I’d rescued.

  “I am now, that’s for sure,” said the man. He had a funny accent. He held out his hand.

  “Sean O’Farrell,” I said giving him a firm shake.

  "Rob Swellfellow VII." His hand was notably small, almost tiny. Auburn hair peeked out from under his cap and fell over the collar of his thick wool coat. He gave me a wide grin. “My friends call me Rob the Hob."

  His eyes darted to my shoulder, and he became very serious. "Oh no. You're hurt." He leaned close to me and examined my torn jacket, and the blood that was now running down my arm. "Oh this is bad."

  As he examined me, I studied him. The more I gazed at him the more alien he looked. He wasn’t a short person, he wasn’t even human to begin with. Had I escaped one monster only to invite another into my car?

  His mouth was stretched across his oval head from ear to ear, like a muppet. His eyes and nose were squished together in the center of his face. He had elf-like ears whose pointy tips drooped slightly like a dog. What struck me was that he didn't smell homeless, which is to say he didn't reek of garbage or a lack of bathing. Actually he smelled pretty nice. Reminded me of an old pipe-tobacco-smoking grandpa.

  I can’t let my guard down because of nostalgia. My abs tightened. I reached out with my senses and sure enough the something I detected was this creature sitting in my car, with only a center console and a stick shift between us. One week of peace and these monsters gang up on me during the same stinking night? Awesome, I thought to myself.

  Again I reached into myself trying to find that secret well of power, the Luck magic but it was allusive.

  "What are you doing? Are you trying to access your magic again?" asked the creature.

  I didn't waste time with pleasantries. I jerked the car off to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes. Grabbing him by the collar, I pulled him close to my face. He let out a high-pitched cry.

  "Try anything funny buddy and I'll blow your pointy-eared head off." I meant to be threatening but my demeanor completely changed when I realized that he was floating in the air. On impulse I pulled my hand back and screamed. He stayed there, toppling like a NASA astronaut, and screamed too. After we both ran out of breath we kind of stared at each other, me sitting there grounded by gravity and him rotating upside down through the air above my passenger seat.

  "You're floating,” I said.

  "You can see my ears?"

  The sincerity of the question through me off. "Well yeah. Can't everyone?"

  "You can see through my Glamour. But you're just a human. That means you've been..."

  "To the Otherside," I finished.

  "Took a quick trip to Tir na nOg huh?


  "Tear-na what?" I said.

  “The Otherside. You humans have many silly names for it. The Netherworld, the Underworld, the Otherworld, Neverland, Nevernever, Narnia. How did you end up there?"

  "It's a long story.”

  "I've got all day. A whole lifetime even. I'm practically immortal," he said grinning.

  I furrowed my eyebrows and got back on the road, racking my brain how to even begin. A sharp whistling caught my ear. A sword had been thrust through the roof of my Black ‘69 Mustang Fastback. I’d inherited the car from my dad after he passed away. Not having the funds to fix it, I’d done my best to patch it with nature’s best; Gorilla Duct Tape. It sounded like I needed to apply more. That stuff’s not cheap! The car had never been in mint condition, but if my dad could see it now he’d kill me.

  I sighed and recounted the whole tale to him. Before I knew it I had driven back to my apartment on autopilot and we were parked under the night sky. “...and now I’m stuck with this Keening,” I concluded.

  “It smells. Like death,” he said.

  I looked around realizing I was back at home. "Sorry, I spaced and brought you back to my place. I didn't even ask where you wanted to go."

  He laughed. “I couldn't go anywhere else even if I wanted to. You saved me back there. I owe you a life debt.”

  I had to chuckle at that. “No, really,” I said. “Don’t be polite. Where do you want to go?”

  Instead of answering, he got out of the car and motioned for me to follow until I stood next to him. “Pick me up and fling me as far as you can,” he said.

  I glared at him.

  “Watch what happens,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

  I picked him up by the armpits. He was lighter than a gallon of milk.

  “As hard as you can,” said Rob.

  “Okay, I get it.” I flung him through the air. He flew some distance, then abruptly his body slowed down, and he was flung back towards me by some invisible force. He was heading straight at me and I had to duck out of the way.