Free The Rising Dead by Devan Sagliani Page A

felt really guilty about letting her dad down. He wasn't the pushy type like her mom was. Her dad was the quiet, confident type, an engineer who'd worked hard his whole life with no breaks and nothing handed to him. He was her real role model, inspiring her to do it all herself and not wait for anyone to hand her what she dreamed for her life. Her dad had shown her through his example how he'd ripened his disappointments--he’d called them ‘the sour vinegars of mere mortal existence’--into a sweet wine, enjoying each moment as it unfolded on life's terms. He was pretty much the most fearless man she knew because he accepted things as they actually were. Unlike most people, he didn't lie to himself or try to candy-coat reality. Back home, people referred to him as ‘the sensitive, artistic type’ behind his back. That wasn't it at all. He was thoughtful and introspective, never callous or cut off from his emotions. He was always seeing the best in people and trying to get other people to see it, too. That was part of what Max loved about him.
    Max caught her mind drifting and reminded herself she was hosting a live show. She held up several new DVD releases, their covers facing out toward the camera. She'd been getting a steady stream of them since she added “The Alt Review” to her show. It was nice to get new releases before they were out without having to bootleg them off torrent anymore. It was taking a minute to get used to the whole “going straight” thing. She hadn't been on Pirate Bay for months. It was, well, weird.
    “ El Diablo De Santa Muerta? This movie is pretty weak, but rentable. Seems like a good choice this Halloween if it hits your On Demand for under three dollars. Buy a bottle of tequila and do a shot every time someone screams Dios Mio! You'll be wasted in the first fifteen minutes.”
    She threw the movie on the ground and it crashed, then rolled over by the door, almost hitting Parker’s shoe while he watched on in silent amazement. Though she didn't turn her head, he got the distinct feeling that somehow she knew he was there and it sent chills up his spine for a single, tingling second. He'd tried the door and it had opened so he came in. Thunderdome rules. He thought he might seem like a good guy, dropping by to invite her to a party. Now he felt like a creepy stalker as he waited for her to finish her broadcast. Still, there was something so magical about her that he completely understood how so many of her fans had fallen under her spell. Watching her he completely forgot himself for a moment and was sucked in to her quirky, Cosplay show.
    “ Dark Children of the Black Dream . This movie kinda blew me away. With the mix of conceptual images meant to be the serial killers inner monologue slash dream-scape and the over the top gore and violence it kept me on the edge of my seat, which is hard to do. Trust me. Plus it was full of hot topless chicks, so you know you'll love that.”
    She shook her breasts at the camera and giggled like a naughty school girl before chucking the movie away, striking the door next to Parker. He ducked as it flew past him.
    Okay, he thought, she definitely knows that I’m here. She’s obviously throwing things at me on purpose.
    “Next up we have Hell Hearse , a not altogether awful movie, despite kinda ripping off Stephen King's Christine a bit. Guess any time you have a possessed vehicle now it's an homage to King, so that may not be all that fair. Still if you're going to have a car that is controlled by blood thirsty demons what better kind to have than a hearse? Plus this one seems to only kill people who are total dicks as it goes down its owners shit list, knocking off people who've wronged her one by one. At one point the car seems to eat the nosy local cop that won't stop asking questions. You'll have to see it to believe it. It's dark and glossy and has a great soundtrack. For such a low budget movie we don't know how they got so many big names