Here’s a little bit more from my novel-in-progress, The Forest Dark. In the second part of the book, which takes place in 2009, I introduce Louie, who is the son of one of the characters we followed in the first part of the book, which takes place in 1984. Meet Louis Ronald Reagan White.

Well dude, Noah saves the day once more, Louie thought.

When he’d opened the box with the knife in it at his birthday party in April, it had all seemed a little dramatic.

“Don’t laugh,” Noah’d said, when Louie tried the switchblade’s spring release for the first time. “I’d be happier if you carried a gun.”

They’d all had a good chuckle at that. Maybe a gun wasn’t such a bad idea after all, though the knife seemed to work pretty well for today’s asshole in the park.

Zeke! Where are you, man? I’m hungry.

As soon as he got to the bottom of the hill, Louie’s mobile signal returned and he’d called Zeke Montero. He would pick Louie up, they would go to the Brite Spot on Sunset, like they almost always did on Tuesdays for the meatloaf.

Louie didn’t know what was in it and didn’t care much. It tasted fine and it was their breakfast.

He didn’t have to wait long for Zeke, who still drove the chill red Pontiac Grand Prix he’d fixed up in high school and tried to perfect while at Los Angeles City College. As short and thick as Louie was deceptively tall and lean, Zeke had been best friend to Louie since they were in fifth grade without interruption except for one teenage summer when the Monteros stayed with their relatives on Lake Chapala.

Louis thought he’d never see Zeke again. But there he was, first day of school, hair slicked back with Brilliantine, like no time had passed at all. Continue reading →