All The Write Stuff: Wicked Tongue

A typical night of partying leaves Daniel Blair with far more than a hangover.

Wicked Tongue

by C.L. Schneider

Genre: Alien Horror, Science Fiction

Finding the wicked thing inside him was only the beginning.

A typical night of partying leaves Daniel Blair with far more than a hangover. His myriad of strange symptoms defies explanation, as does the blood on his pillow. And something is very wrong with his tongue.

Afraid he contracted a terrible unknown illness, Daniel seeks help. But his frantic search for answers takes a horrifying turn. Struck by violent impulses, and compelled by a cryptic voice in his head, he commits unspeakable acts. He struggles to fight back, but something is growing inside him, changing him, breaking his mind.

As his life spirals out of control, Daniel discovers the “invasion” of his body has a purpose more insidious and far-reaching than he could ever imagine. One Earth isn’t ready for—and might not survive.

EXCERPT

At first glance, he found nothing: no bruises or cuts to indicate a fight. Not even a split lip. Red veined across his eyes. Their bloodshot, puffy appearance was much worse than normal but not entirely out of the ordinary for excess alcohol and lack of sleep. Daniel wasn’t a kid anymore. Maybe it was time to admit that and listen to what his body was telling him.

And yet, instinct still said it was more. Something else was wrong.

A hangover doesn’t make your throat swell, he thought, turning his head side to side, noticing the slight bulging on both sides of his neck.

He leaned closer to the mirror. Parting only his lips, he kept his teeth closed for a thorough check. None were missing. No chips. Thank God. Daniel ran a finger over the outside of his back teeth with no surprises. So far so good. Next, he inspected the inside of his cheeks. He found no cuts but several small lumps of swelling, like he’d bitten the sides of his mouth. While I was sleeping? Or when I fell?

If he bit down hard enough, it might explain the blood.

Except, the tissue was whole with no lacerations. Any wounds able to cause such a large stain on his pillow would still be open and painful.

This doesn’t make any sense.

Saliva gathered rapidly, begging him to swallow, filling his mouth with the same foul taste as before. Why wouldn’t it stop? Jesus Christ, I’m slobbering like a rabid dog.

Annoyed at his numerous odd ailments, Daniel bent and spat in the sink. As he watched the red stringy glob slide down the drain, irritation turned to uncertainty, to outright fear.

The blood had to be coming from somewhere.

He looked in the mirror again and opened his mouth. Relief at finding no piercing faded at the sight of his tongue. It was severely swollen and discolored, almost purple.

Did I bite it? I must have. When I fell, he decided again.

Daniel concentrated, struggling to force the memory of what happened into his mind. He and Caleb shared a cab from the diner. He remembered that much. Streetlights blurred as the car drove across town, wind blowing in the open window. Did the driver hit someone?

Maybe I smacked my face on the window?

He tried to conjure a blurry flash of something, anything, to confirm the cause.

Come on, damn it. Think!

There was nothing. Not even a notion of getting hurt.

Daniel moved his tongue side to side, grimacing as pain radiated through his entire mouth and down into his throat. He stared closer, eyes widening as they focused on his dangling uvula, shrunken and shriveled like a raisin. Holy shit. What could cause that?

A pang of hunger twisted through his gut. His stomach demanded food, but how was he supposed to eat when swallowing his own spit was a challenge.

Blood seeped out from under his tongue. Is that the source?

Daniel prepared himself for the discomfort and raised it to look underneath, expecting to discover nothing but the cut he’d been looking for. Finding something else entirely, he cried out, jumping back from the sink with a startled, garbled, “What the …?”

Pulse racing, chest heaving, he stared at his own horrified visage in the mirror—praying for what he saw not to be real. It’s a trick of the light. A shadow. That’s all it is.

Please, God, let that be all it is.

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Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGPL2T6P

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/wicked-tongue-by-c-l-schneider

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218709202-wicked-tongue

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/7vZ9rot9ObI

About the Author

C. L. Schneider is an award-winning author of immersive fantasy fiction, including The Crown of Stones Trilogy and the Nite Fire Series. While fantasy is her main focus, she also pens the occasional horror or apocalyptic tale. Born in a small Kansas town, Schneider resides in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley Region with her husband and two sons. To learn more about the worlds she creates, please visit her website at www.clschneiderauthor.com or connect with C. L. Schneider on social media, where she is an active part of the indie author community.

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