First Destroy All Giant Monsters (The World Wide Witches Research Association) by D.L. Carter Read Free Book Online Page A

she was working on a project. Somehow having sixteen or seventeen e-ink readers didn’t have the same effect.
    Go figure.
    She needed coffee again. Lots of it. Now. Even though she knew it was dangerous to her system she needed it to think. To function.
    Maybe she should try half caf, half decaf, or maybe a latte for the tryptophan effect. She glanced through the window and paused. The store was quiet, barely any customers, which was good. She’d have no trouble getting someone to answer questions if they weren’t being bothered by other demands. A second look brought a frown to her face. She’d seen people dozing off in bookstores before, there was something soporific about bookstores and libraries after all, but she’d never see a place where all the customers were dozing in chairs before lunch time. The staff was barely moving. Over near the far wall an old man was holding onto the bookshelves to keep himself upright as he restocked.
    Odd. Very odd.
    Amber put one hand on the glass and pushed.
    And fell.
    Even as the door moved under her fingers she felt the rush of her strength fleeing her body. Her vision grayed and her muscles suddenly were the consistency of cooked spaghetti. Through a red haze she saw her arms move forward too slowly to break her fall as she collapsed. She could hear shouts, voices wrapped in cotton wool, and strangely, the ocean surging. The carpet swelled up and slammed against her face. Aware that she was lying down in public she tried to push herself up, but had only the strength to lie panting on the carpet while feet approached and gentle hands turned her over. She was dragged further into the store, away from the door that kept trying to close despite her body being in the way. A thick cushion was forced under her head and she stared up at a jumble of concerned faces.
    She tried to draw breath to speak. With her chest crushed by an unseen weight, she could do nothing more than gasp. Faces passed into her graying field of vision and disappeared.
    “Call an ambulance,” said a voice above her head.
    I need to get up, thought Amber, Get out of here. I need … I need to stand up.
    She couldn’t get a single muscle to move.
    “Are you pregnant?” demanded another voice. Then continued. “My daughter couldn’t stay on her feet with her first.”
    “That might have been the cause,” said another with a nasty laugh.
    She couldn’t stay on the floor. No, ridiculous. Bad. Vulnerable. Undignified. She should get up. Right now. But no, her body refused to obey. Refused to answer her mind. She groaned a little, just to confirm to herself she was still conscious, still alive, even while her body ached with exhaustion and darkness dragged her down.
    She had no idea how much time had passed when the world came back again. She was lying on her back, still on the dusty carpet with her head tilted up on a thick unyielding chair cushion. She tried to sit up but hands reached toward her from every direction to make her lie down again. One hand swam into view clutching a large cup.
    “Take it easy,” said a man’s voice. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
    Amber blinked rapidly, trying to clear her blurred sight. Overhead and upside down she saw a tall, thin man with graying hair and worried blue eyes. Nice, kind, warm voice. She smiled at it. Comforting voice with just enough authority to make her reach for the cup.
    “It’s alright, dear,” said a woman’s voice. “My daughter used to do this all the time when her sugar got low. Just drink a little milk and you’ll be fine.”
    “I am fine.” insisted Amber, struggling against the hands holding her down – and gravity, which seemed stronger here.
    “The ambulance is on its way,” said the man. “Stay where you are for a little longer.”
    “No, really,” Amber finally managed a sitting position leaning against one of the helpful ladies, tried to take the cup and missed, twice. After her second attempt she sat and permitted her