Here is the 2nd MacKenzie story I wrote. I seriously need to reread my own work. I have only the vaguest idea of what happened. I do know I introduce Jason's Jericho Mills character AND give you your first glimpse of Ferrymen, Inc!

Something interesting I found out when pulling up the original document is that this story was a PROMPT story! It was a game 'back in the day' where we were given an item, a problem and an event and had to create the story from it. Below is what I was given.
         
Items: tire iron, broken wristwatch
Problems: burnt out light bulb, incompetent boss
Events: old friend coming town, job fair

To get you ready for my upcoming delve into Maudit, Louisiana, I present to you the first Detective MacKenzie story. There are two such stories in existence but here is where it started. (Personally, I think I like the 2nd better, though it could be faulty memory)

Does the character change in the stories? Probably. It's been an age since I wrote them. Still, I'm hoping you may come to like him, especially as you'll be seeing more of him this year.

Note: This story is bloody and Lovecraftian. You have been warned.

My aunt used to work nights at a hotel. She never could get the knack of sleeping through the night, so it made perfect sense to her to have two jobs to have something to do. One night, the front desk got a static-filled 'call' from an empty room. It was a phone system glitch but it scared her.

I could probably win a medal if there was a sleep competition and can only write about creepy things instead of experiencing them firsthand.

Also note, while my aunt did work at a hotel and has fantastic red hair that turned into a stunning blonde color when it 'grayed', my aunt is NOT Sonia. Also, Maudit features once or twice in my short work but it's also not a real place.

Here you will see a PERFECT example of last minute work. Many, many moons ago a small group of us were given prompts and a week to write a story. I put the PRO in procrastination and simply forgot to write it.

The setup is familiar to you now. It was basically a 'purge' scenario long before such movies were commonplace. Newanderthal called it 'Thinning Day' in which a list of those who could legally be killed was published and they had to survive 24 hrs before the day was over and they were safe again.

I  briefly wondered how hard it would be to put someone's name on such a list. Bureaucratic nonsense being what it is, below is my contribution to the group. (not surprisingly, the others' stories blew mine clear out of said county).