Author’s Note: The following is Chapter 18 of the my online book “Excited Delirium”. Please post comments. Please tell your friends about this story. If you’ve missed a chapter, please click here for Chapter 1 (Prelude) or here for the full index.

“And what, pray tell, were you doing at a meeting like that?” Matthew asked Heather sternfully.

Matthew was an imposing character, of Scottish heritage, ruddy face and ruddier nose, both brought on buy an enormous amount of drinking over the bulk of his 62 years, but also by facing the merciless winds of January as he worked his farm. He weighed about 280 pounds, most of it at his centre, but a good chunk with his arms as well, given the volume of lifting and heaving that he had to do on the farm. He was in surprisingly good shape, particularly given the abuse that he hurled at himself, and he was proud of the fact that he could out-lift a man half his age. Continue reading →