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    Juan in a Million
    Juan in a Million
    Juan in a Million
    Ebook104 pages1 hour

    Juan in a Million

    By Jason Shepherd

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    About this ebook

    Juan is one in a million; he just doesn't know it yet. He's a middle-schooler with quirky friends, an odd neighbor, and he's in love with a blond cheerleader. Juan's life changes forever one day when he comes upon a creature from another world who has invaded his house. This creature, an "Other," commands him to help him abduct teenage girls. The Others use the girls to grow hair, which is the very foundation of their society. They use the hair to make designer clothes and, more importantly, diapers for their babies. Without the hair, the Others' world would regress into a dark age. Unfortunately, life for the hair-growing girls is a dismal one. Their living and working conditions are deplorable. So the Others sneak into the human realm and steal girls, and now they've commanded Juan to help them. If he refuses, his cat will be stuffed alive, and he'll never see his parents again. If he helps them, the teenage girls of the earth, including his beloved Becky, will be destined for a life of pain and suffering. Juan, his friends, and his odd neighbor concoct a plan to save everyone: his cat, his parents, and all the girls of the earth. But complications arise that threaten to undo the whole plan. In this thrilling middle-school, sci-fi love horror adventure, the author delivers a satisfying read for lovers of all genres.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJason Shepherd
    Release dateJul 31, 2018
    ISBN9781386853077
    Juan in a Million

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      Book preview

      Juan in a Million - Jason Shepherd

      Copyright © 2014 by Jason Shepherd.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

      Jason Shepherd

      PO Box 307

      Buffalo, Oklahoma 73834

      https://storytrekker.wordpress.com

      Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

      Book Layout & Design ©2013 - BookDesignTemplates.com

      Book Cover Design ©2016 – Jaycee Shepherd

      Ordering Information:

      Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the Special Sales Department at the address above.

      Juan in a Million/ Jason Shepherd.—1st ed.

      ISBN-13: 978-1535151504

      ISBN-10: 1535151501

      This book is dedicated to my editors: Jaycee, Jack, and Douglas.

      The most exciting phrase to hear in science is not Eureka! I’ve found it but That’s funny . . .

      ―Isaac Asimov

      1.

      The Choking Doberman

      It was a normal October day in Houston. In fact, it was the first day of October. Juan walked home from school under a bright blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. It was still a little warm, but Juan sensed a certain coolness in the breezes over the last week or two. It was about to get cooler. Juan wasn’t the only one who noticed. The trees could tell the season was changing too; they were dropping a leaf every now and then, and Juan noticed.

      Juan turned the key and opened his front door. He was thirteen now, the first year his parents would allow him to walk home from school and take care of himself for a couple hours at home. His mom and dad both worked. They would be home around 5:30pm.

      He dropped his backpack in the hallway and turned on the TV in the living room. There were a bunch of boxes and bags of newly purchased stuff in the corner. His parents had gone shopping over the weekend; they really got into Halloween. There was a giant inflatable skull with stovepipe top-hat and red glowing eyes for the front yard, along with several half-skeletons that were meant to look as if they were crawling out of the ground if you placed them in the dirt in just the right way. There were ghostly window stickers and ghoulie door-hangers. There were all manner of plastic spiders and rubber snakes to place on the window sills and the front porch. Juan thought it was kind of cool, but it also scared him a little bit too.

      He then went into the kitchen to make a sandwich. When he reached for the refrigerator door handle, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a black mass on the white tile floor. He turned to look.

      It was his Doberman, Jaws. She was lying there listlessly. That was strange. She always ran to greet him when he came home from school.

      Jaws! he called out to her, but she gave no response. He could tell she was barely breathing. Her chest was in spasms, like she was trying to breathe but couldn’t.

      Juan ran over to her and shook her. He called out her name right to her face. She didn’t even notice him. He scooped her into his arms and struggled to stand upright with her. She was fully grown and weighed over 80 pounds. But it wasn’t just the weight; she was bulky and hard to get ahold of. He struggled clumsily to keep from dropping her.

      He finally got a good grip on her and headed out the front door. He stumbled across the front yard and noticed Mr. Ramirez watering his lawn across the street. When Mr. Ramirez noticed him, he immediately dropped the hose and ran to them.

      There’s something wrong with Jaws! Juan cried.

      Get in the car, Mr. Ramirez said, pointing to his ’64 Impala.

      Juan got in and held Jaws on his lap. She wheezed as her chest continued to spasm. Mr. Ramirez swerved out of the driveway and spun down the street, driving as fast as he could without endangering anyone.

      The pet clinic was not far away, but it felt like it took forever to get there. Mr. Ramirez wheeled into a parking space and brought the tires screeching to a halt. He jumped out and ran around to the passenger side and lifted Jaws.

      Get the door, he told Juan as he moved to the clinic entrance with the dog. Juan opened the door for him, and two aids met him in the lobby. They quickly took Jaws into an examination room, and Juan and Mr. Ramirez stood in the lobby and waited. The receptionist offered them something to drink, but they were too nervous to drink anything, or even to sit down.

      It felt like an eternity, but in reality it took just a few minutes for an aid to come out of the exam room and speak to them.

      Jaws is having trouble breathing, and we’re not sure why, the aid said. She might have something lodged deep in her windpipe that we can’t see, or maybe her throat is swollen due to some kind of allergic reaction. She’s wheezing, which is actually good because it means she’s getting at least some oxygen. The doctor is going to continue to work on her. If there’s something in her throat, we’ll get it out. If her throat is swelling, we’ll give her something for it. At the very least, she needs to stay here overnight for observation. Why don’t you head home and plan to come back first thing in the morning? If something comes up, I’ll call you. The receptionist has your phone number.

      Thank you, Mr. Ramirez said. Let’s go Juan.

      Can I say goodbye to her? Juan asked.

      Sure, the aid replied.

      Juan went into the exam room. Jaws lay nearly lifeless on the table. The vet was preparing to put an air hose down her windpipe. Juan hugged Jaws and told her everything was going to be all right.

      I’ll be back first thing in the morning, he said. I promise.

      Juan and Mr. Ramirez drove back to Mr. R’s house.

      Do you want to stay with me at my house? Mr. Ramirez asked.

      "I need to go home

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