Ghosts of Punktown (32 page)

Authors: Jeffrey Thomas

Had it only been her imagination that, while it had briefly perched atop one of the encased bodies, the bulb had paused to regard her in turn? Ah, but it was a human trait to anthropomorphize things. Things such as plants and machines.

Inasmuch as it was possible that the Jungle, and Punktown, could sleep – they slept.

Hanako didn’t know how long it would be before her system shut down entirely. An hour, a month, a year? If an extended measure of time, she didn’t mind. Her only real ambition had been to make her existence as comfortable as possible, and this was a quiet place, a peaceful place -- like a secret garden.

About the Author

JEFFREY THOMAS’s other books set within his world of Punktown include the novels DEADSTOCK (finalist for the John W. Campbell Award), BLUE WAR, HEALTH AGENT, EVERYBODY SCREAM! and MONSTROCITY (finalist for the Bram Stoker Award), and the short story collections PUNKTOWN, VOICES FROM PUNKTOWN and PUNKTOWN: SHADES OF GREY (coauthored with Scott Thomas). His Punktown stories have been translated into German, Russian, Polish and Greek editions, and Miskatonic River Press has created a role-playing game based on the Punktown universe. Thomas lives in Massachusetts.

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