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PROLOGUE

You kno so off to sleep you feel that jolt, like you were falling and caught yourself at the last second? It’s nothing to be concerned about, it’s usually just the parasite adjusting its grip

I guess I should explain that a little further, but it will take a while And you have to pro, by the way It’s on the cover If you don’t knoho I am, that’s perfect That a which, to be frank, doesn’t paint o read it now It’s better if we get a fresh start So, hello, stranger! I’m pleased to have this fresh opportunity to try to convince you I’raph

If you do knoho I am, presumably because you read the previous book, I knohat you’re thinking and in response I can only say, "No, fuck you" Stop sendingthe class action lawsuit resulting from the publication of that book should be directed to the publisher’s legal departreedy fartsouls

Now, on with our tale Note: I apologize for the harsh language above, you’ll find that is not typical of me

EPIPROLOGUE

So here’s how fucked up this town is My friend John and I were out celebrating his birthday last suood and drunk and we headed outside of town to go climb up the water tower and piss off of it This had been John’s tradition for the last twenty years (if you do the oes back to when he turned five, which really says more about John’s parents than John) This was a special year because they were in the process of tearing down that old water tower to build a new,to have the kind of platforer a world ofand we’re taking turns pissing off of the tower (rather than going at the same time, because eren’t raised by wolves) So it’s ht at that transcendent round belohen I see headlights off in the distance A row of thehway, about a quarterThat was enough to get hway at any hour, let alone in the wee hours of the ot closer, I saw they belonged to a row of black military transports

I squinted and said, "Are we being … invaded? Because I’m too drunk to pull off a Red Dawn"

From behindio while sohts and saw that they aving lazily back and forth--the truck swerving out of control Then, with a faint crunch, the vehicle connected with a telephone pole

The rest of the convoy et zipped up, John was already clied to somehow not tu old Ford Bronco I followed hier seat before ere speeding down the lane, rows of corn whipping past, John with the Bronco in stealth hts off

We found the wrecked truck (which was built like one of the ars) off the side of the highway, its stea to eat the wooden pole We were alone with it--none of the rest of the trucks had doubled back to check on the crash, a fact that at the time I was too intoxicated to find odd We cautiously approached the vehicle John went right to the driver’s side door, I guess to see if the driver was hurt He peered into the , yanked the door open, then just stood there, in silence

I said, "What?"

Nothing frohway and said again, "What? Is he dead?"

Again, no answer