Disclaimer: This story is entirely fictional and is in no way connected with the subject. This story contains adult material and is only suitable for people over the age of 18. If you are under 18 please stop reading now. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living, dead, or otherwise, is purely coincidental. All characters portrayed in this story are over 18. Stephen King has not endorsed this fiction.
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Stephen King. A fucking legend. The greatest author of all time, not just in my view, but the opinion of writers worldwide. A veritable one man publication house.
I knew that he'd written over sixty novels and hundreds of short stories. The creator of iconic characters and entire genres - the Shining, It, Carrie - oh my God the list is endless. I myself was proud to have published a single novel after months of hard work that sapped me to the core. To have published as prolifically as he was just beyond my imagination.
My legs jiggled as I waited impatiently in the queue for a book signing by the legend. His appearance at the Downtown Grand Casino had been publicised weeks ahead of time, and since it was only a forty minute drive from my house I could not resist. I purchased a copy of the new anthology at the entryway desk and then joined the snaking conga line to await my turn for a short audience with God himself.
The line inched forward and I chatted nervously with other fans about inconsequential this-and-that. When I was finally the next in line I realised with panic that I'd not rehearsed any speech or prepared any questions. I didn't even know what I was going to ask him to inscribe in the cover.
"Hi Stephen," I stammered. "I'm a big, big fan. I love your work!" Groan! How banal and clichΓ©. At least I didn't say that I was his number one fan -- I'm sure there were plenty of devotees out there a lot crazier than me.
Embarrassment washed over me but I was sure I could recover. "Or should I call you Richard?" Oh no. Even worse. Of course everybody knows that Stephen King used the nom de plume Richard Bachman.
He smiled awkwardly, with one of those expressions that barely conceals a grimace. "What's your name?"
"Emily. Emily Dawkins, Sir."
"Well Emily Dawkins, what would you like me to write here?"
"I'm an author too," I blurted out. Oh my God, did I really say that? This was going from atrocious to unplumbed depths of terrible.
"Well congratulations Emily. What do you write?"
"Monsters in the Bedroom. Perhaps you've read it?" I held out hopefully, but was not surprised when the greatest author in the world responded with a little shake of his head and whispered a 'sorry'.
"I write erotic horror," I continued, feeling like I was digging my grave.
"
Erotic
horror," repeated Stephen King with an upbeat tone and a piqued expression of interest.
"Mmm hmm," I replied with my heart lifting.
"Well that
is
interesting," he responded with a smile and a much more engaging tone. "What is your style? Direct or indirect? I mean, obvious or subtle?"
"I guess it's subtle," I replied unconvincingly. "Like, I try to build the atmosphere without revealing the actual --," I paused not wanting to spoil the plot in case he did want to read it someday.
"Is that regarding the horror or the erotic?" Stephen questioned sincerely.
"The horror, of course," I said. "The sex is all explicit."
"Good, good," he said excitedly. "I like it. Keep up the good work. I have a close friend who is very interested in the genre. Perhaps we can talk sometime. Get in touch with me. Phone, email, X, whatever."
Yeah right, I thought. Like a million other budding authors who also wanted to talk with him. I mused if he'd ever replied to even one. My gaze momentarily turned to the endless queue behind me and I wondered if he made the same offer to every fan. I returned my focus to see Stephen concentrate on the book as he penned a paragraph inside the cover before snapping it shut and handing it back to me.
"See you round Emily." He closed out our conversation, and with that our encounter concluded.
I loitered at the hotel for an aimless hour or so, taking an inquisitive meander through the casino tables. But I didn't have any real purpose to be there, and so I retreated to the car park, drove home and reheated a dinner for myself.
I sunk into my favourite chair at home with a warm foil dish in my lap, and gathered the new anthology that Stephen had signed just that afternoon. I realised that in my absent-mindedness, I hadn't even opened it to read his personal message.
Emily Dawkins, it is a pleasure to meet another author. I look forward to reading Monsters in the Bedroom and I'd like to get to know more about your erotic horror writing. Phone me anytime for a chat 414 694 555.
Surely this couldn't be the personal phone number of the man himself. At our meeting, he
did
invite me to contact him, but I couldn't bring myself to believe that the invitation was sincere.
I grabbed my phone and googled the number. It was likely a publishing desk, or an editor, or a PR person or some corporate rep. Google returned nothing, just a 0% spam score on some anti-hacking site. Perhaps it was just a fake number.
I'd always been careless with numbers and contacts and decided that I needed to save the phone details before I somehow lost them. I navigated to contacts and started to type. First name "Stephen", Last name: "King", Company: "Author". As I was saving the contact, my clumsy thumb hit the dial button, but before the first ring was even through, I'd cancelled the call in panic. That was close. Who the fuck knew who might have been on the other end? I'd been caught off guard once already today, and I didn't want a repeat.
My heartbeat had not even returned to a regular pulse when the phone started to ring and the text "Stephen King, Author" appeared on my screen. Fuck! Be brave Emily. I pressed the green icon.
"Hello," came a familiar voice. It was him.
"Hello Stephen. This is Emily."
"Emily?"
"Emily Dawkins. From the book signing today. You know, the erotic horror girl." Silence. I put it all on the line. "Or should I call you Richard?"
"Oh, Emily. Thanks for calling. Sorry, I was just finding a quiet spot." Pause. "Would you like to have that chat?"
Whoa? Would I ever?! I'd kill for a face to face. I decided then and there that I'd be fully prepared this time round.
"Sure. When does it suit?" I imagined that he'd have a diary and I could lock in some future date - hopefully this century.