Pepper Winters Novels & Stories

“Did he tell you that?” Jane laughed, shaking her head. “No….I sort of had a hunch.” Pepper inhaled sharply, “Wow…I didn’t realize I was that obvious.” She giggled nervously. Jane took a look at the PA and came to the conclusion that Pepper was actually quite pretty. Underneath her mousy hair and cat eye glasses, Pepper’s freckled oval face and generous wide mouth gave her an above average appearance. Unfortunately, she was too shy and high strung and when it came to Wayne Winters and would basically wind herself into a catatonic caccoon whenever he came around.

Then paused before adding, “Wait! Send me the media asking for an interview.” I could hear the excitement in my PA’s voice before I disconnected the call. I opened the door to see the kitchen was a mess. Flour littered the floor, with some kitchen utensils scattered about. Upon walking closer, I saw Winter by the sink, her index finger under the running tap. “Are you okay?” I asked, rushing towards her. This caused her to turn to me. “I was bored, so I tried to bake,” she said, casually. “What happened?” I asked, but I didn’t need an explanation to know what had happened.

He was driving me insane with that slurping sound, sucking on the watermelon with juice dripping from his chin, targeting his seeds like a sniper. People's obsession with talking loudly and making wild hand gestures, the crowd smelling of sticky sunscreen, skin rubbing against skin... Welcome to the sensory overload capital of the world. And of course, my sunscreen wasn’t one of those "tear-free" formulas either—it was burning its way right into my sandy eyes!

I promised her, "Alright, I'm on my way." As the sun dipped low, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink, we walked back home, a picture of happiness.

*Winter* The air was thick with dread, a palpable tension that clung to me like an unwelcome shroud. Each strained breath felt heavier than the last, weighed down by the ominous atmosphere surrounding the Whispering Reef. Walking side by side with Aaron, I couldn't shake the prickling sensation on the back of my neck. Was it just the chill of the winter air, or was there something far more sinister lurking just out of sight? The trees loomed tall and twisted, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers against the bruised sky, casting everything in an unsettling shade of gray.

Once Hayden and Camryn ended their call, Hayden shouted at the unruly bunch of children, “Jace York, your big brother is back, and so is Lil’ Pie. Let’s head back. You’ve played enough.” Each kid was covered in sweat. Many fans had been installed here, but it could not stave off the summer heat. Winters in Wiltspoon were not cold, but its summers were terribly hot. Plus, summer lasted especially long in Wiltspoon. Wiltspoonians would already have the fans going while it was still cold in other provinces, and would be glued to the air conditioning by the time others stopped wearing layers. “Mom, is Lil’ Pie back? I miss her so much,” Jax ran over to his mother and asked.

However, he never showed himself, leaving me with no chance to vent my frustration. This absurd routine continued until the Snowcrest New Year. It was the grandest festival on the Snowcrest Plateau. To my surprise, John did not show up. By the time the sun was setting, I overheard people talking. Another avalanche had struck the Skyspire Mountains. My eyelid twitched. A moment later, the neighbor’s daughter spotted me and asked in surprise, “Dr. Summer, isn’t that handsome guy with you? He went to get you a gift, didn’t he?”