Rarity from the Hollow is adult literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy and satire. A Children’s Story. For Adults.
About the author:
Robert Eggleton has
served as a children's advocate in an impoverished state for over
forty years. He is best known for his investigative reports about
children’s programs, most of which were published by the West
Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from 1982 through 1997, and
which also included publication of models of serving disadvantaged
and homeless children in the community instead of in large
institutions, research into foster care drift involving children
bouncing from one home to the next -- never finding a permanent
loving family, and statistical reports on the occurrence and
correlates of child abuse and delinquency.
Today, he is a retired
children's psychotherapist from the mental health center in
Charleston, West Virginia, where he specialized in helping victims
cope with and overcome physical and sexual abuse, and other mental
health concerns. Rarity from the Hollow is his debut novel.
Its release followed publication of three short Lacy Dawn Adventures
in magazines: Wingspan Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and
Atomjack Science Fiction. The Advance Review Copy of Rarity
from the Hollow received considerable praise through Robert
learning about the world of books as a novice. The final edition was
released to Amazon on December 5, 2016. Author proceeds have been
donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s
Home Society of West Virginia. http://www.childhswv.org/
Robert worked for this agency in the early ‘80s and stands by its
good works. He continues to write fiction with new adventures based
on a protagonist that is a composite character of children that he
met when delivering group psychotherapy services. The overall theme
of his stories remains victimization to empowerment.
Purchase links:
Author Contacts:
Excerpt, Chapter 32:
“The First Sexual Harassment Complaint on Shptiludrp”
Scene Prologue:
Rarity from the Hollow includes political allegory, parody, and
satire. Long before Donald Trump was on the political radar, it
predicted his rise to political power. In the story, Lacy Dawn, the
eleven year old protagonist, is a most unlikely savior of the
universe. At this point, readers have learned that the universe faces
an imminent threat. An android named DotCom (a recurring pun in the
story) was sent to Earth to recruit and train Lacy to fulfill her
destiny. She changed the android’s name to “Bucky” to cover-up
its true nature, assembled and prepared a team to diagnose and
address the threat, and took her team to planet Shptiludrp (Shop
Until You Drop), a giant shopping mall and the center of economic
governance for the universe. The following scene is the team’s
first meeting with the Manager of the Mall and takes place in the
only high rise office building on the planet, now easily identifiable
as Trump Tower.
…Lacy
Dawn scanned across a desk larger than her bedroom and lowered her
gaze until just above the desk top. In an oversized swivel chair
behind the desk sat a humanoid…. Mr. Prump stood up…. He extended
a small hand with six fingers, each of which had at least two overly
large golden rings.
“It's
very nice to meet you, Lacy Dawn,” he ignored the others….
“He
looks almost just like that short guy on those taxi cab reruns,”
Dwayne whispered. “What’s that actor’s name?” (Dwayne, Lacy’s
father, is an Iraq War damaged Vet who suffered from PTSD, night
terrors and anger outbursts until cured by the android since he had
refused treatment by the VA hospital. Dwayne, an expert used car
salesman, plays an important role on the team and worked very hard to
save the universe in an effort to achieve Lacy’s forgiveness past
abusive behaviors.)
“Shhhh,”
Lacy Dawn glared.
“I
have a complaint to make,” Lacy said to Mr. Prump.
“Oh?”
Mr. Prump sat down, opened a drawer, and shoved a form across his
desk in her direction. “Please call me Mr. Prump.”
Hospitality
has been extended to her entourage.
The
form ran out of momentum half-way across the desk. Lacy Dawn extended
and retracted because it stopped well short of her reach.
That's
too far regardless of obligatory respect.
“I
was not aware of any dissatisfaction of any type, sir,” Bucky
reverted to his role as DotCom in the presence of his long-term
authority figure. Lacy Dawn gave him The Look and trumped.
“Your
elevator operator just told me that I have a nice ass,” she said.
Dwayne
started for the office exit to get the offender. Lacy Dawn pushed him
toward one of the chairs in front of the desk. Tom grabbed Dwayne’s
arm. (Tom is Lacy’s neighbor. He is a wealthy “back to the land”
marijuana dealer who relocated to The Hollow when he concluded that
city life aggravated his Bipolar Disorder.) Then, Tom and Lacy Dawn
had to restrain Bucky’s attempt to go after the offender.
Lacy
and Jenny stood alone in front of the desk while the males sat. Jenny
moved to her daughter's side. (Jenny is Lacy’s formerly downtrodden
mother whose self-esteem had been enhanced after the android had
replaced her rotting teeth with new ones.) Brownie growled. So did
Bucky. (Brownie is the family mutt and the only member of the team
with enough empathy skills to communicate with, at this point in the
story, vile invaders of the universe.)….
Mr.
Prump shoved another form in her direction with the same result. The
complaint forms were the only papers on the desk….
“Tree
says that to me all the time,” the receptionist said from the
doorway. “Would anybody like something to drink or a snack?”
Nobody
responded except Mr. Prump. He extended a cup that had been on his
desk, but the gesture was ignored.
"That's
different, you…" Tom started but Lacy Dawn's look cut him
short.
“The
females of those people got no figures at all -- straight up and
down,” the receptionist said. “I wouldn’t take it personally,
Lacy. All males from that planet become infatuated with any curve on
any body that they think is female. He's a nice person once you get
to know him.”
“Regardless,
it was inappropriate for him to tell me that I have a nice ass.”
“Yeah,”
her team said in unison. DotCom was the loudest except for Brownie’s
bark followed by another growl.
“I
ought to kick his ass for talking trash to my little girl,” Dwayne
said.
I'm
such a juvenile.
Lacy
glared at him again.
“Sorry,”
Dwayne hung his head.
“Further,”
Lacy Dawn continued. “I'm not about to do business with any planet
that permits the sexual harassment of its visitors or employees to go
undisciplined.”
Jenny
sat down.
“Yeah,”
the receptionist said.
Mr.
Prump sank deeper into his seat….
“I’m
never going to sit on your lap again unless I want to,” the
receptionist said. “And, as for anything else, you can just forget
it from now on unless you take care of this. Take care of the whole
problem on the whole planet -- equal respect for all people -- within
their financial means, of course.”
“Take
a memo to Division Managers with a copy to All Staff.”
Lacy
Dawn stood alone before the desk. He dictated the memo and she
listened.
It's
pretty good. There's procedure for making sexual harassment
complaints, investigation, due process, and penalty.
“That’s
all for now. I'll contact you tomorrow to begin negotiation of
terms,” she said.
Mr.
Prump asked her what time but she didn't answer. Lacy Dawn had
concluded her first meeting with the most powerful being in the
universe and had beaten him in negotiations.
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