Dead Doughboy Walking

Book excerpt: One body, two minds: what could possibly go wrong? Dead Doughboy Walking is about a soldier without a body, the girl he must marry, and his best friend who must make room for his mind. Cecil loved life in the trenches as a doughboy. The dullness of a blood-stained blade. The thud of a bullet finding flesh. The exhilaration of rushing over the top. But as much as he loved his job, he loved his girl more. So after winning the war, he was headed home to Edna and they were going to be happily married. Except Cecil woke up without a body. Now, Cecil’s mind must navigate a wasteland of memories, crawl into a new body, and get back to Edna before it’s too late. Unfortunately, his best friend’s body is the first one he finds. It’s Cecil vs. Horace and Edna is the prize. Dead Doughboy Walking is a Sojourning Souls short story. Edited by Arlene Prunkl, 2011 Finalist for the Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence (www.penultimateword.com) Cover Art by Steven Novak (novakillustration.com)