Who’s Your Favorite Creepy Character for #WickedWednesdays by Addison Brae #villain

WICKED WEDNESDAY

One of my favorite subjects--villains. They're fun to write, and we love to hate them. Addison knows a thing or two about writing villains. Enjoy my guest today! 

Who are the characters that creep you out most in books or movies? Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale, Herbert, the whistley-voice pervert in Family Guy, Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca, and Hannibal Lecter come to mind. Some characters’ creepiness is more overt and for others, it may be hard to put your finger on exactly what makes you squirm. They’re just disturbing. 

Has someone in your life creeped you out? Maybe the neighbor or a coworker who’s just always there? I did at work for a while - a man I always felt like I needed to hide from when I heard his voice. 

This type of creepy character inspired a colorful antagonist in my two romantic suspense novels, Becker Circle and Dark Energy. He’s a regular in the Becker Circle pub where Gillian, the heroine, tends bar. He’s a distraction from the first time she sees him. 

“Lot of miles for one day.” I notice a man dressed in solid black sitting alone at a table at the end of the bar. It’s the one with the antique church pew Eddie says came from some old pub in Ireland. His head never turns away from the TV, but his eyes follow Bobby. “You’re a pilot?”

 

“Ever since the Air Force.” He nods. “Normally I love the job, but this route is grueling.” He sips his drink. “Good to be home…”

 

Wherever Bobby goes, through the bathroom door, talking to Kyle on the patio, the man’s eyes never leave him. He has an odd look. The right side of his face droops slightly. His cheek also twitches. A straight scar continues his eyelash line about an inch down his cheekbone. I’m curious what happened and if it has anything to do with why he’s so fixated on Bobby. A chill runs up my spine. Creepy. 

Gillian nicknames the man Creepy and Coke after the cola with no ice he always drinks. He haunts Gillian for weeks before she can prove he really is a bad guy. And he continues to unnerve her in Dark Energy. 

When I round the corner, I stop. The red truck. Not Jon’s red truck with the apartment parking permit and bandana hanging from the rearview that his dad got when they went to an Eagles concert before he was killed. The bad red truck. The one Creepy drives. The man who’s deep into the drug scene and helped bring Kyle down. My heart revs.

 

Whose side is Creepy on now? Does he still work for the guy who says he’s my friend but keeps kidnapping me? Did he go to the competition—the Russian guy who’s trying to take over Dallas? The one even the bad guys are afraid of?

 

A twig cracks. I glance behind me. No one. Quicken my pace. The shadows seem larger. The sky seems darker. 

What’s wickedly funny is the twist in Gillian’s relationship with Creepy and Coke. Yeah, he is still a bad guy. But when there is a mutual - and powerful - enemy, Gillian can use as many friends as she can find. 

Today’s Wicked Wednesday and the start of the holiday season is a perfect time to change a potentially bad outcome to something fantastic. Next time someone creeps you out, say hello. Talk to them. Maybe they just need a kind word. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

You can find Dark Energy (Return to Becker Circle) on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon Australia, Smashwords, Apple Books, Kobo, and B&N Nook. Author proceeds will go to Staff Meal to help provide meals and other aid to restaurant workers in need during the pandemic. 

Bio

Addison Brae lives in Dallas, Texas on the edge of downtown. She has been writing since childhood and continues today with articles, video scripts and other content as an independent marketing consultant. Addison enjoys traveling, collecting interesting cocktail recipes, reading, jogging in her neighborhood park, sipping red wine, binge-watching TV series, vintage clothing, and hanging out with her artistic other half and their neurotic cat Lucy. 

Connect with Addison on her website, Tirgearr Publishing, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Text “AddisonBrae” to 69922 or visit addisonbrae.com/contact and be the first to receive a text message (no more than 1 per month) on book launches, appearances, and book sales.