Bruce Corman's early morning walks have become something of an ordeal. Are there nightmarish creatures following him, or is it just his imagination? Don Evans, a down and out alcoholic, tries to help a young, wayward girl . . . who just happens to be a ghost. Temporally placed in custody of his eccentric aunt, nine-year-old Josh Tyler has his hand full when mysterious forces haunt his every move. As Jenny Trenton rides her horse along an isolated trail, she finds herself stalked by an unknown and methodical killer. People are disappearing and a pizza parlor owner just may be someone exceptionally alien. And Stuart Collier will do just about anything for a promotion, and his boss will stop at nothing to lure him into a journey of devastation and terror. Eight spine-tingling stories in all.
Excerpts
BARKING DOGS
At this time of the morning it was easy to imagine things. Like they say, "It's darkest before dawn," and more often than not, Bruce spotted things lurking in the shadows. He wasn't sure what they were, but they were certainly out to get him. It reminded him of countless zombie movies, of how those dead, decaying creatures crept out of the woodwork and ate people alive. Those films have haunted him for years and inspired the majority of his nightmares, starting back in 1968 after he had fidgeted his way through the movie, Night of the Living Dead. It never mattered how his dream began. He could be in high school taking a math test, but somehow he'd wind up being chased by those flesh-eating creatures.
They're coming to get you, my boy! taunted a voice that sounded exactly like Boris Karloff's. They're coming to get you!
AMBER'S CORNER
I will never forget what happened next. She answered, "That's me on the poster and it says I died in a car accident!" Then, as she stepped off the curb and into the street, she vanished before my eyes.
"Holy crap!" I shrieked, as my heart damn near blew a gasket. I just sat there, bug-eyed and trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe it. Where did she go? Then, suddenly, my van's radio flipped back to normal. A cold shudder ran down my spine. I kid you not, the hair on my arms stood at attention.
Well, I got the hell out of there. I must have peeled rubber half the way home. No doubt about it, I took a few hits off Jackie, as well. I can tell you this much: I didn't get a whole lot of sleep that night.
INSIDE THE BOX
Josh bit down on his lower lip and inched closer. His stomach shriveled and his heart raced. The box was positioned at eye level but turned slightly to the left. The area around it looked uninviting and exceptionally murky. Maintaining a reasonable distance, he leaned forward and peered into the opening. It's just too dark . . . He crept forward and raised his right hand. I'll turn it toward me . . . so I can see better.
When the boy touched the box, a strange iciness chilled his fingers. A gust of air rushed across his face and before he could react, something lunged through the opening and grabbed him by the wrist.
EPITAPH
Warren struggled to his feet, and again proceeded toward the bathroom. It occurred to him that the more pills he took the better he felt. He opened the medicine cabinet and swallowed two additional Darvadols. Jeez, I'm only supposed to take one at a time.
Looking into the mirror, he discovered a smirking Justin standing beside him. Go ahead, take some more, the fifteen-year-old urged. Take a whole bunch more so we can sit down and have a nice, long guidance session!
As Warren peered inside the bottle, he discovered the capsules had grown arms, legs, and small, gargoyle-like faces. They collided with each other as they frolicked about. Take me! they cried. Take me, and be free from all your guilt and sorrow!
SHADY TRAILS
Taking a deep breath, Jenny lowered the knife, leaned forward, and gripped the freezer's handle. Her hands were shaking; her throat had dried out. She slowly lifted the door and stepped back. A vapor cloud appeared then dissipated. A layer of frost covered the inside portion of the lid. There were several items stacked to the top, wrapped in a hazy plastic. It all appeared perfectly harmless and ordinary.
Jenny chuckled and shook her head. Well, what did you expect? That a polar bear would come flying out?
Exhaling, she felt a tremendous weight leave her body. Thank God, this whole thing's nothing but a hoax. Someone may have been here, but as far as I can tell . . .
Jenny froze. Her eyes grew huge. A reddish substance had been splattered across the items in the freezer. Her heart pounded harder than she thought possible. There was no denying it. The substance resembled blood, not just a few drops but more than she could count.
Again Jenny felt lightheaded. Placing the knife on the edge of the freezer, she wedged the gun under her belt. She held her breath and picked up the top item. It was oval-shaped, surprisingly heavy, and roughly the size of a soccer ball. Condensation and the hazy plastic distorted the contents. As irrational as it seemed, the more she inspected it, the more the item looked like a large ball of dark, wavy hair. God Almighty, what the hell is this?
PIZZA PAL
"I picked up the nearest jar and saw how badly my hands were shaking. The container felt heavy and there was something gross floating around inside it. I nearly gagged when I discovered the contents looked like a big, old chunk of large intestines.
"All of a sudden, I wasn’t feeling so good. I returned the jar and pulled out another. When I held it to the light, a dozen eyeballs were staring at me. It caught me off guard and scared about ten years out of my life. I jumped so high I dropped the jar and it shattered on the floor.
"I nearly puked and passed out at the same time. Along with the broken glass, the eyeballs were scattered all over the place. Then I heard the rolling machine shut down and realized Dominic was on to me. I tried to kick the broken glass and eyeballs under the refrigerator, but there wasn't enough time to finish.
SCARE TACTICS
Miranda Howell clenched her fists and approached the door to the mailroom. Her hair appeared ruffled, her eyes red and watery. Perspiration had soaked through her blouse, her nylons were torn, and a black purse hung from her shoulder. She wore what resembled a Blue Tooth phone in her right ear. Taking a breath, she gazed at the business card clutched in her hand. "Last one . . . almost there." She shook her head. "Brahman . . . I hope to God you're wrong."
She shuddered then wiped her forehead. The card slipped from her hand and drifted to the floor. She glanced at her watch. It was midnight, exactly. "Howell, 7167," she whispered.
The door opened and a blinding light flashed. Miranda shielded her eyes, inched inside and the door closed without a sound. The ceiling lights flickered as the corridor remained hushed. Then after a long, lingering moment, a single scream erupted.
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
Excerpts
BARKING DOGS
At this time of the morning it was easy to imagine things. Like they say, "It's darkest before dawn," and more often than not, Bruce spotted things lurking in the shadows. He wasn't sure what they were, but they were certainly out to get him. It reminded him of countless zombie movies, of how those dead, decaying creatures crept out of the woodwork and ate people alive. Those films have haunted him for years and inspired the majority of his nightmares, starting back in 1968 after he had fidgeted his way through the movie, Night of the Living Dead. It never mattered how his dream began. He could be in high school taking a math test, but somehow he'd wind up being chased by those flesh-eating creatures.
They're coming to get you, my boy! taunted a voice that sounded exactly like Boris Karloff's. They're coming to get you!
AMBER'S CORNER
I will never forget what happened next. She answered, "That's me on the poster and it says I died in a car accident!" Then, as she stepped off the curb and into the street, she vanished before my eyes.
"Holy crap!" I shrieked, as my heart damn near blew a gasket. I just sat there, bug-eyed and trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe it. Where did she go? Then, suddenly, my van's radio flipped back to normal. A cold shudder ran down my spine. I kid you not, the hair on my arms stood at attention.
Well, I got the hell out of there. I must have peeled rubber half the way home. No doubt about it, I took a few hits off Jackie, as well. I can tell you this much: I didn't get a whole lot of sleep that night.
INSIDE THE BOX
Josh bit down on his lower lip and inched closer. His stomach shriveled and his heart raced. The box was positioned at eye level but turned slightly to the left. The area around it looked uninviting and exceptionally murky. Maintaining a reasonable distance, he leaned forward and peered into the opening. It's just too dark . . . He crept forward and raised his right hand. I'll turn it toward me . . . so I can see better.
When the boy touched the box, a strange iciness chilled his fingers. A gust of air rushed across his face and before he could react, something lunged through the opening and grabbed him by the wrist.
EPITAPH
Warren struggled to his feet, and again proceeded toward the bathroom. It occurred to him that the more pills he took the better he felt. He opened the medicine cabinet and swallowed two additional Darvadols. Jeez, I'm only supposed to take one at a time.
Looking into the mirror, he discovered a smirking Justin standing beside him. Go ahead, take some more, the fifteen-year-old urged. Take a whole bunch more so we can sit down and have a nice, long guidance session!
As Warren peered inside the bottle, he discovered the capsules had grown arms, legs, and small, gargoyle-like faces. They collided with each other as they frolicked about. Take me! they cried. Take me, and be free from all your guilt and sorrow!
SHADY TRAILS
Taking a deep breath, Jenny lowered the knife, leaned forward, and gripped the freezer's handle. Her hands were shaking; her throat had dried out. She slowly lifted the door and stepped back. A vapor cloud appeared then dissipated. A layer of frost covered the inside portion of the lid. There were several items stacked to the top, wrapped in a hazy plastic. It all appeared perfectly harmless and ordinary.
Jenny chuckled and shook her head. Well, what did you expect? That a polar bear would come flying out?
Exhaling, she felt a tremendous weight leave her body. Thank God, this whole thing's nothing but a hoax. Someone may have been here, but as far as I can tell . . .
Jenny froze. Her eyes grew huge. A reddish substance had been splattered across the items in the freezer. Her heart pounded harder than she thought possible. There was no denying it. The substance resembled blood, not just a few drops but more than she could count.
Again Jenny felt lightheaded. Placing the knife on the edge of the freezer, she wedged the gun under her belt. She held her breath and picked up the top item. It was oval-shaped, surprisingly heavy, and roughly the size of a soccer ball. Condensation and the hazy plastic distorted the contents. As irrational as it seemed, the more she inspected it, the more the item looked like a large ball of dark, wavy hair. God Almighty, what the hell is this?
PIZZA PAL
"I picked up the nearest jar and saw how badly my hands were shaking. The container felt heavy and there was something gross floating around inside it. I nearly gagged when I discovered the contents looked like a big, old chunk of large intestines.
"All of a sudden, I wasn’t feeling so good. I returned the jar and pulled out another. When I held it to the light, a dozen eyeballs were staring at me. It caught me off guard and scared about ten years out of my life. I jumped so high I dropped the jar and it shattered on the floor.
"I nearly puked and passed out at the same time. Along with the broken glass, the eyeballs were scattered all over the place. Then I heard the rolling machine shut down and realized Dominic was on to me. I tried to kick the broken glass and eyeballs under the refrigerator, but there wasn't enough time to finish.
SCARE TACTICS
Miranda Howell clenched her fists and approached the door to the mailroom. Her hair appeared ruffled, her eyes red and watery. Perspiration had soaked through her blouse, her nylons were torn, and a black purse hung from her shoulder. She wore what resembled a Blue Tooth phone in her right ear. Taking a breath, she gazed at the business card clutched in her hand. "Last one . . . almost there." She shook her head. "Brahman . . . I hope to God you're wrong."
She shuddered then wiped her forehead. The card slipped from her hand and drifted to the floor. She glanced at her watch. It was midnight, exactly. "Howell, 7167," she whispered.
The door opened and a blinding light flashed. Miranda shielded her eyes, inched inside and the door closed without a sound. The ceiling lights flickered as the corridor remained hushed. Then after a long, lingering moment, a single scream erupted.
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
