When Jess buys the house on Scarlet Lane, she quickly learns there’s more inside the house than the walls. A strange clicking fills the house at night, terrifying her children, ghosts reveal themselves, and she discovers a dark entity frightened a young girl, causing her to fall down the stairs to her death.
Description:
Published: May 1st, 2018
When Jess buys the house on Scarlet Lane, she quickly learns there’s more inside the house than the walls. A strange clicking fills the house at night, terrifying her children, ghosts reveal themselves, and she discovers a dark entity frightened a young girl, causing her to fall down the stairs to her death.
After Mason is released from prison, he is lucky to find a job and a place to live in his hometown. When he meets Jess, he discovers she bought his childhood home on Scarlet Lane, but he doesn’t know anything about the dark things that reside there, and has been sent on a mission by his employer to find something, though he isn’t given any details of what he’s looking for.
Only a few know what happened in the old mining at the base of the mountain when the beast made itself known over two hundred years ago. Throughout the years it toys with the residents, possessing them, tormenting them, killing them. An unexpected hero tells Jess and Mason the town’s history, and about the beast trapped in the house on Scarlet Lane, sharing the plan to end its reign of terror before it takes more lives.
EXCERPT
Chapter 17
Mr. Mitcham stared at them, not understanding why the group had been together so late at night, or why they carried Mr. Parks through the front door.
“Daphne, Minora, clear the dining table,” Petula said as she burst into the house. The women rushed by her into the dining room. “Get him on the table.” She stared into Elise’s eyes, finding a dark sorrow building. “Roland, fetch Dr. Avery.”
Jumping into his boots near the door, he then ran out of the house and into the night.
“Sylvie, please fetch some sheets and towels from the linen closet upstairs.” Petula’s tone became sweet and her volume dropped as she approached Elise. “Would you like privacy while you undress him?”
“Only if you and the others are squeamish.” Elise’s trembling fingers unbuttoned his coat and shirt, she glanced at Petula, thankful for woman. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll need help.”
“Of course.” Petula nodded to Daphne, Minora, and Felicity. “If you’re unafraid of seeing mortal wounds and a man without clothing, stay, otherwise…” None of the women moved. “Felicity, there should be a pot on the stove, please run outside and fill it with water. We need to get these wounds cleaned.” The young woman’s eyes widened. Understanding her fear of what lurked in the darkness, she added, “Daphne, please help her. The pot is heavy enough when it’s empty.” The women disappeared through the swinging door. “Minora, his boots.”
Elise was relieved that Petula was bossy, it made it easier for her to care for Conrad. Margaret kept herself from smirking, listening to the woman tell the others what to do as she helped Elise remove the man’s coat and shirt.
“Is there warm water in the kettle?” Elise asked.
Before Petula could answer, Sylvie clomped down the stairs with sheets and towels piled in her arms, and the front door burst open. Mr. Mitcham led Dr. Avery inside after Sylvie entered the dining room.
“What the hell happened?” the doctor asked, aghast at the lacerations.
“Bear attack,” Petula answered, her tone grave and hushed. Margaret shook her head, dismissing herself to the kitchen to investigate the kettle. “The girls and I had just finished our Bible Study at the Church, when we heard growls and screams.”
“Pretty late for that, isn’t it?” Dr. Avery said as Margaret returned to the room with Daphne and Felicity in tow.
Petula gave him a sharp look. “They’ve been awful this year.”
He approached Conrad. “Rip those sheets into strips.” His attention moved to Sylvie, then to Elise and Margaret, unsure if he bought Petula’s story. “I didn’t see your wagon outside.”
“Conrad parked it down the road,” Elise said.
Nothing further was said about how Conrad had come to be harmed. The doctor checked each wound after Elise cleaned them, then had Sylvie dress them, directing her to make them secure, but not too tight.
“I wouldn’t move him tonight,” Dr. Avery said, after he’d completed his appraisal. “Let him rest, then get him home, and make him comfortable.” He was amazed at how the women present hadn’t shed a tear or winced. “Good thing you know about making poultices,” he said to Elise. “Make sure you keep them fresh every three to four hours, don’t want him getting an infection.”
The clock in the foyer struck three, and Dr. Avery said his farewells.
“Your families must be worried sick,” Elise said.
“We told them we’d be late with Petula at Church,” Minora said. “They know we planned to stay here for the night.”
“Oh?” Elise glanced at Margaret, amazed on how easy it was for these women to lie. “Well I guess that makes a few more for the slumber party.” She forced herself to smile, though she was terrified for her husband.
“Daphne, would you bring a chair from near the fire for Elise. I can’t imagine that she’ll want to leave Mr. Parks’ side.”
“Thank you,” Elise said, again seeing kindness in a woman she’d only seen treachery.
Roland returned inside from securing Conrad’s wagon and horses.
“And you?” Petula turned to Margaret. “Is Mr. Lozier all right with you being away from his side for so long?”
“He is, but I should be going, he’ll want to know what’s happened.”
“I can take you,” Mr. Mitcham volunteered, hoping to have a moment alone with someone who would give him an honest account of the night’s events.
“That is kind of you,” Margaret said. “But it isn’t far.” Her gaze found Elise sitting rigidly in the chair Daphne had dragged into the dining room. “I’ll come back tomorrow. I know you won’t, but I need you to get some rest. You need to be strong for him.”
“I’ll try.” Elise looked away from Conrad a moment. “You should do the same.”
Elise sat in silence and shadow after Petula had extinguished the gas lamps on the walls, leaving one on the sideboard burning. She closed her eyes, not wishing to find sleep, but relief from the stress.
Charles W. Jones grew up in the small town Shoshoni, WY, and he managed to break free from its grasp with his soul intact. Growing up in a small town scared him to death most of the time. It's very dark at night - really dark. To top it off, it is full of ghosts; well, that's what Charles thought when he was kid. Turns out it was just the constant wind blowing dirt and tumbleweeds. Two of Charles' novels are set in Shoshoni, Dreamwalker: The Second Plain and HOME A Novel.
There isn't a part of the horror genre Charles doesn't like. He likes it creepy, filled with suspense, or even brutal with intense torture scenes. His favorite horror movies have always been the slasher movies; give him the gore. Clive Barker is Charles' greatest influence, but is also inspired by Lewis Carroll, Stephen King, and Frank Beddor. Real life is a large contributor to his writing, where he finds beauty in the most unexpected places.
Music has always been a great contributor to Charles' life, by means of not only entertainment, but personal soundtrack. When he writes, he listens to different types of music to set the mood of the scene he is writing. Eurythmics will always be at the top of his playlist, but many other bands and genres occupy his mind.
Author's Giveaway
5 comments:
I liked the excerpt, thank you.
sounds great
Congrats on the tour and I appreciate the excerpt and the great giveaway as well. Love the tours, I get to find books and share with my sisters and now my twin daughters who all love to read. We have found some amazing books for everyone. So, thank you!
Thanks for hosting. I really appreciate it!
I love the cover.
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