When the Darkness Falls
Page 36
And neither were her children.
Don Grant has tracked the creature for years, ever since it turned his wife into something barely more than a living zombie. He's traced its history through the centuries. It feeds off our lust for it, the violence it goads us into creating, and it grows stronger and seductive with each new victim. Now Don has caught up with it and he has to stop it fast, or the nightmare will be unleashed on a whole new family.
Shapeshifter
Mark Wiseman thought he had his curse under control. He thought he’d kept it secret.
He was wrong.
Bernard Roberts is a wealthy, influential man, and he knows all about the curse that runs through Mark’s veins. He knows how Mark’s parents were killed eight years ago. If Mark wants Bernard to keep this knowledge to himself, he’ll have to do what Bernard wants. He’ll have to use his curse to kill.
But if Mark Wiseman begins to lose control of the curse, he will lose everything he has: his life and freedom, and the woman he loves.
They
They walk among us unnoticed, unassuming.
A year after the auto accident that killed his wife, Vince Walters is finally beginning to move forward with his life. With the support of friends, he’s digging back into his career and even beginning to date again.
When his estranged mother, Maggie Walters, is murdered, Vince is stunned by the hideous nature of the crime. Maggie lived a quiet life in a small, rural Pennsylvania town, attending church, reading the Bible, and subscribing to an increasingly paranoid view of the End Times as prophesied in The Book of Revelations. Her brutal killing, which bears all the signs of being related to a sinister satanic cult, is inexplicable given her life of faith.
However, a visit from a childhood playmate confirms what Vince is beginning to uncover about his mother’s past: that she was involved with a cult during his early childhood, but later defected and went into hiding with him. As hard as Maggie worked to bury her dark past, it seems that they finally found her.
Now they’ve found Vince. And this time, they are not going to give him up.
They have plans for him.
Praise for THEY:
“J. F. Gonzalez spins a great yarn, and this one is a classic example. Creepy, interesting and devious. I loved it.” Jonathan Maberry, NY Times Bestselling author of Rot and Ruin.
Acknowledgements
The material in this volume constitutes the definitive versions of these texts.
“Introduction: Here We Go Again” by J. F. Gonzalez. Copyright 2006 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Desire”originally appeared in Strange Bedfellows: Hot Blood 12, edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett, Kensington Books. Copyright 2004 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Menage A Trois” originally appeared in Cold Flesh, edited by Paul Fry, Hellbound Books. Copyright 2005 by J. F. Gonzalez.
“Out of the Cradle” originally appeared in Insidious Reflections #6, Summer 2006. Copyright 2006 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Mummy” originally appeared in The Star Chamber Online #1, November 2002. Copyright 2002 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Riding the Storm Out” originally appeared in Shivers II, edited by Richard T. Chizmar, CD Publications. Copyright 2003 by J. F. Gonzalez
“The Watcher From the Grave” originally appeared in Classic Pulp Fiction, March 2000. Copyright 2000 by Tom and Virginia Johnson. Copyright reassigned to the author on March 27, 2000. Copyright 2000 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Sending Them Home” originally appeared in That’s All Folks!; Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2004 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Finding the Flame” is original to this volume and is Copyright 2006 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Offices” originally appeared in Fantasque, December 2004. Copyright 2004 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Going Home” originally appeared in The Eternal Night Online: 2002. Copyright 2002 by J. F. Gonzalez.
“The Lingering Scent of Brimstone” originally appeared in Shivers III, edited by Richard T. Chizmar, CD Publications. Copyright 2004 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Addict” originally appeared in Insidious Reflections #5, January 2006. Copyright 2006 by J. F. Gonzalez
“What Happened At Forest Green Cemetery” originally appeared in Stones, edited by Judi Rohrig, Lone Wolf Publications, 2002. Copyright 2002 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Girlfriend” originally appeared in Shortestories.com, November 2003. Copyright 2003 by J. F. Gonzalez
“Story Notes” Copyright 2006 by J. F. Gonzalez
To Brian Keene
No part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored into or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other means now known or yet to be invented) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews. For information, contact the author: www.jfgonzalez.com.
Translation: no part of this book may be reprinted without prior written permission from the author; that includes uploading digital editions onto file-sharing or bit-torrent networks and/or scanning pages of the paperback edition, creating a digital file, and uploading them to file-sharing/bit-torrent networks. Yes, this does constitute “reprinting”. It’s not the same as checking a copy out at the library or borrowing a copy from a friend. A copy of the book was made; hence, the “copy” in copyright. Committing any of these acts should result in your sudden death if done for financial gain on your part, or on that of the aforementioned file-sharing networks. If done out of ignorance of copyright law, I can cut some slack, and encourage you to either a) purchase a legal copy or, b) donate what I normally would have made had you bought your own copy ($2.99, pay-pal to jfgonzalez@jfgonzalez.com). Bottom line: if you do not have it in writing from the author, it isn’t authorized.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed are either fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events and individuals is coincidental. This book is sold as is and neither the publisher, nor the author, will be responsible for any direct or consequential damages that may arise from the misuse of the information within.
A Signed Limited First Edition of this book was previously published by Thunderstorm Books for collectors.
When the Darkness Falls © 2006 by J. F. Gonzalez
Cover Illustration and Design © 2006 Richard Long
First Midnight Library eBook edition © 2013
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