by Shaun Hutson
Wallace hauled himself up and stood, sword in hand, his mad eyes flicking from one figure to another.
‘Give the children to me,’ he shouted.
The ground to his right was rippling, dirt and stones flying up in a series of tiny explosions. Elsewhere, huge rifts had scarred the earth. Men were running back and forth.
He saw a car topple into a large fissure, the driver screaming for help as the vehicle disappeared, then exploded in a sheet of flame as the earth contracted around it.
‘Give them to me,’ Wallace roared, his voice drowned by the shouts of his former colleagues, the roaring flames, and now, a low but growing cry which built to a terrifying crescendo. Beginning like a strong wind, it increased in ferocity until the sound was unbearable. Men nearby screamed and covered their ears, feeling blood burst from them as the onslaught grew worse, reaching an incredible pitch, forming into one monstrous obscene bellow of triumph.
Wallace looked up to see the sky turning red. Redder than a thousand sunsets, as if it had been drenched in the blood of millions. Then, against that redness, he saw a black outline. A shape so huge, so enormous that it stretched up into and beyond the clouds.
The shape was unmistakably humanoid, but grotesque beyond description. And it was still growing.
Wallace clapped his hands over his hears. Inside his head he could hear his own laughter.
The laughter of the mad?
Of the damned?
And all the time that loathsome black shape expanded, its monstrous roar filling the night as it stretched across the boiling skies. Its hideous form blotting out those blood-soaked clouds, filling the heavens.
Then there was only darkness.
About the Author
Born and brought up in Hertfordshire, Shaun Hutson now lives and writes in Buckinghamshire where he has lived since 1986. After being expelled from school, he worked at many jobs, including a cinema doorman, a barman, and a shop assistant - all of which he was sacked from - before becoming a professional author in 1983.
He has since written over 30 bestselling novels as well as writing for radio, magazines and television. Shaun has also written exclusively for the Internet, a short story entitled RED STUFF and an interactive story, SAVAGES.
Having made his name as a horror author with bestsellers such as SPAWN, EREBUS, RELICS and DEATHDAY (acquiring the nicknames 'The Godfather of Gore' and 'The Shakespeare of Gore' in the process) he has since produced a number of very dark urban thrillers such as LUCY'S CHILD, STOLEN ANGELS, WHITE GHOST and PURITY. At one time, Shaun Hutson was published under no fewer than six pseudonyms , writing everything from Westerns to non-fiction.
Hobbies include cinema (he has seen over 10,000 films in the last 20 years and cites director Sam Peckinpah as his biggest influence), rock music and slumping in front of the TV.
Reformed alcoholic, Shaun was diagnosed by a psychiatrist as having mildly psychotic tendencies. He is extremely unsociable and used to shoot pistols for a hobby (four perfect qualifications for being a novelist, really.)
Shaun has appeared on and presented a number of TV shows over the years. He has lectured to the Oxford Students Union. He has appeared on stage with heavy-metal rock band Iron Maiden 13 times and received death threats on a number of occasions due to his work.
His work is particularly popular in prison libraries.
If you enjoyed reading Relics, please leave a review for it:
If you would like to know more about Caffeine Nights books and authors sign up for our newsletter from the following link.
http://eepurl.com/u_DyD
Also Available from Caffeine Nights and all leading bookstores: