Other Writing

Chapter 1

The evening air hung thick with pine and damp earth, the woods settling into their twilight hush. The sun drooped low across the horizon, smearing the sky in orange and purple haze. Shane’s sneakers scuffed over roots and crisp leaves as he hurried along the tree line. His voice cracked, thin and urgent, as if calling could keep the silence from swallowing him whole.

“Sam! Here, boy!”

But there was no answer. Only the soft chirps of crickets, tree frogs, and the distant creak of...

Hunter leaned against the wall, peering through a slit in the blackout curtains.

Moonlight poured over the neighborhood in a cold wash, stretching shadows across his neighbor’s empty driveway. The house across the street was dark, save for the backyard lights glowing dimly behind it. The street was still. No dog walkers. No flickering fire pits. No teenagers loitering beneath the streetlights.

Not surprising—considering the killings.

Four bodies in two months.

In a place like Creekside, where...

Part I

“Joining us today to discuss the one-year anniversary of the Galleria Massacre is Jamie Fisher—official spokesperson for Luminhale and author of Medical Falsehoods: A Guide to Pushing Back Against Conspiracies Within Medicine,” Harrison Barr announced from behind his desk. The screen split, revealing Jamie’s poised expression.

“Jamie, thanks for joining us.”

“Glad to be here,” Jamie said, flashing her best smile at the webcam.

Harrison leaned forward slightly, voice weighted with...

Chapter 1

“Strong Men, Hard Times”

Eustace Mercer grunted as he wrenched the bathtub spout. The muscles in his arms twitched as he strained against the set of pliers grasped onto the metal neck. Underneath, a rag was wrapped around to prevent the pliers from slipping or scratching the metal. After another jerk, the spout gave and inched a fraction. Now that it was loose, Eustace let out a breath as he continued unscrewing the fixture.

“I don’t understand what you’re doing,” Brayden said.

...

Chapter 1

Thirteen knights stood in a circle surrounding a large pool of inky black liquid that vibrated with commands from beyond their plane. The chants from The Ninth Order could barely be heard over crackling hellfire and the wailing of the damned.

Hadrian Kane—the captain of this small unit of Hell Knights—waited patiently to enter the portal into Creation. Each unit consisted of thirteen knights—never more, and never less. If a knight fell, they were to be replaced.

He eyed the ring of his...

Chapter 1

“A Killer Beginning”

The coffee house was in chaos. A girl with dyed red hair and a nose ring worked the register, while a teenage boy with a fresh case of acne ran back and forth from the espresso machines to the counter. The girl wore a smile, but it didn’t hide the underlying stress she was likely experiencing. The pair of workers were barely treading water. The line of customers backed up to the front door and the drive-thru wrapped around the building and into the street.

...