Winter

The Lodge at Fear Summit

(YA Horror Serial - READERS: AVAILABLE NOW ON KINDLE VELLA - FIRST 3 CHAPTERS ARE FREE)

On the summit sits an abandoned hunting lodge, surrounded by unnaturally black snow, rotting taxidermied animals visible in the windows. Against all logic, at one time or another the residents of town are each irresistibly drawn to it—and stalked from that night on by their worst personal fear.

Enter father-daughter Charlie and Kelly, newcomers with a tragic connection to Shadow Pine. The pair get to know the residents, and learn the huge range of horror tropes that constitute their fears. But as Charlie and Kelly unify everyone at last, an unpredicted winter storm slams the mountain —and the hauntings intensify. Can they enact a plan before the forces at the lodge pick them off, one by one?

…“I hear something, Daddy.” Nancy’s voice was loud as a slap.

“Keep ridin’, honey.”

We urged the horses along a few steps further, crunching through the snowy crust. Then Liza whispered, “Our daughter’s right. Something’s inside that building, Ed. ”

“Keep on ahead’, you two,” I said—although I hadn’t yet heard anything, myself. “I’ll go see.”

“No,” Liza replied. “Let’s all of us keep on the road. Please.”

I said back, “I have to check this out first.” See, I was that stubborn.

Had to resist every impulse to guide my horse over. Bonny was a good, reliable ride, always accustomed to doin’ as I bid, but she balked at first, and I couldn’t blame her. That lodge was like a solid block of dark. I couldn’t see details, only blackness where the forest should be, and all framed up in low fog, to either side. Gently and slowly, I urged Bonny over, and paused before the end window in a line of windows, all of ’em covered by tattered curtains.

I froze in the saddle, ’cause now I heared it too. A shuffling, almost a scurrying, I guess. And creaking from the floorboard. The sounds came in a quick rhythm. Shuffle-creak. Shuffle-creak. Like a thing dragging inside, crawlin’ itself from room to room.

“Ed,” Liza whispered. “Let’s go.”

She was right, I knew. I started to turn back to ’em, when I heard the second sound. A kid’s voice, it were, but dim, makin’ a continuous muffled cry. As if screaming through a closed mouth. Couldn’t make out words.

“Didja hear?” I whispered to my family. “I think that’s a child.”

“Daddy. Let’s go,” Nancy pleaded. She was in tears.

“That wouldn’t be right, honey,” I explained quietly. Because, I thought, what if a child were locked up in there? What if they needed our help to get out?

It took real urging to trot Bonny along that old, rotting building. I figured to ride her past all the windows, back to front, so I could try looking in. I had me no flashlight, just a pack of cigarette matches. I struck one and held it afore that last set of panes. I peered in, but all I saw was rotten draperies and reflections.

The scurrying grew louder. Almost eager-sounding, I thought later. Like it knew I’d got close. Sounded like giant lizards slitherin’ right along the wall inside. Nothin’ human about it ’cepting the tone of those occasional wordless voices. Like distressed people, a child, maybe an adult, too. Stifled, like a hand was over their mouths.

I rode from window to window, getting ever closer to the front and my family, waiting on their horses in the road. I struck match after match. Through one dirty pane, a blur of motion, like two people crawling around the floor in strange quick motions like spasms, each with a mane of blond hair twitchin’ on their backs. I got me only a half-second peek, enough to be fooled that they didn’t have arms.

It rattled me something fierce. I left behind all thought of being hushed. “Who’s there?” I yelled. “Are ya okay?”

Then I reached the final window, the one closest the front. I lit my match and held it up, just as the curtains twitched aside….