Wolverton Station

By Joe Hill

From the New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2 and Horns, and the award-winning story collection 20th Century Ghosts, comes this e-short story.

Saunders made his fortune as a hatchet man for hire and has come to England to do what he does best: chop down the little guys to clear the way for a global firm. But his train north just made an unexpected stop to let on some passengers straight out of the worst kind of fairy tale. Now he's up to his ankles in blood and finding out just what it really means to live in a dog-eat-dog world...

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jan 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9780062341594

Joe Hill

Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Fireman, NOS4A2, Horns, and Heart-Shaped Box; Strange Weather, a collection of novellas; and the acclaimed story collections Full Throttle and 20th Century Ghosts. He is also the Eisner Award–winning writer of a seven-volume comic book series, Locke & Key. Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV, including NOS4A2 (AMC), Locke & Key (Netflix), In the Tall Grass (Netflix), and The Black Phone (Blumhouse).

Book preview

Wolverton Station

A Story

J

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C

ONTENTS

Wolverton Station

Author’s Note

About the Author

Books by Joe Hill

Credits

Copyright

About the Publisher

Wolverton Station

SAUNDERS SAW THE first wolf as the train was pulling in to Wolverton Station.

He glanced up from his Financial Times and there it was, out on the platform, a wolf six feet tall with a scally cap tucked between his bristly, graying ears. The wolf stood on his hind legs, wore a trench coat, and held a briefcase in one paw. A bushy tail whipped impatiently back and forth, presumably poking out from a hole in the seat of his pants. The train was still moving, and in a moment the wolf blinked out of sight.

Saunders laughed, a short, breathless sound that did not quite convey amusement, and did the reasonable thing: looked back at his paper. It didn’t surprise him, a wolf waiting on the train platform. The devil would probably be at the next stop. Saunders thought there was a good chance the fucking protesters would be parked in every station between London and Liverpool, parading around in costume, hoping someone would point a camera at them and stick them on the telly.

They had staked out his hotel in London, a raggedy-­ass pack of a dozen kids, marching back and forth on the sidewalk directly across the street. The management had offered Saunders a room in the rear, so he wouldn’t have to see them, but he insisted on a suite up front just so he could look down on them. It was a hell of a lot more entertaining than anything on British TV. He hadn’t spotted any wolfmen, but there had been a dude on stilts in an Uncle Sam costume, with a three-­foot rubber dong hanging out of his pants. Uncle Sam’s features were stern and hateful, but the dong was scrubbed and pink and had some cheerful bounce to it. Slammin’ Sammy carried a sign in both hands:

UNCLE SAM PISSES IN A CUP

& WE ENGLISH PAY TO DRINK IT

NO JIMI COFFEE! NO SLAVE CHILDS!

Saunders had a good laugh at that, had enjoyed how it trod the line between righ­teous anger and mental deficiency. No slave childs? What had happened to the legendary British educational system?

The other protesters, a gang of self-­important hipsters, were hauling signs of their own. Theirs were a little less amusing. They showed photos of barefoot,

Reviews for Wolverton Station

[Michael W Theryoung · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You always thought werewolves were tales to terrify children or those weak of mind. Take a trip to Wolverton station. you will learn firsthand that werewolves exist, and why all normal mortals strongest fears are held in abatement for day you become an integral part of their world.

[Vanja LaVoie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

LOVED IT!! Please write a full-length novel on this! So fun!

[edward.lorn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This gruesome little morsel seems to have been snatched directly from The Twilight Zone. One part dark comedy, one part comeuppance tale, and every bit enjoyable, WOLVERTON STATION is as entertaining as short fiction gets.

And here's the obligatory wish-there-was-more-moment. Sure, I want more, but I don't need it. It's a short story. I knew that when I pre-ordered it. I got every bit of my $0.99 worth and then some. A good laugh, a cringe or three, and I'm one happy reader.

Twas a bit predictable, though, so we'll say... four stars.

Thanks for the escape, Joe. Here's to the next one.

Cheers.

[buckeyematrat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hill can make even the most unbelievable believable. And this one is a doozy. Is your business floundering? Then Saunders is the man to hire. He gets paid very well to gobble up the little mom and pop stores all in the name of profits and pleasing the shareholders. But, on a train ride out of London, he learns what it really means by eat or be eaten. Wall St meets a twisted children's fairy tale. If you don't take it too seriously, Wolverton Station can be a fun story. If you can't check your head, it'll come across as silly.

[ssimon2000-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good quick read, with the typical Joe Hill twist.

[martinhughharvey_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well the apple fell close to this tree. My first Joe Hill book and he is Stephen King's son. A very short 30 page story that is well crafted, superbly written, superb sentences and quotes, and humorous.

[tapestry100 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick tale from Joe Hill, Wolverton Station doesn't take much time to throw us into the meat of the story. Saunders, who works for a Starbucks-esque coffee house chain, is in England to open the latest international branch. Not a particularly nice person, Saunders thinks very highly of himself and his ability to turn a profit, regardless of the consequences to those around him. While taking the train to his next destination, Saunders is surprised to discover a wolf has boarded the train at the last stop. Not just any wolf, mind you, but a businesswolf. And what exactly does a businesswolf eat?Not one of Hill's best, he still injects his unique style of creepiness into the story. I'd recommend it for hardcore Hill fans, but if he's not your cup of tea, this will be an easy pass for you.

[clark7hallman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wolverton Station by Joe Hill is a Kindle Single of about 30 pages. Saunders is a very successful and ruthless executive, who is working to eliminate the competition for his firm’s global expansion in England. However, he finds himself in a life threatening position on a nighttime train shortly after leaving Wolverton Station. It’s a very quick and entertaining story by a very accomplished author.