A Shadow in the Moonlight: A Thirteenth Hour Prequel

By Joshua Blum

“The moon shone brightly overhead, blanketing everything in a soft white glow. A perfect moon to accompany all that hunted by night...”

In this gothic prequel to "The Thirteenth Hour," a young hunter accidentally interrupts a wizard's spell, turning him into a living shadow only able to venture out by night, unable to interact with others, and doomed to spend the rest of eternity hunting an elusive, ethereal deer night after night. Help and danger collide when he encounters an injured runaway, and he must decide if he is strong enough to brave the light. A prequel to the "The Thirteenth Hour," followed by "Falling Leaves Don't Weep," a short story epilogue to "The Thirteenth Hour." Approximately 11,000 words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joshua Blum
• Release date: Mar 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311348517

Joshua Blum

A child of the 80s, Joshua Blum, like many other people, remembers wishing he had Marty McFly's hoverboard from "Back to the Future 2" to ride to and from school. For awhile, he wanted to be an American Indian hunter and spent many a misspent day making bows and arrows out of tree branches, ultimately leading to a love of archery which continues to this day. After entering that penal colony known as middle school, he decided that he ought to learn to defend himself, leading to the wide world of martial arts and lots and lots of push-ups, both of which he enjoys to this day.All of these elements were inspirations for aspects of "The Thirteenth Hour," which he wrote after finishing high school and edited little by little until the present day - in effect growing up with the characters. During this time, he was educated at Princeton and Penn State Universities. In total, he estimates having spent 23 years of his life in school (give or take). Despite that rap sheet, he still enjoys learning new things. He credits his mother for instilling in him a love of literature, music, and yard sales. He credits his father for teaching him to do, you know, manly things, like hit a baseball, ride a bike without falling over, and most importantly, never give up on the important things in life. He credits his younger brother for helping him stay young at heart.He currently enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter. Although not surprising given the decade in which he grew up, he still enjoys breakdancing, though he will admit the bruises take longer to go away now that he can no longer consider himself a young adult. He hopes to forever avoid corporate middle management and is currently at work on a graphic novel for adolescents as well as a sequel to "The Thirteenth Hour." He hopes it does not take sixteen years to finish.

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A Shadow in the Moonlight

A Thirteenth Hour Prequel

By Joshua Blum

Many thanks to the Goodreads members who read this story and offered their comments and critiques prior to its publication.

Thanks, as always, to my brother for his many hours of unpaid proofreading, editorial assistance, and guidance to turn an old story into a publishable one.

For Cathy, who knows about the eyes of babies, and for so many other reasons.

Copyright © 2015 Joshua Blum

1st edition 3/2015

2nd edition 11/2015

All rights are reserved to the author. No part of this story may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

A strong wind whistled through the tops of the evergreens, dislodging shards of ice that pelted the forest floor far below in a continuous death rattle. Dark clouds blanketed the stars, and the only light came from the moon, which cast a faint white glow over the treetops and hillsides. Otherwise, darkness reigned over the forest-covered valley. A single drop of water fell from one of the clouds, striking the tip of a tree before falling to the ice-covered forest floor. More droplets followed until the freezing rain suddenly came in torrents, blown by the wind so that it slashed down in angled sheets.

In that desolate, stormy valley, a young hunter was making his way through the labyrinth of trees. Having lost his way hours ago, he now sought shelter. Earlier in the day, when the weather had been clearer and the sky lighter, a majestic albino buck had jumped into view. It had been too far away for a clean shot, so the hunter had given chase off the path into the dark woods, where he’d soon lost not only the trail but his way. He’d been stumbling about ever since. Eventually, the hunter spied a cave covered by vines and underbrush. He would not have seen it but for a dimly lit entrance. When he approached, he made out a weathered, wooden door. It fit poorly, and he could see some dim details of the interior through cracks around the edges. Hoping that He hoped that whoever lived here would let him stay the night, the hunter called and knocked three times before finally pushing the door, which, to his surprise, creaked open.

As he walked inside, his eyes settled on a mirror, a hooded cloak hanging by the door, and a muddy set of boots. He squinted into the distance.