The Scarry Inn

By Shirley McCann

Convinced they are the victims of a sick practical joke, Heidi Bowman and her three friends are resigned to spending the night at The Scarry Inn, even though the atmosphere is anything but welcoming. Surely the owners, Dick and Thelma are simply trying to drum up business for their new motel by terrifying their guests. But when Kara is found brutally murdered, they realize the danger is real and they must find their way to safety before the secrets of the inn claim another victim. Making things even more difficult is the lack of cellphone service in the small town of Frighton, Arizona. With no clue as to who they can trust, the remaining threesome are now caught up in a fight for their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Black Opal Books
• Release date: Mar 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781626942448

Book preview

Convinced they are the victims of a sick practical joke, Heidi Bowman and her three friends are resigned to spending the night at The Scarry Inn, even though the atmosphere is anything but welcoming. Surely the owners, Dick and Thelma, are simply trying to drum up business for their new motel by terrifying their guests.

But when Kara is found brutally murdered, they realize the danger is real and they must find their way to safety before the secrets of the inn claim another victim. Making things even more difficult is the lack of cellphone service in the small town of Frighton, Arizona. With no clue as to who they can trust, the remaining threesome are now caught up in a fight for their lives.

KUDOS FOR THE SCARRY INN

In The Scarry Inn by Shirley McCann, sixteen-year-old Heidi Bowman is headed to her estranged father’s house for Christmas with her three friends from school. When their car breaks down in the small town of Frighton, Arizona, the teenagers have no choice but to spend the night at the local inn. But things start to go wrong from the minute they arrive. And when one of the four is murdered, the others end up in a fight for their lives. The book is both clever and chilling, the story well written, and the plot will have you turning pages from beginning to end. ~ Taylor Jones, Reviewer

The Scarry Inn by Shirley McCann is a YA/New Adult horror story about a group of four teenagers driving to Flagstaff, Arizona for their Christmas break from school. Their car breaks down and leaves them stranded in a small town called Frighton on Christmas Eve, in the middle of a blizzard. The only lodging available is a new motel, called The Scarry Inn, named after the owners, Dick and Thelma Scarry. Then inn isn’t open for business yet, but Dick’s sister Madge is sure he will let the teenagers stay. Sure enough, the kids are able to rent two rooms, one for the girls and one for the two boys. But when terrifying things start happening, the kids think Dick and Thelma are playing jokes on them as a publicity stunt for their new inn--until Kara gets murdered, that is. While the book isn’t exactly graphic, it is pretty scary, and not something I would recommend for young YA. But for older YA, new adult, and even adult, it’s an exciting, chilling, and well-written tale that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. ~ Regan Murphy, Reviewer

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks so much to my Beta Reader Nancy Dailey.

THE SCARRY INN

Shirley McCann

A Black Opal Books Publication

Copyright © 2015 by Shirley McCann

Cover Design by Jackson Cover Designs

All cover art copyright © 2015

All Rights Reserved

EBOOK ISBN: 978-1-626942-44-8

EXCERPT

They all thought the strange things that were happening were just part of a sick practical joke...until they found the body.

Nothing’s happening, she said. She slumped onto the bed. There’s no dial tone.

Alex reached for the receiver, following the same routine. His facial muscles tightened. Damn it! He tossed the phone across the room.

Beau slumped against a wall and closed his eyes. Maybe we should just try the main house again, he said. He shook his head. I’m so tired of this. I just want to get to a phone.

Heidi nodded. She stood suddenly and her calling card fell to the floor. But maybe we should just hike down the hill instead. Her voice cracked through her tears. Maybe we can stop a motorist along the way and hitch a ride to a police station. She reached down to retrieve her card, when her fingers touched something wet and sticky. Oh, gross! She grimaced. What’s on this floor?

Beau directed the flashlight beam toward her face as she brought her hand up to reveal a brownish, red substance. In a fevered rush, Heidi felt the blood drain from her face. Her body sagged with a fear she’d never experienced before. She held her breath and followed Beau’s light as he slowly directed the beam toward her feet.

Bile rose in her throat.

Beneath the bed, Kara’s hair knotted around her face in tangles of dried blood. A jagged gash followed her neck from one side to the other. Her normally flawless complexion was now a distorted mix of shock and horror.

DEDICATION

For my husband, Rick, my sisters, Carol and Judy, my brothers, Sam and Kenny, and my parents, Sam and Judy King. You guys are the best.

PROLOGUE

The shatter of breaking glass jolted him wide awake.

Thelma? He bolted upright, his breath irregular. A wave of dizziness danced through his head, clouding his thoughts. Thelma? He croaked out his wife’s name again, painfully aware that his weak voice wouldn’t carry past the upstairs bedroom door.

He swallowed the lump in his throat when a piercing scream from below accelerated his heartbeat--the sudden pain in his chest now a stern reminder of the mild heart attack he’d suffered a few weeks earlier. He sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, trying to regain some mobility. Hands trembling, he tossed the heavy blanket aside and tried to stand. With his hand on the bedpost, he tested his strength on two wobbly legs, hoping he could summon the strength he needed to help his wife.

At sixty-two, doctors had warned Dick Scarry it was time for a lifestyle change. Better eating habits, more exercise, and above all else, avoiding any kind of stress, they’d told him.

He’d choked back a laugh. Who didn’t have stress these days? Stress was the one thing in life you could actually count on.

His trembling hand clutched the bedpost like a life preserver, while he waited for the room to stop spinning. He closed his eyes, taking slow deliberate breaths of air to gain control of his weak body.

Another scream reinforced the direness of the situation. Something was terribly wrong. Outside the small window, darkness prevailed. It had been light the last time Thelma had been up to check on him. He hadn’t realized he’d slept so long. The clock on the bedside table read 6:30 p.m. If he’d been awake, he’d have realized something was amiss. Thelma always brought his dinner up at 6 p.m. And there was no tray on the table to indicate she’d been here.

He stood for a while longer, steadying himself with the bedpost as nausea crept up his throat. He swallowed to fight back the sensation and waited a few seconds for it to pass.

Panic bubbled inside his gut. What the heck was happening downstairs? His pulse accelerated again as another loud crash sounded from below. This time of their lives was supposed to be a peaceful retirement for Dick and his wife. Dick had retired from the telephone company a year ago, planning to sit back and enjoy the leisure life. But those plans changed when Thelma surprised him by suggesting they supplement his meager pension by building a small motel on their property. He didn’t like the idea. Dick had wanted their golden years to be spent fishing and traveling.

But Thelma had insisted. And Dick would do anything for his wife, even if it meant asking his financial wizard brother, Clyde, to pull up stakes and move to Arizona to offer his assistance.

It was Thelma who’d come up with the idea to call the place The Scarry Inn. Dick had to admit that when she first confronted him with her plan, he’d thought the idea had merit. What better place for an inn called The Scarry Inn, than a town called Frighton?

At this moment, he truly wished Clyde hadn’t postponed his trip until Christmas morning. Dick’s recuperation prevented him from helping out with the inn as much as he’d planned.

Even though the place wouldn’t officially open for another two weeks, there was still plenty of work to do before the grand opening. And Thelma already had her hands full with tomorrow’s holiday preparations.

His heart rate slowing, he shoved his feet into slippers and staggered toward the chest of drawers near the door. Steadying himself against the dresser, he reached in and retrieved the gun buried beneath the socks and undershirts. Holding it close to his chest, he tried to still the erratic beat of his heart.

His hand clutched the doorknob, as Dick felt another wave of dizziness wash over him. He didn’t know if it was Thelma’s scream or his own that died on his lips just before he passed out.

CHAPTER 1

What’s that noise? Heidi Bowman jerked forward in the small car, her short hair bouncing around her head. A stray strand curled across her face and she hooked a finger around it to tuck it behind her ear.

When they’d left Barstow, California, there was only the slightest threat of snow flurries. Now huge white flakes blanketed the highway, while pings of sleet splashed against the windshield. Icy wipers screeched against the glass as temperatures continued to plummet.

She pivoted toward Beau, noticing his tight grip on the steering wheel. Is something wrong with the car? Can we still make it to Flagstaff?

God, she hoped so, she realized with increasing tension. While she hadn’t been thrilled about the prospect of spending the holiday with her dad and new stepmom, she had to admit that seeing her new little sister for the first time sent a warm gushy feeling throughout her body.

When Beau lowered the volume on the radio, the clanking engine noise increased. His dark eyebrows pulled together. Sounds like something might be caught in the engine. He shrugged and glanced at Heidi, his warm brown eyes reassuring. Hey, don’t worry. I had the car serviced before we left Barstow. I’m sure it’s nothing major. Besides, he added. I’m more concerned about this unexpected snow storm than a little engine trouble. I hadn’t planned on slick roads.

Heidi swallowed the lump in her throat. While she was thankful to have the company of her three best friends on this holiday trip, she hated the fact that an unexpected winter storm might put them all in danger.

She knew from experience that Beau was an excellent driver. They’d been dating since the eighth grade. In those four years, she’d witnessed his mechanical genius as well as his careful driving habits many times.

In the backseat, Kara’s voice, muffled beneath a quilted blanket, whined, Are we there yet? I am so sick of being cramped in this tiny little car.

No, Kara. Heidi rolled her eyes. We’re not there yet. We’ve still got another hour to go. Heidi shivered at that realization, unsure if the involuntary reaction was from the freezing temperature or the gnawing fear that Beau’s car wouldn’t make it through the storm. She pulled her jacket tighter and curled her arms across her chest to ward off the eerie, chilling sensation.

Something’s wrong, isn’t it? Kara sat up straighter, wrapping her arms around Beau’s seat. Snow? She turned toward Heidi as if for confirmation.

Heidi nodded. Sure looks like snow to me, Kara.

Funny, Kara retorted. She turned to Beau, who also had a smirk on his face. Do you think this car will make it all the way to Flagstaff? she asked him. I’d hate to be stranded on Christmas Eve.

I’d hate to be stranded on any day, Heidi remarked. Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re having a problem with the engine as well.

Beau’s warm brown eyes met hers. Don’t worry, Heidi, he said. We’ll pull off at the next exit and have the engine checked out. He raised a shoulder to his ear. And as for the snow, this is nothing. I’ve driven this car through worse storms than this.

Kara slumped against the back seat and blew a gust of air through her lips. Maybe you jinxed this trip, Heidi.

What? Heidi and Beau said at once.

I’m serious, Kara said. You didn’t want to go in the first place, Heidi. If your mom hadn’t convinced us to tag along, you wouldn’t be making this trip at all.

Guilty as charged, Heidi admitted. She kicked her feet up on the dashboard and slumped against the seat. The snow and engine trouble must be some kind of omen. Maybe I was right not to want to spend Christmas with my dad’s new family. And now we’ll all end up stranded in a broken down car, buried beneath a ton of snow where no one will ever find us.

Hey, chill you two. Beau’s voice interrupted their bantering. We’re not going to end up stranded anywhere. There’s gotta be a service station open somewhere along this highway. Everyone just keep their eyes peeled for an exit.

Tears pooled behind Heidi’s eyelids, but she held them at bay. She wouldn’t let Kara’s complaining get to her. Not this time. Heidi knew she should be used to her friend’s never-ending rants. But this particular subject was more personal than most. She still hadn’t forgiven her father for leaving.

Kara slapped the blanketed bundle next to her. Wake up, Alex! she shouted. We’ve got a big problem.

A mass of bright orange hair shot out from beneath the blanket. Alex Pendleton rubbed his eyes and tried to focus. What’s wrong with you? He shot Kara an annoyed look. I was dreaming I was making love with a sexy blonde who couldn’t keep her hands off me.

Only in your dreams, Kara said with a sneer.

Alex huffed. Well, that was kinda the point, now wasn’t it?

Heidi thought it amusing that Kara Graff, who was Miss-Popular-Everything throughout high school, chose someone who reminded her of the Seinfeld character, Cosmos Kramer. His bushy hair jutted out in disarray and his clothes looked like something he plucked from the Salvation Army’s slush pile.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve got a problem, Kara said.

Alex stiffened. Are we out of gas?

No chance, Beau answered. The gauge reads three-quarters full. Besides we filled up an hour ago.

Alex adjusted his long legs in the cramped backseat. He leaned forward, staring at the view outside the car.

Wow, he exclaimed. That’s some blizzard. I thought we were only supposed to run into a few flurries. He stretched an arm across the front seat and turned up the radio. Let’s hear what the weatherman has to say.

Will you forget about the snow, Alex? Kara grumbled. Can’t you hear that rattling sound in the engine?

Alex combed his hand through his unruly hair then lowered the radio’s volume while he put his ear to the side window. Hey, that does sound pretty bad. What are the chances of making it to Flagstaff?

Beau answered with a shrug. We’ll stop at the first exit and get someone to look at it. We probably just picked up a rock somewhere.

Although Heidi tried to look hopeful, she knew her expression belied her confidence. They had traveled on a highway the entire drive, and the chances of picking up a rock were slim. Besides, she couldn’t help but wonder what the odds were of locating a