Old Forests and Older Things Within

By Rudolph Kohn

Victor Martinez-Silva and his wife, Amy, had planned a beautiful tour of the ancient ruins of Peru. On their hike through the forests leading to Choquequirao, they stumble into a situation that neither of them was prepared for. Only the help of a mysterious stranger, Lawrence George Samson, wielding homebrewed medicines and bizarre technology stands between them and a horrifying end orchestrated by eldritch forces. Forced into a desperate chase, Samson leads them back into the nearby towns, trying to minimize collateral damage while keeping everyone alive.

The introductory short story into a new series, "Old Forests and Older Things Within" is a pulpy little adventure that introduces the character of Lawrence George Samson, a man fighting against forces beyond normal human understanding. Samson uses his skills as a scientist, engineer, and gunslinger to protect himself and others from fates worse than death. Samson's encounters with a variety of monstrous creatures have led to him developing a variety of drugs designed to keep his brains inside his head--and violent hijackers out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rudolph Kohn
• Release date: Jan 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215485873

Rudolph Kohn

I'm a physicist trying to get into writing. I read a lot of mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy, and my writings hit the same genres (or I guess, will hit those genres--I still don't have a lot of pieces published). My greatest influence is probably Rex Stout.Check out my blog rnkfiction.blogspot.com for free short fiction and commentary on writing.Thanks for checking out my profile!

Book preview

Old Forests and Older Things Within

by Rudolph Kohn

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2023 Rudolph Kohn

Book cover based on a royalty-free photo by Guthrie Kuckes on Unsplash

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied, and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to your favorite ebook retailer to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

It was supposed to have been a slow, relaxing, two-month holiday in Peru. Victor Martinez-Silva and his wife, Amy, had retired early, both in their fifties, and had decided to take a long trip to the country Victor's family had left when he was just a baby. Victor's work as a library historian had always left him itching to visit the ancient places of the world, and this was a first step into the unknown for them. When they left, their three kids, now grown, had wished them a fun vacation when they dropped them off at the airport.

They rented an old yellow Volkswagen Beetle to get around, the elderly owner of the car smiling brightly at the trim, gray-haired couple as Victor negotiated in his rusty Spanish, and they had spent a few weeks driving all over, visiting a bunch of different sites. Today, they had made the harrowing drive up the switchbacks leading to Choquequirao, in southern Peru, and had just started the hike through the forests leading to the ruins. But, after walking for a while, Amy had suddenly cried out in pain and surprise.

Victor turned around and saw Amy rubbing her forehead. What happened, dear? he asked.

Oh, nothing, I must've snapped myself with a branch. Victor looked around, but he couldn't see anything sticking out that might have hit her. He walked to her and gently lifted her hand from her forehead, where there was a small scratch