In Hell's Shadow

By John Coon

Trapped in an unfamiliar place far from home, Kate must confront a once-buried nightmare anew. Will this dark secret from her past lead her to certain destruction?

 

Kate's plans for a weekend getaway with Sarah take a frightening turn when her car plunges through a guard rail during a blinding rainstorm. Now left on a darkened canyon road with no transportation, and no way to reach out to Sarah for help, Kate is forced to accept assistance from a mysterious man in a beat-up pickup truck.

 

Hitching a ride with this stranger is the first step in a frightening journey to an isolated mountain cabin. Kate soon finds herself in a cat-and-mouse game with this mysterious person who is connected to secrets from her past. Can she find the strength to deliver herself from this hopeless situation before it grows too late?

 

In Hell's Shadow is an intense paranormal horror short story from author John Coon. If you enjoy campfire ghost stories, you will love this creepy tale.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Samak Press
• Release date: Apr 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9798223037316

John Coon

From the time he started creating stories on an old typewriter in his parents' house at age 12; John Coon has possessed a passion for writing. John graduated from the University of Utah in 2004 and has worked as a sports journalist for more than a decade. His byline has appeared in multiple publications and on multiple websites nationwide.  John resides in Sandy, Utah. Visit John's author page at johncoon.net for the latest news on his novels and short stories. Follow John on social media -  Facebook: @jcoon Twitter: @johncoonsports

Book preview

John Coon

In Hell’s Shadow

First published by Samak Press 2020

Copyright © 2020 by John Coon

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

I

II

III

IV

About the Author

Also by John Coon

I

Kate felt certain she was lost. Incessant rain made seeing the road in either direction almost impossible. This downpour only began a few minutes ago, but the relentless barrage against her windshield felt like it had lasted for an hour. Raindrops pelted her car like liquid darts tossed from the clouds. Fierce wind rattled and rocked the vehicle from every side as it climbed a steep canyon road.

She glanced at her car radio.

8:07 pm.

Seeing the time only exacerbated her worried state. Kate should have reached the turnoff for the road leading to Sarah’s family cabin at least 15 minutes ago.

Sarah must be worried sick about me, she said.

A knowing smile emerged on Kate’s lips. Sarah would not be Sarah without getting worked up whenever things did not go according to plan. She became acquainted with that quirk in a hurry during their first few days together as college roommates. It bugged Kate a little at first. Later, she learned to accept — and even appreciate in certain situations — Sarah’s organized and punctual nature.

Kate glanced down at her cell phone lying on the passenger seat. It still showed no bars — same story as at the mouth of the canyon. Typical. Her cell service consistently had terrible coverage areas. She dropped calls walking from one room to another in her apartment on more than one occasion.

If only she could call Sarah to clarify the directions, connecting with her would offer a path out of her current waterlogged ordeal. Kate imagined Sarah had left numerous text messages and voicemails by now — each one asking if she was all right. Poor Sarah probably paced through the cabin. All their worries would melt away once Kate arrived at the cabin. She pictured Sarah tossing back her blonde curls and playfully scolding her for being late as usual before wrapping her in a warm embrace. Drama of the moment would fade into joy of spending an intimate weekend together.

Distinguishing faint yellow and