Long Night

By Erik Handy

WHAT HAPPENS IN ROT HOUSE, STAYS IN ROT HOUSE!

 

An innocent movie night for a group of young adults takes an unimaginable turn, plunging them headfirst into a nightmarish realm of terror. As the young adults confront the horrors that unfold before them, they quickly realize that escaping this descent into Hell may be an impossible feat.

 

With his signature mastery of suspense, Erik Handy weaves a web of intrigue and fear that will keep you gripped from the first page to the last. Brace yourself as the boundaries of reality blur and the line between life and death becomes perilously thin!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Erik Handy
• Release date: Oct 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9798223654049

Erik Handy

Erik Handy grew up on a steady diet of professional wrestling, bad horror movies that went straight to video, and comic books. There were also a lot of video games thrown in the mix. He currently absorbs silence and fish tacos.

Book preview

Terror

Sonny put his arm around his girlfriend Mandy.

Guess what? he asked her.

Riveted to the final moments of the movie, Mandy replied, What?

Something just came up.

Mandy grinned and reached into her boyfriend’s lap. It didn’t take her long to find what that something was.

Jen rolled her eyes. Get a room, guys.

We got a room, Sonny said. This one.

The movie ended. The credits rolled.

That’s it? Kay said. What kind of ending was that?

Jen shrugged. A crappy one.

Obviously. What did the dogs have to do with anything?

It’s a stupid horror movie, Kay, Justin chimed in. Just let it go, babe.

Kay wouldn’t. And what was up with the feet?

The cheerleader movie was better, Jen said. At least it made sense.

Ross got up to turn the DVD player off. As the disc came out, the television went black.

Ross looked back at his friends. Sonny – a young man caught in whatever was currently trendy in an effort to fit in (currently he was emo) – and Mandy – a tiny effort of a woman full of spunk – on the floor. On the couch, Jen – a woman in her late teens with long, dark hair; almost exotic-looking, Kay – the (not ditzy) blonde, and Justin – another young man who always had a smirk on his face.

Did any of you do that? Ross asked.

Do what? Sonny replied.

Turn the TV off. Ross turned back to the TV and it popped on.

Justin joined Ross.

The TV went off again.

Justin and Ross looked at each other.

What the? Justin said. Oooh . . . . He revealed the remote control from behind his back and handed it to Ross. Scared ya?

Fuck off.

The group laughed.

A little on edge, Ross? Jen said.

Too many horror movies? Kay added.

Sonny stretched. I think I’m going home. I gotta work tomorrow morning.

Mandy got up and put her arm around her man. Yeah. And he has something to do before bedtime.

The group headed to the front door, exchanging goodbyes. It was a good night, a good time that they all looked forward to repeating soon.

As Mandy and Sonny walked to their car, Sonny glanced down the dark side of the house that wrapped around to the equally dark backyard. A spot in that blackness quivered.

Stray cat, he said, shrugging it off.

Mandy waited on the other side of the car, holding a shiver inside. Can you hurry up? I’m cold.

Cold? Sonny dropped his keys. I’m sweating.

Sonny bent to pick his keys up. As he did, some unseen force knocked him on his back. His head jerked back as if he was shoved in the chest.

Just as suddenly, he slid underneath the car.

Mandy stood frozen in terror. At that moment, she knew something was dreadfully wrong. This night would never end for her. Fear loosened her bowels.

She screamed, but no one heard her.

***

The four at the door stood, in shock, unsure as to what to do. A gear clicked in their collective consciousness – a gear that wasn’t supposed to turn, but slowly gathered speed.

Mandy fell, yanked down by