Cole: The Mangler: Book 1 (A Phoenix Club Serial thriller)

PROLOGUE

**NOTE: Though this is titled "Book 1", it is actually the SECOND installment of the series. If you have not done so yet, before reading this book, please read "COLE: MIND OF MADNESS: A PRELUDE". It is important that these books are read in order.

**NOTE #2: The Main characters in this series are from my PHOENIX CLUB series (written as CJ Bishop). if you would like to better acquaint yourselves with the characters, the PHOENIX CLUB bundle (5 novels) is available on amazon for only $0.99. Most of the characters in these first two installments are, in fact, new characters. But the upcoming books will feature established characters from the PHOENIX CLUB series.

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"I'm every nightmare you've ever had.

I am your worst dream come true.

I am everything you ever were afraid of."

— IT, Stephen King

The cellar doors flung open, and the boy flew out into the cold morning air with an unmistakable expression of fear. Terror coiled around his throat and squeezed his chest, bringing tears to his eyes. He ran without any sense of direction, barely registering his surroundings as they whizzed by. All he knew was run, get away!

He was suddenly in the forest amidst the tangle of dense woods, branches whipped against his face and snarled in his hair as sharp roots and vines sought to trip him and bring him to the ground. Yet, such obstacles were nothing compared to the fear that coursed through his veins. He heard each footstep as it struck the earth. A million new scents filled his nose, tingling every one of his nerve endings with red-hot intensity.

He could feel the blood on his hands, sticky and thick like tar as it seeped into every pore and filled his nose with a sickeningly sweet coppery scent as the horrifying images exploded through his head.

He killed them—oh God, HE KILLED THEM!

Heavy footsteps thumped the earth behind him, gaining on him.

No-no-no!

Something caught his foot and sent him sprawling to the cold ground. He landed on his chest and the air burst from his lungs, leaving him gasping into dead, frozen leaves and frosty twigs. The scent of dirt rushed up his nostrils.

Get up-get up! He's COMING!

The boy struggled to pull air into his constricted lungs and crawl to his feet. The panic surging through him locked his throat tight and made it harder to catch his breath. He cried out loud, stumbling across the freezing ground on his knees, desperately trying to get his feet under him.

A brittle twig snapped behind him. The boy froze, his body shaking as his palms pressed into the ice-cold ground, numb fingers gripping fistfuls of dead leaves and chilled dirt. His chest heaved with labored breath and the woods around him shimmered and swayed as shadows pressed at the edge of his blurred vision.

He's gonna kill you too! He's crazy—HE'S CRAZY!

The boy collapsed to the ground, rolling onto his back. He stared through bleary eyes at the large figure standing over him. Everything inside him went numb until he felt nothing as tiny pieces of the puzzle began to slide into place.

Fresh tears filled his eyes and drained warmly into his ears. His fingers dug into the front pocket of his jeans and touched the bone handle of his pocketknife, his numb fingertips struggling to draw it out.