Can a harmless dare really lead to an impossible murder? Not only is Bloody Mary real, but she is dying, but her killing must carry on.
Abby and Cathy were the best of friends, they were basically sisters. But they were nothing alike. Cathy was a snobby cheerleader who had the brightest blue eyes, and the longest golden hair. Abby was the one girl in high school that no one would talk to , but not because of the way she dressed , or the music she would listen to , but because of her " sick " sense of humor . Abby had several of colors in her hair, her bangs covered her eyes, and short hair choppy hair , that she would make stand up . Cathy would sleep over Abby`s house every Friday night , then Abby would sleep over Cathy`s the following night . Friday night Abby and Cathy had gotten bored , so they played truth or dare . They both dared each other to do the most pathetic things . Cathy would pass on almost everything , but Abby would do everything , with no hesitation .
Cathy smiled , " Bloody Mary . Summon her Abby . " Abby smiled , " I think you are forgetting to say something else . . . " Cathy had to think for a minute , " Oh yeah , " Cathy sipped her soda, " I dare you to do it. "
Antique store owner Liz brings home a Victorian taxidermy hound from auction, unwittingly unleashing dark forces on her wife and son.
*****
Nat Loman has finally married the love of her life, Liz, and is getting used to her role as stepmother to Liz's 5-year-old son, Liam. The Loman family runs a bustling antique business so they attend a sale where a striking, black taxidermied hound is up for auction. Liz picks it up for the business, but it ends up being stored in their home, where Nat notices strange things occurring. She quickly discovers the past residents had died violently. Then she hears from a friend about the myth of "the devil's dog", a hound that perches in the shadows, tearing families apart from the inside. Soon, people around the Lomans are dying, and Liz is changing, darkening. It's up to Nat to save the woman she loves from the darkness closing in, and to save Liam from danger no matter what she has to sacrifice.
[[Winner of the 2018 Wattys "Hidden Gems" category]]
[[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]