In the shadows where reality meets the unknown, where the whispers of the past echo through the halls of the present, lies the realm of fear. It is a place where the ordinary twists into the extraordinary, and the mundane is infused with a chilling sense of dread. Welcome, dear reader, to the threshold of terror, where every page turned beckons you further into the abyss of the human psyche.
In this world, darkness lurks behind every corner, and the flicker of a candle's flame casts dancing shadows that seem to harbor malevolent intent. Here, the line between the living and the dead blurs, and the veil between worlds grows thin. In the quiet of the night, when the wind howls like a lamenting soul and the branches scrape against the window like skeletal fingers, fear takes on a life of its own.
Prepare yourself, for within these pages, you will encounter horrors beyond comprehension. From ancient curses that refuse to be forgotten to entities that defy explanation, each tale woven within these words is a testament to the unyielding power of fear.
So, dear reader, if you dare to delve into the depths of the unknown, turn the page and step into the darkness. But be warned: once you enter, there may be no escape from the chilling embrace of the horror that awaits.
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]]