Shadow Over Haven

The shovel crunched into the earth as Dale speared it into the ground.

“Let’s see if anyone’s home.” Dale said as he pried open the coffin.

“Dale…” Jess’s voiced wavered. The wind picked up and howled through the dark cemetery.

Dale peaked up at the lip of the open grave. “Salt. Now.”

Jess nodded and snapped back into action. She furnished a blade from her boot and sliced a bag of road salt down the middle. Quickly spreading it around the open grave in a circle, carefully placing herself inside it’s protective ring.

“No.” The icy voice of the spirit shrieked as she took form in-front of Jess.

“Dammit, Dale. You’d better hurry the hell up.” Jess yelled.

Dale soaked the corpse in gasoline and crawled up the edge of the grave.

The wind picked up in a solid gust and broke the salt-line. The spirit cackled with glee and tore through the air towards Jess.

“Dale!” she screamed.

Dale flipped open a zippo and struck it across his dirt crusted jeans. He grinned as he dropped the flaming lighter into the open grave.

The spirit burst in a shower of flaming embers. One final ragged scream echoed across the headstones.

Dale dusted himself off and laughed. “I could use a beer. How bout’ you?”

Jess gave Dale a look that would drop a crow from flight. “I hate ghosts.”

Photo by "Derrick Tyson"

Salt and Iron

Episode One

Midnight Riot

The Chief stepped out of his car and limped his way to the front-door of the farm-house.

“What do you think, Jim?” he asked.

“I…think I’m going to be sick.” Jim gagged as he stepped over the caution tape. “I thought I’d seem some bad stuff these past few years, but nothing like that.”

The Chief nodded. “Sometimes I forget how hard it can be. Take your time.”

The Deputy righted himself. “I’m fine, sir.”

“What’s the damage?”

“Carnage would be more like it, chief. There are six decapitated bodies in there…” Jim trailed off as his face went green.

A young coroner walked out of the entrance to the cellar and made his way over to the two men.

“Sir, we’ve got more bodies in the basement.”

“Headless?” Jim asked looking ill.

“No. But…they’ve been drained completely of blood.” The coroner’s face paled noticeably as he spoke.

The two cops shared a confused look.

“What the fuck is going on in this town?”

**

“Did you light the place up?”

“Yes, Dale. The place got torched.” Jess sighed.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes I’m sure. Just because you almost got your block knocked off doesn’t mean that I can’t do my job.”

Dale took a hand off the wheel and ran it through his bloodied brown hair. “I almost got my block knocked off taking a blow for you, Jess.”

“My hero.” she said mockingly.

Dale sighed. “One of these days I’m not gonna be around to save your little ass.”

“Keep your eyes off my little ass and on the road. I aim to get some rest tonight before we head out again.”

“Amen to that, but I call dibs on the bed with magic-fingers.”

Jess rolled her eyes and laughed.

“I’m just ready to leave this hole.”

Dale nodded in agreement.

“Pleasant-ville, Ohio. Seems like an odd place for a vamp nest.” Dale chuckled to himself in amusement.

“No weirder than that Wendigo down in Idaho.”

Dale shrugged. “I guess your right. Live long enough and you’ll see it all.”

“Hey! I’m not that old.” Jess blurted.

A burger joint’s neon sign flashed across the windshield as the beat up old truck hummed down the road.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night. You hungry?”

“Dale, we’re covered in blood.” she said dryly.

“Right, so take out?”

**

“Don’t you ever get sick of burgers?” Jess asked.

Dale flopped onto one of the ratty mattress in the hooker hotel room they’d rented for the week. “Sick of burgers? That’s blasphemy of the worst kind.”

Jess slipped out of her bloody boots and set them by her twin-bed. “The cholesterol alone will kill you.”

Dale just shrugged. “Something’s gonna.”

“First dibs on the shower. And yes, Dale. That means your taking one. You smell like ass.” Jess pointed her finger at him.

“Fine. Fine. Twist the knife a little deeper while you’re at it.”

“Hey, you don’t have to ride in a clunker with your stink all day. I do.”

Dale threw his hands up in submission. “Alright already.”

Jess disappeared into the bathroom and Dale flipped on the T.V. Surprised to see that it actually worked.

“Let’s see if that fire’s hit the news yet.” He muttered to himself.

A perky red-head was reading the 11 O’clock news with a little more enthusiasm than Dale could stand.

“The serial kidnappings have continued with more reported victims…”

“Not anymore.” Dale smirked.

“…We have Jeff, live on the scene of the attempted arson on a local farmhouse…”

“Son of a bitch.” Dale shouted.

…”Yes, Trish. It’s a horrifying scene here at Pike Bend. The firemen arrived at the scene and managed to put out the flames only to discover their true purpose was to cover up the scene of a mass homicide. None of the victims have been identified as of yet, but the Chief of Police, Donald Wessen, is investigating the possible connection between the murder and the kidnappings…”

Jess emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam wearing jeans and a t-shirt, her deep black hair tied back in a ponytail.

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” She asked.

“The place didn’t burn, Jess. It made the news.” Dale gave her a look that screamed “I told you so.”

Jess grimaced and sat down on the bed. “Did they find the drained bodies?”

Dale nodded. “Don’t see how they couldn’t have, but they kept it off the news at least. For now anyway.”

“Then we need to leave. If anyone saw us or our truck, we just hit this towns most wanted list.”

“Pack up–”

…We have a breaking news report. As of 9pm tonight, three more victims have been taken. The victims were assaulted and taken from within their home. A neighbor called 911 shortly after seeing the family dragged from their homes and into a white work van. Police are scanning the city. If you can provide any information on it’s location call 1-800-…

The two shared mournful glances and Dale shook his head.

“We were in full swing of slaughtering those bastards right around then, Dale. We must have missed something.”

“Guess that means were staying.”

“Son of a bitch.”

**

Dale sat on the patched couch, hunched over the coffee table, and looking over a map of the city. “We got lucky tracking that scout back to their nest, but what if we were missing the bigger picture?”

Jess walked back from the cooler, holding two dripping bottles of beer. “Bigger picture?” She asked as she handed him a beer.

Dale popped the top and took a long pull. “I’ve marked all the spots where the victims were taken, or at least the best guess of where they had been before they got nabbed. There has to be a pattern.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“There’s always a pattern, even if the ones making it don’t notice.”

Jess chuckled. “That’s pretty deep coming from a guy that doesn’t own a single shirt with sleeves.”

“There.” he said poking his finger on the map.

“Oh, come on. That’s too cliche even for vamps.”

“That’s the one central location for all the nabbings, Jess.”

“Then what the hell was up with the farmhouse?”

Dale shrugged. “We passed the place yesterday remember? It’s been shut-down for years, but their planning to knock it down and put up a damn mall or something.”

Jess finished her beer in one long pull. “Guess the vamps figured they needed to bleed the town dry before they were out on their asses?”

“Yup. Time to go clean house.”

**

The door to the old pickup creaked as Dale shut it.

“You got the dead man’s blood?”

Jess raised a mason jar full of thick redish-brown liquid and cringed. “Nasty shit.”

“An edge is an edge.” Dale said as he grabbed the jar and began dripping the liquid across the side of his machete.

Jess took a look up at the looming factory. “I still can’t believe they held up in an old slaughter-house.”

Dale handed Jess the jar. “Prolly smelled like home.”

“Guns?” Jess asked.

“Hell yes we’re taking the damn guns.”

“What about the noise?”

“I’d rather be loud and alive than dead an’ quiet. Let’s get this done.”

Dale led the way into the slaughter-house. The door creaked open just a bit too easily and the sweet smell of rotting flesh was a bit too recent.

“I think we’re in the right place.” Jess coughed.

“Go ahead and fire up the light, no use in stealth. Bastards should have heard that truck a mile away.”

Jess flicked on the UV light and the room opened up.

“Son of a bitch.” Dale growled.

The kidnap victims were dangling from various wires and spikes along the rafters. Each and every one drained and dried like a tomato in the sun.

“They left them for us to see.” Jess said with disgust.

Dale dropped his machete to the floor and then followed suit with his shotgun. “No…they set us up.”

Car doors slammed shut as red and blue light splashed across the walls of the room. The light seemed to linger upon the faces of the dead, giving them a look of deep sorrow. Men rushed in with lights and guns held at the ready.

“Get down on the ground!”

**

“This po-dunk town only has two cells?” Dale smirked.

The officer gave him a rough shove and slammed the iron cell door. “I don’t want to hear you speak, you sick bastard.”

“I told you, we’re not the bad guys here. The murders will continue.” Jess chimed in from her cell.

“All that means is there are more of you still out there.”

Dale chuckled. “You don’t even want to think about what’s out there, green-horn.”

The cop stepped up and pressed his face close to Dale’s cell. “You listen here you smug son of a–”

“Jim. I’ll have professionalism in my department. Do you understand me?” Chief Wessen barked as he entered the room. The old cop looked like he’d lived through some hard times. His gray hair was thinning and his face held more lines than a road map. The chief was holding a few papers loosely in his hand.

“Yes, sir.” The officer answered sheepishly.

“Good. Feds are coming into town. We’ve hooked ourselves some of America’s most wanted. And they’ve got quite a list of achievements.” The old chief gave Dale a steely eyed glare. “Grave robbing, corpse defacement, breaking and entering, and numerous counts of murder.”

The younger cop just stood there clenching his fists, turning his knuckles white.

“Guess the niceties are over now, eh?” Dale quipped.

Chief Wessen took a few calm steps towards Dale’s cell. “Why’d you do it?”

“You wouldn’t believe us if we told you.” Jess answered.

The chief turned to look at her. “Try me.”

Dale shrugged. “To save poor stupid bastards like you.”

The lights flickered and burst in a shower of sparks, plunging the room into darkness. The young officer jumped and yelped.

“Better grab your big guns, Chief. And aim for the head.” Dale chuckled as he used the key he’d swiped from officer grumpy and swung open his cell door.

“What? How did you? Stop!” The young cop fuddled around for his gun. Dale caught his wrist, gave him a quick elbow to the nose, and turned to face the bewildered deputy with the pilfered 9mm.

Dale raised the gun up in surrender. “I mean to save you. So don’t make me do anything you’re gonna regret later.”

Dale tossed Jess the keys through the bars of her cell.

“We better move quick, Dale.”

Dale nodded. “Where did you put our gear?”

“Now hold on a minute. You think I’m just gonna let you walk out of here?” The chief shouted. The old man was finally starting to lose his cool.

“We’re not leaving. They’re coming here and we have to make sure they don’t eat you.”

“Did he just say what I think he said?” Jim asked his voice cracking like a 12 year old.

Jess walked up next to Dale. “Do you boys believe in the boogeyman?”

A blood curdling scream echoed around the room from down the hall.

“Stephanie!” Jim squawked.

“Hold it there, bud. She’s either dead or a thrall. They don’t leave anyone alive.”

“What the hell do you mean?” Jim blurted nervously.

“You two better start making some sense.” the Chief grumbled.

Dale ignored them.

“Was Stephanie the only other person here?” Dale asked.

“Yeah, She’s the dispatcher. Everyone else is out on rounds.”

Dale shook his head. “I’m sorry. She’s gone. And if you two don’t listen to what we say, you’ll be dead by daybreak. Your town’s had an odd number of missing persons cases for over a dozen years, didn’t you ever wonder why?”

“Of course we did, but there was never any evidence or trace of the victims.”

“Wrong. There was plenty. Just not the kind you knew how to look for. Now we need our gear and fast.”

The Chief started to protest but stopped himself. “It’s in the lockup down the hall.”

Dale looked over at Jess. “Stay here with them. I’ll go grab the gear.”

Jess nodded and Dale disappeared down the darkened hallway.

The young officer had grown pale and shaky. “What is it?”

“They. And they’re Vampires. The suckers have been bleeding this town dry for over a decade.” Jess answered.

“Now I’ve seen some shit in my day, but Vampires?” he asked gruffly.

“You saw the drained bodies and torn out throats.”

The Chief just shook his head and sighed. “So what? We need to stake them?”

“Decapitation works better.”

“That’s why we found all those headless bodies then?” Jim asked.

“Yep.”

Dale rounded the corner with a few army duffel bags and set them on a desk. “You boys know how to handle a machete?”

“I’m too old to swing anything around anymore.” The chief answered.

Dale handed a blade to Jim. “Stick with a shotgun then, Chief.”

Jess took a machete out of her bag and unsheathed it. “What’s the plan, Dale?”

Another shriek erupted from down the hall, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

“Jim. Jim. You have to help me Jim!” A haunting voice echoed from the hall.

“She’s still alive!” Jim screamed and took off towards the sound disappearing as he rounded the corner.

“Son of a bitch.” Dale yelled.

Something growled, followed by the sound of metal clattering to the floor. Jim’s screams flooded back into the room. Dale kicked over a table and slid it near the doorway.

“Chief, grab a shotgun and shoot anything that comes near that door. And I mean anything.”

The old man nodded and grabbed his shotgun from the wall.

“Alright, Jess. We need to–”

Jess tackled Dale to the floor just as the shotgun blast tore through the room. Dale jerked the pistol free from his waistband and fired three shots into the old man’s chest. The chief stumbled back, but kept his grip on the shotgun. Jess launched herself to her feet just as the chief leveled his shotgun with Dale’s head and fired.

“Ignorant little runts.” He snarled.

Jess screamed and swung the machete with everything she had.

The chief turned his head towards Jess as her blade connected with the meaty flesh of his neck and cut like a blade through thick mud. Nothing else can really describe the feeling. The chief’s head fell to the floor and rolled. A clear slime seeped from his wounds.

“Ughn.” Dale groaned holding onto his left shoulder.

Jess rushed to his side and let her blade clatter to the floor. “Dale. Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Son of a bitch just got me in the shoulder. Must of had bird-shot in there.”

“Dale, how is that possible? I saw his line of fire. You should be dead.”

“Lets not look a gift horse in the mouth alright?” Dale said as he stood. “Bastard must have been a thrall the whole fuckin’ time.”

“We need a plan, Dale. The bodies are piling up.”

Footsteps pounded down the hallway towards them.

“Get ready!” Dale shouted.

Jess grabbed the machete from the floor and held it back, ready to swing. Dale grabbed a sawed-off and lifted it up towards the doorway. Only nothing came. The footsteps stopped and the room descended into silence.

“God dammit. I’m sick of these fucking games. They would have swarmed us already if they had the numbers. I think were just dealing with a patriarch out for revenge.”

“How do you know that?”

“Back in 05′ I spent a whole night being hunted through the woods by one. Sick bastards like to toy with you, but it only gets them killed.” He made his way towards the desk and began opening drawers.

“Dale, what are you looking for?”

Dale raised up a bottle of Jack. “This. I’ve got an idea.”

“No, Dale. Remember what happened in Utah.”

“Fuck Utah.”

**

Dale walked slowly through the darkened hallway. Bottle of Jack with a rag in one hand, lighter in the other. His boots squished and he paused with a grimace then looked down.

“Sorry, Jim.” He sighed and stepped around the gory mess of flesh.

“Come on you bastard. What are you scared of?”

A shadow shifted to his right and he flicked the flame to life. The flame revealed a pale skeletal figure with flaps of papery skin dangling in all directions. It’s stomach looked as if it could burst.

“You go on a diet? It’s workin’ for ya.”

The creature chuckled. “Why are the ones that hunt us always so full of piss and vinegar?”

“A vamp with a sense of humor? Never thought I’d see the day.” Dale said with a smirk as he lit the rag.

“You think your fire will frighten me? You’ve butchered my coven and now you will answer for it. My death is unimportant.” The creature hissed.

“You asked for it once you started dropping bodies.”

The creature shook his head and laughed. Wisps of white hair wiggled loosely across his mottled scalp. “The humans of this pathetic town were going to destroy our home. My home. They deserved everything they received.”

“If we’re going to do this we might as well do it right.” Dale said as he removed a flask from his jacket and proceeded to take a long pull. Dale gently set the flask back into his pocket and flipped his enemy the bird.

“Very well. But I won’t stop with you. I’ll gut your pretty little girl and string her intestines around my new home.” The creature cackled.

Dale hurled the flaming bottle into the wall and the creature swung a clawed hand towards his throat. Dale ducked back and spat a thick red liquid onto the attacking creatures face and smiled.

The vampire hissed and screamed as the dead man’s blood burned into it’s flesh. In a screaming fit of rage the creature launched itself towards the door, only to find he couldn’t budge it.

“Your sealed in, slim. Crossed every window and door with dead man’s blood. Where did you think my pretty little girl had run off to?” Dale smiled revealing blood red teeth.

The creature shrieked and spat in a rage. Dale drew his revolver he’d grabbed from his bag with his good arm, opened fire and took off towards the back door. Dale’s boots thudded across the tile as he ran at a full sprint towards the open door. Even wounded the patriarch would be more than quick enough to catch him given time.

With each step the creature’s clawed hands got closer to the back of Dale’s neck. Panting and wincing as he made it within feet of the open door, Dale threw himself to the ground with a grunt.

“Now!” he screamed.

Jess stepped into view and hurled a bucket full of dead man’s blood right into the patriarch’s face. The creature howled and stepped back as the blood boiled away his papery flesh. Dale now stood in the doorway holding a shotgun level with the creature’s skull.

“Adios.”

Dale pulled the trigger and the howling ceased. Leaving the night to the gentle roar of hungry flames.

**

The beat-up old truck rambled on down the highway just as the sun peaked over the horizon and Simple Man played on the radio.

“Great way to end a case.” Dale said with a contented sigh.

“How’d you know it would work?” Jess asked.

“The radio? You never know with this clunker. Come to think of it we really need to steal us a new ride soon.”

“Dale, I meant the plan with the patriarch back there and you know it.”

Dale shrugged. “I didn’t. Could have been just like Utah.”

Jess slugged him in the arm. “I thought you said fuck Utah?”

Dale winced. “I did take some bird-shot to the shoulder, FYI. But yeah I did say fuck Utah. Utah sucked.”

“Your gonna get yourself killed one of these times and I’ll be stuck burying your body.”

Dale glanced over towards Jess. “You mean you’d actually bury me? Aww shucks, don’t be getting sappy on me now.”

Jess smiled. “Bastard.”

Dale chuckled. “That’s more like it. Now, how about some breakfast?”

“Dale, your covered in blood and there’s lead in your shoulder.”

Dale paused for a moment.

“Right. So takeout?”

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,500 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 25 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Jim Butcher’s Take
http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/4217.html

Harry Conolly’s Advice
http://www.harryjconnolly.com/blog/?p=3727

Most zombie flicks are your typical gorefests where the main focus is on the zombies themselves and that’s just dandy, but what if you want something more? The Walking Dead delivers. This series focuses on the survivors themselves and the “walkers” or “geeks” are just one more obstacle the world has to hurl in their grimy dirt crusted faces. The character driven nature of the series really hits the high notes for me personally. I feel scared when they’re scared, angry when they’re angry, and depressed when they’re depressed. It makes the entire season a thrill-ride roller-coaster of emotions and zombie guts. I cannot recommend this series enough. Zombie Fans, go forth and be entertained.

This is part of the Carmilla blog tour

Night Tinted Glasses
Facebook Page of the Tour
A Paranormal Lovers View
Review of ‘The Polish Carmilla’
Search for the Lure of the Vampire
Chastity’s Romance News

Eventide Envisions
The Ramblings of Amy
Kay Dee Royal, Paranormal & Erotica Romance Musings
Illusions of Intimacy
Suburban Vampire

     The Annotated Carmilla is simply a must have for any fans of horror literature. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s classic has appeared in dozens of film adaptation’s throughout the years and is noted to be one of the top three classics of vampire literature. Sheridan was a bit ahead of his time with Carmilla, (much like H.P. Lovecraft and even Poe) with it’s lesbian overtones and a seeming lust for death. The annotations made an absolute amazing addition to the work, give or take a few slight adjustments that I would have preferred, such as less obvious information and a bit more of an in-depth take on some of the mysteries held within the classic text. All that being said, D. MacDowell Blue really knew his stuff and it shows throughout the annotations. I’d rate the annotations at an 8.5 out of ten. Very informative and well written.

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

D. MacDowell blue

Now for the formatting. The cover art fits this text perfectly and the entire book just feels very well put together. I read this on my Ipad and I loved the experience. The text was very easy to read and navigate through, but the chapter art chosen to be placed before each section was absolutely amazing. It almost seems silly to state so much love for pictures in a classic text, but they set the mood and seemed to add to the feel of the piece. All in all I truly enjoyed this new edition of Carmilla and believe it is a must have for any fan of horror.

Are you a fan of Vampires? I mean real Vampires, and not those silly sparkly things you may have heard of recently. Do you enjoy classic works of horror? If the answer is yes to either of these then your doing yourself no favor by not picking up this amazing book.

Wonder on over to http://www.amazon.com/The-Annotated-Carmilla-ebook/dp/B0058V6MG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318213373&sr=8-1 you will not be disappointed.