by Eric Avedissian
06-10-2023
Horror
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Reece Rokowski never wanted to be a hero. A dedicated cop and stickler for law and order, Reece’s life is anything but orderly. His wife split, his gambling debts spiraled, and his past trauma haunts him.
Drowning his sorrows at a local watering hole, Reece meets Queenie, a woman too good to be true. He could tell Queenie anything, perhaps too much. On his way home, Reece stumbles upon a John Doe nearly sucked dry of blood and becomes the prime suspect.
As Reece defies his superiors and investigates, he encounters the Legion of the Lamb, a monster-hunting biker gang looking into the same case. Teaming up with the Legion, Reece discovers gaps of missed time, a hulking stranger pursuing him from the shadows, and a secret vampire coven. When the bloodsuckers capture Queenie, it's up to Reece and the Legion to save her before the Regens Noctis – the true ruler of the night – plunges the city into an orgy of blood.
About the Author
06-10-2023
Horror
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Reece Rokowski never wanted to be a hero. A dedicated cop and stickler for law and order, Reece’s life is anything but orderly. His wife split, his gambling debts spiraled, and his past trauma haunts him.
Drowning his sorrows at a local watering hole, Reece meets Queenie, a woman too good to be true. He could tell Queenie anything, perhaps too much. On his way home, Reece stumbles upon a John Doe nearly sucked dry of blood and becomes the prime suspect.
As Reece defies his superiors and investigates, he encounters the Legion of the Lamb, a monster-hunting biker gang looking into the same case. Teaming up with the Legion, Reece discovers gaps of missed time, a hulking stranger pursuing him from the shadows, and a secret vampire coven. When the bloodsuckers capture Queenie, it's up to Reece and the Legion to save her before the Regens Noctis – the true ruler of the night – plunges the city into an orgy of blood.
Excerpt from Midnight at Bat Hollow by Eric Avedissian:
Footfalls grew close.
Through cracks in the bunkhouse’s warped wooden walls, Reece made out a faint figure. The thing paused, sniffed the air, and made a beeline for the bunkhouse.
“Nice going with the screaming, Po-po.” Big Earl nudged Reece. “Now they found us.”
At least three vampires convened on the bunkhouse. They sniffed around the porch, then moved cautiously toward the door.
“Get ready,” Hank gripped the shovel.
The doorknob turned. The sound of heavy footfalls clomped over the roof, the movement of something large and angry.
Reece’s gaze shot from the door to the roof.
All three men looked upward. The vampire’s ruse worked. Distracted by the pattering of feet on the roof, they foolishly ignored the obvious.
The door.
With a swoosh of displaced air, something kicked open the door and breezed past them. An unseen force slammed Reece to the ground. The scythe tumbled away.
The roar of Big Earl’s chainsaw split the quiet. A wet squelch and crunch of bone mixed with the chainsaw’s roar erupted through the dark. The vampire’s head fell to the ground, bouncing over the floorboards. The headless corpse smacked the floor with a thud.
Hank growled and swung his shovel. The metal shovelhead caught a vampire in its face. A third vampire grappled with Reece. The two wrestled, forming a tangled mass of limbs, their bodies rolling on the floor. Reece stared into the vampire’s open maw; two sharp and deadly fangs filled his vision. The vampire’s red eyes gazed at Reece with feverish rapture. Pinned to the ground by a creature with overwhelming strength, Reece flailed helplessly.
A rotting charnel stench from the monster’s mouth made Reece’s eyes water. The vampire’s fangs extended. The creature leaned closer, but Reece pushed back. Exhaustion filled Reece. His grasp slipped. The vampire’s fangs are so close to Reece’s exposed neck felt the creature’s hot breath graze his nape.
A mechanized roar and crimson splatter erupted as the chainsaw’s blade split the vampire’s head in two. A foul ichor showered Reece from all directions. He screamed again, this time ramping it up a few octaves.
Vampire blood drenched Reece’s chest and face.
“What did you….Did you…do?” Reece rasped.
“Saved your ass,” Big Earl said. “You good?”
Reece wiped the blood from his face. “Yeah. I’m good. Considering.”
Big Earl helped Reece to his feet and handed him the scythe.
“Not far now. The big house is the next building over,” Hank reminded them.
They left the bunkhouse and sprinted exposed across open ground. Things moved in the darkness on the far end of the property; shadowy blurs zigzagged, stopped, then resumed their pursuit.
“They’ve spotted us,” Reece cried. “Move!”
Reece’s legs burned as he darted past Hank and Big Earl. He reached the ranch house’s wraparound porch. They scrambled inside, locking the door behind them.
Footfalls grew close.
Through cracks in the bunkhouse’s warped wooden walls, Reece made out a faint figure. The thing paused, sniffed the air, and made a beeline for the bunkhouse.
“Nice going with the screaming, Po-po.” Big Earl nudged Reece. “Now they found us.”
At least three vampires convened on the bunkhouse. They sniffed around the porch, then moved cautiously toward the door.
“Get ready,” Hank gripped the shovel.
The doorknob turned. The sound of heavy footfalls clomped over the roof, the movement of something large and angry.
Reece’s gaze shot from the door to the roof.
All three men looked upward. The vampire’s ruse worked. Distracted by the pattering of feet on the roof, they foolishly ignored the obvious.
The door.
With a swoosh of displaced air, something kicked open the door and breezed past them. An unseen force slammed Reece to the ground. The scythe tumbled away.
The roar of Big Earl’s chainsaw split the quiet. A wet squelch and crunch of bone mixed with the chainsaw’s roar erupted through the dark. The vampire’s head fell to the ground, bouncing over the floorboards. The headless corpse smacked the floor with a thud.
Hank growled and swung his shovel. The metal shovelhead caught a vampire in its face. A third vampire grappled with Reece. The two wrestled, forming a tangled mass of limbs, their bodies rolling on the floor. Reece stared into the vampire’s open maw; two sharp and deadly fangs filled his vision. The vampire’s red eyes gazed at Reece with feverish rapture. Pinned to the ground by a creature with overwhelming strength, Reece flailed helplessly.
A rotting charnel stench from the monster’s mouth made Reece’s eyes water. The vampire’s fangs extended. The creature leaned closer, but Reece pushed back. Exhaustion filled Reece. His grasp slipped. The vampire’s fangs are so close to Reece’s exposed neck felt the creature’s hot breath graze his nape.
A mechanized roar and crimson splatter erupted as the chainsaw’s blade split the vampire’s head in two. A foul ichor showered Reece from all directions. He screamed again, this time ramping it up a few octaves.
Vampire blood drenched Reece’s chest and face.
“What did you….Did you…do?” Reece rasped.
“Saved your ass,” Big Earl said. “You good?”
Reece wiped the blood from his face. “Yeah. I’m good. Considering.”
Big Earl helped Reece to his feet and handed him the scythe.
“Not far now. The big house is the next building over,” Hank reminded them.
They left the bunkhouse and sprinted exposed across open ground. Things moved in the darkness on the far end of the property; shadowy blurs zigzagged, stopped, then resumed their pursuit.
“They’ve spotted us,” Reece cried. “Move!”
Reece’s legs burned as he darted past Hank and Big Earl. He reached the ranch house’s wraparound porch. They scrambled inside, locking the door behind them.
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Eric Avedissian is an adjunct professor and speculative fiction author. His published work includes the novel Accursed Son and the role-playing game Ravaged Earth. His short stories appear in various anthologies, including Across the Universe, Great Wars, and Rituals & Grimoires. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and a ridiculous number of books. When not chained to his writing desk, he hikes the Pinelands and wastes too much time on social media. Visit him online at www.ericavedissian.com.
Eric Avedissian is an adjunct professor and speculative fiction author. His published work includes the novel Accursed Son and the role-playing game Ravaged Earth. His short stories appear in various anthologies, including Across the Universe, Great Wars, and Rituals & Grimoires. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and a ridiculous number of books. When not chained to his writing desk, he hikes the Pinelands and wastes too much time on social media. Visit him online at www.ericavedissian.com.
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