An Excerpt From My New Novella Within the Dark Places.

Whenever someone has finished reading Within the Dark Places the first question I always ask is, “What was your favorite part?” and I’m surprised that no two people have given the same answer. So I asked myself the same question, and while there are many moments to choose from, the following excerpt was certainly the most fun to write.  The adrenaline rush I experienced afterwards lasted most of the day and I couldn’t stop shaking from the excitement.  I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Even though the torch was now dead, the light from the moon was strong enough to allow Mike to see a few yards ahead of him. He was about to pick up his collection of sticks and branches and make his way hastily back to the camp, when he saw the shadow of something moving up ahead. Mike paused, squinting through the thick lenses of his glasses. Whatever it was, it looked human in shape. Mike stood still — so did the shadow. The shadow was elongated, its legs and arms long and out of proportion to the head and body — like a stick man. Due to the distraction of the shadow, Mike hadn’t noticed that the whispering had now stopped. Even the woods themselves had also fallen silent; gone were the bird songs and animal calls. Mike continued to squint, tilting his head. The head of the shadow mirrored the movement. Mike took a step back. The shadow took a step back, its legs and arms stretched out farther. Mike now had a hunch as to what this thing was and began to relax a little. To test his theory he raised his arms above his head. The shadow raised its arms above its head. Mike performed a little knees-up jig. The shadow performed the same dance.

‘Jumping at my own shadow,’ Mike muttered, chuckling to himself.

But there was something more important than the silence he had also failed to notice. The moon wasn’t behind him to cast a shadow out in front, it was to his right. He bent down to finally pick up the firewood and then he saw his own shadow cast to the left.

To read the full story of Within the Dark Places, click the cover art below!