by Rex Hurst
Absolom shrugged and tossed a copy of the afternoon edition of the newspaper on the table. An article was circled in red.
“But before that,” Absolom said. “We have all legal matters and so forth to handle, due to your Papa’s demise. Naturally we need to cover up his death. Report him missing, so legally he won’t be dead for seven years.”
Jon nodded. His eyes drifted to the paper. “Local Girl Dead in Old Grain Elevator” it announced.
“I have finagled a power of attorney for your father, so I can handle all of the details,” Absolom continued, “but I have to ask, do you want the house?”
Jon was busy skimming the article. Kathy Lauder found dead . . . apparent overdose . . . Agway grain elevator . . . parents missing in Mexico, presumed dead . . . girl fell into bad company . . . local drug dealers being questioned . . . same place ritualistically butchered dogs were found. How long had he been sitting there? It could have been minutes or centuries. Jon had no idea, the concept of time had lost all meaning.
“Hello?”
“What?” Jon said.
“As per our agreement, you are a free agent. Your Mother has left. Do you want to stay and look after the house, or go?”
Jon thought for a moment. What was left here? What did he need? “Just gimme the car, you can have the place.”
“Bien,” Absolom smiled. “I divined this would be your answer. Young man on the road. Very romantic. Very American.”
He produced two documents and a pen, placing them both in front of Jon. “Sign,” he ordered. “One we will date later giving me custody of the house. The second transfers the car’s title to yourself.”
Jon scribbled his signature. Absolom nodded to him and swept up the documents.
“Our business is done,” the Frenchman said. “You may return to us when you like. Take the time, take the money, and indulge yourself. We have done great work here.”
Absolom left.
Jon sat there for a while, numb in all matters. He thought of Kathy. Of Michael. Even Louis had been affected by this business. Eternal victims. Who would speak for them?
After much slow churning in his mind, Jon decided on a path. He ripped open the bags of money. After taking a moment to gasp at the sheer enormity of a million dollars, he divided a portion of it into another bag and loaded it all into Father’s beautiful car.
He drove over to the rundown student apartments that Brian Elder haunted. Jon found the man in a nacho cheese stained shirt and underpants, watching some barely animated cartoon from the 60s. He was eating circus peanuts from a large bag. Jon was regarded with sallow eyes.
“You still in the psychic assassin business?”
Brian Elder cracked his knuckles. “Sure as Hell, if you’ve got the coin.”
Jon dropped a bag at his feet. It held one tenth of his newly gotten wealth. 100,000 in hundred dollar bills. Brian openly drooled over the money.
“A Dark Messiah was conceived in an unclean vessel under the Hill of the Ghouls. That’s your target.”
Elder laughed. “Consider it done.”
That finished, Jon jumped into his luxury car and drove out of the city looking for the next chapter in his life, content in the fact that he was no longer the fool.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born into the blue-collar city of Buffalo, NY, Rex Hurst was traumatized as a small child by the suffocating rabbits scene in the animated adaptation of Watership Down. Ever since, his mind twists toward the macabre, until his inevitable blossoming as a horror writer. When not writing, he is an assistant professor of composition, public speaking, and literature.
Rex Hurst is the author of The Foot Doctor Letters: A Serial Killer Speaks Out as well as several science fiction books and novellas. He is also co-host of the weekly radio show Write On SC—Yes, radio shows and stations still do exist—on the art of writing. Back episodes can be found on his website at Rexhurst.com.
THE END?
Not if you want to dive into more of Crystal Lake Publishing’s Tales from the Darkest Depths!
Website www.crystallakepub.com/
Amazon amazon.com/author/crystalpublishing
Dear reader,
It makes our day to know you reached the end of our book. Thank you so much. This is why we do what we do every single day.
Please take a moment to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or anywhere else readers visit. Reviews go a long way to helping an author, and will help us to continue publishing quality books. You can also share a photo of yourself on social holding this book with the hashtag #IGotMyCLPBook!
Thank you again for taking the time to journey with Crystal Lake Publishing.
Website
Amazon
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Patreon
Join the Crystal Lake journey by signing up for our newsletter and receive three eBooks for free.
Or check out other Crystal Lake Publishing books for more Tales from the Darkest Depths. You can also subscribe to Crystal Lake Classics, where you’ll receive fortnightly info on all our books, starting all the way back at the beginning, with personal notes on every release. Or join our interactive community of authors and readers on Patreon for exclusive content and behind the scenes access, bonus short stories, polls, interviews and, if you’re interested, author support.
Since its founding in August 2012, Crystal Lake Publishing has quickly become one of the world’s leading publishers of Dark Fiction and Horror books in print, eBook, and audio formats.
While we strive to present only the highest quality fiction and entertainment, we also endeavour to support authors along their writing journey. We offer our time and experience in non-fiction projects, as well as author mentoring and services, at competitive prices.
With several Bram Stoker Award wins and many other wins and nominations, Crystal Lake Publishing puts integrity, honor, and respect at the forefront of our publishing operations.
We strive for each book and outreach program we spearhead to not only entertain and touch or comment on issues that affect our readers, but also to strengthen and support the Dark Fiction field and its authors.
Not only do we find and publish authors we believe are destined for greatness, but we strive to work with men and woman who endeavour to be decent human beings who care more for others than themselves, while still being hard working, driven, and passionate artists and storytellers.
Crystal Lake Publishing is and will always be a beacon of what passion and dedication, combined with overwhelming teamwork and respect, can accomplish. We endeavour to know each and every one of our readers, while building personal relationships with our authors, reviewers, bloggers, podcasters, bookstores, and libraries.
We will be as trustworthy, forthright, and transparent as any business can be, while also keeping most of the headaches away from our authors, since it’s our job to solve the problems so they can stay in a creative mind. Which of course also means paying our authors.
We do not just publish books, we present to you worlds within your world, doors within your mind, from talented authors who sacrifice so much for a moment of your time.
There are some amazing small presses out there, and through collaboration and open forums we will continue to support other presses in the goal of helping authors and showing the world what quality small presses are capable of accomplishing. No one wins when a small press goes down, so we will always be there to support hardworking, legitimate presses and their authors. We don’t see Crystal Lake as the best press out there, but we will always strive to be the best, strive to be the most interactive and grateful, and even blessed press around. No matter what happens over time, we will also take our mission very seriously while appreciating where we are and enjoying the journey.
What do we offer our authors that they can’t do for themselves through self-publishing?
We are big supporters of self-publishing (especially hybrid publishing), if done with care,
patience, and planning. However, not every author has the time or inclination to do market research, advertise, and set up book launch strategies. Although a lot of authors are successful in doing it all, strong small presses will always be there for the authors who just want to do what they do best: write.
What we offer is experience, industry knowledge, contacts and trust built up over years. And due to our strong brand and trusting fanbase, every Crystal Lake Publishing book comes with weight of respect. In time our fans begin to trust our judgment and will try a new author purely based on our support of said author.
With each launch we strive to fine-tune our approach, learn from our mistakes, and increase our reach. We continue to assure our authors that we’re here for them and that we’ll carry the weight of the launch and dealing with third parties while they focus on their strengths—be it writing, interviews, blogs, signings, etc.
We also offer several mentoring packages to authors that include knowledge and skills they can use in both traditional and self-publishing endeavours.
We look forward to launching many new careers.
This is what we believe in. What we stand for. This will be our legacy.
Welcome to Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths
