The topic of how the killer entered the house was the main discussion for weeks. Some speculated the boy must have heard a knock on the door and let the killer inside since he was the only one not sleeping upon his death. But that theory was promptly shot down, as the boy was only two years old, and the front door had a child-resistant lock on it.
The neighborhood had suffered two sets of unsolved murders within a week, leaving the surrounding houses on high alert every night. Perhaps the killer was waiting for the paranoia to die down before striking again. Regardless, the neighborhood was never the same after that Christmas in 2019.
The house remained abandoned, eventually put up for sale by the bank, but never getting any serious attention aside from an occasional ghost hunter or séance hoping to crack the code of what happened. Nothing had ever been reported as far as paranormal activity. There was never a light turned on inside, or a distorted shape standing at one of the windows like they expected after such a gruesome, unsolved multiple homicide. It was simply a cold, dark empty house, as if the family had gone to spend the winter in Florida.
Various forensic teams cycled through over the winter, each hoping to uncover the overlooked detail that solved the case, but they only ever left with their heads hung low. Maybe some murders were supposed to remain unsolved, the truth known only to those who were there that night. In this case, the toddler had been the only one to see the murderer before having his own life taken, a secret that would remain buried with his casket in the ground.
It wasn’t until the summer when Erin’s parents returned to the house to sift through all of their belongings, deciding what to keep, throw away, or donate. Family portraits and heirlooms were packed in a special box for them to take home, along with important documents to be shredded, and about one thousand dollars in cash. Clothes, toys, furniture, and all the little knick-knacks that made a home were piled into the living room for donation agencies to come and collect as they pleased.
Erin’s mother had a particularly hard time taking down the Christmas decorations that her daughter had so elegantly set up, a practice they had done together as Erin grew up over the years, not stopping until she had a family of her own. The decorations hit too close to home, and she had to stop in the middle of her intense sweeping of the house.
She stepped away from the family room and returned to the kitchen to sift through the cabinets, and that’s when she found the elf on the shelf, jumping back as his insane eyes and wide grin looked her directly in the face from atop a stack of ceramic plates.
“Oh my God!” she gasped, laughing nervously once she realized what she had found. She grabbed the elf, thinking of how either Brandon or Erin must have hidden it in the cabinet for the kids to find, a new wave of sorrow swooning over her, consuming her in its dreadful grasp as she remembered when Erin had told her she bought the doll for the kids. They had been great parents trying to make Christmas as fun as it was supposed to be for their children.
She tossed the elf onto the pile of things to take home, its lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. Without her knowledge, it would eventually end up in the pile for donations, off to the next family who wanted to play the holiday’s version of hide-and-seek.
For now, it was merely a doll with a cotton body and crooked eyes, its grin cheery and welcoming, not showing a sign of the evil life that lurched beneath like a deadly shark waiting to prey on humans at the ocean’s surface.
The elf would hold that same facial expression for the months to come, waiting as kids went on summer break and returned to school in the fall. Waiting as they went trick o’ treating for Halloween. Waiting as happy families stuffed their faces over Thanksgiving dinner. Waiting until Christmas returned, and with it, a new opportunity to unleash its evil upon the world.
Acknowledgements
This was an interesting book to write, seeing as Christmas is a holiday of joy and happiness. It’s not that I don’t like Christmas that I felt a need to make a story like this, I’ve just always loved the concept of fusing horror with the holiday. A sort of sweet and sour sauce, if you will. It felt good to be back writing horror after having strayed away for the last few books, and I look forward to doing plenty more of it. As with any book, it’s always a team production to get the final product out.
I have to first thank my kids for exhausting me beyond belief. In the book, Brandon battles some extreme fatigue, to the point where he thinks he’s losing his mind. This sensation wasn’t too difficult to write, as I was living it everyday it seemed for a good stretch of the writing of this book. So thank you, kids, for the continued nights of interrupted sleep.
Thank you to my editor, Stephanie Cohen, for your quick and diligent work as always. I’ll keep the books coming until you tell me you’ve had enough.
Thanks to Dane Low for creating the best horror covers in the business.
Big thanks to my Advanced Readers team. Your excitement is felt and I’m blessed to have you all as some of my biggest fans. You’ve all done so much in making every book launch a huge success.
To the Dizzy Dragons, it really feels like we’re all starting to hit a groove together. It can’t be overlooked how valuable it is to have a group of author friends along with you on the journey.
Lastly, as always, thank you to my wife, Natasha. I know this type of book isn’t exactly your cup of tea, but your feedback is invaluable in making all of these works stronger.
Andre Gonzalez
Denver, CO
June 21, 2019 - September 30, 2019
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A Poisoned Mind - The Exalls know no limits.
Jonathon Browne knows the voice in his head. It belongs to his deadly enemy, but he never expected the voice to take him over, both mentally and physically. This supernatural force hijacks his body, takes it to his top-secret government office, and spills blood. With a helpless battle within, Jonathon must get control and escape from his own team before they execute him. Will a life in exile be his only choice? Or will the Exalls once again claim another victim?
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Erased - Meet Jeremy Heston.
Before he changed history, he was nothing but a young boy with a simple life, never showing a sign of the horror that would one day come.
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Revolution - A chance at a new life. An indifferent wife. An innocent daughter.
Chris Speidel is wanted by an unknown organization. They recruit him to join their cause, offering a life of luxury and riches. But the offer comes at a steep price.
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This is a short story prequel to the Wealth of Time Series.
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Also by Andre Gonzalez
Books are listed in order of most recent publication:
Bad Faith (Wealth of Time Series, Book #3)
Snowball: A Christmas Horror Story
Road Runners (Wealth of Time Series, Short Story)
Revolution (Wealth of Time Series, Short Story)
Warm Souls (Wealth of Time Series, Book #2)
Wealth of Time (Wealth of Time Series, Book #1)
Erased (Insanity Series, Prequel) (Short Story)
The Insanity Series (Books 1-3)
Replicate (Insanity Series, Book #3)
The Burden (Insanity Series, Book #2)
Insanity (Insanity Series, Book #1)
A Poisoned Mind (Short Story)
Followed Home
About the Author
Born in Denver, CO, Andre Gonzalez has always had a fascination with horror and the supernatural starting at a young age. He spent many nights wide-eyed and awake, his mind racing with the many images of terror he witnessed in books and movies. Ideas of his own morphed out of movies like Halloween and books such as Pet Sematary by Stephen King. These thoughts eventually made their way to paper, as he always wrote dark stories for school assignments or just for fun. Followed Home is his debut novel based off of a terrifying dream he had many years ago at the age of 12. His reading and writing of horror stories evolved into a pursuit of a career as an author, where Andre hopes to keep others awake at night with his frightening tales. The world we live in today is filled with horror stories, and he looks forward to capturing the raw emotion of these events, twisting them into new tales, and preserving a legacy in between the crisp bindings of novels.
Andre graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a degree in business in 2011. During his free time, he enjoys baseball, poker, golf, and traveling the world with his family. He believes that seeing the world is the only true way to stretch the imagination by experiencing new cultures and meeting new people.
Andre still lives in Denver with his wife, Natasha, and their three children.
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