The Death Panel

by Cheryl Mullenax (Ed)

  A woman appeared from the room to the right of where the son and father were laid to rest. The television’s glow behind her casted a long distorted shadow from her silhouette that seemed to claw at Garrett’s feet; he moved his feet as if to get out of her grasp. It was the mother that he had seen staring up at the heavens only moments before.

  “I’m sorry. I really am, but I couldn’t watch him do that,” whimpered Garrett. No response; the motorized drone of the ceiling fan seemed to mock the emotionality of Garrett’s plea. She started to shuffle down the hall.

  “I’m a deputy sheriff and I had to intervene. He was eating him. Him. Your son,” cried Garrett. No response; the fan was still laughing and she was still shambling. This phantom of a woman was surrounded by shades of her former self glaring at her from the walls as she hobbled down the hall, arms stretched out. His shoes were soaking in her blood from the puddle he’d seen her lying in not too long ago when she looked very much dead. She still looked very much dead, yet was on her feet now.

  “I just needed to be a hero,” said Garrett softly, as she extended her icy grasp around him. Garrett tried prying her snarling mouth away from him. His hand against her forehead was ineptly tilting her head back as the other tried peeling her hand off his shoulder. She sunk her teeth into his swollen broken hand. Garrett cried out in pain as she took a part of him away as he tossed all of her away down the staircase. The first step her neck met created a boom that sent her body cart wheeling like a rag doll. The second step she met tossed her laterally and changed her cart wheel into a barrel roll with her arms flailing. The third step her neck met nearly spun her head completely around as her body slowed to a dead stop.

  Garrett peered down from the top step and waited for a new puddle of blood to form at the base of the stairs. His hand pulsated with pain. A pain different than the one in his stomach. Pins and needles. This house was evil, he thought, but he belonged here. Razorblades and tent spikes. Garrett wanted to grab a hammer and some nails to put boards across every window and door of the house. Screwdrivers and daggers. He wanted to board the house up. He didn’t want anyone to come inside to witness what took place in here. Rebar and shiskabob skewers. He thought he could save the world, but he couldn’t even save Pittsburgh as a deputy sheriff, let alone save this one family. How was I capable of doing any of this, he pondered sourly, what happened to me. Harpoons and javelins. All these prickly items were flowing up his arm and dissipating through the rest of his body—he was losing it, thoughts scattering, vision blurring, heartbeat slowing, hunger growing. He was no hero and this house proved it. Garrett entered the castle, foiled the guards, slayed the dragon, but the princess foiled his plans for heroism. He didn’t want a badge anymore as much as he wanted blood now. Everyone was dead, thought Garrett, well, besides the daughter and himself (in a sense). Garrett haggardly marched down the stairs—he needed to find a hammer. He was going to board the house up, his house. After all, he did have his own daughter now.

  About the Authors

  * * *

  RANDY CHANDLER is the author of the forthcoming novel Dime Detective (April 30, 2012), and the previously published novels Daemon of the Dark Wood, Bad Juju, and HELLz BELLz. He also co-authored Duet for the Devil with t. Winter-Damon (God rest his soul) and has contributed short stories to numerous anthologies. He has written numerous short stories, including those in the new Twilight Detective series, the first of which appears online at thuglit.com.

  TIM CURRAN lives in Michigan and is the author of the novels Skin Medicine, Hive, and Dead Sea. Upcoming projects include the novels Resurrection and The Devil Next Door. His short stories have appeared in such magazines as City Slab, Flesh&Blood, Book of Dark Wisdom, and Inhuman, as well as anthologies such as Flesh Feast, Shivers IV, and Vile Things. Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.

  JOHN EVERSON is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels Covenant, Sacrifice and The 13th. John shares a deep purple den in Naperville, Illinois with a cockatoo and cockatiel, a disparate collection of fake skulls, twisted skeletal fairies and a large stuffed Eeyore. In order to avoid the onerous task of writing, he records pop-rock songs in a hidden home studio, experiments with the insatiable culinary joys of the jalapeno, designs photo collage art bookcovers and chases frequent excursions into the bizarre visual headspace of ’70s euro-horror DVDs with a shot of Makers Mark and a tall glass of Newcastle. Visit him at www.johneverson.com.

  BRANDON FORD has written 3 novels; Crystal Bay, Splattered Beauty, and the soon to be released Pay Phone. He has also contributed to the anthologies Abaculus 2007, Abaculus III, Sinister Landscapes, Raw: Brutality as Art, and Creeping Shadows, a collection of 3 short novels. He currently resides in Philadelphia.

  KELLY M. HUDSON grew up in the wilds of Kentucky and currently resides in California. He has a deep and abiding love for all things horror and rock n’ roll, and if you wish to contact Kelly or find links to other stories, please visit www.kellymhudson.com for further details. Kelly thanks you for reading his dumb old story and wishes you and yours a very happy day!

  DAVID JAMES KEATON’s fiction has recently appeared in Big Pulp, Six Sentences, Pulp Pusher, Espresso Stories and Crooked. He is a contributor to The College Rag and the University of Pittsburgh’s online journal Hot Metal Bridge. He is also a part-time graduate student at Pitt and a full-time closed captioner. He is constantly rewriting three screenplays; a prison movie, a thriller, and a western. And although he should be working on a fifth novel, he continues to unwisely cram more material into his first, a book which can, at this point, land comfortably on one of six sides if dropped from chest level. Usually this happens when someone checks the page count. Find him occasionally at buglove.blogspot.com.

  SCOTT NICHOLSON is the author of seven novels, including They Hunger and The Skull Ring. He’s published more than 60 stories, six comic books, five screenplays, and two collections. A freelance editor and journalist, Nicholson’s website is www.hauntedcomputer.com.

  TOM PICCIRILLI is the author of twenty novels including The Cold Spot, The Coldest Mile, A Choir of Ill Children, and the forthcoming Shadow Season. He’s won the International Thriller Award and four Bram Stoker Awards, as well as having been nominated for the Edgar, the World Fantasy Award, the Macavity, and Le Grand Prix de L’imagination. Learn more at his blog at www.thecoldspot.blogspot.com.

  ZACH SHERWOOD lives between homes in Chicago at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and back with his family in the south suburbs. Things like zombies, cowboys, and grizzly bears frequent his mind as he aspires to create dark witty works of fiction.

  DAVID TALLERMAN spent four years at York University studying English Literature, specializing in the literary history of witchcraft—a specialization he totally failed to capitalize on by becoming an IT Technician. Over the last couple of years, he’s had published reviews, poetry, a comic strip, and numerous stories across a variety of genres. Highlights include appearances in Chiaroscuro, Pseudopod and Flash Fiction Online, and having a zombie story printed alongside the work of genre luminaries like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King in Night Shade Books’ The Living Dead anthology. Find him on the web at

  www.davidtallerman.net and davidtallerman.blogspot.com

  FRED VENTURINI has written in exchange for various treasures, including an MFA from Lindenwood University, contributer’s copies, token payments, checks that sometimes do not bounce, and most of all, for the love of the act. His fiction, most of it horrific in nature, has recently appeared or is forthcoming in River Styx, Polluto, Underground Voices, Necrotic Tissue, Twisted Dreams, and others.

  ERIK WILLIAMS lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter. His stories have appeared in Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Apex Digest, Necrotic Tissue and other small press venues. His novellas Blood Spring and The Reverend’s Powder, as well as his novel Demon, have all recently been sold and will be published in the near future.

  SIMON WOOD is an ex-racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an o
ccasional private investigator. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines anthologies, such as Seattle Noir, Thriller 2 and Woman’s World. He’s a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest. He’s the Anthony Award winning author of Working Stiffs, Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper and We All Fall Down. As Simon Janus, he’s the author of The Scrubs and Road Rash. His next thriller, Terminated, will be out next June. Curious people can learn more at www.simonwood.net.

  COMET PRESS TITLES

  Visit us on the web at www.cometpress.us

  * * *

  The Death Panel: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness

  Dark Crime Horror by Tom Piccirilli, Scott Nicholson, Randy Chandler, Simon Wood, John Everson, and more!

  Horror World Review

  Be prepared to be blown away by some of the best genre short story fiction written in the last few years.

  * * *

  Vile Things: Extreme Deviations of Horror

  Extreme Horror by Ramsey Campbell, Graham Masterton, Randy Chandler, and more!

  Fangoria Magazine Review

  This book is a definite for any extreme horror fan. Full of terror, sex, and gore, I don't recommend this for the faint of heart.

  Rue Morgue Magazine Review

  Simply put, Vile Things is every deviant horror fan's wet dream.

  * * *

  Deadcore: Four Hardcore Zombie Novellas

  Featuring Randy Chandler, Ben Cheetham, Edward M. Erdelac, and David James Keaton.

  Fangoria Review

  As the book's title indicates, DEADCORE achieves all extremes. Violent, perverse, depraved—and, as such, quite recommended.

  Walt Hicks, PAGE HORRIFIC Review

  Randy Chandler's "Dead Juju" is a wild, graphic ride--a fast-paced array of elements including religion, politics, race relations, news media, socio-economic classism, contumacy--all handled with skillful precision as Chandler gives us deft glimpses of humanity in all its chaotic, whacked out splendor.

  * * *

  Sick Things: Extreme Creature Horror

  Extreme Horror by John Shirley, Randy Chandler, and more!

  Fangoria Magazine Review

  Cover every orifice. Comet Press' new collection...is making a beeline for the soft contents of your body--and it doesn't care one bit where it makes its grand entrance, orbital sockets or otherwise.

  * * *

  Necro Files: Two Decades of Extreme Horror

  Stories by George R.R. Martin, Bentley Little, Edward Lee, Randy Chandler, and many more masters and modern authors of extreme horror.

  * * *

  Scarla by BC Furtney

  In his take-no-prisoners debut novel, BC's Scarla is a lethal combination of hardboiled crime and hardcore horror. BC Furtney is the writer-director of the feature noir thriller, New Terminal Hotel and award-winning short films including Mister Eryams and Disposer.

  Scream: The Horror Magazine Review

  Scarla is for free thinkers with an appetite for the obscene who don't just push boundaries but redefine them.

  * * *

  Daemon of the Dark Wood by Randy Chandler - February 2012

  A man who digs cursed earth, uncovers great sorrow. When the women of Widow's Ridge begin to go missing, a deputy sheriff, a psychiatrist and a community college professor become mired in chilling myth and mystery. When the missing women reappear, the horror of the Helling comes home to roost.

  “If the devil is truly in the details then Chandler is a Practiced Master of the Dark Literary Arts." --Walt Hicks, Hellbound Times

  " Trust me on this: You don't want to miss out on Daemon of the Dark Wood. Buy one soon or be very sorry." --Mark Sieber, Horror Drive-In

  "Daemon of the Dark Wood will please any reader who relishes a well-written tale of ancient knowledge and hidden dangers, and those who fight to keep the human realm free of unbridled evil." --ForeWord Reviews Magazine

  * * *

  Dime Detective by Randy Chandler - April 2012

  When barroom bouncer Joe Dall's ex-wife is murdered, he finds himself pressed into service as a novice private eye. Something very dark and deadly lurks in the lush shadows of the sleepy Florida town and if he can't unmask the killer soon, others close to Joe will die. Working on a powerful client's dime, Joe Dall's first case could be his last.

  "To find a wonderful example of hardboiled detective noir today, you need not look any further than Randy Chandler's latest novel Dime Detective ... Dime Detective is both an homage and a love letter to the genre, but in many ways, an interesting and original departure." --Walt Hicks, Hellbound Times

  * * *

  The Fall Guy by Simon Wood

  Todd Collins has failed in every job he's ever undertaken, but that all changes when he backs his jalopy into a shiny, new Porsche belonging to a drug dealer. When the police stop the drug dealer for a broken taillight that Todd has caused and discover a cocaine shipment, a West Coast kingpin holds Todd responsible. On the run from organized crime, Todd discovers his true calling when he fights back.

  “Elmore Leonard would be proud to have written this twisty, action-packed tale.”

  —Cemetery Dance

  "Great mystery with exciting plot twists and suspense galore."

  —The Midwest Book Review

  * * *

  Ted's Score by Daniel P. Coughlin - January 2012

  From the author of the films Lake Dead, (After Dark Film's 8 Films to Die For) and Farmhouse, Daniel P. Coughlin's Ted's Score is a shocking, suspenseful tale of a depraved, ax-wielding serial killer.