High Moor 2: Moonstruck

by Graeme Reynolds

  The man seemed to relax a little. “Yes, Steven, I’m having a very nice day. Tell me, do you know who I am?”

  “Of course. I’ve seen your shiny fucking forehead plastered over every bus and billboard for months. What I’m not entirely sure about, though, is what the leader of the opposition is doing here, making idle chit−chat.”

  The man’s face broke into a grin. “Well, I was hoping that we could have a little talk. I’d like you to tell me everything you know about werewolves.”

  ***

  18th December 2008. Ashton Court Estate, Bristol. 14.27.

  Daniel adjusted his binoculars, bringing the tree into sharp focus. He smiled and removed a battered notebook from his pocket, hastily making some notes before bringing the binoculars up once more. The waxwing flew from the tree, landing on a hawthorn bush to feast on its red berries. There had been flocks of waxwings during the autumn, when he was a boy in Germany. He’d loved to watch the birds, trying to count the numbers in a flock as they swirled in the sky outside his bedroom window. He didn’t often think of his human life. How he’d been before the night he’d become infected by a rampaging moonstruck, two weeks after his sixteenth birthday. Yet over the past few days he found himself thinking back to that other Daniel Braun. The sickly, nervous but intelligent, child. What would he have become if he’d not been turned? What kind of a life might he have lived?

  A light cough came from behind him, and a woman’s voice said, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

  “No, it’s just a pleasant way to pass some time in beautiful surroundings. Plus it looks less suspicious than a man sitting alone in some woodlands. Especially now. How are you, Marie? I admit, I was surprised to get your call.”

  He turned to face her. She was dressed in a Lycra crop−top and baggy tracksuit bottoms. Tendrils of steam rose from her body in the freezing December air, and she wiped sweat from her forehead. “Thank you for coming, Daniel. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry about Gregorz. He was like a father to me as well.”

  “Gregorz talked too much. If he’d just torn Connie’s throat out as soon as we found her, or let me do it, then he’d still be alive.”

  Marie took his hand. “He did what he thought was right. He had a good heart. That was why we loved him.”

  Daniel nodded through the thinning woods, towards the sprawling city beyond. “It’s getting bad out there. I was hoping that Connie’s message might have been passed off as a hoax, but no such luck. The media are in a frenzy and the public are demanding action. Did you hear that they’d installed infra−red scanners at the airports and docks already?”

  “I know. Fuck knows how they knew to do that. Why haven’t you gotten out of the country? I was surprised to find you still here.”

  “And go where? It’s the same all over the planet, sheep panicking because they’ve found a wolf in their midst. The Pack is in disarray. Krystof and Lukas are making a play for power, but the non−moonborn are still loyal to Michael. All the while, the Russian authorities are raiding Mafia properties armed with flamethrowers and silver bullets, looking for werewolves. It’s all falling apart, Marie. Connie fucked us.”

  “Listen, I came to you because I need your help. They’ve got Michael. He’s under guard, but I know where they’re keeping him.”

  Daniel raised an eyebrow. “And what, you and I are going to charge in there, guns blazing and get him back?”

  “Not just you and I.”

  Daniel let out a bitter laugh. “Oh yes, I forgot about Simpson. Where is your little moonstruck friend?”

  “Keeping his head down. He’s still pretty messed up from the fight, and then there’s the whole ‘world’s most wanted’ thing. He’ll be ready when we need him.”

  “Marie, you have lost your mind. I’m sorry about Michael, but there is no way that you can get to your brother, even with me and the moonstruck. Get out of the country while you still can and take Simpson with you.”

  Marie shook her head. Her mouth curled into a smile and, for a moment, her eyes flashed green. “Oh ye of little faith. Trust me, I have a plan.”

  To Be Concluded

  THANK YOU FOR READING

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  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Again, I find myself at the end of a novel and grateful for all of the wonderful friends who have helped me create this book.

  My editor, Simon Marshall−Jones, for doing a brilliant job with the manuscript and getting it back to me in record time.

  Stu Smith from Graviton Creations, for really raising the bar on the cover this time around, for putting up with my insistence that the tail still wasn’t right and for a drunken facebook discussion on how to best hide hairy werewolf bollocks.

  Ashley Corr, for letting me use his brilliant photograph of Finchale Abbey as a basis for the cover.

  My beta readers, Neil John Buchanan and Vix Kirkpatrick, for pointing out the things I’d missed and where I needed to improve the story. Your input has been absolutely invaluable.

  And thanks to everyone in my critique group on Zoetrope, especially Scott Gamboe, Rick Taubold, and Lynn Gerry. Your comments and support have been stellar as usual.

  Special thanks goes to my girlfriend, Donna, for putting up with me disappearing for hours on end to work on this novel.

  And finally, the biggest thank you of all goes to all of my readers, especially those who mailed me to tell me that they enjoyed High Moor, or left reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Without you, there would have been no point. I hope you enjoyed Moonstruck as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  Also from Horrific Tales Publishing

  When John Simpson hears of a bizarre animal attack in his old home town of High Moor, it stirs memories of a long forgotten horror. John knows the truth. A werewolf stalks the town once more, and on the night of the next full moon, the killing will begin again. He should know. He survived a werewolf attack in 1986, during the worst year of his life.

  It’s 1986 and the town is gripped in terror after the mutilated corpse of a young boy is found in the woods. When Sergeant Steven Wilkinson begins an investigation, with the help of a specialist hunter, he soon realises that this is no ordinary animal attack. Werewolves are real, and the trail of bodies is just beginning, with young John and his friends smack in the middle of it.

  Twenty years later, John returns to High Moor. The latest attack involved one of his childhood enemies, but there’s more going on than meets the eye. The consequences of his past actions, the reappearance of an old flame and a dying man who will either save or damn him are the least of his problems. The night of the full moon is approaching and time is running out.

  But how can he hope to stop a werewolf, when every full moon he transforms into a bloodthirsty monster himself?

  "Graeme Reynolds has written a real-deal werewolf story. In these dull days of nice, friendly lycanthropes, it is refreshing to see some brutality and animal instincts in what is a very fine British horror novel. Reynolds dra
ws vivid pictures with words. His descriptions of High Moor the town is excellent, portraying an area in decay, one that suffered during the 1980s, and has yet to recover into the 21st century. The transformation scenes, where humans become wolves, are brilliantly done, and you can feel every crack of bone, every tear of flesh. High Moor is a worthy addition to the werewolf canon. - Thomas Emson, Author of Maneater, Prey, Skarlet, Krimson, Zombie Britannica"

  Ripe for a film or TV adaptation and left open for a sequel, High Moor is an excellent example of great British writing that deserves to be read. - Starburst Magazine. 9/10

  If you’re craving some good werewolf action with well-developed characters and a fantastic plot, skip the Hollywood films and go straight for this electrifying novel, which is far more entertaining. - Hellnotes.com

  Graeme Reynolds has written a captivating, action packed, this-should-be-a-movie werewolf novel in High Moor and if this is going to be a series of some sort, count me in for the ride. It should be a fun one. - Horrortalk.com

  This is an action filled horror novel that also has fully realized characters; the fact that Reynolds brings the characters to life so well just adds to the terror you feel as a reader. - The Horrifically Horrifying Horror Blog

  It takes a writer of tremendous skill to imbue a an action packed novel with as much depth, as is displayed here. This book was a joy to read, not just for its ability to transport me back to a time gone by, but also because it is so well written. If this is the level of writing Graeme is capable of producing in a début novel, then I for one cannot wait for his next novel. - Gingernuts of Horror

  Buy it now at Amazon.com

  Buy it now at Amazon.co.uk

  Socrates has a gift, a power even he doesn’t fully understand.

  But old Gert, who feeds the pigeons in Gustav’s Park understands. Pretty Jamie, who works at the Bird Emporium, understands. And the old Indian chief who wears a strange, two—sided bird mask, he understands too.

  As does the ancient, angry spirit called the Thunderbird and about a million of Wellington County’s feathered creatures…

  They know what Socrates Singer really is.

  And they know what he can do…

  “Peppered with some extremely intense descriptive passages, this book will keep you on the edge of the seat, right up to it's pitch perfect ending.” Gingernuts of Horror

  “It made Hitchcock's "The Birds" look like a Tweety and Sylvester cartoon.” Amazon customer review

  Buy it now at Amazon.com

  Buy it now at Amazon.co.uk

  It was supposed to be a fresh start. A place for Steve and Melody Samson to begin their new life together away from the noise and crime of the city. However, their new home – an idyllic cottage nestled deep within the dense solitude of Oakwell forest-has a disturbing history, hidden for generations by the locals. There is evil in Hope House, and the cursed forest that surrounds it. Evil that has awakened after lying dormant for decades, and has terrifying plans for the young couple.

  As Steve and Melody begin to unravel the complex web of lies and deceit perpetrated by the villagers, they are plagued not only by the malevolent forces within the house, but also the very real attention of the increasingly unstable realtor Donovan, who has horrific secrets of his own.

  When you hear the whispers, it may already be too late.

  Buy it now at Amazon.com

  Buy it now at Amazon.co.uk

  A new Indie horror omnibus of eight complete novels and novellas, featuring the United Kingdom's heaviest hitters in the genre, with all proceeds being donated to Centrepoint, a UK based charity that cares for homeless children.

  Acclaimed writer G.R. Yeates builds terror upon terror, as three friends are drawn back to their past to face a living nightmare in 'The Thing Behind the Door'.

  ***

  Evil comes in many forms in Michael Bray's dark, atmospheric chiller 'Whisper'. A young couple seeking refuge from dangers of city living escape to the country...but their new home, Hope House, holds a deadly secret.

  ***

  A man in love will do anything to win the heart of a beautiful woman. In Matt Shaw's popular introduction to the Peter Chronicles, we find out just how far Peter will go to woo his latest love. Dark, disturbing, with an undercurrent of Shaw's trademark black humour, you'll grow to love Peter...but will Vanessa?

  ***

  Good fences may make good neighbours...but in a flat, it's good insulation that makes for good neighbours. In Saunders' tale, 'Insulation', a writer discovers just what her neighbour's been up to with the previous tenants.

  ***

  In his breakout novel 'High Moor' Graeme Reynolds pits werewolf against werewolf in this stunning debut. Master of Ceremonies over this unholy first volume of Great British Horror, Reynold's werewolves are brutal and bloody in the first book of the High Moor trilogy.

  ***

  William Meikle's fiction spans the globe. Author of more than 200 short stories and countless novels, he brings us 'The Copycat Murders'. In it, Meikle breathes new life into the murder yarn with a wicked, supernatural twist when a detective travels beyond the borders of our reality to capture a murderer...into Mirrorland.

  ***

  Ian Woodhead brings his trademark imagination in a gritty tale of shape-changers 'Duplicity', but the heroes might not be who you expect when anything can be anyone and everyone can die.

  ***

  Fast becoming one of Britain's bestselling horror authors, Iain Rob Wright's offering introduces us to 'Sam' a little boy with a secret. Sam is no ordinary child, and when he's threatened, Sam's secret will come out at last and blood will flow.

  Buy it now at Amazon.com

  Buy it now at Amazon.co.uk

  Table of Contents

  About The Author

  HIGH MOOR 2: MOONSTRUCK by Graeme Reynolds

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  THANK YOU FOR READING

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