The Black Train
Edward Lee
Language: English
Pages: 340
ISBN: 0843962275
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
No train has run on this railroad since the end of the Civil War-a railroad built by a servitor to perfect evil--and its rusted tracks run right behind the house. Justin Collier expects his respite in Gast, Tennessee, to be relaxing if not a bit dull, but he will find out soon enough that those same train tracks once led to a place worse than Hell. Join master of the macabre Edward Lee on a nightmare excursion of Civil War horror.
The Devil Rides Out (Duke de Richleau, Book 2)
superstitious than anyone else? Collier doubted it. But the pedant in him couldn’t resist the deflecting remark. “Actually, Jiff, beer’s been around for at least eight thousand years, and in earlier civilizations, it was the main carbohydrate staple. Before man figured out that they could turn grain into bread, they were turning it into beer.” Dominique accentuated, “Early nomads discovered that they could boil ground-up grain, like barley, wheat, and millet, and eat it as a porridge. But when
much…” Jiff washed up at the sink. He felt skewed. He’d originally viewed this gig as easy money—thirty bucks for ten minutes?—but now it was getting too kinky even for him. The debasement? At least his other tricks in town were simple action. It was his body that got him the business. He appraised himself in the mirror, flexed his abs, shot a few bicep poses. Some of the guys down at the Spike would lay twenty on him just to flex while they jerked off. Now I’ve got this tub’a lard with all his
railroad ties. An oblong moon the color of brick cheese glowed eerily in a shallow sky. In the oddest vertigo, like a snippet of nightmare, Collier saw a woman’s face, grinning in a wanton evil, then skeletal hands rising up toward the moon. The face of the mirage belonged to Penelope Gast… “I second that,” he finally said. “Perfect setting for your ghost story.” “And that’s the land, right out there. God knows how many acres, not used for anything anymore.” He realized after the fact that
knew he was shoveling coal into a vast furnace, and he’d been able to see people bubbling inside… Jiff bit his lip till the images were gone. He stood naked in front of his prone and cringing client. For the course of the next hour came pleas, like: “I love you, I love you,” then a hard slap! and “Please! I deserve it! I deserve the pain because I’m not worthy of your love,” then a harder smack! and, “Jiff, my love. I need you to hurt me…” Like that. Throughout the regimen, however, shreds of
cocky cracker!” Prentor unreeled fuzzy laughter. “The good news for you is that we just tabbed the ratings for your last six shows, and you’re now number three.” Collier almost dropped the phone in the coffeepot. “I thought I was eleven—” “Not now, my friend. Your show has officially caught on. I’m not jiving you, Justy. You’re actually only a few points off of number two. Emeril ain’t happy, I can tell you that.” Collier couldn’t think straight. “So I’m getting renewed?” “How’s this for an
