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Apparitions #2
Wendigo
Shunned by the man she loves Bailey Khane seeks solitude in the wilds to mend her heart. But her vacation is disrupted when an evil entity is mistakenly released by an ancient spell. As it gorges itself on the citizens of Whisper, Bailey struggles to find the knowledge and courage to defeat it before she too ends up on the menu.
A dark hand with curved claws emerged from the darkness and curled around a pine bough, silently pushing it to the side. A pair of yellowed, sickly eyes watched her from the darkness. They glowed with intensity and hatred as they peered out of the brush.
Her mouth dried. She wanted to shout to Thor to go inside, to run. But her jaw was frozen shut. Her heart thumped so loudly in her ears that she barely heard Thor growling beside her.
Move…move…move.
She knew they had to move, fast. They had to get back into the cottage or they would both die. They would be shredded by its claws and gnashed into fleshy pulp. Forcing her feet to move, she shuffled backward toward the porch and the open door, tugging on Thor's leash and praying he would obey.
The beast slunk from the shadows, its gaunt form a grotesque parody of humanity. Deformed, elongated features twitched excitedly - a junkie about to get his fix. Brownish-yellow skin, spotted by sparse tufts of hair that ignored the light from the porch.
Its mouth…it…it…
Spikes of fear shot down her spine.
Rows of uneven, sharp teeth jutted from Its gaping maw. Saliva oozed between them, drooled over the thin lips and knobby chin.
Run!
Her own voice was echoing in her head. She yanked on the leash trying to get Thor's attention away from the beast. Thor's growl changed into a bout of savage barking, he refused to budge from the spot between Bailey and the creature.
“Thor!”
He strained at the leash.
The beast lunged forward, closing the distance.
Thor crouched down. Muscles bunched under black fur.
Bailey knew if Thor tried to attacked, he was dead. He was a strong dog, trained for hostility, but against those teeth and claws, he didn't stand a chance.
“THOR! NO! INSIDE!” She leapt forward, grabbing onto Thor's collar and using all of her weight, hauling him backward.
Finally he turned, his head shifting between her and the creature - torn between obeying her and protecting her.
“COME!” Bailey backpedaled, forcing Thor back with her. He was her only companion, she wasn't going to lose him out there. Not to that thing.
Thor obeyed and turned.
Bailey turned with him and ran, leaping up the porch stairs.
It growled - a hateful, low rumble - and thundered after her, abandoning any pretense of stealth.
She sobbed, tears stinging her eyes.
She dashed into the cottage and was thrown off balance as the leash went taunt, abruptly stopping her forward momentum. Turning, she saw Thor on the porch, his body hunkered down growling into the night.
“Thor! No!”
A dark hand with curved claws emerged from the darkness and curled around a pine bough, silently pushing it to the side. A pair of yellowed, sickly eyes watched her from the darkness. They glowed with intensity and hatred as they peered out of the brush.
Her mouth dried. She wanted to shout to Thor to go inside, to run. But her jaw was frozen shut. Her heart thumped so loudly in her ears that she barely heard Thor growling beside her.
Move…move…move.
She knew they had to move, fast. They had to get back into the cottage or they would both die. They would be shredded by its claws and gnashed into fleshy pulp. Forcing her feet to move, she shuffled backward toward the porch and the open door, tugging on Thor's leash and praying he would obey.
The beast slunk from the shadows, its gaunt form a grotesque parody of humanity. Deformed, elongated features twitched excitedly - a junkie about to get his fix. Brownish-yellow skin, spotted by sparse tufts of hair that ignored the light from the porch.
Its mouth…it…it…
Spikes of fear shot down her spine.
Rows of uneven, sharp teeth jutted from Its gaping maw. Saliva oozed between them, drooled over the thin lips and knobby chin.
Run!
Her own voice was echoing in her head. She yanked on the leash trying to get Thor's attention away from the beast. Thor's growl changed into a bout of savage barking, he refused to budge from the spot between Bailey and the creature.
“Thor!”
He strained at the leash.
The beast lunged forward, closing the distance.
Thor crouched down. Muscles bunched under black fur.
Bailey knew if Thor tried to attacked, he was dead. He was a strong dog, trained for hostility, but against those teeth and claws, he didn't stand a chance.
“THOR! NO! INSIDE!” She leapt forward, grabbing onto Thor's collar and using all of her weight, hauling him backward.
Finally he turned, his head shifting between her and the creature - torn between obeying her and protecting her.
“COME!” Bailey backpedaled, forcing Thor back with her. He was her only companion, she wasn't going to lose him out there. Not to that thing.
Thor obeyed and turned.
Bailey turned with him and ran, leaping up the porch stairs.
It growled - a hateful, low rumble - and thundered after her, abandoning any pretense of stealth.
She sobbed, tears stinging her eyes.
She dashed into the cottage and was thrown off balance as the leash went taunt, abruptly stopping her forward momentum. Turning, she saw Thor on the porch, his body hunkered down growling into the night.
“Thor! No!”
- GenresHorror
240 pages, Nook
First published April 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Raven Bower
11 books88 followersI'm the author of three book series:
Apparitions series (supernatural suspense / horror)including: Apparitions, Wendigo and Rags Beneath (2012)
Vengeance series (urban fantasy): Primal (2012), Smoke (2013) and Dead Moon (2014)
and the Weeping Dark series (fantasy): Bleeding Edge (2012/13), Sorrow's Gate (2013/14)
Plus the fantasy novella, Nymph's Lair (2012)
I also enjoy writing scripts - the script for Apparitions has been optioned for a feature film!
I live in Michigan with my husband, four kids, two hell hounds and our cats of doom and chaos.
Apparitions series (supernatural suspense / horror)including: Apparitions, Wendigo and Rags Beneath (2012)
Vengeance series (urban fantasy): Primal (2012), Smoke (2013) and Dead Moon (2014)
and the Weeping Dark series (fantasy): Bleeding Edge (2012/13), Sorrow's Gate (2013/14)
Plus the fantasy novella, Nymph's Lair (2012)
I also enjoy writing scripts - the script for Apparitions has been optioned for a feature film!
I live in Michigan with my husband, four kids, two hell hounds and our cats of doom and chaos.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 15, 2011
Wendigo is a sequel to Raven Bower’s first novel Apparitions. Both feature Bailey Khane, a woman who can see the spirits of people who have suffered a violent death. They come seeking her aid to end the menace of whomever, or in this case, whatever killed them. Despite it being a sequel, it isn’t absolutely necessary to have read the first one. There are characters who were introduced in the first book, and events referred to from it, but there’s nothing that couldn’t be ascertained without having read it.
At the beginning of the novel, Bailey has retreated to a secluded forest cabin with her dog Thor without telling her boyfriend Andy. He’d been becoming increasingly distant from her since their ordeal with Mace, the mass murderer from Apparitions. Soon after arriving at the cabin, Bailey is visited by the spirits of some horribly ravaged locals. Something dreadful has been unleashed on the forest. The town of Whisper, where this all takes place, has been searching for a group of missing teenagers. When their remains are found in a nearby abandoned mine, they have been ripped apart and largely devoured by something with inhuman strength. The supernatural entity that stalks the forest terrorizes the area and seems to number Bailey among its desired victims. She meets new allies along the way, all of whom are intriguing. She’s joined by stalwart Police Chief Trace and reluctant Native American spiritualist Daniel. Old friends from Apparitions get involved as well. Together they form a party of diverse talents to oppose the powerful force that threatens them.
I love stories that involve the Wendigo legend. Algernon Blackwood’s great novella by the same name is a favorite of mine, so I was glad to see the diabolical wilderness spirit in action again. This is a fun adventure filled with interesting characters, romance, and lots of spine chilling horror all rolled into one. It’s well worth picking up.
Reviewed by Matt Cowan
At the beginning of the novel, Bailey has retreated to a secluded forest cabin with her dog Thor without telling her boyfriend Andy. He’d been becoming increasingly distant from her since their ordeal with Mace, the mass murderer from Apparitions. Soon after arriving at the cabin, Bailey is visited by the spirits of some horribly ravaged locals. Something dreadful has been unleashed on the forest. The town of Whisper, where this all takes place, has been searching for a group of missing teenagers. When their remains are found in a nearby abandoned mine, they have been ripped apart and largely devoured by something with inhuman strength. The supernatural entity that stalks the forest terrorizes the area and seems to number Bailey among its desired victims. She meets new allies along the way, all of whom are intriguing. She’s joined by stalwart Police Chief Trace and reluctant Native American spiritualist Daniel. Old friends from Apparitions get involved as well. Together they form a party of diverse talents to oppose the powerful force that threatens them.
I love stories that involve the Wendigo legend. Algernon Blackwood’s great novella by the same name is a favorite of mine, so I was glad to see the diabolical wilderness spirit in action again. This is a fun adventure filled with interesting characters, romance, and lots of spine chilling horror all rolled into one. It’s well worth picking up.
Reviewed by Matt Cowan
Displaying 1 of 1 review