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Bats
In the heart of the Canadian Rockies, the town of Eerie, British Columbia, slumbered in the embrace of a midsummer evening. The streets lay still, the air thick with the scent of pine and the occasional distant echo of a night bird’s call. Above the town, the stars twinkled, indifferent to the whispers that grew stronger with each passing day. The year was 2008, and the town was about to awaken to the shadow of its past.Dolores Balcom, a woman whose life had stretched over a century, lay in her hospital bed, her eyes reflecting the flicker of the TV mounted on the wall. Her breathing was shallow, a soft rhythm that punctuated the quiet. Her skin, paper-thin and veined with the blue of forgotten rivers, bore the weight of her age. Her daughter, Carla, sat by her side, holding her hand tightly, listening as Dolores revealed the secret that had haunted her for decades.
With a tremble in her voice, Dolores spoke of “Abaddon’s bats,” her words barely audible above the hiss of the oxygen machine. Carla leaned closer, her heart racing with a mix of fear and disbelief. The townsfolk had always dismissed Dolores as a relic, a crazy old woman with tall tales to tell. But now, as her mother’s grip weakened, Carla couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her stories than mere legend.The whispers grew louder as the days turned into nights, and the nights grew darker. People spoke in hushed tones of the ancient caves beneath their town, and the creatures that dwelt within. The forest, once a source of comfort and sustenance, now loomed as a silent sentinel of a horror long forgotten. The town had moved on, painted over the past with a veneer of modernity, but the whispers of Dolores’s confession began to peel back the layers, exposing the truth that had been buried for so long.
With a tremble in her voice, Dolores spoke of “Abaddon’s bats,” her words barely audible above the hiss of the oxygen machine. Carla leaned closer, her heart racing with a mix of fear and disbelief. The townsfolk had always dismissed Dolores as a relic, a crazy old woman with tall tales to tell. But now, as her mother’s grip weakened, Carla couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her stories than mere legend.The whispers grew louder as the days turned into nights, and the nights grew darker. People spoke in hushed tones of the ancient caves beneath their town, and the creatures that dwelt within. The forest, once a source of comfort and sustenance, now loomed as a silent sentinel of a horror long forgotten. The town had moved on, painted over the past with a veneer of modernity, but the whispers of Dolores’s confession began to peel back the layers, exposing the truth that had been buried for so long.
267 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2025
About the author
Aaron Gehrig
39 books18 followersAuthor also writes as Aryn Bats
By day, Aaron Gehrig is a devoted husband and father, painting beloved pets and keeping a home full of warmth. By night, when the shadows curl in, the creature known as Aryn Bats takes over, an alter-ego stitched from ink and nightmare. Together they form a singular force. An indie horror author whose tales gnash with blood-wet teeth and seep under the skin. Gehrig writes with haunting beauty, while Bats writes with cruelty, no restraint, no filter, clawing straight into the darkest corners of the imagination. His stories are séances on the page, gothic and unrelenting, where walls breathe, secrets rot, and nothing stays buried. Readers call him a dream. A nightmare. A rare kind of storyteller who dares to walk into the woods, and return with something true.
By day, Aaron Gehrig is a devoted husband and father, painting beloved pets and keeping a home full of warmth. By night, when the shadows curl in, the creature known as Aryn Bats takes over, an alter-ego stitched from ink and nightmare. Together they form a singular force. An indie horror author whose tales gnash with blood-wet teeth and seep under the skin. Gehrig writes with haunting beauty, while Bats writes with cruelty, no restraint, no filter, clawing straight into the darkest corners of the imagination. His stories are séances on the page, gothic and unrelenting, where walls breathe, secrets rot, and nothing stays buried. Readers call him a dream. A nightmare. A rare kind of storyteller who dares to walk into the woods, and return with something true.
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October 19, 2025
Set against the haunting beauty of the Canadian Rockies, this story masterfully blends mystery, folklore, and psychological suspense. The writing is atmospheric rich with tension, vivid imagery, and an undercurrent of dread that lingers long after the final line. As Dolores Balcom’s century-old secret unfolds, readers are drawn into a chilling tale of buried truths, ancient creatures, and a town forced to confront its forgotten past. Perfect for fans of slow-burning supernatural thrillers, this is a story that feels both intimate and epic a dark whisper carried on the mountain winds.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review