Writer: Landor's Cottage
December 1983. Three years after escaping a terrifying non secular cult, 13-year previous Jack Church returns to his hometown of Stinkwater Cross, Texas: a spot he’s by no means recognized. Right here, Jack, alongside along with his household and pals, expertise a world the place the unreal turns into actual.
Plainly day by day Jack discovers one thing new about this unusual and mysterious area: from hauntings, golems, protecting feline deities, and darkish and sinister demons, to the eccentric native inhabitants.
As he journeys via his new hometown, Jack strives to steadiness the contrasts of metropolis vs. nation life, his newfound love of heavy steel and roleplaying video games vs. his private religion, and the numerous weird encounters vs. what he used to imagine was actuality.
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Content material Warning: Could embrace foul language, intense conditions together with loss of life and violence, non secular/political points, and drug/alcohol references. Might not be appropriate for individuals below 14.
In #1 “The Slayer Haunting the Chapel”, Jack arrives in Stinkwater anxious, and but hopeful, that this transformation shall be for the higher. However after sneaking out one evening, he quickly learns this new world isn’t what it appears.
(7100 phrases / 28.4 pp)
Right here’s an excerpt:
“I’m again,” Dad introduced as he got here within the entrance door, Stan shut behind. He seemed round the home and famous the nice and cozy air. “Appears like my stern discuss with the electrical firm this morning paid off. The heater’s actually beginning to get this previous place warmed up.” Dad nodded towards the tree. “And the tree seems nice, Babe,” he added with a smile.
“Thanks,” Mother mentioned, giving Dad a kiss, “I haven’t had a lot assist with these two preventing.” She checked out Jack and Jeannie and caught her tongue out at them playfully.
“Jack,” Dad started, “What’s all of the fuss? We’ve bought a contemporary begin right here in Stinkwater. You every have a brand new college beginning on the first of the 12 months, and I’ve a brand new job beginning Monday. And presents, always remember the presents. So let’s profit from it, okay?”
Jack nodded silently, although he nonetheless resisted internally. Jack had hoped for a brand new starting in Stinkwater. He simply wasn’t certain he was going to love a spot that smelled bizarre and hummed on a regular basis.
“That’s Stinkwater for you,” Dad had mentioned as soon as, “After a couple of days, you received’t even discover.”
The pungent scent within the city from the stagnant creeks and the close to fixed buzzing on the town had been apparent to nearly anybody who visited. But these born and raised there didn’t discover until they left city for some time and returned. Whereupon the returning citizen may ask, “What’s that scent?” or “What’s that bizarre sound?” or “What occurred whereas I used to be gone?”
In actual fact, a widely known sociologist launched the Stinkwater Paradox as a part of his doctoral thesis. The Stinkwater Paradox is a sociological time period describing a state of affairs through which an individual asks one other particular person, “Does this scent unhealthy to you?” and the response will invariably be, “Sure.” The rationale lay in the concept that the understanding of a foul odor has already been implanted by the questioner into the answerer’s thoughts (even when the merchandise in query has no foul odor, or odor in any respect).
As for the intermittent buzzing, scientists at one level got here to Stinkwater to find out the reason for the buzzing, however to no avail. The townspeople shrugged on the scientists, as that they had for essentially the most half both turn out to be accustomed to the low frequency hum, or didn’t hear it in any respect.
Worth: $0.50
