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Haunted Halloween with J.W. Crawford and a giveaway!

A Familiar Darkness

By: J.W. Crawford It was dark, but no darker than a normal night. A perfect night for a walk. The noises in town were distracting from the peaceful quiet, so we decided to head out past the train tracks, where we would be surrounded by nothing but the evening quiet. No traffic, no groups of late night merrymakers, just the moon, the crickets, and the soft sounds of our own feet through the grass beside the road. As we neared the highway, the warning light blinked ominously, illuminating a herd of grazing elk in short bursts no more than twenty feet ahead of us. Being that close to the large animals was unnerving enough in the daytime, let alone at night, so we figured it would be a good idea to take another route. Turning back, we made our way back towards town. Just before we reached the train tracks, we found ourselves standing at the foot of a rough warden’s road that led through the trees. We weren’t satisfied with the walk, so we decided that it would be fun to extend it. As we entered the road, I felt the first tiny prickle of uncertainty float over me like a light breath in the wind. I hardly noticed it, thinking it to be little more than a light chill from the crisp night air. The chill got worse as we continued down the road. My friend noticed a sudden change in my composure; her hand clamped on my arm as we walked, growing tighter as my own body started to tense up. That strange feeling was quickly growing, and there was something else about it… something familiar. I could feel a presence behind me, a strangely familiar one. Part of me wanted to turn around, but something told me that wouldn’t be a good idea. The further we walked, the stronger that feeling grew. I could feel the tension in my friend growing as my own body trembled slightly, fighting the urge to just bolt the rest of the way down the road and never look back. As we approached a building just to the side of the warden’s road, the feeling became it’s most dangerous. I could feel ever hair standing up on my neck as we approached the building; the soft whisper of the wind seemed to carry a hint of sinister intention, despite the fact that I had no doubts anymore about the familiarity of the presence behind me. Whatever it was… whoever it was… it was close. I could almost feel it inches away from my skin, just waiting for me to turn; almost daring me. Fighting the urge, we continued past the building, not looking back until we were clear from the road and nearly back in town. The silence between us was deafening as we walked, unable to put the strange feeling into words. After a quick, dry goodnight, we went our separate ways. The next day plagued me with curiosity. Whatever had happened, it had somehow been connected to that building we had walked to. Deciding I needed to know, I made my way back to the road, protected by the bright, happy sunshine of mid-afternoon. The building turned out to be a storage warehouse, likely used for old RCMP equipment. Staring up at its giant white walls, I waited for that feeling to come over me again, but it was gone; my hair stayed flat, my nerves untouched, as though it had all been a dream. For a few minutes, I couldn’t understand what had happened. The building did seem familiar, but I couldn’t place where I had seen it before. It came to me in one slithery rush. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up, my mouth dry, my heart starting to pound. I knew where I had seen that building before. It had been years ago, 1995—my graduating year—while a gang of my classmates had been flushed out of a creek party by the RCMP. We had all meandered down that road, talking happily about past amusements and summer promises. A fun night, and one I remember well, though not for the good times and high spirits. It was the last place I had spoken to a classmate before he had been killed in a violent car crash at the end of that summer. As we walked past that building, I had been beside him, chatting away. He was a popular young man with the world ahead of him, and a short time later, all of that had been taken away in a crash that ultimately left two people dead. To this day, I have no doubt that the familiar presence behind me was my friend, the boy who had died long before his time should have come. A haunted spirit angry at the life he had lost, and the lonely eternity ahead.

Dreamshaper by J.W. Crawford Publisher: Black Rose Writing (October 1st, 2009) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 238 pages Orson Bailey is used to trouble finding him. He has spent his young life ridiculed and bullied by his peers and tormented by his baby sister. Unfortunately, things are about to get a whole lot worse. At night, strange happenings have begun to creep into Orson's mind: vivid dreams and nightmares so realistic and frightening that they start to affect his already sour relationship with both his classmates and family. His entire world is thrown into upheaval when his darkest wish is granted and his sister disappears, stolen into the world of dreams. Through the darkness, Orson unexpectedly develops a bond with a few of his classmates. Together, they must find a way to survive a world filled with magical creatures of pure and dark origins, a world of dreams where anything can happen and where Orson must discover his destiny as the one true Dreamshaper in order to save his sister.

Prize:

  • 1 winner will receive a copy of Dreamshaper.

Rules:
  • You must be at least 13 to enter.
  • Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
  • Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
  • Contest is US ONLY and ends October 31st.
  • Once contacted the winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
  • The form must be filled out to enter.

Find J.W. Crawford J.W. Crawford / Facebook

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Haunted Halloween with J.W. Crawford and a giveaway! + TIME