Her Halloween Party

Off
Brooklyn Ann

B Mine, book 4

Selected as a "Fresh Pick" by the review site, Fresh Fiction!


Amelia Craven is at the verge of dropping out of the sorority that she never wanted to join. But when the sorority president announces that the final initiation will take place at a Halloween party in the infamous Raimi House, temptation overtakes her twofold. First, she'd been obsessed with local haunted places, especially the abandoned mansion that had been built on cursed land. Second, her secret crush, Guillermo Romero, is also going to undergo the same initiation with his fraternity. The challenge? Survive one night int the house. Amelia comes up with the perfect plan to convince Guillermo to be more than friends.

When Guillermo Romero hears that his final initiation is to spend the night in a house where countless had died, he is tempted to throw away family tradition and walk out. But then Amelia Craven, the ice-princess who set his heart aflame throughout their tenuous friendship, approaches him with an offer he can't resist. If he pretends to date her, they can research the Raimi House and find protective measures to survive without the dominating sorority and fraternity presidents knowing and thus trying to thwart them.

But as the fated Halloween approaches, their bond grows more intense than either dared to dream. Unfortunately, the Raimi House turns out to be far more sinister than they imagined. A demonic entity is awakened and hungry for slaughter. Trapped, the initiates and party guests alike are possessed by the demon, only to turn on their friends. Amelia and Guillermo band together to survive the night and find out if love can kill a demon.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

September 27, 1987

 

Amelia Craven was in hell. Well, technically not yet, since Hell Week was four weeks away. Tonight’s hell was another frat party.

As the stereo blared Michael Jackson’s Bad album for the hundredth time, Amelia reached into the ice-filled Rubbermaid tub for another wine cooler. The new album was okay, not as good as Thriller, and now less appealing since the Alpha Lambdas had played it way too loud every weekend at their parties. Her head ached and her throat hurt from having to yell over the music to have a conversation. The air reeked of spilled beer, cigarettes, Aqua Net, and the miasma of too many people packed in one place.

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She didn’t want to be here in the always chaotic, perpetually odorous Alpha Lambda house. She’d rather be back at the Omega Pi house, alone in the room she shared with her best friend Tiffany, studying—or even better—curled up with either Cabal, the newest Clive Barker novel, or Mysteries of the Cursed Mine: An Unauthorized History of the Camp Natty Massacre. Her opportunities to read for fun had been severely limited since the Fall semester started five weeks ago.

She’d earned her associate’s degree in English last spring from Amteep Community College and was pursuing her Master of Library Science here on the adjoining campus at North Idaho University. The coursework was heavier, but that didn’t stop Tiffany from insisting that she and Amelia join the university’s only sorority, the Omega Pis. Despite Amelia’s fervent hopes otherwise, she and Tiffany were accepted as pledges. That meant instead of attending a few frat parties here and there, they had to go to all of them.

But Tiffany had been Amelia’s best friend since junior year of high school. The popular blonde had been like a beautiful fairy princess, transforming Amelia from a wallflower to a member of the in crowd. Amelia owed Tiffany so much. She’d been so lonely before then, walking in a haze of grief from losing her mom in the eighth grade, her brown hair hanging in dull tangles, her clothes unkempt, losing herself in books about ghosts and monsters in fiction as well as the spooky real history of her hometown of Amteep. Then Tiffany, for reasons of pity, or perhaps desire for a challenge, took Amelia under her wing and became her friend. They did everything together. But lately, Amelia was beginning to chafe under Tiffany’s perpetual leadership of their lives.

As if drawn by the thought, Amelia’s roving gaze landed on one of hers and Tiffany’s biggest subjects of contention: a man whose long, curly black hair framed an angular bronze face, deep brown eyes, and a smile to die for. Guillermo Romero, heir to Romero Construction, the most prominent building contractor in town, never failed to render Amelia breathless. He was a pledge for the Alpha Lambda fraternity and they’d been sharing their initiation woes. She’d met him in her first year at Amteep Community College, when they’d first had English and Intro to European History together. They’d also seen each other at metal concerts and parties, as well as on the campus, and struck up a tentative friendship over the last two years. Amelia had basked in the warmth of that friendship, free from pretenses or expectations, even as she harbored a secret crush on him since day one.

How could she not when, aside from his gorgeous face and physique, he was unfailingly kind, actually seemed to see her when he spoke to her, and had a husky, lullaby voice that haunted her dreams?

Every time they were both single and Amelia considered asking him out, Tiffany held her back. “You should be with a guy of higher status. You don’t want to be dating a fellow pledge. He probably wouldn’t be interested in you anyway…” and so on. After a lot of soul-searching, Amelia realized only the last argument held water.

Now Guillermo was single again—she couldn’t suppress a wave of elation when she heard the nursing student he’d been dating split up with him over summer break—and now, as of last week, she was also unattached. So maybe…

Suddenly, the music stopped, making everyone curse and yell in protest.

Susan Acuff stood up on the keg and rang the cowbell reserved for announcements and waking up pledges, making a hush instantly fall over the crowded house. In spite of her petite stature and Goldilocks curls, as president of the Omega Pis—and girlfriend to Kirk Sorbo, the president of the Alpha Lambdas—she intimidated everybody. “It pains me to say this, but we have a rat in our midst. A filthy, dirty rat.”

Kirk moved to stand beside her, a sentient Ken doll in a polo shirt with a sweater tied around his shoulders. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his Dockers and surveyed the crowd with a stern eye. “Someone revealed the location of the final initiation of our pledges.”

Susan picked up where he left off, crossing her arms over her North Idaho University sweatshirt. “The rituals of our organizations are supposed to be sacred and secret.”

“Where is the location?” Tiffany and a few others asked.

“Don’t play innocent,” Susan snapped. “There’s a letter to the editor in both the Amteep Press and the university paper saying we shouldn’t be allowed to rent the Raimi House. Someone had to have told. Or maybe one of you wrote that letter.”

Holy shit. Amelia gasped. With her heavy course load, she hadn’t had time to look at the newspaper since this semester started. “The Raimi House?”

Susan’s anger momentarily dissipated as a triumphant smile lit her hazel eyes, making her look beautiful and sweet even though Amelia knew better. “Kirk and I managed to convince the owner to rent us the property for October and November. We get the keys and sign the paperwork on Tuesday the first.” Her sour scowl returned. “It was supposed to be a surprise, but one of you spoiled it.”

Despite her better judgment, Amelia spoke up again. “The rental agency probably gossiped. No one’s occupied the Raimi House since 1962. The last person inside the house was an appraiser last year, and he died there. So, someone renting the place would be huge news. No way anyone in the agency would keep their mouth shut.”

“That would be a relief if that’s true,” Susan said with a shark-like smile. “But how do I know you didn’t say anything, pledge? Or maybe you’re trying to protect your friend.”

Nancy, Amelia and Tiffany’s assigned mentor, countered the president in a firm voice. “I know it wasn’t Amelia. Or Tiffany, for that matter. If their obvious shock isn’t enough to convince you, I can attest that they’ve both been in sight every waking hour when we’re not in class. Amelia’s been buried with homework and studying all week. I haven’t seen her look at either newspaper to see those editorials calling for us to cancel the party. And Tiffany—”

“The party?” Tiffany asked eagerly, making Amelia bite the insides of her cheeks to halt a chuckle. Tiff loved parties.

Susan sighed and attempted to thrust her hands in the pockets of her acid-washed jeans, but they were too tight. “We’re going to have a Halloween party at the most notorious house in town.”

Raucous cheers erupted around them while Amelia quivered with mingled excitement and trepidation. She’d been fascinated with creepy houses and local haunted landmarks ever since she saw her first ghost at a sleepover in one of the old Victorian houses downtown. Since then, the middle school librarian nurtured her interest, telling stories about the Raimi House to Amelia’s sixth-grade class, but the idea of having a Halloween party with the final initiation taking place in the house where so many people had been killed or maimed scared her a little. Especially since what Kirk and Susan planned had to be more than a party. A party was supposed to be fun. Final initiations for pledges were never fun.

When the cheers died down, Kirk confirmed her thoughts. “After the party, all you pledges have to spend the night in the Raimi House alone together. If you eight survive the night, Guillermo, Mike, Chuck, and Dan will be inducted as active members of Alpha Lambda. And…” He paused while Susan whispered the girl pledges’ names. “Tiffany, Amelia, Layla, and Tina will become full-fledged sisters of the Omega Pis.”

Amelia’s mouth went dry. Spend the night in the Raimi House? She looked back to Guillermo, who looked genuinely scared. As he should be. She may not believe in God or the devil, but she and everyone else familiar with the town of Amteep knew that place was pure evil. And yet, even knowing the horrific history of the haunted cliffside estate, Amelia squirmed with curiosity to see the subject of her obsession.

Suddenly, Layla Thomas, the only Black pledge, spoke up. “I guess I’m not going to be an Omega Pi then. Because there’s no way in hell I’m going into that house.”

With that, she strode out of the frat house. Amelia was torn between cheering Layla’s bravery, envying her escape from the sorority, and being sad to see her go. Layla was one of the few people in the sorority house she liked, and the only girl who shared Amelia’s love for heavy metal music.

“I’m not going there either,” Dan Gatchel said. “I’ve heard the stories.”

“Me too,” Tina called behind Dan’s shoulder. “I quit.”

Susan stuck her nose in the air and made a prissy harrumph. “Fine. Then pack your bags. I want you out of the Omega Pi house tonight. Tell Layla she’s out as well.” She leaned over and whispered something to Kirk, then turned back to glare at everyone. “I can’t believe the ingratitude I’m seeing. Kirk and I worked hard to gain access to this house and to give you pledges the most legendary initiation in history. One that you’ll be able to tell your children and grandchildren about.”

Guillermo made a derisive snort. “Yeah, if we survive to have children.”

Kirk stepped forward and thrust out his chest like a rooster. “Any other chickens dropping out?”

The room fell silent. Amelia held her breath, wondering if Guillermo would be the next to walk out. Was it selfish to hope he stayed? Or was she an idiot to not walk out?

“Okay then.” Kirk put his arm around Susan’s waist. “After we get the keys on Tuesday, the ladies will clean the place up and the gentlemen will chop firewood, get supplies, and do any handyman work necessary to make sure the house is safe. All of you will ensure we have the best Halloween party in the history of our organizations. Now let’s get back to the party.”

Susan opened her mouth to say more, but Kirk gestured to the guy by the stereo. Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” roared back at full volume, leaving her to pout at not having the last word.

Tiffany took Amelia’s arm and led her away before opening her compact to inspect her perpetually flawless makeup. “You shouldn’t have said anything about the rental agency gossiping about the Raimi House. Going against Susan, especially in front of everyone, is going to incur her wrath.”

“Everything incurs her wrath,” Amelia grumbled.

Tiffany leaned in close, her breath smelling like vodka. “I’m going upstairs to spend a little time with Brandon. See what else he knows about the Raimi House initiation and make sure that tramp Valerie doesn’t get her claws in him.”

Amelia rolled her eyes as Tiffany walked away. Why did Tiff have to be so possessive over everyone in her sphere? Valerie barely ever spoke to Brandon. The sorority treasurer’s only crime was being as beautiful as Tiff, with the cheekbones of a model and a voluminous permed mass of dark gold curls. At least Tiffany going upstairs with Brandon meant Amelia would be free of her bossiness for a while. Amelia wove her way through the crowd, refusing offers to dance. Her legs throbbed from the lunges Susan had made the pledges do that afternoon. Amelia was used to staying in shape, a habit from being on the dance team in high school, but Susan treated exercise as punishment and a way to shame and torment anyone who wasn’t as thin as her. She constantly mocked Amelia’s thighs to the point where she was ashamed of them.

Amelia found Guillermo lounging on a sofa in the corner, farthest from the speakers and the masses. Miraculously, the place beside him was empty. She met his dark obsidian eyes and gave him a questioning look. With how rude her best friend was to him, he had every right to refuse Amelia’s company.

When he nodded, she sat by him. Her heartbeat accelerated at being next to him, feeling the heat of his muscular legs only inches from hers, admiring the way the band shirts he wore—Dokken tonight—stretched across his broad chest and accentuated his brown biceps and his forearms… Goddamn. She subjected herself to this sweet torment every chance she got. Which wasn’t very often, since Tiffany interrupted every time she spotted them talking.

But Tiff’s disdain wouldn’t stop Amelia from talking to him, though it did embarrass her enough to keep her distance when her friend was around.

“How’s your week been going?” It was a lame question, but she had to start somewhere.

“Awful,” Guillermo answered, though his white teeth flashed in a heart-melting smile. “They made us eat spoiled food from the fridge. And now they’re gonna make us try to steal your pledge pins.”

Amelia immediately removed her pin and handed it to him. “Here. Tell them you stole mine.”

His brows drew together with touching concern. “Won’t you get some sort of punishment for losing yours?”

“Maybe.” Amelia shrugged, feeling brave now that she was with him. “Or maybe I can take Layla’s or Tina’s pins since they’re dropping out.”

“I’m thinking of dropping out,” Guillermo said so quietly she almost didn’t hear him over the music.

“Me too,” Amelia replied hesitantly, taking a moment to imagine being brave enough to ask him to run away with her, out of this frat house and into each other’s arms and Tiffany be damned.

A reflexive pang of guilt for the thoughts she’d been having about her best friend gnawed at her, albeit lighter than usual.

Guillermo’s eyes widened. “You don’t want to join the Omega Pis?”

“Not really.”

“Let me guess.” Guillermo gave her a knowing look. “You’re here because your friend wants to join.”

Damn it, so it was that obvious. She tried not to sound defensive. “I don’t want to do everything Tiffany does.”

She hadn’t wanted to try out for the cheerleading squad back in high school, which had been Tiff’s original aim, and they only settled on the much more fun dance team when they hadn’t made the cut.

Then there were the little ways Tiffany tried to control her. Every time Amelia was rocking out to Helloween in their room on her cassette player, Tiffany popped the tape out and put Madonna on. When Amelia wanted to wear black velvet and leather or band t-shirts, Tiffany wheedled her until she put on something trendy instead. Tiff was always disparaging her for having her nose in a book or watching comedy films.

Guillermo brought her attention back to the present. “I heard you and Cameron broke up last week.”

“That’s right.” Cameron Dane, best friend of Tiffany’s boyfriend, Brandon Schmidt, was the latest of a long string of guys Tiffany set her up with. Back in high school, it seemed convenient, and sometimes a little romantic, for her to be with the close friend of Tiffany’s current flavor. The double dates worked well and the two girls could better understand each other when venting or celebrating the relationship ups and downs. But as an adult, Amelia had soured on the experience of having dates arranged for her. And Cameron was the worst. All he’d wanted to do was try to get into Amelia’s pants. He’d finally succeeded last week, when Amelia had been passed out drunk, leading her to a pregnancy and STD scare. That’s when Amelia had enough. She broke up with him the next morning.

Tiffany was still mad at her about breaking up with Cameron. Amelia’s story about what Cam had done only made Tiff shrug and say that was how guys were. Her lack of empathy felt like a knife through the heart.

“He seems to have moved on pretty fast.” Guillermo pointed at Amelia’s ex, who sat on a recliner over by the coolers, plying drinks on Laura Hayward, one of the few sorority sisters who was actually sorta nice. Amelia made a mental note to keep an eye on Laura in case Cameron tried to take advantage of her as well.

She turned back to Guillermo, who seemed to be watching her reaction to the sight of her ex with another girl. Her heart did a little skip. Did his observation mean he’d ask her out now?

She tried not to sound too hopeful. “I’m the one who broke up with him because he’s an asshole.”

After a long pause, Guillermo nodded. His expression was frustratingly unreadable. “So, are you going to drop out of the sorority?”

Amelia’s heart sank at the change in subject. “I’d been seriously considering it all week.

But I can’t help being curious about the Raimi House. I’ve had a thing for creepy places since I was little.”

And now something else that Kirk had said about the initiation struck her with a chord of excitement. If she and Guillermo went through with it, they’d be spending the night together. The Raimi House was huge, with a lot of places where they could be alone. A lot of bedrooms.

A fresh and powerful resolve filled her. It was past time to break loose from Tiffany’s control. For starters, Tiffany wouldn’t have any more say over who Amelia dated. Now she would to find a way to date Guillermo.

The problem was that since Tiffany always assigned boyfriends to her, she had no idea how to even flirt with a guy, much less ask him out. Even worse was the terror that filled her at the thought of Guillermo rejecting her and losing the safe haven of his friendship.

Then Amelia had an idea.

COLLAPSE

His Scream Queen

Off
Brooklyn Ann

B Mine, book 3

QUEEN FOR A NIGHT

When Lucio Argento is dumped by Amteep High’s most popular girl, he plots revenge in a way he's certain will crush her. He convinces Jamie Blair - the target of his ex’s bullying - into doing a makeover that will garner enough votes for her to be Prom Queen. What he doesn't expect is to fall for Jamie, or to become her willing accomplice in uncovering who is behind the spate of deaths of animals in their community.

When their classmates begin to die in the most horrific ways, Lucio and Jamie discover dark supernatural forces are at work, and unless they can conjure a miracle, everyone will die at Prom.

 

Excerpt:

Chapter One

January, 1984

Brittney Shaw allowed Brandon Teller to kiss her as the clock struck midnight. He’d be the perfect candidate to be her king at the prom if only he went to Amteep High instead of Sunnydale Prep. Looking at the glittering throng gathered in the Skeetshue Country Club ballroom, she wondered if she should have asked Daddy to transfer her to Sunnydale. But no, she’d went to public school with the same classmates since kindergarten, and they’d witnessed her transformation from a dull, stringy-haired, middle class girl to the rich, beautiful, popular princess she was today. And before graduation, those peers would see her change from princess to queen.

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Brandon snapped her attention back to the present. “My parents are still in Cabo. I can have my driver take us to my place if you want to go somewhere alone where we can… talk.” He trailed his fingertips across her collarbone.

“That’s very tempting,” Brittney purred. “But I have a headache. Maybe next time.”

Brandon’s protests chased her as she left the dance floor and had one of the club employees call her driver and bring her fur from the coat room. The employee brought the luxurious mink coat and even placed it over her shoulders.

The dolt didn’t take the hint, instead following her out onto the shoveled patio and down the slick flagstone steps. Rock salt crushed under the heels of her red leather Oscar de la Renta shoes as Brittney thought of how easily she could silence him forever if she felt like it.

Once she was delivered home to the gorgeous mansion on Lake Skeetshue that her father had purchased only two years ago, Brittany kicked off her shoes and raced up to her room. She only had a few more hours before her parents would return home from the party.

Quickly, she changed out of her puffed-sleeve red chiffon gown and into a ski outfit that was so two years ago. Something that she could easily throw away if it got too messy.

After grabbing the suitcase that she kept hidden in the back of her walk-in closet, Brittany went back out into the winter night. Her boots crunched over the frozen snow. Her nose and cheeks stung from the cold, but it couldn’t be helped.

This was the first day of the new year. A time when she had to give thanks for all she’d received the previous year and ensure the fortunes for this one.

The gardener’s shed was unused for the winter. Which made this ritual easier. In the summer, she had to store her sacrifices elsewhere.

The animal whimpered when she opened the door, but didn’t try to escape. It was too weak for that now. Instead, it allowed itself to be led to the birdbath in the backyard. Brittney set her suitcase on top of the glass-hard ice surface of the marble birdbath and opened it to reveal the tools that had helped her grant her every heart’s desire.

With practiced ease, she withdrew a large dagger and carved a pentagram in the snow around the birdbath. Then she placed red candles at every point and lit them. Opening one of the books she’d stolen from the library three years ago, Brittany chanted the words that summoned her own personal genie.

Scar rose up in front of the birdbath, looking more solid than he had the first time she called him forth from the netherworld. Long, sharply-pointed horns extended from his large head. His eyes glowed yellow, and his massive jaw was filled with sharp teeth.  The animal let out a piteous squeal and tried to flee, but Brittany was used to this part of the ritual.

Still gripping the knife she’d used to carve the pentagram, she slit the creature’s throat.

Steaming blood sprayed through the air, glittering in the moonlight. Just as she’d expected, crimson droplets splattered on her ski-suit, more than a stain removal spray could handle. She’d have to burn the outfit.

Brittney extended her hands and chanted the ritual words, “Oh, Scarlionapskhis, scourge of the soulless, most infernal, please accept this blood sacrifice as a token of my gratitude for the favors you’ve bestowed on me and as a gift in exchange for making me beautiful.”

The demon inclined its head sardonically and fell upon the still twitching body of the sacrifice.

Brittney used to gag when Scar devoured the animals she’d killed, but after so many years, she was so used to the sight and aftermath. Now, she only wiggled her numbing toes in her snow boots, impatient for the ritual to be over with.

When Scar finished dining, he fixed Brittany with yellow glowing eyes. His growling voice sounded like a rabid dog coughing up shards of broken bones. “Do you have a wish you want me to grant?”

“Not tonight.” Brittany did not fall into the trap. She had quickly learned not to get too greedy with the demon. Not only because it would grow angry with her if she demanded too much too soon, but also, because she didn’t want him to make her owe a debt before she was ready to pay it.

Wishes called for careful consideration, cautious wording, meticulous ritual, and a proper sacrifice.

“This night, I gave you this gift and now allow you to return to your realm in peace.” Brittany then said the guttural words that banished the demon before she blew out the candles.

She then lit a sage bundle and trailed the smoke behind her as she kicked snow over the pentagram. After packing her candles and knife away in the suitcase, she hauled the grisly remains of the sacrifice over to the edge of the cliff where the back yard ended and kicked it over the edge, where it sank into the black waters of the lake below.

Back inside, she stripped off the bloody clothes and tossed them in the fireplace. The smell of burning nylon wrinkled her nose. She hoped it dissipated before her parents got home.

After a luxurious soak in a hot bubble bath, Britney changed into a nightgown and settled into her king-size four poster bed.

Her parents’ drunken laughter carried from downstairs.

Mother spoke in a fake, Zsa Zsa Gabor-wannabe voice she’d been affecting lately. “Can you believe that Cora Neery dared to show her face at the gala tonight? I would have thought that she would be persona non grata after the incident at the charity ball last month. Some people have no sense of class.”

Brittney’s father cleared his throat and spoke in a grating, patronizing tone. “The Neerys have more money, and are friends with Mr. Hogadane, Punkin. They’ll always be able to behave as they like. Unlike us, who weren’t allowed among their ranks before my promotion.”

“Well, I still think she’s a tacky hussy,” Mother sniffed. Daddy must have made some sort of expression of disapproval, for Mother’s voice shifted back to normal. “I am of course grateful for the improvement of our circumstances. You’ve worked so hard for our family.”

They have me to thank, Britney thought furiously. If I hadn’t learned the mysteries of the occult and called forth Scar, Dad would still be a junior at Woodward & Paulson instead of being a full partner, and Mom would have been getting her manicured nails dirty working at the jewelry counter at J.C. Penny. We still would have lived in that ugly subdivision on Locust Lane, and the doors of Hogadane’s country club would still be slammed in their faces.

But it wasn’t her parents’ misfortunes and mediocrity that had motivated Brittney to check out that book at the library on casting spells. It was the desire that every fourteen-year-old girl had.

To be pretty.

Brittany still didn’t know if the spells from that first book had actually worked, though just enough things that she wanted happened to make her think it wasn’t coincidence. Her acne had cleared, and her hair did seem a little thicker, and the other girl competing for a spot on the cheerleading squad had indeed suffered a terrible fall and broken her ankle. That was enough to delve further. That first book mentioned the possibility of summoning spirits to do one’s bidding, so Brittany looked up books on that. Most were full of useless ghost stories, but one directed her to exactly what the spell book had promised. Only this book referred to the spirits as demons. Brittany had felt one icy shiver prickle the back of her neck before tossing her hair and deciding that it didn’t matter what they were called, only that they gave her what she wanted.

Months of chants, arcane symbols and a pentagram drawn on her bedroom floor beneath her rug, three dead mice and four dead rabbits later, she brought forth Scarlionapskhis for the first time. All of the demon’s names were impossible to pronounce, that was the first challenge in summoning them.

Brittany called her demon “Scar” for short, but learned quickly that demons did not appreciate nicknames.

The first wish Scar granted was for her dad to have enough money to buy a new wardrobe from the J Crew and Esprit catalogs she and her friends pored over. That wish was granted when one of the partners of Woodward & Paulson Law Firm committed suicide, and her father was made into a full partner.

The wardrobe got Brittany a foot in the door with the A crowd at school, but since the queen bees, Heather Price and Susan Meyer were part of the country club set, Brittney’s family had to be as well.

That wish was granted when her grandmother died shortly after visiting, leaving Brittney’s mom a small fortune, and around the same time, her father landed a prestigious client, gaining the Shaws their coveted invitation to Hogadane’s country club. Wayne Hogadane was the richest man in Amteep, maybe even the northwest. He owned the most prestigious country club, two giant lake cruise boats, the Amteep Resort, the Amteep Press, and some said, the entire town. Becoming part of Hogadane’s social sphere guaranteed prestige.

Brittney never returned the library books. She couldn’t stand the idea of someone else gaining the power she had. Besides, she reasoned, if these books fell into the wrong hands, good people could be hurt. Because demons demanded sacrifices. And while Britney only offered up creatures that wouldn’t be missed and people who were bad, like her father’s mistress, someone else might not be so discerning.

COLLAPSE

His Final Girl

Off
Brooklyn Ann

B Mine, book 1

ISBN: 978-1948029889

 

At summer camp, Wes and Linnea's new-found romance barely has a chance to survive as a masked killer goes on a rampage.

DON’T GO IN THE WOODS

Computer nerd, Wes Carpenter, dreads having to spend ten days at summer camp with the rest of his in-coming high school senior class. But when he meets strong-willed and confident farm girl, Linnea Langenkamp, everything about being away at camp improves immediately. When a malicious prank awakens an ancient evil, turning their summer romance into a bloodbath, Wes and Linnea pray they make it home alive while fighting for the survival of their classmates. With Wes’s ingenuity and Linnea’s knowledge of the forest, together they may be able to stop the killer, save the camp, and maybe even find their happily ever after on the way.

 

Excerpt:

Amteep, Idaho, 1978

 

Wes Carpenter wiped his brow as he turned the page of the latest issue of 80 Micro Magazine. Only twelve more lines of code and he’d be able to play Scarf Man, a game that was supposed to be an imitation of Pac Man. It was monotonous, typing in hundreds, sometimes thousands of characters into his computer, but some games could not be found on cassette at RadioShack. At least this method had helped him learn the computer’s language.

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Wes had gotten the TRS80 computer for Christmas last year, but hadn’t really gotten the hang of it until he’d fallen ill with a monster case of bronchitis, which morphed into pneumonia, then to mono. As a result, he’d spent nearly six months at home. The never-ending sickness had wreaked havoc on his asthma and cost him a school year, but there had also been a silver lining. Huddled in bed with issues of Byte and 80 Micro his father had gotten for him, and in the hours where he had the strength to get up, Wes used his time to gain knowledge and mastery of the computer.

His breath tightened as he typed the final line of code. If Wes missed one character, the game wouldn’t run. Reaching for his inhaler, he waited for the computer to process the code. Once he took a deep puff of acrid, chemical-flavored moisture, the pressure on his lungs loosened, and he was able to breathe again. Still, he remained tense through the endless waiting for the computer to process the commands. Five minutes later, the screen flickered and music began to play as the title and copyright date appeared on the black and white monitor.

“Yes!” Wes pumped both fists in the air.

As his fingers reached for the arrow keys to move Pac— er— Scarf Man, his mother opened his bedroom door.

“Wesley.” Mom’s voice was brusque as she strode into the room. She was probably going to complain that his computer was giving her radio static again. Sometimes his computer did that. But her radio was portable. His computer was not. If she took her radio outside, or even into the kitchen, she wouldn’t have trouble.

“I have some news for you.”

Relief washed over him that she wasn’t going to bug him about his computer again. “I’m a little busy, Mom. Can’t it wait?”

“No, it can’t. You’ve been locked in here with that silly, bleeping thing for months. You can take a moment to talk with me.” Laurie Carpenter was normally an easygoing, cheerful mom, but now Wes heard the rare thread of steel in her voice.

Leaving the Player One screen flashing, Wes turned down the volume on the monitor. “Okay. What’s the news?”

“You’re going to summer camp.” Mom beamed like the wheel-spinning woman on The Price is Right.

“What?” Wes rubbed his eyes, wondering if this was some kind of joke. “I’m too old for that stuff.” His nineteenth birthday was last week.

“It’s tradition up here for the senior class to go to camp and get to know each other before school starts,” Mom explained, ignoring Wes’s protest. “I think it sounds lovely. Especially since you haven’t gotten to know anyone since we moved to Amteep.”

Wes thought it sounded like a stupid tradition. “Spending ten days with my classmates before school starts will feel like going back to school early.” He wanted to spend those last two weeks earning money at his job at the movie theater, and at home with his computer.

“Spending the rest of the summer cooped up inside is bad for you.” Mom wagged her perfectly manicured finger at him. “Furthermore, you could stand to make new friends.”

“I’m older than all of them.” And even if Wes hadn’t been nineteen, it’s not like he’d be well-received. Not with his glasses, asthma, and gangly form. Not with his interest in computers and complete illiteracy in all things sports. He may as well have had “nerd” tattooed on his forehead. On top of all that, he’d moved to this small town in North Idaho from San Diego and was a “city boy” according to the jerks who’d jeered at him in the theater parking lot the other day.

“Only by a year.” Laurie bent to pick his clothes up from the floor. “And probably some less than that.” Suddenly, she frowned. “Are you worried about dating?”

“Mom,” he groaned. “I’m worried about college. I’m worried about how I can convince Dad’s boss to give me a chance at Micron when I graduate. I’m worried about how to then turn that job into a career writing programs that will make me enough money to buy one of those nice beach houses back in San Diego.” At the dismay in his mother’s eyes from mentioning moving away, he switched to a teasing note. “I’m worried about there not being enough of those cookies I smelled you baking left after Janey got to them.”

A smile tilted the corner of Mom’s mouth. “Wesley, I’m being serious. I know the move was rough for you.”

It was. Even worse was he couldn’t object too much because his dad had gotten an amazing promotion at Micron, moving to their new second headquarters in Amteep. All predication pointed to this town booming in the next decade, becoming a stronghold in the growing tech industry. But Wes missed his home in San Diego the moment they’d left. He missed the few friends he’d had, the much bigger RadioShack, the record store, and the multitudes of rock concerts and clubs he would have been able to access to see live bands if he’d been there for his nineteenth birthday. Instead, he had spent his birthday at a bar with his father, playing an awkward game of pool and trying to pretend that the pitcher of beer Dad had ordered had been Wes’s first. He didn’t think Dad had been fooled.

Greg Carpenter was a brilliant man, with a PhD in electronic engineering. For many years, Wes wanted to be exactly like his dad when he grew up. But now that Wes was almost there, he knew he was nowhere near going down his father’s path. And yet, that didn’t bother him so much. Wes’s own path loomed ahead, frightening and exciting all at once. Who he would become, he didn’t quite know. He’d likely leave home after graduation.

Sometimes it was scary to think that if it weren’t for getting sick last year, he might have been on his own already. Those missed months had cost him most of his senior year of high school. Now he’d have to do it all over again. And, apparently, attend summer camp.

“Wes?” Mom interrupted his musings. “There’s a list of things you’ll need to pack for camp, and of course we’ll have to go to the pharmacy and get you an extra inhaler.”

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I’m not going to some silly camp. That’s kid’s stuff.”

“Yes, you are.” Mom remained implacable, and somehow smug, like she had an ace up her sleeve. “I already mailed the check.”

Wes bit his lip. “Then you can ask for a refund.”

Mom’s spine straightened and she put her hands on her hips. “Your father and I are taking your little sister to Disneyland, so no one will be home.”

For a moment he was tempted to demand why he wasn’t going to Disneyland too, but he couldn’t. If camp was kid’s stuff, then what was Mickey Mouse? He leaned forward and rose from his seat. “I’m an adult. I can fend for myself.”

Mom’s lips curved in a triumphant smile before she delivered the killing blow. “Not without food, you can’t. I haven’t shopped for groceries all week, instead using up what we have.”

Shit. Wes had been curious about the interesting casseroles and smorgasbord platters she’d been serving lately, but hadn’t noticed that she hadn’t gone to the grocery store in a while. Mom had him there. Wes loved to eat. His parents marveled at where he put it all, since he remained scrawny. And he could put away a lot. More than he could afford with his part-time wages at the movie theater.

It looked like he would be going to camp after all. Holding up his hands in surrender, Wes forced a smile. “Fine. You win. At least I’ll have time to read. Where is this place, anyway?”

“On the other side of Lake Skeetshue. Remember? Where we had that lovely cruise.” She pulled a brochure out of her back pocket. “It’s called Camp Natli— I can’t pronounce it. Another Indian name, I guess.” She handed him the brochure, displaying overly joyous teens paddling canoes on a sparkling lake with a beach and fake totem poles in the background.

Wes squinted at the name of the place. Camp Natliskeliguten. “I can’t pronounce it either. I think it sounds more German.”

“They call it ‘Camp Natty’ for short.” Now that she’d won, Mom had returned to her usual cheerful self. “And aside from the lake activities in the picture, you can learn archery, canoeing, and they’ll even have guided nature walks so you can learn about the forest. By the time you get back, you’ll know more about our new home than the rest of the family.”

Wes did not share her enthusiasm. A lot of that stuff would be hell on his asthma. Also, the idea of wandering around in the woods spooked him a little. As his little sister had proudly announced, there were some scary wild animals in the forests surrounding Amteep. Bears, wolves, mountain lions, and bobcats. And although Wes had swum in the ocean plenty of times, he couldn’t say he enjoyed it. Knowing his luck, he’d tip over a canoe and fall into the cold water, lose his glasses, and maybe get covered in leeches.

Mom continued, ignoring his grimace. “And there will be dances and socials with the girls. Maybe you’ll meet someone special.”

“Maybe,” he muttered, hoping to deter another worried speculation about his lack of interest in girls. Well, it wasn’t a total lack, more that most girls lacked interest in him. Dad had even pulled him aside for a “man to man” talk a little over a year ago.

“You’re not one of those men who are… ah…” Dad had scratched the back of his neck, his ears beet red. “Interested in other men, are you?”

Wes had laughed, though there was a bit of unease. One of his close friends was a homosexual. Would Wes’s father hate him if he swung that way? “Of course not. I like girls. I’m just waiting to meet the right one. Someday I want what you and Mom have.” And that was the utter truth. Except Wes didn’t have high hopes of that ever happening. Something was missing inside him and he didn’t think he’d be ready, much less worthy of love unless he found it.

His mother snapped him back to the present. “Turn off that beeping contraption and come with me. There’s a huge list of things we’ll need to pack for you.”

Wes sighed and pushed his chair in under his desk, giving his computer and new game one last mournful glance. Then his stomach growled. “Are there any cookies left?”

There were. Wes ate four as he sat across from his mother, scowling at the endless list of items he’d need for ten days of camp, half of which he didn’t have. Bug spray, a poncho, a pocket knife, a hatchet, and a flint kit for making fires.

As they checked off the list of things they did have—flashlight, changes of clothes, et cetera—Wes found himself spacing off, half-listening to the PBS program Janey was watching in the living room.

“…after the third mysterious accident, which left four miners dead and seven wounded, the Sundown mine closed for good. In 1948, the land was purchased by…”

Mom heard the TV as well. Her mouth twisted with disgust. “Janey, why don’t you change the channel? Honestly, I don’t understand why you like to learn about such morbid topics.”

Janey’s voice held its usual indomitable cadence. “I just do.”

Mom raised her eyes to the heavens and sighed. “What did I do to be punished with such stubborn children?”

Wes laughed. “We got it from you.”

By the time Mom was placated by Wes’s cooperation with the prep for camp, Dad had come home for dinner. The crock pot beef stew melted in Wes’s mouth. He’d miss this cooking when he was at the camp. His melancholy increased when he returned to his computer only to discover that Scarf Man sucked. If the computer had a joystick, it might be playable, but with the arrow keys? The control was crap. After struggling with the game for two hours, he gave up and put on a Deep Purple cassette.

Lying in bed with his headphones on, Wes realized that next week he wouldn’t be able to do this either. More than ever, he wanted one of those Sony Walkmans that had come out last month. Too bad the things cost a hundred and fifty bucks. Even then, the one that had been available at Amteep’s RadioShack had sold out the day it was released, and future units were on backorder.

At least I have my boom box, Wes thought before he dozed off.

***

Wes ran through the woods, breath tight and heart pounding as an unseen figure chased him. The grip on his lungs tightened further until his breath came in pitiful gasps and wheezes. Someone grabbed his hand, urging him along. He summoned up the will to keep running, though the underbrush threatened to trip him. Thunder rumbled, despite flashes of clear moonlight penetrating the gaps between the pine boughs. A blessing and curse, because though Wes and his unseen friend could see where they were going, that meant that he could see them too.

But who was he?

They stopped running so abruptly that their shoes sent gravel skittering in all directions. Lightning flashed again to reveal a gaping maw before them. A black abyss threating to swallow them whole. But to go back meant death as well.

“We have to,” his friend whispered.

He couldn’t reply. He couldn’t breathe. Together, they plunged forward and—

***

Wes woke drenched in sweat and heaving, his chest constricted by an invisible boa. Scrabbling for his inhaler, he knocked his water glass from his nightstand. The shattering sound made him cringe as he took a big puff from his inhaler. This was the worst asthma attack he’d had in months.

Sucking in air until his lungs cleared, he lay there shivering.

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Publisher's Weekly on Publisher's Weekly wrote:

Ann (the Brides of Prophecy series) playfully combines romance tropes with the campy horror beats of ’80s slasher movies in the fun first novel in her B Mine series. Farm girl Linnea Langenkamp and computer nerd Wes Carpenter meet at summer camp before their senior year of high school sometime in the 1980s. Their instant mutual attraction develops into love with very few stumbling blocks, save for the cartoonish jocks and cheerleaders who bully them (“The Neanderthal grinned. ‘I like punching nerds.’ ”). Then a storm strikes, cutting the power and knocking out the bridge that connects the campsite to the mainland. When one of the campers turns up dead, Wes and Linnea discover that the camp abuts an abandoned mine with a tragic history. With a masked killer on the loose and bodies piling up, Wes and Linnea attempt to keep their peers alive, aided by their Native American camp counselor, who has little to do beyond offer sage wisdom to the white teens. Despite the danger, the couple still find time for tender sex scenes that will gratify romance readers, but the emotional moments are hampered by two-dimensional characterization. Still, this quick, genre-bending story will please New Adult romance fans. (Apr.)


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