Chapter One
Only one bubble lingered; the others had come out in rapid succession, rising to the surface only to break into nothingness. But one lingered, just inside her tiny nostril. Jeremy looked at it curiously and wondered why it did not release itself and float to the top like the others. He gazed at the bubble a little longer, then at her angelic face. It was only under a foot of water, so it wasn’t distorted at all, and even her blonde hair served only to frame her face as it floated and drifted in the pool. In the background, carnival music played through loudspeakers...
In the quiet southern town of High Cotton, peace shatters overnight as a string of brutal, inexplicable murders grips the community in fear. The only link between the crimes? A shadowy, black dog that seems to appear before each killing—an animal with an eerie presence and powers that defy explanation. Whispers of the occult begin to stir.
Police Chief William Garrison moved to High Cotton hoping for a quiet post and a slow slide into retirement. Instead, he finds himself plunged into the darkest case of his career—one that challenges everything he knows about justice, reason, and evil. As the body count rises and the black dog continues its haunting trail, a mysterious stranger arrives in town with his own secrets... and a mission to find the creature.
Skeptical of anything beyond the natural, Garrison must confront the impossible as his investigation uncovers a malevolence that feels not just otherworldly—but satanic. What begins as a hunt for a killer soon becomes a battle for the soul of the town... and maybe his own.
Only one bubble lingered; the others had come out in rapid succession, rising to the surface only to break into nothingness. But one lingered, just inside her tiny nostril. Jeremy looked at it curiously and wondered why it did not release itself and float to the top like the others. He gazed at the bubble a little longer, then at her angelic face. It was only under a foot of water, so it wasn’t distorted at all, and even her blonde hair served only to frame her face as it floated and drifted in the pool. In the background, carnival music played through loudspeakers...
In the quiet southern town of High Cotton, peace shatters overnight as a string of brutal, inexplicable murders grips the community in fear. The only link between the crimes? A shadowy, black dog that seems to appear before each killing—an animal with an eerie presence and powers that defy explanation. Whispers of the occult begin to stir.
Police Chief William Garrison moved to High Cotton hoping for a quiet post and a slow slide into retirement. Instead, he finds himself plunged into the darkest case of his career—one that challenges everything he knows about justice, reason, and evil. As the body count rises and the black dog continues its haunting trail, a mysterious stranger arrives in town with his own secrets... and a mission to find the creature.
Skeptical of anything beyond the natural, Garrison must confront the impossible as his investigation uncovers a malevolence that feels not just otherworldly—but satanic. What begins as a hunt for a killer soon becomes a battle for the soul of the town... and maybe his own.
A New Suspenseful Horror Novel
The Stray
Cover Design by : Jessica Homan
© Copyright 2018,
Gary M. Roberts. All Rights Reserved
Gary M. Roberts. All Rights Reserved
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Gary M. Roberts ~ Author of Gripping Historical Tales You Can’t Put Down
