Excerpt!
Drea
The closer I get to the double doors leading into the gym, the more I realize there isn’t the usual warm-up music emanating from within. I actually don’t hear any noise coming from inside at all. It’s deathly quiet. No sneakers squeaking on the court, no cheering, no rustling of pom poms. Nothing. Just silence. I peek inside. The lights are lower than usual, but still on, like they’re on reserve or something. I’ve been in this building many times, but in this dim light it almost feels foreign … creepy even. I open the door wider and take a step inside.
“Hello?” I ask into the vast emptiness of the space.
No response.
The sound my shoes decide to make as I cross the court is unpleasant, to say the least. The bleachers are still all pulled out and the basketball goals aren’t tucked up. A door opens and closes in the vicinity, but I still don’t see anyone.
“Hello? Is someone there?” I ask again, and I’m met with the same response as before.
Nothing.
An uneasy prickling grows under my skin while I scan the area, hoping to see someone pop out from anywhere just so I’m not alone. The feeling of being watched slithers in. Goosebumps sprout on my arms and legs before spreading across my entire body.
A noise resonates from the bleachers to my right. My neck twists to the side and focuses on them. One by one, each bay of bleachers begins retracting against the wall. I jump back.
“All right, this isn’t funny at all. Who’s there?” I demand.
My sudden surge of confidence diminishes when I again receive no answer. The severe sound the bleachers make as they crash against the back wall makes me flinch time and time again, all in rapid succession, booming throughout the entire gym.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
My heartbeat quickens. I try to move, but my feet are stuck in place. I’m almost entranced by the motion of the bleachers. My eyes can’t help but follow each set as they collapse back.
The left side begins retracting and my focus switches to them. My fight or flight instinct kicks in, finally freeing my limbs to move. I take a step back and am brought to a sudden stop by what feels like a wall. A human wall. A scream is ripped from me as I twirl around.
Bad things never happen in the picturesque town of Haddon Falls … until now.
It all starts with a killer party.
It will end with a savage crime spree.
Seniors Donovan Walsh and Drea Sullivan attend a high school party for very different reasons. But after discovering the body of one of their classmates, they find themselves thrust into the same waking nightmare. From that moment, their lives become intertwined in a search for answers to questions they never should have asked.
As bodies pile high, the unlikely pair dig into Haddon Falls’ past and uncover secrets someone would kill to keep hidden. In a small town where every face is friendly and every door unlocked, Donovan and Drea must unravel who is an ally … and who is willing to bury them-and the truth-six feet under.
Author bio:
T.A. Kunz is the pen name for Adam Kunz, who lives in Orlando, Florida. And unfortunately a lot of the rumors you've heard about his state are true. When he's not writing, Adam spends his time reading, playing video games, watching anime and Korean dramas, and spending time with his partner while cuddling with their two dogs, Nicky and Rusty. Since childhood, he's had a great fondness for reading and writing. His fiction genres of choice are eclectic, but mainly are in the YA, MG, and NA categories. So, it was no surprise when he decided to write his own books that he'd be a grab bag kind of author in terms of story ideas. And he just loves mashing up genres. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Adam advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. He may or may not have a coffee addiction, the jury's still out on that one. And his hands-down favorite holiday is Halloween, which holds a very special place in Adam's heart.
