Sarah Adamson, new name, fresh start, and a second chance at life.
Leaving behind her horrifying past, or so she had hoped.
But when people start being slaughtered in a psychotic manner, as well as Sarah having incredibly vivid nightmares, she fears the worst.
The man that was killed is back for vengeance, and even death won’t stop him now.
But ghosts can’t harm you, can they?
Megan, also has a disturbing past, after several years of uninterrupted bliss, she is confident that her troubles are gone.
Then she comes home to an uninvited, but familiar face, one she prayed she would never see again.
Darkness never forgets, it waits.
Targeted Age Group:: 17-27
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
My favourite Author Richard Laymon.
I also felt there was a story to be told, an awareness to be raised about the true horrors of domestic violence, not just the fictional horrors that I weave into the plots.
Finally, it was done as a tribute to a friend who unfortunately endured abuse from her partner, and to honor her bravery for leaving him and tell her friends the real reason.
http://thedarknesswaits.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-darkness-waits-book-trailer.html
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
Characters are inspired by real people I have in my life, as well as research I have done.
Such as sitting in a coffee shop writing, and observing someone who I think would make an excellent killer, or protagonist.
But some antagonists in my novel are far too sick to be found lurking in a coffee shop or restaurant, one would hope.
Book Sample
Sarah lay on the black leather reclining chair listening to the low, husky voice of the psychiatrist.
She wore a white cashmere jumper with a scoop neck, light denim jeans, and a pair of white shoes. Her dark hair swayed down over the back of the chair and gently billowed from left to right as a light breeze sneaked in from the office window. Sarah could feel heat from the window being intensified by the glass and projected onto her face. The heat reminded her of relaxing on a sun bed, the warmth enveloping her as if she was glowing. Her concentration now blurred back to Dr Williams’ voice.
“Block all sound out, all distractions, all thoughts and concentrate on the dream. How did you feel? What did you see? How did it start, and end? Focus on the back of your mind and memories from the dream will come.”
Sarah’s mind slowly hummed to the sound of the newton’s cradle that was on the doctor’s desk. She could hear the three balls; the one on the right in mid-air falling back to the centre, hitting the middle ball and causing the left ball to swing. She vaguely remembered the doctor explaining how it all worked, how it was called waves. How the balls are a simulation of the ripple effect that you create, when throwing a pebble into a pond, only this is an extended version. This thought made her very sleepy and in a matter of seconds she felt herself drift away from reality and into her sub-conscious life.
The upstairs hallway light flickered on and off. The curtains in the middle of the hallway swayed due to the huge open window. The harsh breeze caused the hairs on Sarah’s flesh to stand up, pointed out of her skin like a hedgehog sensing danger. She reached out to the hallway window and pulled the heavy glass panel inwards and sealed it shut. Shortly after the window had been closed, the lights went out and for a series of seconds all that could be seen was the moonlight coming in from the hallway window. But then as she turned towards the stairs she noticed a strange looking glow coming from downstairs to the left. She began to descend the stairs step by step, but this was difficult. It felt as if there was an unknown force preventing her from moving, as if she was surrounded by water, having to push her way through the liquid current and down the stairs. The banister became not a way to hold her balance but a way in which she could pull herself down. The journey seemed to last a lifetime and by the time she had reached the bottom step her chest felt tight and restraining.
Turning left at the bottom of the stairs she pushed open the living room door which creaked heavily, sounding somewhat like the cackle of a witch. She walked past the bay window and the black marble fireplace, which was framed with several photographs, straight towards the back of the room. The glow was coming from an unseen object hiding behind the sofa. Drifting closer and closer Sarah reached the sofa and knelt onto it. The leather cooled her knees as she leaned over the back of the sofa to find the light source. To her surprise the light was simply the moon shining through the patio window and creating a circle of bright white light, similar to a white one dimensional globe resting on the carpet.
Slightly disappointed she lifted her gaze from the light and stared out into the garden through the patio windows. Looking at the freshly mowed lawn, and the many flower arrangements, she realised it looked like a collage of colours and shapes. The fence surrounding the garden began to sway, they were very tall and pointed which reminded her of scarecrows rocking on a tall wooden stick in a huge cornfield. Her gaze then moved to her own reflection, at her naked body partly concealed by the sofa. Her pale, but attractive face, her long, dark hair full of life, her petite shoulders slick with sweat, and her small, rounded breasts hanging like two coconuts to her chest.
Sarah noticed something above her left shoulder, a dark layer of fur which rubbed her shoulder. The fur began to rise until she realized it was a head, the head of her ex-husband. The evil eyes stared at her through the patio reflection and his smile widened as he bit down into her skin. The teeth felt like mini-knives piercing her flesh, she could feel blood pour down her back as he continued to gnaw the flesh like a blood thirsty vampire.
Minutes later he released his grip and threw her onto the sofa and jumped on her, placing a hand over her mouth and sliding his fingers inside the cleft between her legs. Sarah tried to scream but it was muffled by the sound of his palm. The sofa’s texture then changed to a very moist and sloppy consistency. It began to consume her, swallowing her like sinking sand, sucking at her flesh, pulling her down as he pushed her further and further into the muddy mass. He released his hold and Sarah began to howl like a relentless banshee!
“Sarah, Sarah” Doctor Williams clicked his fingers “And your back.”
Doctor Williams watched the life return to her body as her eyes opened wide with fear. He handed her a glass of water, she sipped at it, and inhaled deeply. Her hands were trembling and her skin was as pale as snow.
“How are you feeling?” Dr Williams said quietly.
“It was him” Sarah said with fear still in her eyes and quivering lips.
“Your ex-husband?”
“Yes.”
“It is not at all surprising that he would haunt your dreams given the circumstances.”
“Why can’t I just move on, and get over this?”
“You were married to him for years, then badly abused, it’s going to take time and work, but you are getting better”
“Are you sure? It doesn’t feel that way”
“Your problem is; that you are focusing on the results too much and achieving them too quickly. This is a long process, and in a few months you will see a real improvement, just like I can now; you just need to believe in yourself and stay strong.”
Sarah ran her fingers through her hair and sighed loudly.
“Is your sleep affected because of these dreams?” Dr Williams inquired.
“Yes.”
“How often are the dreams?”
“I would say two to three times per week.”
“SEE! Already there is an improvement in the number of dreams, when you first came to me you were having them every night PLUS day dreams.”
“I know but…”
“Just be patient, you have only been coming to me once a week for a few short months, that is not a lot of time, but in that time I would say you’re making remarkable progress.”
A smile gleamed from Doctor William’s face. He was a very attractive man, which at times was very distracting for Sarah. His full lips, bright eyes, beautiful blonde hair, his muscular body bursting through the professional attire which he often wore; such as shirts, jumpers and cardigans. She craved a night with him, just to kiss, to touch, to feel. She had tried several times to have casual sex with men she had met in bars, but she couldn’t let go. Every time a man touched her she was reminded of Clyde and she felt sick and angry. A part of her still felt married to Clyde, as if her body was still his property and every other man was forbidden from touching it. As if he still dominated her every move and decision, as he had in the past. She had never hated anyone so much in her life, and to think at one point she loved him so much; loved his touch, his voice, his smile, but then he changed and became a monster. A beep sounded from Dr William’s watch.
“Sorry Sarah our times up” he said with a deep meaningful look in his eyes.
“It’s okay, I better get going to work now” she smiled.
“Same time next week?”
“Yeah, if I last that long.”
“Don’t be silly” he said, and quickly embraced, then released her.
“You know I am here for you any time, always remember that.”
“Thank you so much.”
Sarah walked out of the office building and headed for her car. The conversation of people passing by flooded her thoughts. The mixture of high pitched and low, fast conversation and slow; with the addition of seagulls squawking, hovering over and around her high in the light blue sky. The sun’s shine was even more intense out in the open. An explosion of smells filled her senses; the sweet smell of ice cream, the bitter sweet salty taste of the sea, the overpowering scent of sun lotion, various foods as Sarah passed pubs and restaurants, and the sickly smell of confectioneries such as rock and candy floss. This was all new to her, before Brighton, she had lived in York with her ex-husband for years, a posh, well maintained, historical place of living. Brighton was so open, free, refreshing and uninhibited. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so alive. Despite being haunted by her dreams, just walking around Brighton she could feel stress and worry melt away and peace just wash over her. Around ten minutes later the shine of a red Mini Cooper caught her eye in the car park. She made her way through the gravel and opened the car door. As soon as her rump hit the leather seat heat seemed to suffocate her like a deep, thick mist which consumed the car. Before setting off she rolled down both windows to let some air into the car, then she drove on her way to work.
Miss Adamson got out of her car and gently closed the door. The wind rushed to her face and flung her hair up and for a moment it looked as if she had been electrocuted. Electrical pulses sparking within her hairs, jolting them outwards and up. Until gravity took hold and brought them down to earth.
“She’s here” shouted a young boy from an upstairs classroom window.
“She is well fit” said another boy.
Just about all the boys in the class rushed to the window as their teacher had nipped out of the room to go photocopy the page of the textbook they had to complete for their homework. The children were supposed to be getting a head start on their homework. However, staring at Miss Adamson seemed far more important to a bunch of hormonal time bombs.
Her white shoes clicked on the concrete as she walked towards the reception entrance. The automatic doors parted sideways as she walked through.
“Morning Miss Adamson” Greeted the receptionist.
Even though the receptionist and Sarah had become very close since she had started working at the school, for the sake of children and other faculty members they remained professional and kept up such formalities as no gossiping; just polite small talk during school hours.
“Morning, how are you doing?” Sarah replied speaking very quietly.
“I’m okay, my mum is a lot better now, and will be out of hospital soon according to the doctors.”
“Oh that’s wonderful news!” Sarah gleamed “This deserves a treat, how about you come round to mine tonight for some wine and a nice meal? De-stress a little.”
“Aww that sound’s lovely, count me in.”
“Okay then, say around six?”
“I’ll see you then.”
“Calm down” said a red haired woman whilst walking her dog, or more specifically being pulled by it.
The woman and her dog slowly strolled through a large park, past a children’s playground where kids could be seen falling down slides, climbing on wooden frames, and giggling as their parents pushed them on swings.
An older child was on one of the swings trying to motion it higher and higher with every thrust of his legs. He leaned back to get as much power as possible then would pop out his legs. After a few very exhausting body heaves he flung himself from the swing and glided through the air quite gracefully, which shocked Sharon given the awkward grunting and lunging of his movements. After several moments gravity pulled him down to a black rubber floor which his red converse struck, along with his knees. Then eventually his palms slapped the ground. After a quick dust off of his hands and knees, he ran towards a climbing frame. He leapt up and with both hands and grabbed a metal bar.
Good god, Sharon thought, and he’s not even had any coffee!
Sharon could barely remember the days where no coffee or caffeine heavy beverages were needed in order to get that much energy.
She had two children and she often felt that raising them had flashed by in a second. Both were very young, but the years from them being babies up to young boys had gone by so fast that every now and again she stopped to take in her surroundings; not wanting any more misplaced time to pass.
Sharon reached the end of the park where there was a small pathway surrounded by bushes, which she often used as a short cut to her home. But today she was going to drop by and visit her niece, especially since her niece had recently moved back to her home town after years of living away.
It was so strange how technically Sarah was her sister-in-law, but Sarah referred to her as ‘Auntie Sharon’ and Sharon felt of Sarah as not her sister-in-law, but her niece. Sharon loved their very ‘special’ family ways. Her niece had bought a very nice three bedroomed house, which struck Sharon as odd due to the fact she lived alone. However she was a very successful young woman who had a weakness for nice, large houses. She had conveniently moved very close to her parents, and Sharon herself, which pleased Sharon a great deal as now they could re-bond, and begin to re-establish the friendship they once had before she moved away.
Walking past several suburban, picturesque homes she began to see her niece’s home in the distance, and within minutes only a few houses remained between her and the house. The homes on either side of the road were all different, exquisite, unique houses. Some were large with small gardens, others small with large gardens. A house that was two before Sarah’s house even had two lions on the driveway holding up a magnificent large black gate that led to a huge driveway, and a lovely modern home built with sandy coloured bricks.
The force of the dog’s pull increased as they reached her niece’s driveway and began walking up it. No car was there, but from the light that burst into the dining room at the front of the house on the left, Sharon knew someone was home. She knocked on the front door several times, and after waiting a few minutes and getting no reply decided to try going round the back of the house.
Upon reaching the back door Sharon was surprised to discover that the window of the double glazed door had been smashed and the door was wide open.
BURGULAR! Panic ruptured in Sharon’s body.
She knew she should call the police and walk away, but if her niece was inside, and hurt, Sharon would never forgive herself.
“Sarah” Sharon shouted, walking through the threshold and stepping onto the glass as it crunched beneath her trainers.
“Sarah, it’s Sharon” she shouted, but louder this time.
What the hell is going on, she wondered.
Then she heard a loud thump coming from above, then the sound of steps heavily and quickly descending the staircase, heading straight for Sharon.
Panic penetrated through her whole body and even though she knew she should run, her body froze; preventing any movement. Several extremely tense minutes passed and nobody burst through the door, and no other sounds were heard. It was as if whoever ran down the stairs just disappeared on the bottom step, and vanished into thin air. Feeling more calm and collected, and slightly brave; Sharon began walking towards the dining room door. She suddenly realised she was no longer holding the leash for the dog and it stood at the back door behind a pile of smashed glass, presumably afraid to walk through it.
On her way to the door she passed a large wooden dining room table with a flower vase neatly placed in the centre with an array of brightly coloured flowers bursting through the tip of the vase. Roses, orchids, daffodils, and other vibrant flowers creating a rainbow of hues and colours. Such a random selection of flowers, she thought.
She gently pulled the flowers out of the vase and placed them on the table, then lifted the vase and continued to approach the door. She tipped the small amount of water that remained at the bottom of the vase onto the floor and tipped it upside down; preparing to use it as a weapon if need be.
Clutching the door knob with her left hand and holding the vase in the right, she flung open the door and took a step back. There was nothing, no one. An empty space stood before her at the bottom of the stairs. closed front door to her right, and an open door that led to the living room directly in front.
Walking slowly and cautiously she headed for the living room door and turned left looking up the stairs as she did. Nothing unusual could be seen on the stairs or at the top of the stairway.
Just as Sharon was walking through the door frame to the living room she heard her dog yelp and then another unnervingly loud thud.
She paced back through the landing, opening the dining room door and rushing up to the dog.
Alfie, her black Labrador was laid on his side in the pile of glass.
“Oh god” Sharon muttered, the sight was almost more than she could handle, clutching at her heart and creating the desire to burst into tears.
As she slowly crouched down towards the dog to examine the extent of Alfie’s injuries, she dropped the vase only centimetres from the floor and began to stroke his head.
The sight was horrific, several shards of glass appeared to be wedged into his fur very deep, with blood pouring from each wound.
The sight of this hurt her, she never saw Alfie as just a dog, but a part of her family. From being several weeks old she had cared for him, along with her husband and two children. Alfie was certainly more than a dog to her. The Shards of glass lodged on his body made Sharon want to give in and break down into a teary salt water explosion. But she was a strong woman, if life had taught her anything it was that! So she contained her impulses, braced her emotions, then stood up and tried to think rationally.
How on earth did he manage to do this? She thought.
Alfie began to yelp in pain as he tried to move.
“Shhh, stay still Alfie, stay still.”
Reaching into her jacket pocket she pulled out a black mobile phone and began to dial a number.
“Yes hello, I would like to report a burglary, and also my dog is seriously injured could you send some help? Thank you very much.”
Sharon took a deep breath as she put the phone down and back into her pocket.
Sarah’s hand clutched the steering wheel as she sped out of the school car park. There was the sound of gravel grinding against the wheels and smoke rising into the air like a small tornado. Her heart hammered in her chest and made a pulse pound the inside of her head.
Thoughts were rushing through her mind, the police had barely said anything about if her aunt was okay, Sarah’s house, or Alfie’s condition.
It slightly annoyed her how little they said on the phone, just saying ‘you need to come home Miss Adamson, your aunt and her dog came to visit you and discovered a break in.’
That was pretty much all they had said, she thought.
The heat was driving Sarah crazy, the car was already stifling, not to mention her own body heat rapidly increasing due to the stressful situation.
She remembered feeling very similar to this when she was about to tell Clyde that she wanted to separate.
It was two years ago, but in some ways it felt like another lifetime, and in others it felt like it was just yesterday.
The panic spiralled through my body leaving me short of breath, the mixture of being anxious to get it over with, and also wanting to avoid the situation entirely.
I was also consumed with a sense of failure, the marriage had started out like a dream, a true fairy-tale story of boy meets girl, boy marries girl and they live happily ever after. But reality soon came crashing down when Clyde started abusing drugs, and then eventually started hitting me.
It was a gradual progression of raising his voice, shouting, the occasional nudge, then soft blow, the full forced punch, and before I knew what was happening I was crouched down on the floor being repeatedly kicked and punched by the man I loved.
There were so many memories I wish I could forget. Memories that will no doubt be stuck with me forever; memories such as being thrown down the stairs, beaten for hours in our bedroom, being struck with pieces of furniture such as a chair leg, or kitchen appliances such as a toaster or kettle.
One thing I remembered thinking several times a day was, why? Why would he hit me if he loves me? Why would I allow it? Why would I not leave? How did this happen? What did I do to deserve this? Some days these questions filled my mind so much, that it was hard to focus on anything else, from teaching work, to making a cup of coffee.
I was trapped, petrified, stuck in a helpless situation.
People often asked me afterwards when it all came out, why did I not tell anyone?
It sounds ridiculous, but a part of it was embarrassment. I was so weak and did nothing to prevent or stop this. Some hours I would let him hit me as I knew that he got some sort of sick pleasure out of it, a way to vent if you will.
Another part was fear; that if I told anyone he would hurt them, and hurt me even more than he already had.
Further-more, he made me feel like I deserved his. That I was worth nothing, and deserved every punch and kick he gave.
But the final most crucial reason I did not tell anyone at the time, was that deep down, I still loved him. As strange as it appeared to some, even though every day when I came home from teaching at a nearby school I knew what fate had in store for me, that was how I felt.
Nobody would understand, not my family, friends, or the few close work friends I had.
But you can’t. You can’t understand until you’re in that situation, feel those emotions, and feel truly trapped; physically, emotionally and mentally.
When I announced that I was leaving him and wanted a divorce, the full wrath, of which I had never seen or felt before, rained down on me. The blows were so hard and felt so excruciatingly painful I seriously thought that I was going to die. I thought ‘this is it, my time is up’ but as luck would have it, I somehow managed to survive.
I left it a couple of days before I ran away. I came home from work early, packed my suitcase and drove to my real home, my parent’s home. Where, I felt safe, loved and protected. A place where my safety was guaranteed and I wouldn’t constantly have to explain away cuts and bruises. I have never looked back since. Due to the extreme circumstances, the court granted me a divorce so I could move on with my life, as soon as it became official, when my surname changed from Forrester to Adamson; a surname concocted to keep him from finding me, I tried my best to start my new life.
So far it was going well; work, friends, and reconnecting with family. I do want romance, but I think maybe it would be better for both of us; whoever the man may end up being, if I recovered fully before seeking a relationship.
I do not know where Clyde is, but I do know he will not find me. He has never visited any of my family back in Brighton, and the house I live in now is new. I just hope he doesn’t come looking in Brighton, assuming I would have gone to my home town.
The police seem very positive that he will simply be keeping himself to himself, after all it had been two years since I announced I wanted to leave him. Hopefully that was enough time for him to deal with it and move on, however he chooses.
Sarah’s mind soon blurred back to reality as she saw a red traffic light in front of her and floored the break with her shoe.
Sweat rushed to the surface of her skin, attempting to intrude her pores.
Beeps from other cars and vehicles sounded loudly, and angrily.
Phew, she thought.
Just as she came to a complete stop a mother and a child began walking across the road. The child had an ice cream in one hand and was skipping along; dragging the woman with his other hand, who looked absolutely drained.
Sarah took a deep breath and ran both hands through her hair and noticed just how badly her hands were shaking.
Let’s try not to have such intense thoughts while driving again yeah, she thought to herself.
The traffic light then turned green and Sarah gently pushed the pedal and moved on with her life.
Author Bio:
Wesley Thomas, comes from a very creative background.
An actor who broke into the world of writing early in 2012. He is an up and coming writer, and in just over a year has added numerous writing achievements to his belt.
In 2012 he published Ebook ‘Secrets of Eriscove Lake’ courtesy of Amazon publishing, which to date has sold impressively in the UK and US, and received fantastic customer reviews.
Following this he has worked as a freelance writer for DoingSomething, an online dating website, where he wrote articles on several date ideas.
Since then he has begun writing for www.horrornovelreviews.com and after just one review was made an official contributor. Somewhat of a horror fanatic himself, he now regularly reviews horror novels and completes articles relevant to the genre, as well as film and television, working for website owner Matt Molgaard.
Several fans of his work now await his much anticipated collection of horror stories ‘Frightful Tales’ due to be released in 2014.
He has just recently released novel ‘The Darkness Waits’ which is already creating quite a hype!
Further more, he has also wrote his first play ‘Memory’ which tells the tale of an elderly woman called Rose living with Alzheimers, and the struggles that her family have to face.
He is also a regular blogger, he posts everything from links to his novel reviews for HNR, movie reviews, mind blowing short stories and even snippets of his current books, as well as his upcoming ones.
Links to Purchase eBooks
Link To Buy The Darkness Waits On Amazon
