If you are a writer, have you ever wondered what it would be like to get revenge on that evil editor or publisher who sent you all those rejection letters? In this story, the Worst Horror Novel that is exactly what happens. When his book reviewer wife, Marilyn, divorces him and marries another man, she takes almost everything Edward Torrance has. He is a successful author, on top of the world in the publishing industry until Marilyn gives him bad reviews in an insane effort to destroy him. Almost insane himself from the pain and the loss of his marriage, Edward decides to write a new novel and use Marilyn as the main subject. He captures her and subjects her to terrible tortures until he discovers that there is more to her new husband than he bargained for. In an effort to collect as much material for his book as he can, he sets out to find out more about her husband. What he discovers is more horrible than anything he could have imagined.
Edward Torrance is a successful horror writer, rich and famous, until his wife, Mar-ilyn—a writer and book critic for a national magazine—turns the tide by giving him bad reviews and then divorces him taking more than her fair share of his riches. Driven almost insane, Edward decides that she can be more useful to him as his servant, a mindless zombie who can get him the good reviews he needs. Married to Alex Petrie—a cop and a man with an interest in the dark side of humanity, mainly bondage and suf-fering—Marilyn likes the excitement Petrie offers her. Edward captures her and takes her to his dungeon he has hastily construct-ed in his remote cabin. There, he tortures her hoping to drive her insane. His plan to terrorize her and then capture her husband, Alex Petrie gets out of hand when he decides to remove a tattoo from her rear and put it on her face. The amateurish oper-ation leaves Marilyn crippled and almost dead. Edward decides to use Marilyn in a new novel he will call the World’s Worst Horror Novel. Unaware that she is near death, he leaves her at the cabin and plans a vendetta against her husband.
Edward follows Alex Petrie as he dines with Karen Meeker, a waitress at a local restaurant. She has latched onto Alex because she feels he can provide her with a new life and money. Alex has inducted her into his mad world of pain and pleasure. Karen hates the way he treats her, like a slave, but decides that she can sue him for what he has done to her. Edward follows them when Alex takes her to his cabin in the woods where he has a dungeon any domin-ant mistress would be proud of. While Alex tortures Karen, Edward sneaks into the cabin. A confrontation ensues between Ed-ward and Alex after Alex has almost mutilated Karen. Edward discovers that Alex is not human, as he becomes some-thing akin to a giant bat, with hairless wings. Alex taunts Edward and tells him that he will kill him, eventually. Then Alex disappears. Edward kills Karen to end her misery.
Excerpt
Edward drove down Jackson Street looking for The Chicken House Restaurant. This street was not unfamiliar to him. He’d been watching the restaurant for several months now. Fate had played into his hands when he found out that a pretty little petite girl he was interested in was having an affair with his mortal enemy, Alex Petrie. Petrie had a routine that was normal with cheating men who didn’t appreciate the beautiful women they had at home. Alex had taken Marilyn away from him, left him lonely and destitute. Now, he was chasing women right and left. He must pay for his abusive nature and Edward would see to it that he was properly introduced to Hell and the Devil. He had taken Marilyn and now he had the nerve to take Karen Meeker too. However, Petrie was unaware that Edward had an interest in Karen Meeker, unless Karen had told him about the encounter she’d had with Edward. Edward seriously doubted if Karen was that stupid.
Life was a roadmap of twists and turns that sometimes led the unwary back into a circular path. Sometimes justice got cheated and sometimes, it didn’t. Edward had met Karen at the restaurant when she served him one night while Marilyn was away at one of her book fairs. He liked her instantly and struck up a conversation with her. His enthusiasm compelled him to ask her out to dinner. She had kindly refused explaining that she was too busy working and taking care of her brothers and sisters. Edward knew instantly that she liked him and that she was just stalling as women sometimes did. Eventually, she would say yes. Edward was so convinced that he was on a winning mission he dined at the restaurant every Friday night. Hope ran high that she would bend to his will and let him take her out. Then, one night a couple of weeks ago he became aware of the reason for her aloofness. Learning that she walked four blocks home after working hard all night, he decided that he would wait for her in the parking lot pretending he was just getting ready to leave, and when she came out on her way home he would offer to give her a lift. He made sure she saw him leave about a quarter till eleven then he went out to his car and let the engine warm while he watched for her. Soon she came out and his pulse quickened. His stomach queasy, he waited anticipating that she would walk toward his car on her way to the driveway that led out to the street. Instead, she seemed to be standing in front of the restaurant entrance watching the street for someone. Did she have a ride, or maybe a date? His heart sunk when a car came slowly down the street. Eager to see what happened next, he hunkered down behind the steering wheel watching every move she made. What happened next had shocked him so much he couldn’t sleep for days.
Pray for the light. Pray that you last that long. The Long Hour Before Light is a classic collection of Horror tales, re-mastered by Champagne Book Group
