Bloodstone (32 page)

A cool breeze blew in across the pines, bringing their fresh clean scent. A squirrel began to chatter in the trees, angry at whatever had interrupted its daily routine; after a few moments, it ran farther up the trunk and then jumped to another, moving steadily away, and before long she couldn’t hear it anymore.

“Billy,” she said softly. “This is a good spot, isn’t it? The one you would have wanted?”

She waited, feeling a few hot tears work their way out and burn her cheeks. But no answer came. She thought she felt him there, or maybe it was just the wind and the smell of the pines and the way the ground felt against her knees. Maybe it was just the feeling of a good clean spring morning.

She thought of him every day, and every day it seemed he got just a little farther away from her. At first she had tried to hang on, tried so hard, and then she realized that it wasn’t what he would have wanted. He would have wanted her to live her life and make it a special one.
Remember the past
,
she could almost hear him saying,
learn from it, but don’t
live in it. There’s a difference
. She understood his strength, his sacrifice, that by taking that final secret to the grave with him, he had spared her an unnecessary agony.
He is stronger
than he thinks
, Annie had said, and she was right. He had given her her life back. She remembered a question he had asked her;
Do you believe in goodness?
She had thought on that one quite a bit lately, and wondered if perhaps it didn’t rest within each and every human soul, in small sacrifices and small events.

Harry was still visiting her every day, and was helping her find a job in Portland. He was a good man, kind and attentive, and she thought eventually he might ask her to dinner, and eventually she might even accept. But that was a long way from now. Right now even thinking about it made her feel like a traitor.

Billy
, she thought.
I miss you so much. It’s so hard
.

She stayed there for a while, and finally the squirrel came back. It sat in a tree above her head and chattered at her, and she decided that she was being asked to leave. Her time was up. It wasn’t really a place for humans, after all.

As she started down the trail she looked back, and for a moment she could see Billy standing there. He looked the way he had looked in her dream, smiling gently, hand raised in greeting. Or perhaps it was farewell.

Then he was gone, and she made her way back down the trail to her car, tired but no longer quite so empty.

She was healing.

I would like to thank, first and foremost, my lovely wife Nicole—my rock, my editor, my cheerleader, and my best friend; our wonderful children, Emily, Harrison, and Abbey; and the rest of my extended family, who have always been there for me. Browns, Beales, Bowmans, Kenyons, Clancys. Without them this book would not exist. I’d like to thank Ed Gorman, who passed this manuscript along to its final resting place and who offered a struggling writer words of encouragement more valuable than he’ll ever know. And big thanks to editor Don D’Auria at Dorchester Publishing, who is responsible for the edition you hold in your hands.

Finally, I’d like to thank all those who read early versions of the manuscript and offered words of advice and encouragement. All errors or stretches of truth (such as the old Thomaston Prison, left operational through artistic license) are my own.

HIGH PRAISE FOR
NATE KENYON’S
BLOODSTONE
:

“Stephen King’s influence is apparent in Kenyon’s debut spooker…an impressive panoramic sweep that shows the horrors manifesting subtly and insidiously through the experiences of a large cast of characters.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Crisp prose and straightforward storytelling make Bloodstone a must-read!”

—Brian Keene, Bram Stoker
Award–Winning Author of
Dark Hollow

“A dark, disturbing, white-knuckler of a page-turner!”

—Douglas Clegg, Bram Stoker and Horror Guild
Award–Winning Author of
The Priest of Blood

“
Bloodstone
is a stunning debut. The writing is smooth and refined, the imagery striking and vivid, and Kenyon proves adept at involving the reader and dragging him or her along for a very dark, very disturbing ride.”

—Tim Lebbon, Bram Stoker and British Fantasy
Award–Winning Author of
Face

“Reminiscent of ’
Salem’s Lot, Bloodstone
is a terrifying horror novel that is action oriented yet doesn’t neglect the development of the characters that come across as believable to the audience.…This is the kind of horror novel that will make readers want to sleep with all the lights in the neighborhood shining brightly.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Tense and entertaining, this is one of the strongest debut novels to come along in years. Highly recommended.”

—
Cemetery Dance

MORE PRAISE FOR
BLOODSTONE
:

“
Bloodstone
by Nate Kenyon gives the state of Maine another reason to fear the dark. Atmospheric, creepy and fun,
Bloodstone
delivers the spooky goods!”

—Jonathan Maberry,
Award–Winning Author of
Ghost Road Blues

“Kenyon’s debut evokes an atmosphere of small-town claustrophobia.…[A] tale of classic horror.”

—
Library Journal

“An enviable first novel.…Vivid references to guilt, penance, and redemption, duty, and familial obligations, all grant the narrative an additional moral layer of meaning.…A striking, atmospheric [read] that’s just perfect for those who prefer their horror cerebral rather than graphic.”

—
Chizine

“[Kenyon’s] writing style is so clean, his confidence in his story so strong, and his overall narrative arc so compelling…Your time will most definitely not be wasted with [his] excellent debut!”

—Gary A. Braunbeck, Bram Stoker
Award–Winning Author of
Mr. Hands

“While it certainly reads as a horror novel, complete with a satisfyingly unexpected plot twist,
Bloodstone
is ultimately a story of love and redemption, giving the reader more to chew on than the average exercise in fright.”

—
Fangoria

“The characters are strange in this dark and disturbing book, and the voices guiding them are even stranger, but it fits together into a horrific tale…”

—
RT BOOKreviews
 

“Do yourself a favor and pick up Nate Kenyon’s
Bloodstone
.…[A] quality read!”

—Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker
Award–Winning Author of
The Turtle Boy