Snow Dragon: Episode IV

A 10-part horror serial

A mythical monster has awakened beneath Deer Falls following an earthquake. Can the Duggan family destroy this vicious and lethal predator before it drives the sleepy Colorado town to extinction? 

Snow Dragon is a prequel to Pandora Reborn — my debut horror novel released in 2018. All 10 episodes of this horror novella are available exclusively to paid subscribers of my Strange New Worlds newsletter or patrons of my Patreon page.

Check back each Sunday for the latest episode through the end of September.

I | II | III | IV | V |VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | Epilogue

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Marie gnawed on her bottom lip and her eyes widened while Casey rambled on about his close encounter with a monster. Sure, her son had a penchant for spreading urban legends around school — insisting the events and people in the legends were real. He shared her undying love of folklore and campfire stories.

But this latest tale hit differently than the others.

It began with his arrival home and a slammed door drawing her attention to the living room. Marie emerged from a small upstairs bedroom she converted into a recording studio and found Casey slumped on the floor with his back pressed against the door. Heavy breaths escaped his trembling lips. Both hands gripped his kneecaps.

“What in God’s name is going on down here?”

Casey’s frantic rapid-fire story burst out of him like a cascading waterfall striking a plunge pool. Words both sincere and haunting. She cast her eyes at the front window. Their curtains were drawn back. Nothing unusual caught her gaze. Same old snow-encrusted lawn and bare cement driveway.

Seeing a quiet and boring sameness outside their front window didn’t calm her fears. Did whatever Casey encounter on Old Mill Road follow her baby boy all the way home? Marie’s instincts urged her to take Casey and hide inside a closet or some other place that felt safe. But she had to stay strong. For her son.

“You sure you’re okay?”

She knelt beside Casey and let her eyes trail from his face to his hands, searching for signs of injuries. He paused, pinched his eyes shut, and answered Marie with repeated vigorous nods.

“Yeah. A little rattled.” Casey opened his eyes again. “I thought for sure I couldn’t outrun it.”

Marie beckoned for him to draw closer. He scooted away from the door and, at once, she wrapped her arms around her son in a firm embrace.

“I’m happy you’re safe with me.”

She pulled back and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. Casey offered up a strained smile. Worry still swam laps through his blue eyes. She hoped her own anxiety wasn’t transparent.