Twisted Sister

Some time ago, I mentioned that I was about to embark on one of the darkest Test of Mettle stories to date, titled "Twisted Sister." As it happens, I just finished the 17th page of this sinister story.

And, yes, it is DARK!

I am envisioning every detail as I write, holding my breath during certain parts, and listening intently at the household solitude that has me enveloped into a sense of false security.

I admit that I am not rattled; that has happened only twice and both times occurred while writing "A Horror in Amityville," which appeared in "Cataclysm", the first novel in the 11:34 series.

No, it is not fear. It is, at its core, the foreboding, ominous bleakness of the new story. I mean, holy shit, this is a rollercoaster ride into Hell with all the loops and jounces and puking, screaming patrons.

Want to know more? Okay, don't say I didn't warn you!

A woman located in eastern Europe has been held captive in a stonewalled basement with only a fortified steel door, a bed, and a shower for company. Freya has no idea how many birthdays she missed. She can't recall what the sun and sky and stars look like. Imprisonment pales in comparison when you find yourself forced into devious acts and occasional physical abuse.

Could it possibly get any worse?

At 11:34, Pythius, the Prince of Despair and ruler of the Eighth Circle of Hell, pays Freya a visit, and it does, indeed, get a whole lot worse.