T.A. Creech

Rich has lived in the North Carolinian wilderness for over two years, and while he's heard the stories, he never actually believed they were true. Even after witnessing it for himself, Rich still isn't sure he believes in what’s happening around him. He knows one thing for sure -- he's going to have to rescue the man he thinks is being sacrificed, no matter how much he hates violence.<br><br>The guy on the table is a honey-coated wet dream, and Rich isn’t sure what to do after saving him from what appears to be a cult in the middle of the forest. So much for the quiet life.

Carolina Burning

Rich leapt recklessly onto the table and hopped off, landing hard enough to rattle his legs, causing him to stumble for a heartbeat. Then he ran.


Loud shouts of outrage followed their retreat from the circle of light, and one of the crazies, armed with a wicked little dagger, took a wide swipe at him just as Rich reached the tree line. He jerked away as best as he could, but the knife still caught a piece of him, tearing a jagged line of agony along his forearm just as Rich burst into the concealing darkness of the forest.


He ran hard, ears keenly aware of the raving lunatics crashing through the forest for at least a mile before the echoes of them searching faded to silence. Rich stopped long enough to get his bearings with a quick glance at the mountain top, and then turned towards home at a much slower pace, wondering what the hell he was going to do with the burden weighing heavily in his arms.


Chapter 2