One of the 13 stories in A Friday the 13th Story #9: Hell’s Boardwalk by Robert Herold
Fun Fact:
The Jersey Devil, which figures prominently in Hell’s Boardwalk, has been a legendary figure in New Jersey folklore, going back to the 18th century. Stories vary, but one attributes the origin of the creature to a woman named Leeds, who had a dozen children. When pregnant with the thirteenth, she swore that the devil could take him. (You could at least understand her frustration!) It is said to have bat-like wings, cloven hooves, and makes a blood-curdling scream. Given this, the state’s NHL hockey team adopted the name The Jersey Devils.
About Hell’s Boardwalk:
An Atlantic City realtor is hunted by the Jersey Devil, a fiery demon from hell. Steven and Hu Metcalf, who battle the occult, are asked to help and travel across the country with their associates. In doing so, they also become targeted for death. Can they defeat the demon before becoming its latest victims?
Excerpt:
“Did you have a security camera?” Steven asked Nick.
“Yeah. Top of the line. Even filmed in color.”
“The feed stored remotely on the cloud?”
Nick nodded. “Yeah, I can access it on my phone. I should have thought of that earlier.” Nick fiddled with his phone for a moment, and the others gathered around to see. “The feed ends a little after three AM.”
“The witching hour,” Hu said.
Steven nodded. “Try five minutes earlier.”
Nick did so and uttered, “Whoa.”
They all watched as a thirty or forty-foot horned creature with lizard and goat-like features approached the house from across the swamp. It walked upright and glowed in the night like a burning ember.
“A fire demon,” Hu said.
“I think it’s the Jersey Devil,” Nick said. “I always dismissed it as B.S.—a legend told around campfires to scare kids.”
They watched as the creature crossed the street and approached the house. Flames filled the screen, and the feed ended.
About the Author:
Seattleite Robert Herold is a horror writer and author of the award-winning Eidola Project novels, which follow a team of 19th-century ghost hunters who become ensnared in deadly supernatural investigations, and the award-winning Seattle Coven Tales, about a grad student who gets targeted for blood sacrifice by a modern coven of witches. In addition, Mr. Herold’s work has appeared in anthologies and on the Saturday Evening Post’s website. An adaptation of his first Seattle Coven Tale, “Witch Ever Way You Go,” came in first place for Best Pilot Script in the Dublin Movie Awards.
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Author Alicia Dean 