Robert Jeschonek is an envelope-pushing, USA Today-bestselling author whose fiction, comics, and non-fiction have been published around the world. His stories have appeared in Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, Clarkesworld, Pulp Literature, and other publications. His novels have won the International Book Award, the Forward National Literature Award, and the Scribe Award.

Halloween & Beyond by Robert Jeschonek

Small town nightmares come to life in the two tales featured in this special Halloween omnibus edition. In Halloween at Glosser's, it's Halloween 1970, and Erin Lewis can't draw anything scary enough to win the window painting contest at Glosser Bros. Department Store in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The 16-year-old has other things on her mind, like holding a séance at Glosser's to contact her brother, who died a year ago in Vietnam. Will he keep his promise and make contact from the other side? Or will Erin receive an equally shocking message from closer to home? Either way, it will be a Halloween she'll never forget.

In Fear of Rain, Johnstown faces a terrifying threat to its very existence. Thanks to the sorcerous Mr. Flood, the town has drowned three times...and the fourth time will be the charm. By the time he gets done flooding Johnstown, it will vanish beneath the waves forever...unless his flood-making apprentice, Dee, has anything to say about it. Refusing to let the fourth flood sink her hometown, young Dee uses her own powers against her wicked mentor, setting off a battle of magic rainmakers in the heart of the raging storm. Will thousands of people drown in the ultimate deluge? Will madness and destruction doom Johnstown to an eternal watery grave? Who'll stop the rain? No one, if Mr. Flood gets his way.

CURATOR'S NOTE

Robert Jeschonek put together an exclusive omnibus of Halloween stories just for this bundle. He can tackle any genre he likes, writing exceptionally well, and taking those genres to a brand new place. Here, he brings nightmares to life. Which is both fun and scary… – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

 

REVIEWS

  • "Robert Jeschonek is the literary love child of Tim Burton and Neil Gaiman…"

    – Adrian Phoenix, critically acclaimed author of The Maker's Song series and Black Dust Mambo

  • On Fear of Rain: "It's a magical tale, well told with some wonderful imagery."

    – Gareth D. Jones, New Review, laurahird.com
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

From Halloween at Glosser's:

"Why not make the flower a meat-eater?" asked Mrs. Mulligan. "Give it some blood-drenched fangs. Maybe have a person's foot sticking out of its mouth. That would be scary, don't you think?"

Sixteen-year-old Erin Lewis just shrugged at the colorful picture she'd painted on the big front window of the Glosser Bros. Department Store in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It was supposed to be an entry in the 1970 Halloween window painting contest sponsored by Glosser's, but somehow, it just wasn't shaping up to be winner material.

Happy flowers and beaming butterflies didn't exactly shout "Halloween." Neither did the other elements of Erin's painting.

"You need to do something about that sun up there, too." Mrs. Mulligan pointed one thick finger at the big, smiling orb in the top right corner of the painting. Its bright yellow color was almost the same as the yellow sweater dress clinging to the art teacher's pudgy body. "Instead of a smile, why not give it a gaping, jagged-toothed maw? Maybe give it some devil horns while you're at it, and some big, maniacal eyes."

Erin sighed and frowned. Her right hand fiddled with the military dog tags that hung from a chain at her throat, turning the cool metal chips between her fingers.

"Look, I'm just trying to help you." Mrs. Mulligan gave Erin's shoulder a squeeze. "You're the best artist at Johnstown High School, but you'll never win a prize if you don't paint something scary, or at least give it a Halloween theme."

Looking right and left, Erin saw other kids her age hard at work painting their own visions on Glosser's big windows. There were vampires, zombies, mummies, ghosts, werewolves, aliens, witches, demons, and all manner of monsters...the usual Halloween-type images. She knew how to draw all that stuff; it wasn't brain surgery.

But she didn't feel like it. It was the day before Halloween, but she wasn't in the mood to paint Halloweeny pictures.

"I know you can do it." Mrs. Mulligan nodded eagerly, and her high, blonde hairdo bobbed. "Remember, carnivorous flowers and a demonic sun."

"I don't think so." Looking down, Erin noticed a spot of yellow paint on her olive drab Army-style t-shirt. At least she had a dozen more of them at home. If any paint had gotten on her Army camouflage pants, she couldn't see it among the gray and brown splotches of fabric.

"This is only your second try," said the teacher. "And hey, it's better than your first draft, right? The one with the fluffy bunnies and kittens?"

"I don't want to work on it anymore," said Erin. "I'm done with this one."

"Then how about starting over? Third time's the charm, right?" Mrs. Mulligan grabbed a big brush from a tray on a nearby ladder. "Paint over what you've got there and show us something better suited to the holiday."

Erin's short brown pigtails flicked back and forth on her shoulders as she shook her head slowly. "Maybe I should just quit."

"Not yet." Mrs. Mulligan leaned close and locked her gaze with Erin's. "Just give it one more try, honey, okay?"

Erin recognized the tone of deep concern and encouragement. She'd heard it many times in the past year, ever since the Bad Thing had happened.

She knew it was well-intentioned. Other people were just trying to help by showing sympathy for her loss and giving her a little special treatment.

So why did it still make her want to kick over a couple of paint cans and run away?

"Come on, Erin." The teacher pressed the big brush toward her. "Show us what you can do. Bring home that first prize and make us all proud."

"Okay." Erin took the brush. She would give it another try, though she knew in her heart it would just be another waste of time.

"Great." Mrs. Mulligan grinned. "I can't wait to see what you come up with."

With that, the teacher marched off, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of a pocket in her dress as she headed across the street to Central Park.

Leaving Erin to sigh, then dunk the brush in a can of white paint and slap the start of a fresh coat over the flowers and butterflies on the window.