Complete · Writing
Advent of Evil
Richard Drake has always caught the edges of other people's thoughts. Then something in the dark starts reaching back. When his wife Mary is murdered, a detective friend who believes him and an occultist who'd rather not get involved help him chase her killers, while a thing he can only call IT grows stronger in his own head. Written in a month for NaNoWriMo and published here in ten weekly parts from November 2009 to January 2010, about 51,000 words in all.
- 01 Advent of Evil – Part 1 of 10 Something waits in the shadows at the edge of Richard Drake's mind, laughing as he reaches for it. Then the alarm goes off: another Monday, a new project at the office, and the new neighbors coming for dinner tonight. Nov 2, 2009
- 02 Advent of Evil – Part 2 of 10 Richard Drake has been staring at the ceiling since 5am, haunted by a dream that wasn't a dream. Today he has to pitch the biggest contract of his career to a client unlike any other — and he'd rather do anything else. Nov 9, 2009
- 03 Advent of Evil – Part 3 of 10 After the worst day of his life, Richard leaves his car keys on the bed and takes the bus to his usual bar. Every question he can't answer gets another scotch. Nov 16, 2009
- 04 Advent of Evil – Part 4 of 10 Alan finally has a crime scene, fingerprints and a pattern: each missing woman vanished the same week a condemned building came down by implosion. For the first time, the investigators are one step ahead of the killers. Nov 23, 2009
- 05 Advent of Evil – Part 5 of 10 IT is two men now: Richard, who understands exactly what he has done, and John, who revels in cheating death. Stronger than before yet rejected by Akasha, IT wanders the dark, torn between murder and mercy. Nov 30, 2009
- 06 Advent of Evil – Part 6 of 10 Richard has killed, and in trying to undo it has let another killer's soul into his own. Now the line between his conscience and the other's darkness is blurring, and he isn't sure how long he can hold on. Dec 7, 2009
- 07 Advent of Evil – Part 7 of 10 Cornered by his friend Alan, Richard finally tells the whole truth about the night at the warehouse. Alan doesn't believe a word — and IT feels Richard's last defenses begin to slip. Dec 14, 2009
- 08 Advent of Evil – Part 8 of 10 Alan breaks police confidentiality to ask his friend Roberts, a minister, about the astral plane. A sting has left three bodies, and every print points to a man Alan himself left at home, in another state, that night. Dec 21, 2009
- 09 Advent of Evil – Part 9 of 10 Richard has to find Cari and kill her before IT can reach its master. Alan has already dropped the bait in an Oregon prison and is waiting for his old friend to take it — while Cari, alone in solitary, is thrilled to be there. Dec 28, 2009
- 10 Advent of Evil – Part 10 of 10 Alan has lied to his friend for the first time in his life. Richard has found Cari. In the final chapter, IT strains against weakening chains as the reckoning comes to solitary confinement. Jan 4, 2010