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Chapters (50)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  4. DEDICATION
  5. CONTENTS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“Witches have power over animals, y’know. She can speak their language— make ’em do anything she wants.”

“Uh-huh. And what makes people think she’s a witch?”

“Well, she dresses the part—that’s for sure. She wanders the woods at night with a three-legged dog—people catch a glimpse of her sometimes under a full moon. She does weird things with her hands—she makes these signs, puts the hex on people that get on her bad side.”

“Your average witch stuff,” Nick said.

“Pretty much—except for one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“She can raise the dead.”

4

4

“Pizza for Polchak,” Nick said.

A moonfaced boy in a grease-stained apron nodded and headed for the kitchen.

Nick leaned back against the counter and looked around the restaurant. The Endor Tavern & Grille was the only eating establishment in the town of Endor—not exactly a surprise, since the entire downtown consisted of nothing more than a single intersection. On the southwest corner stood the Skyline Motel, where Nick had checked in just a few minutes ago. He fished his room key from his pocket and held it up: It was a football-shaped disk of green plastic attached by an S-hook to a shiny brass key. Nick shook his head; he hadn’t seen a keychain like this in years. The only places that used them anymore were truck stops and gas stations, to keep forgetful patrons from driving off with the restroom key. He wondered how long it would be before the Skyline Motel made the leap into the twenty-first century. Probably never, he thought. The twenty-first century could drive right past on I-66 and the little town of Endor wouldn’t miss it one bit.

Across from the Skyline and up the hill was the Endor Regional Library. An odd location for a regional collection, Nick thought, but then again reading might be a very popular activity in a boring little town like this. Catty-corner to the Skyline was Endor Resurrection Lutheran Church—a mountain-style hamlet with a tall, sloping slate roof. The entire church was constructed of the local stone, making it look as if the building were just one huge outcropping jutting from the mountainside.