First published 1990
Jeremy needs a quiet summer retreat to prepare his Gothic literature course for the fall semester. The college lecturer finds the perfect spot in rural Gilead, New Jersey, renting a small outbuilding from Sarr and Deborah Poroth, a devout Mennonite couple. The peaceful farmland setting seems ideal for his academic work. Jeremy settles into a productive routine, surrounded by the Poroths' simple way of life and the rolling countryside. His days pass pleasantly as he reads and takes notes for his upcoming classes. But the tranquil summer begins to shift. Strange incidents disrupt Jeremy's scholarly focus. Small unexplained events multiply into something more disturbing. The isolation that once felt liberating now carries an edge of unease. Jeremy finds himself caught between his rational academic mind and increasingly irrational fears that seem to seep from the very land around Poroth Farm.
Genres: mystery, horror, gothic, academic
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Gilead, New Jersey, Poroth Farm
Period: Summer
40 pages · Paperback · Necronomicon Press