The Blair Monster

By Chris Sellek

It was supposed to be a celebratory anniversary trip to a mountain cabin. It was supposed to be a break from stress. It was supposed to be fun. It was none of those things.

 

Tony and Rachel Sanders were excited to escape city life and spend two weeks in the mountains to celebrate their wedding anniversary. But they get more than they asked for from the moment they arrive. The mountains are eerily quiet. They can't stop sneezing. And the cabin they rent has an unexpected and uninvited third visitor.

 

Their vacation quickly shifts from a relaxing getaway, to an attempt to get away from whoever is trying — successfully — to scare them, to a mad scramble to get the hell out of the mountains at all.

 

Will they manage to elude their mysterious pursuer? Or will they succumb to the malevolent force that haunts them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris Sellek
• Release date: Jun 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224922994

Chris Sellek

I write things. That feels ambiguous. Allow me to explain. For my 9-5, I'm a software engineer and I write code. But ever since I got lost in countless movies as a child with my siblings, I've been fascinated by, and constructing my own, stories. From the (probably terrible) short stories I was constantly cranking out in elementary school through high school, to the screenplay I wrote in high school, to the short film I wrote and directed in college, to the humor blog (https://iamsellek.blogspot.com/) I maintained in my early adult life, I've written nonstop pretty much since I learned how to put letters together to create words. So it was really only a matter of time until I published something. Eventually, this happened in 2016 when I self-published The Blair Monster, a gothic horror short story set in the mountains based on my own actual experiences with the mountains of NC. After this, I decided it was high time for my first novel. Thus, Eliya, and my "big boy" writing career was born. I LOVE stories and storytelling, modern fantasy (The Lightbringer series is my current favorite), and gothic horror tales. The original Star Wars trilogy, which I will never forget watching in wide-eyed wonder as a kid in the 90s, heavily influences almost everything I write. I love telling a good, original story, and I love writing stories with characters from historically-marginalized groups because I think it's high time someone other than white males had their own Luke Skywalkers to dream of becoming when they grow up. I'm Chris Sellek. I write things.

Book preview

THE BLAIR MONSTER

Chris Sellek

Copyright © 2024 Chris Sellek

All rights reserved.

CHAPTER ONE

WELL, SHIT, RACHEL Sanders complained over the music.

Tony, her husband, said, Hm? but he was still paying more attention to the music than to her.

She continued. I left my nail polish at home. Rachel worked as a nurse, and her hospital forbade nail polish for...reasons. She dropped her phone onto her stomach and turned to face Tony as best as she could with her feet propped up on the dash.

Tony enjoyed the ending of the song before responding. What?

My nail polish, she explained again, I left it at home.

Oh my goodness, that's terrible, he mock-complained. What will the deer and bunnies think?

Have I ever told you how absolutely hilarious you are? Rachel asked. "I am like totally rolling right now."

Tony smirked. You know, I remember you saying — just yesterday — that you married me because of my sense of humor.

"No, I don't remember saying that. I'd definitely remember saying something like that."

You love me, Tony told her matter-of-factly. 

Oh yeah?

"Honey, you are digging yourself some Tony Sanders. There is so much love for me coming from your side of the car right now. It's… Tony acted like he was looking for the right word. ...suffocating."

Rachel snorted out a laugh. You don't have any friends, she told him, throwing a napkin in his direction. But seriously, though, my nail polish.

Tony waved a hand in the air. But seriously, though, the animals won't care.

Rachel suppressed a smile and gave her husband a look. Tony.

He smiled at her. We can grab you some.

I just wanted to get them done while I'm not at work. Wanted to be able to look at my nails without... she stopped, coming to a realization. Ugh, what is wrong with me? she lamented. She adopted her best valley-girl impression. "Like, oh my god, my nails are, like, so, nasty-looking and stuff. Seriously, how could anyone even look at me without puking right now? I'm so disgusting. Like seriously, OMG and stuff."

Tony groaned. Can we please not invite Valley-Girl Rachel on this trip?

Rachel sighed dramatically. Fiiiiiine. A moment of silence passed. Forget the nail polish. We can just relax up here. What're you most looking forward to on this trip?

Tony thought for a moment. The lack of Valley-Girl Rachel, he said, nodding.

Rachel sagged. But she's so fuuuuuun!

What about you? Tony asked, ignoring the quip.

Rachel smiled deviously. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe finally catching up on the best TV show ever."

"Oh my god, not Night Be—"

"Night Beats," Rachel said, waving her hands before her to indicate an imaginary title scene. She donned her best TV announcer voice. "The only show where real cops meet real ghosts while solving crime."

Tony shook his head. "That still doesn't make any sense. It's a fictional TV show. It doesn't even pretend not to be! How are either of them real?"

Rachel shrugged. "They just are, man. Like in the TV show, they're real."

Tony chuckled out loud. "And you don't see anything wrong with that description? Rachel shook her head, and Tony continued. The show is just so bad, Rach. Why are there ghosts? The cops never interact with the ghosts, which you'd think would be super helpful for — you know — solving crimes."

"They're just there, Rachel explained, They're part of the ambiance."

Tony shook his head, but his phone interrupted before he could retaliate.

In one mile, turn right, the phone commanded over the music.

Did the Google Maps lady just scare you? Tony asked, noticing Rachel's sudden jerk.

No! Shut up, Rachel muttered. Stupid Google Maps lady.

A