The Smashed Man of Dread End Read online

  “They’ve always been around in human consciousness and culture, but their properties as elements that affect the particles of existence had to be discovered through cell knowledge. Just like how to make darkwash and how to make darkstuff. That’s what I’m calling solid darkwash, by the way. What do you think?”

  Noe shrugged.

  “I guess it’s no ‘Rune Rock’ or ‘Smashed Man.’ But listen to me, girl. Matthew Impey got too close to the stuck place. He was a genius at uncovering knowledge about it, but that affinity with the stuck place caused his tragedy. There’s still a stuck place under this neighborhood, and you, in particular, should be careful.” She took a sip of chai. “Not that I care. Overly, anyway.”

  Noe didn’t like where this was going. She put her teacup down. “I’ve got to get back to my house.” She got up, opened the front door, and stopped. She did this every time she left the white house. She loved looking at the neighborhood when it couldn’t look back at her. Especially now. Totter Court felt different these days. Sunnier. More open. Like a giant bubble that had been encasing the neighborhood had popped. Even if it still sat on top of a stuck place.

  “I guess you’re going back to Gulf Shores now?” Noe asked without turning around.

  “I wish. Thanks to you girls, I’m going to be here for a little while longer.” She sounded like she wanted to throw her entire tea service across the room.

  Noe turned around. “What do you mean? There’s no reason for you to be here anymore. We got rid of the Smashed Man.”

  “That’s the problem.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I have to stick around to see what comes out of the crack in your basement next.”

  Acknowledgments

  One of the hardest things about being an author is the hours spent alone toiling away on a story. But if you’re fortunate, it leads to one of the best things about being an author, gaining a team that believes in your story enough to help you bring it to the world. And I have a great team.

  My oldest daughter, Esme, was the first to read this book. If she hadn’t liked it, I would have spiked it instantly. The same with my wife, Lindsey, who not only helps me with early drafts but also has to put up with my writing process itself, and I am forever grateful for that. My friend John Rozum offered suggestions that inspired a key image that became my favorite in the book. I’m not sure I have the confidence to send out a manuscript without my friend Christian Haunton reading it first, as his care and discernment with my manuscripts always makes my ideas more meaningful. My agent, Alex Slater, gave me both story help in the beginning, when it was just an idea, and business help in the end, when it was just a Word file. He’s worked miracles with every manuscript I’ve given him.

  My editor, Elizabeth Lynch, is the reason this book is in your hands. She believed in this strange, complex little story with its strange monster from the start, helped me improve it, and brought some amazing talent together at HarperCollins to create the book, including Laaren Brown, Renée Cafiero, and Alexandra Rakaczki for their painstaking and valuable scrutiny of the manuscript and Jeannette Arroyo, Catherine Lee, and Alison Klapthor for the gorgeous, ominous cover.

  About the Author

  Photo by Lindsey Ocker

  J.W. OCKER is the Lowell Thomas– and Edgar Award–winning author of macabre travelogues, spooky kids’ books, and horror novels. His books include Poe-Land, A Season with the Witch, and Death and Douglas. J.W. Ocker lives in New Hampshire.

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  Copyright

  THE SMASHED MAN OF DREAD END. Copyright © 2021 by J. W. Ocker. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  www.harpercollinschildrens.com

  Cover art © 2021 by Jeannette Arroyo

  Cover design and lettering by Catherine Lee

  Digital Edition AUGUST 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-299054-9

  Print ISBN: 978-0-06-299052-5

  21 22 23 24 25 PC/LSCH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  FIRST EDITION

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