James Greene would do anything to keep his soul.
But his year on the run from the demon known as The Gentleman, has left
him with two choices: kill himself, or pay the piper. While in a dumpy
hotel in Florida, wrestling with the thoughts of suicide, a letter sent
from a stranger gives James a third choice: get rid of him once and for
all.
The
letter leads him to his family’s plantation home in Athens, Georgia.
There, he discovers not only his family's secrets, but also The
Gentleman’s true intentions. The Gentleman offers James a deal he can’t
resist. Play the last game, and if he wins, he gets to keep his soul.
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Excerpt:
James
squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to God, any God that happened to hear
him. He prayed until his mouth was too dry to open. Then he prayed in
his head.
The
commotion ended, and the ominous presence left. He lifted his trembling
hand to the newly cracked window, pushed the curtain away, and saw
nothing. After turning on the lights, he sat at the edge of the bed with
his head in his hands.
“Only
one more day. I’ve had one hundred fucking miles, and now this.” He
drove his fist into the wall beside the bed. The pain caused him to wave
his hand.
“It’s one of the hallucinations. You haven’t slept in what, three days? It’s like the time in Macon.” He rubbed his head.
A
letter swished into his room from under the door and floated beside him
onto the tattered covers. James leapt from it. His eyes widened at the
sight of the handwriting.
“It’s
just paper,” he muttered. Mustering the courage, he seized the letter.
It shook in his unsteady hands as he read the words.
I
want my soul, and since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll give you until
December 22 at 1:30 am. I know where you’re at. No need to run, it’ll
only make things worse. Oh, and clean up.
From The Gentleman, with Love
James’
thoughts spun. He looked around the room for something, anything, to
help him stand upright, but instead landed on the bed. The words raced
through his mind, smashing the good memories aside.
“I can’t leave?”
He tugged at his hair and wiped the sweat from his face. What he’d
spent the last several months planning was all for nothing. A deep
emptiness filled his soul. Not even the burning of the rum could fill
it. He curled into a ball and wept himself to sleep.
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