New Book -"House A' Burnin'"

I am in the process of writing my new book..."House A'Burnin'". It is a supernaturanl/horror book. I will now post the prologue to the book: INFERNO! The old Simmons house was burning out of control and no one dared stop it! Every community has its share of fires. Nothing is unusual about house fires, tonight being the exception! This phenomenon was extraordinary because the town prepared and planned this incineration for weeks and all knew the day and time it would burn. No firefighters attempted to quench the flames, only spraying the surrounding greenery to ensure the fire didn’t spread. The earth surrounding this house was devoid of greenery, not because the fire scalded the ground, it just didn’t grow here. The firefighters displayed an attitude of indifference towards the house. The crowds watching the house burn did so with blatant attitudes of relief. No one shed tears about the loss of property or the flames devouring their life’s memories. Cold-bloodedness reigned as the house’s frame crashed down, no longer able to stand due to the fire’s intensity destroying the structure’s integrity with people either cheering or screaming with fear. Folks seemed mesmerized by the event! The population of the town turned out to watch as the house slowly disappeared in the cleansing fire. A Priest, Father Archer, stepped forward to face the crowd, and held his hands up to quiet them. Imperturbability embraced the crowd in anticipation of what Father Archer had to say. Everyone was expecting reassurances that the evil suffocated in the fire. Father Archer began to speak when unearthly screams shook the night, emanating from inside the house’s structure! It was impossible that a person could still be alive inside the bright yellow and red inferno! Father Archer attempted to calm everyone, but fear had parents scooping up small children and running for their lives! Terrified children cried as their parents screamed! The horrific sound didn’t come from anything human! A cleansing fire was the only option the town felt would deliver them from the evil plagued house that haunted this ground for as long as anyone could remember. No burial grounds or cemeteries fouled the property. At one time, the ground-must have favored life. A twisted, knotted tree interrupted the view of the land. No buds, flowers, or leaves adorned this tree in the spring or summer. Whatever evil resided here drew the life out of everything. Who or what was there to blame? There were no witches to hang or burn, shaman to kill or covens to destroy. Nothing physical haunted and terrified these people. Pure, unadulterated evil gripped, and permeated this house and ground. Some people, ignorant of the house’s history, would attempt to explore the house and property. Those ignorant souls experienced death, insanity, committed murders or suicides, and physical disappearances. Teams entered the house during daylight hours, to tear down walls and floors, while others dug up the basement floor to disinter any bodies found, the bodies of those who disappeared. Those who disappeared were forevermore gone. People looked for any explanation of the events associated with the house, with men running out frightened, some later committing suicide, unable to cope with what they saw and experienced or unable to describe what they confronted. The most notable Mediums of the day attempted séances to contact whatever the evil that permeated not only the lumber, but also the air and the ground. Some actually died with others having to drag the Mediums body from the house. Father Archer was the only remaining representative of the town still watching the fire. The firefighters left their La France Pumper where it sat, to burn if needed, while they ran with the rest of the citizens! Father Archer walked as close as he could to the remains of the burning house. He clasped his hands together, looked towards the heavens, and said, “Holy Father, let this be the end of this evil as we cast it back to Hell from where it came!” Father Archer threw Holy Water onto the fire. A loud groan emanated from inside the fire and embers as a figure approached. The figure appeared made of the fire and brimstone of hell, the same substances that Father Archer hammered home in his Sunday sermons. It looked at Father Archer, sighing and moaning as if in pain, but not. Its eyes were yellowish, glowing, and boring a hole through the priest. The figure tilted its head as if attempting to understand what was standing in front of it. It finally spoke in a voice that hissed and moaned each word, “Who are you that you stand while others run? Do you do not fear us? None has dared to confront us, yet you stay. What is it you wish of us?” “What is your name, creature of hell? Tell me, I command you in the name of God!” Father Archer commanded. “Ah, you wish to know our name? We have gone by many names since the birth of man. What name would you prefer?” The creature said mocking the priest. “I am disinclined to play your game! I face you in the name of God and command you, in His name, return to hell from whence you came! I command you now!” cried Father Archer with the authority he felt he had. “Ah, you are a Holy Man?” The creature moaned. “You believe your faith and teaching allows you powers over us? For centuries, others as you have made the bold statements that they ‘command’ us, but yet we still exist!” At this point, the figure appeared to breathe in, his laugh curdling the blood in the veins of all who may have heard. It then moaned out the words, “We offer you a chance to run. Now would be that time.” “I stand before you without fear for I have God on my side! Again, I command you in His name, back to hell!” Father Archer yelled again, gaining more confidence as he stood toe to toe with the creature. “You are brave, but a fool!” The figure opened its arms as it approached closer to Father Archer and said, “I see no god here to command us. Your words hold no power over us and are empty! You believe in a power you cannot to wield! We are beyond your authority! Your god leaves you here to face us!” The creature was now so close to Father Archer that he could smell the stench of decomposition and could make out its countenance. Though he concluded what he now dealt with, he couldn’t fathom that such a thing actually existed! The creature spoke again and said, “We have offered you the chance to run, but you have chosen to stay. You now have a choice to join us and live eternally or die! His confidence and faith shaken, Father Archer yelled, “I will die and abide with my God for eternity before becoming the evil that you are!” The figure then stretched out his arms, embracing Father Archer! The last scream heard that night was human as Father Archer began writhing in agony as his blood quickly drained and his body appeared mummified! The creature turned and dragged Father Archer into the inferno where they both disappeared into the flames. The townsfolk never sent a search party for the Father. They knew his body was gone forever! Since 1890, the area that surrounds the property remains fenced with signs stating the area is dangerous and all trespassers would face arrest and prosecution. Over the years, collectors had offered large sums to purchase the antique La France Pumper that was on the fenced in property. Fear of awakening the evil, the town turned down all offers. Through the years, the story of the house and property remained alive, and those that remembered and believed ensured the fence and signs always remained. As years passed and the story lost its believability for most, some high school kids cut the fence and dared each other to sneak in at night. When the police arrived, alerted by the kids too terrified to take the dare, some of their friends were forever gone. Of those found, some committed suicide, some became so loathsome and evil that no one dared be near them, while others lived out their lives as patients of insane asylums, drooling and mumbling unintelligibly of things no could name or screaming until their voices gave out. Over the years, the believers installed new and stronger fencing to keep anyone from entering. The believers knew the land was biding its time, waiting on its next victims, and nothing on earth could prevent it