Frozen in place.
Dripping tears for centuries.
Memories of a lifetime.
Praying for salvation.
A frown for eternity.
Will her tears sprout
a garden for The Dead?
THE DEAD GAME Series by Susanne Leist
THE DEAD GAME http://amzn.to/1lKvMrP
PREY FOR THE DEAD: Book Two https://amzn.to/2F1IiI2
Welcome to my castle.
Not to be a hassle.
But please knock on the door.
It will open once more.
Step inside, join the party.
Come and eat long and hearty.
Until midnight strikes doom on the head.
You’ll be gone except for The Dead.
THE DEAD GAME by Susanne Leist
Soon you’ll join us.
Walkers of the night.
Seekers of the dark.
Stand straight.
Claim what is yours.
Before the morning light.
THE DEAD GAME
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Altamura (Apulia, Italy) by Dauno Settantatre
Dark are the streets
By which they creep.
Silence is their goal.
Through the town, they go.
Bodies left behind,
Blood-dry we will find.
Church bells are tolling,
And heads are rolling.
Flee from this we must
Before we are dust.
THE DEAD GAME
Chalet
A gingerbread house so quaint.
Disguised with colorful paint.
An evil group lives here.
And our town is so near.
They are Watchers for The Dead.
I’m afraid to go to bed.
Come and take a quick look
Or you can read my book.
THE DEAD GAME
The moon goes
through its phases.
Becoming smaller
each day.
Until it’s gone.
Leaving no trace
of its former self.
That is when The Dead
will come for us.
In the darkness.
In the coldness.
In the dark of night.
THE DEAD GAME
Come to the party.
There will be dancing
and plenty of champagne.
A glass house
with perfect guests
in ballgowns and tuxedos,
circling the dance floor
under sparkling chandeliers.
Frozen statues sprinkled about.
A mermaid fountain waiting
in the rose garden.
Nothing could be better
or more perfect.
That is, until the clock
strikes midnight.
All freeze to the sound.
Many ascend the clear
staircase to the rooms above.
Where have they gone?
And why?
We are left to wonder
with the dwindling number
of guests.
Will our fate be sealed
on this night?
Come and help us.
THE DEAD GAME
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Todd was afraid that Linda was being held by Maxell in Wolf’s house. Wolf’s house made him uncomfortable with its cave of bats, moving greenery in the green house, and the pool of snapping alligators.
Judy, Gregg, and Ryan were blocking the front door of Wolf’s house, waiting until Sam arrived with reinforcements. They were insisting that they were only following the sheriff’s strict orders, but Todd was impatient to be inside already.
He didn’t have to wait long. Sam arrived with Father John as his sole backup. Todd was shocked to see only the two of them. “How are we going to free Linda? Where is our vampire backup?” He knew that there was no way they could be successful without adequate supernatural support.
“Leanne, Diane, and Reece are coming; they told me to go in and check out the situation. Hayden will be here soon,” Sam said.
Todd charged up the steps, pushing his way between the three human vampires. Inside he spotted Shana, Mike, David, and Louise, standing close together in the hall. He turned to Sam. “I thought I’d told you to steer clear of humans! How did they find out so quickly?”
“Let go of me! I didn’t say anything to them!” Sam yelled back at Todd.
Shana stepped forward. “Each one of us received a note requesting our presence at Wolf’s house. Sam didn’t tell us!” She threw Todd a cold, angry look.
“I’m sorry,” Todd said. He stepped away from Sam, releasing his neck from his strong hold.
Todd turned to march down the hall and began issuing orders. “I’ll go in first and then the rest of you can follow. We’ll first check out the alligator tank. Take my lead and make no abrupt decisions on your own! Linda’s life is at stake!” He led the way through the house until they reached the alligator pool. He suspected that Linda and Maxell were there: alligators would be easy weapons. Just as he suspected, Maxell was standing in front of the open alligator tank.
EXCERPT FROM THE DEAD GAME
Todd and Sam were apprehensive about visiting Hayden in his own home. But they were running out of choices.
Todd was hoping that Hayden was still around and hadn’t sneaked off into the night as he drove past the thick bushes and massive trees that outlined Hayden’s remote plot of land. He wasn’t too eager to face Hayden on his home turf. He glanced across at Sam, who seemed to be having his own doubts—judging by the amount of squirming he was doing in his seat. They drove up to the house that stood silently waiting for them.
A warm wind was rustling through the leaves of the tall trees that shrouded the bleak house. Low-hanging limbs swiped at their legs with their long, skinny fingers as they walked up the gravel path. The wind blew leaves in circles around their feet, trying to slow their ascent up the steep stairs. They crunched through the fallen leaves to reach the front door.
Todd couldn’t locate a bell, so he rapped loudly with his knuckles. There was no answer. The door began to drift open on its own. A long, dark hallway gradually came into view. Rare masterpieces lined both walls, starkly illuminated against the muted walls by bright spotlights suspended from high above.
The deafening silence felt alive and heavy—as if someone was there with them waiting, but not yet willing to reveal himself. A cold draft hit them. In the translucent stream of air, Todd could see shadowy forms fighting against each other, struggling to break free. “Are those vampires caught in the wind?” asked Todd, beginning to regret his decision to enter the house without sufficient back-up. “Did you notice those strange forms floating in the air?”
He continued, “I’ve never seen anything like that before.” Not hearing a response from Sam, he tried to downplay his concern a little. “It could have been just an elaborate illusion.”
When Sam still didn’t respond, Todd turned around and found him standing as still as a statue, eyeing the flow of air with fear in his eyes. “Sam? Are you still with me?” Sam didn’t answer or move a muscle.
Todd knew that he had to continue on with the search—with or without Sam. He called out Hayden’s name, his voice echoing down the empty corridor. Still no one answered.
He followed the faintly lit hallway until its end, where it opened onto a huge oval-shaped ballroom. He stood in the center of the room in the bright light cast by the enormous crystal chandelier. The light reflecting from the hanging crystals shot colorful prisms of light across the multitude of artwork all around him. Hundreds of statues by eminent artists were haphazardly scattered about the shiny marble floor; the walls were decorated with priceless paintings in massive frames.
He wandered through the ballroom and recognized Rembrandts, Picassos, and even Renoirs, filling every available space on the gilded walls. At the back of the room, he noticed a circular staircase with elaborate gold railings, leading up through the ceiling to the floor above.
“There are no other rooms on the main floor, so we might as well check upstairs.” Surprised to hear Sam’s voice, Todd spun around to find him standing right behind him. Todd slowly nodded his head in agreement, even though he suspected that this was what Hayden expected them to do next. It was almost if Hayden had put out a sign that read: “Stupid human vampires! Come up my staircase at your own risk!”
As soon as they began to climb the stairs, the air turned colder and more frigid.
Now, let the games begin.
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SUSANNE LEIST 