Below - A Terrifying Take on the Mothman
I'm happy to report that I received this signed copy from Laurel Hightower, who was kind enough to oblige my request.
Below is a story about a woman who decides to take a chance on herself. She recently left her manipulative and condescending husband and was ready to head out on a road trip to see some of her horror-loving friends, on her own, for the first time in a long time. Riddled with anxiety about her newfound freedom and already a hypochondriac, Addy finds herself in West Virginia. When a near-miss shakes up her night, she meets a compassionate trucker at a diner before continuing her trip. He offers to drive his truck ahead of her and chat through a CB radio to keep her 'company' in a safe way for as far as he can go. When they reach a dead zone along the road, something terrifying with glowing red eyes is spotted covering the moon and the truck goes through the guardrail and over the ledge. Addy's gentle heart pushes her to help the man, but it's a long climb to the below, and there is definitely something down there.
I love anything related to the Mothman trope, and this had a special play on it that was quite terrifying. The human side of things was also very affecting, and I think this might be Laurel Hightower's specialty: painting heartache, pain, and the softness of hearts through words onto pages. I only wish this had been a full novel instead of a novella, as I really felt interested in taking a deeper dive into the monster and the trucker's backstories.
