Cheekypee reads and reviews: The Well House

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Book Synopsis

The dream is back and Ben Carson is terrified. His pregnant wife, Anne, is locked in a coma and Ben is the only person who can save her, but he has no idea how to accomplish this. His dreams contain clues, but they make no sense. Ben can’t figure what a small white well house and black flying creatures have to do with Anne.

Then he meets a mysterious woman named Thelma Grippe. What he learns from Thelma shakes him to the core, but gives him the knowledge to free Anne from the force keeping her in the coma. Once he locates the well house, Ben finds a passage to another dimension, where he searches for Anne. After a long, arduous journey, Ben faces the ultimate evil that holds Anne captive.

The Well House is an exciting, unique and thoughtful story of a man’s fight against unbelievable odds to save his wife. Part drama, part fantasy and part parable, The Well House is a multi-layered tale that takes readers on an amazing journey from the mountains above Boulder Colorado to the depths of the dark zone.

Author Bio

The Well House is the first novel by Michael S. Matassa, an attorney and Municipal Court Judge in Arvada, Colorado. He discovered the well house in the late summer of 1994, standing by a field of corn on a small farm just south of Brighton Colorado, where it still stands today. Mr. Matassa studied at Regis College in Denver and the University of Colorado School of law. He has also written several short stories, a screenplay and is presently working on a sequel to The Well House and a ghost story called “The Baby Carriage.” He writes under the pen name of M. S. Matassa.

Excerpt 2

From above, Taylor heard a shrill scream and he opened his eyes again. Circling over the house were several black shapes that made Taylor freeze with fear. He stayed still on the lounge chair, pretending to be asleep. Taylor heard footsteps on the deck and looked out of the corner of his eye in the direction of the sound. One of the black creatures had landed about five feet from the lounge chair and walked slowly toward him. Taylor continued to lie still, not daring to move. The creature hopped up on the frame of the chair and opened its mouth. Taylor smelled a sulfurous stench, making his stomach turn.

As the creature inched forward, Taylor could no longer keep still. He bolted from the lounge chair, yelling as loudly as he could, "Get the hell out of here.”

The black creature jumped off the lounge chair and began circling to Taylor's left. The creature was the size of a large raven, covered with feathers and scales. Its beak gaped open in a hideous smile; its eyes glowed with a pale red cast. The wings were held out slightly from the body, as if the creature was trying to cool itself. Taylor moved back a step and noticed he was surrounded by seven of these hideous things. They formed a tight circle around him. He was trapped. Taylor stomped his feet in hopes that the creatures would take off, but they stood their ground. Taylor kicked the closest creature, sending it flying across the deck into the wall of the house, where it landed with a sickening thud. It appeared to be unconscious, but in a few seconds the scaly creature regained its senses and walked back to its original place in the circle.

"What do you want?" Taylor yelled.

The creatures started to shriek, causing Taylor to cover his ears. The pain was excruciating and Taylor fell to his knees. Immediately the sound stopped. Taylor saw that the creatures were changing shape. Their legs and torsos elongated; their bodies took human form. Taylor stood frozen with fear. The creature in front of him was now six feet tall and looked like a muscular soldier covered with black scaly armor. A raven’s head was perched on top of the human body; a red lizard-like tongue darted in and out of the large black beak. Human arms and hands covered with black scales extended out from under the large wings. Taylor felt strong hands grab him from behind and bind his arms to his sides. He struggled, but was unable to move. The largest creature approached and stopped within a few inches of Taylor's face. Taylor looked into the eyes and could see flames flickering deep in the sockets. The creature opened its mouth as if to speak, then breathed into Taylor's face. A sick feeling rose in his stomach from the acidic stench. His legs gave way, but strong hands held him upright.

"Are you scared, boy?" the creature asked sarcastically.

Taylor couldn't speak.

"Answer me, you piece of crap."

Taylor raised his head and whispered, "I'm not scared."

"Can't hear you, boy!” the creature said.

"I'm not scared,” Taylor yelled.

"Well, you should be, boy, cause we're going to hurt you real bad. And then when your father comes home we're going to have a barbecue. The main course will be roasted Ben Carson. I bet you didn't think you were going to have Dad for lunch today, did you, boy?"

"Who are you?" Taylor asked.

"Just a bunch of guys out for a little fun. Oh, by the way, your momma's dead, and so is the baby."

"Shut up, you bastard,” Taylor screamed.

The creature let out a demonic laugh and grabbed Taylor by the front of his shirt. "My boss doesn't like what your dad has been doing, so he sent us to give him a message. Tell your dad to forget the rescue. The bitch and the baby are ours. He'll know what we mean."

"Who's your boss?" Taylor asked.

The large creature let go of Taylor's shirt and walked to the edge of the deck. "My boss is evil, not someone to screw with. That's all you need to know."

The creature turned, walked back to Taylor and said to the others, "Hold his head."

Immediately two of the creatures grabbed Taylor grabbed his head and held it immobile. The black creature standing behind Taylor tightened its grip on his arms. Taylor tried to struggle, but could not move. He had never felt such power.

"Listen well, boy,” the large one said softly. "When your father comes home, tell him about our visit. Let him know he is to stop all plans to save your mother. In return, both you and he will live a long, successful life. I guarantee it."

The creature moved his face close to Taylor's face. "Look into my eyes. Do you see the flames? This is serious stuff, boy. Any questions?"

Taylor said in a shaky voice, "No, I understand."

"Good!" the creature said. "Oh, one more thing. I'm going to leave you with something so your dad knows we are serious."

With the speed of a snake, the creature inserted its open black beak into Taylor's right eye socket, grabbing the eyeball, and crushing it slowly.

The creature withdrew the beak and spit the crushed eyeball on the ground.

"And now the other.”

Taylor screamed as the beak slid into the left eye socket, crushing the remaining eyeball. The other creatures released their grip and Taylor fell in a heap on the wooden deck. The creatures shrank to their original size, and one by one lifted off the deck and headed north.

Taylor put his hands to his face and felt warm liquid flowing from his eyes. He opened his eyelids, but no light reached his brain. In the distance, Taylor heard the motor of his father's VW winding up the canyon.

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