ICP4 S1.E01.5

The beginning: S1.E01.1

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What precedes: S1.E01.4

WHAT FOLLOWS: S1.E01.5

It was hot, and she was alone. Her voice wouldn't rise to call out, though she wanted desperately to scream out Marduk's or Eveline's names, and when she tried to work her jaw to make words, it felt like she was chewing around a piece of metal. Like an elderly woman, she hunched forward and leaned against the wall, shaking. Stepping over glass that cut painlessly into her feet, she hobbled out of the bathroom, and dragging her scalp over the wall left thin lines of blood as she went. Occasionally she paused to let lightning dance through her spine, but these fits passed, and she walked on.

She was in Marduk's house, wasn't she? She was. The bedroom she stepped into – a guest room towards the back of the house – was not out of order. The bed's gray sheets were flat and unwrinkled, the white carpet was immaculate, and even the silver statuette of a bull that set on the glass-topped shelf near the window sat undisturbed, frozen in a pose with its gaze turned over its shoulder, towards the window. The statuette gazed west.

About the Author

K.J. russell is an author of science fiction, fantasy and horror, based in Houston. He has a BA from the University of Houston and works as a teacher, editor, and speaker in Houston's literary community. He is proud of his work with the Writespace studio, where he has lead workshops and helps with annual festivals that draw writers from all over the country. In the past, he has been the elected Director of Publications for the Houston Writers Guild, and he regularly attends Houston's massive Comicpalooza con as a panelist and moderator. His debut novella, Absolute Tenacity, was published in 2014, followed by another novella, Atargatis, in 2015. His first full novel, The Dusty Man, was released that same year.

Praise for K.J. Russell's work

"Absolute Tenacity, held my interest and attention to become my all-time, best non-stop read. His scenes filled my mind with images and colors I’ve not experienced in print since Al Feldstein’s graphic artwork in Tales from the Crypt."

- E. L. Russell, author of the Evolutis Rising series

"[Absolute Tenacity is] a shattering view of the potential of love and hate, of fear and joy, and of every emotion betwixt and between not only to drive actions but to fuel them, in this tale of an epic family battle across worlds, across solar systems, and across time."

-Pamela Fagan Hutchins, author of the Katie and Annalise series

"K.J. Russell excels in creating the kind of fantastic worlds you just love to lose yourself in. Wonderful stuff."

-D.L. Young, author of the Dark Republic series

"The story is so enthralling, and the characters are so magnetic, that you can't put it down until you're done." 

-Mel Algood, author of Blood on the Potomac

"[The Dusty Man is] an action-packed post-apocalyptic sci-fantasy in the ruins of demon-haunted Korea. If you like fast-moving fiction that transcends genre boundaries and isn't afraid to ask the big questions, you're going to love this book."

-John D. Payne, author of The Crown and the Dragon