The howl echoed… the lament of a man lost forever to the darkness within.

Read the novelette at Dennis Lowery’s writer site.

A Quiet Town, A Haunted Past: When a young writer stumbles upon a forgotten tale of Halloween horror, she is drawn into the unsettling story of a reclusive veteran who may hold secrets too dark to share. A chilling tale of revenge and a truth that blurs the lines between myth and reality.

The Best Halloween The Town Ever Had is a suspenseful tale of secrets and a shocking truth hidden beneath the surface of a quiet town.

In October 1975, freelance writer Rita Zook arrived in Millholm, Pennsylvania, to research local Halloween folklore for a simple article. Her plans take an unexpected turn when she meets Tom, the manager of a local bookstore, who mistakenly assumes she is there to write about the 20th anniversary of the mysterious killings that took place on Halloween night in 1955.

Intrigued, Rita becomes curious when Tom tells her, “It was the best Halloween the town ever had.” Tom tells her Jack Harper, the reclusive owner of the bookstore, knows more about the killings than anyone else in town. This leads Rita to seek an interview with Jack, a veteran who leads a quiet and solitary life, carrying the weight of his past.

What begins as a straightforward interview quickly becomes unsettling as Jack’s guarded revelations slowly unfold about the events of Halloween 1955. Jack speaks of corruption, fear, and the dark justice that fell upon the town, hinting at powerful, mysterious forces at play. As Jack’s guarded revelations slowly unfold, Rita is increasingly drawn into Jack’s haunted memories, learning of his experiences during the war and the price he has paid ever since. The story builds to a chilling climax where Rita must confront the shocking truths that Jack has revealed, leaving her—and the reader—grappling with the blurred lines between myth, legend, and a terrifying reality.