FREAKS ANON A novel by Matt Darst MONUMENT A dystopian short story by Matt Darst Freaks Anon A Novel by Matt Darst Also by Matt Darst Dead Things, A Novel 2 Freaks Anon A Novel by Matt Darst Freaks Anon, a novel by Matt Darst. Monument, a short story by Matt Darst Copyright 2016 by Matt Darst, Grand Mal Press. All rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book or short story may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written consent except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, contact Matt Darst via http://www.mattdarst.com/ or www.grandmalpress.com. Freaks Anon, Copyright 2016 Monument, Copyright 2016 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Matt Darst, Grand Mal Press Cover by Matt Hale http://www.MattHaleDesign.com Connect with Matt Darst Blog: http://www.mattdarst.com/ Like: http://www.facebook.com/FreaksAnon Dead Things: http://www.deadthingsthenovel.com All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). Private donations can be made at http://do.eifoundation.org/goto/mattdarst Smashwords Edition, License Notes This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author/publisher. 3 Freaks Anon A Novel by Matt Darst Acclaim for Freaks Anon "Darst works his magic in horror once again, this time expanding into the realm of superheroes in an exciting mash-up that fans of both comic books and the paranormal are sure to enjoy!" - Stuart Conover, ScienceFiction.com "I had so much fun reading Freaks Anon. Being a huge Alan Moore fan, I’m always hoping to read something intelligent when it comes to superheroes. I crave material like that…and with its great writing and believable characters, Freaks Anon nails it. It’s a fanboy’s dream. I once read that you should only keep the books you will read again, and I’ve tried to live by that. I will definitely keep this book." - Frank Hrin, Fearshop.com Horror Podcast "As with Dead Things, Matt Darst has created another sublime world. Freaks Anon is a dark, weird fairy tale of monsters and heroes. Excellent." - Rich Hawkins, Author of The Last Plague and The Last Outpost Acclaim for Dead Things “Matt Darst is a truly original talent. His quick pacing, encyclopedic grasp of literature and history, and spellbinding mix of social commentary and jaw-dropping action make Dead Things a first-rate triumph. With a dash of Bradbury, hints of Huxley and Orwell, and heavy dollops of smart pop culture, Darst is taking the zombie novel in a really cool new direction, and you’re going to love every page of it. Hang on, if you can, because this guy has written a future history that will rattle every nerve you’ve got.” - Joe McKinney, author of Dead City and Apocalypse of the Dead and recipient of multiple Bram Stoker Awards “A first-class zombie story which takes place in a beautifully realized post- apocalyptic world. In many ways a spiritual cousin to Matheson’s classic I am Legend, this is a fantastic and surprising horror tale. Highly recommended.” - David Moody, author of Them or Us, Autumn, and Trust “Matthew Darst is a writer who shares my Romero-esque love of zombies. Ever true to the vision of the zombie holocaust brought to us by Night of the Living Dead, Darst brings the collapse of civilization up to date. Darst brings us a startling real glimpse of the cause of the zombie contagion.” - Iain McKinnon, author of Domain of the Dead and Remains of the Dead “Matt Darst…writes masterfully in the genre and fine art of zombie horror, and Dead Things is the zombie novel for the rest of us. You know…the readers who do not really ‘get’ the deep dark obsession with the ghouls? Well, even if you have a subtle disdain for 4 Freaks Anon A Novel by Matt Darst anything flesh-eating, do yourself a favor and pick up Dead Things. It— in a word — is brilliant. The plotline is perfect, the characters flawless and the solution is so simple that it is entirely plausible. Even zombie-purists cannot help but enjoy this book that takes the reader off the beaten path of zombification. A fresh twist creates an a-ha moment that the horror reader is sure to appreciate.” - Sylvia Cochran, The Deepening World of Fiction “A fabulous debut novel. Darst excels in creating a unique vision of the aftermath of America after the dead begin to rise. The characters are well written, and I found myself getting emotionally invested. Darst took special care with this book, and it absolutely shows. The zombie action is used with razor sharp efficiency. This is a great read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.” - Chip Fehd, BuyZombie.com “Darst uses a number of nifty maneuvers to keep this a fresh offering. The dialogue is smart and witty. The science behind the story is very well thought out. Integral to the plot are zombies; however, it is more than a zombie novel. It’s a novel about human beings, a novel where the monsters we become are far more frightening than the things shambling from the graves to gnaw on our flesh. A well-written, smartly entertaining debut.” - John Boden, Shock Totem Publications (ShockTotem.com) 5 Freaks Anon A Novel by Matt Darst This book is dedicated to a real superhero. Mom, I love you with all of my heart. 6 Freaks Anon A Novel by Matt Darst Freaks Anon Tracklisting Side A 1. Ripple 2. Apron Strings 3. Making Plans for Nigel 4. Ugly American Girl 5. Sensoria 6. Disguises 7. Sound of Thunder Side B 8. They Said Tomorrow 9. My Death 10. Look Back in Anger 11. Tall Ships 12. Louis Quatorze 13. Nite Flights 14. A Means to an End Side C 15. Crazy Wisdom 16. I Liked You Better When You Were Dead 17. Confusion 18. Red Headed Stranger 19. Don’t Change 20. One Step Ahead 21. The Endless Sea Side D 22. What Goes On 23. The Naked Part 24. Talk about the Past 25. Show of Strength 26. Hero 27. Both Ends Burning 28. Of All the Things We’ve Made 7 Freaks Anon A Novel by Matt Darst Bonus Track Monument , a Dystopian Short Story 8 Freaks Anon A Novel by Matt Darst Track One: Ripple Auvergne, France. November 1764. Clouds of vapor materialize then retreat. Ghostly apparitions, the cold gives the monster’s pants form. Dusk cedes to night. This is the “hour between dog and wolf.” This is the hour between worlds. This is his hour. Winter’s come early. A thin veil of newly formed ice masks the churning beneath the surface of the brook. He prowls the bank on all fours, frozen reeds crunching under the thick pads of his paws. He’s just a dozen feet from the creaking waterwheel when the second oil lamp flickers to life. He stops dead, his lupine body going stiff, his breath silent. He hides among the willows, secreted by lengthening shadows. He shifts his weight to his haunches, slowly rises. Inside the mill, the silhouette of a woman beckons to a child studying at a desk. The boy stands and moves to join her near the stove. The creature’s head cocks, his pointed ears tilting to catch their exchange of words. “Le dîner est presque prêt.” Dinner is almost ready. He inhales deep. Chicken, boiling in onions. Bread. But there’s more, so much more. Masked beneath those broad strokes are subtleties, hidden scents. In his human form, he could never detect these nuances. But now, his sense of smell is specialized. It is fifty times stronger. A nasal pocket traps odor molecules in a layer of mucous. The cilia of receptor neurons pick up the diffused particles. Signals are transmitted to his olfactory lobe. The aromas are distinct: sweet, the woman’s perfumed skin; sour, milk on the boy’s upper lip; salty, the trace of sweat on her neck; and savory, the blood that pulses through their arteries, filling their muscle tissue, powering their organs. His tongue rolls over his teeth, pausing on the tip of an elongated canine. The umami makes him salivate. Steaming drool escapes from his maw, melting the snow beneath him. The wolf inside—yes, he has given over his body to canis lupus lupus this night— screams at him like a fiend from folklore. Break down the door, give chase, and tear out their throats. But his mind, a vestige of his humanity, holds him fixed. It tells the inner wolf to sit, stay. He has—no, they have—all night. Pierre Delmas—husband, father, and the owner of this mill—is in Lorcières. He won’t return until well past dawn. Of this, the monster is certain. He confirmed as much with Delmas himself just last week. Sipping witbier in a darkened corner of L’Abattus Agneau, the monster watched as Delmas and a dozen farmers quarreled around a beer-soaked oak table at the front of the pub.