"With spine-tingling chills and unrelenting suspense, Dean takes good versus evil to new heights. This one’s a keeper..."—Lee Driver, author of the Chase Dagger Series and winner of the 2005 IPPY Award for Best Horror

"Scarlett Dean crafts a fast-moving tale with believable characters caught in a deadly struggle of good versus evil. The creepy, claustrophobic atmosphere of The Academy provides lots of visceral scares that build to a hair-raising climax..."—E. F. Watkins, author of Dance With The Dragon, winner of the 2004 EPPIE for Best Horror

…Inside the manhole, Grant kicked at the probing muscle inches below his feet.

“Pull me up!” he screamed.

“What is it?” Joe called.

“Just do it!”

Grant’s body jerked upward as the chalk-colored mound lurched, missing his left shoe. He slammed against the tunnel’s murky walls, cursing when his hands sunk into its soft tissue-like warmth. Joe seemed hundreds of feet above, feverishly pulling the rope.

After several more tugs, Grant reached the hole’s opening. Sweat burned his eyes as he fought to pull himself to safety.

Joe could barely contain his excitement. “What is it? What did you see?”