Book 1, Prologue: Nightshade

On a quiet night, the esteemed clinician Dr. Grady Shaw flees across the grey prairie with something fiendish at his heels — leaving a trail for the Covenant vigilante, the mysterious Deacon Langley, to follow…

Presented by the Austin Audio Laboratory. The following is intended for a mature audience, listener discretion is advised.

And now, on Grimwell County…

[ somber instrumental ]

To whom it may concern.

In time, I suppose there may be questions regarding the circumstances of my resignation as the county practitioner, but be that as it may: my responsibility explaining this matter concerns only you. If you are reading letter, I expect you will have unfortunately come to Grimwell to take up in my clinic. And I pray, to whichever God may yet live, that you turn on around and leave, while you can. I have spent my entire life treating the folks of Grimwell County, and I have a love for these lands. But with this letter as my bond, I vow it is my intent never again to return to that accursed place. Not while that thing is out there.

And it is out there.

Sheriff Cullen may have you misunderstand the nature of it, but I implore you to heed my warning. Bodies, ripped up, chewed up, carved up, half dragged off into the swamps. My neighbors, my friends. Effected by a manner of violence so unnatural as to have shaken me to my core. And deeper, still. Do not linger in Grimwell. Evil things live there.

And Cullen, if you are reading this, I wish you well, sheriff. I pray you will survive the nights to come. And if the sun ever rises again over Grimwell, you may find me in the Hill Country.

Signed,

Dr. Grady Shaw, former medical practicioner, Grimwell County, TX.

—

[ dark instrumental - Grimwell County ]

[ crickets, frogs, owls — night on the grey prairie ]

Midnight, on the outskirts of Grimwell County.

[ a wolf howls over the trees ] [ driving instrumental music ]

Dr. Shaw: Yah! Yah!!

[ a horse gallops past - the doctor flees, frenzied, into the dark county trails, and something snarls savagely at his heels ]

[ branches lash at him, and his horse cries out ]

Dr. Shaw: Come on! Run, god damn you! Hyah!! Come on there!

[ vicious snarls — closer ]

Dr. Shaw: Aaaahh! Oh my god in heaven, somebody help! Somebody help me, please! God damn it! Come on! Hyah!

[ claws tear into his horse’s legs — a flurry of primal motion — the doctor is thrown to the ground ]

Dr. Shaw: Whoa! Ugh — whoa!! Argh!!

[ injured, his horse gallops away ]

[ he draws himself up — or tries ]

His leg.

[ a sickening crack — he falls — and fights the shock ]

Dr. Shaw: Aah! Oh! Oh, it’s broke, damn it! Son of a god dang rattlin’ such and god…

Something lurks in the dark.

[ a predator slips past with a snarl — he draws ]

Dr. Shaw: N-no… No. Not like this.

[ he tries to escape, but collapses — it watches ]

[ he fires — a ricochet, and a canine yelp — he glares down the barrel into the dark ]

Dr. Shaw: I know you come for me. God damn dog headed man. I ain’t scared of you.

[ growling, it circles him — he fires, but it’s too fast ]

Dr. Shaw: God damn. The next one’s going right between your eyes you god damn coward!

[ the predator stalks through the prairie brush ]

[ the doctor fires his last bullets — click ]

[ the dog headed man draws itself before him, and with a small effort spills the doctors entrails ]

Dr. Shaw: Ugghh!! Aaaahh!! Damn you… you god… damn…

[ with a primal utterance, the dog headed man is upon him ]

For the last time, the night closes in on Dr. Grady Shaw.

[ a lone howl dances across the night sky ]

—

[ instrumental transition ]

[ cicadas, mourning doves, and crows — late morning on the grey prairie ]

[ flies swarm upon a corpse ] [ a pencil etches on paper ]

The Covenant vigilante: Deacon Langley.

[ a horse grumbles ]

Langley: Yeah, I hear you girl. Just about done here anyhow.

[ he sighs and mounts his horse ]

Langley: Well, we still got a ways to ride.

The young man’s gaze lingers on the doctor’s grisly remains.

Langley: I’m sorry we couldn’t get here sooner.

[ he spurs his horse onward, and they return to the trail ]

Langley: At least we know we’re on the right trail after all.

[ instrumental - riders in the night (grimwell county opening titles) ]

In the twilight of the old west, Deacon Langley rides alone. From the swamps of Cradle Cove, to the grey prairie, and into the dark of Grimwell County, Texas.