Quick Hits

New Book Releases:

• “Trad Wife” by Sarah Langan — A supernatural horror novel diving into domestic paranoia, identity, and the darker side of curated perfection.

• “Make Me Better” by Sarah Gailey — Psychological/body horror centered on self-improvement culture and obsession with perfection. Expect existential dread with teeth.

New TV Show Releases:

• The Terror: Devil in Silver — An AMC horror anthology, this third season follows a man trapped inside a terrifying psychiatric institution where the real monsters may not be supernatural at all. Strong psychological horror energy with institutional paranoia and surreal dread.

New Movie Releases:

• Obsession — One of the most anticipated horror releases of the month. The film starts like a romantic drama before mutating into psychological horror and supernatural nightmare territory.

Top 10 List:

Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Books

1. “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy

2. “The Stand” by Stephen King

3. “A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter M. Miller Jr.

4. “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson

5. “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel

6. “Swan Song” by Robert R. McCammon

7. “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia E. Butler

8. “The Day of the Triffids” by John Wyndham

9. “On the Beach” by Nevil Shute

10. “Earth Abides” by George R. Stewart

In-depth exploration of a specific theme, trope, or topic:

The Evolution of Vampires in Horror: From Gothic Monsters to Psychological Predators

Few monsters in horror have evolved as dramatically as the vampire. Zombies change. Werewolves rage. Ghosts haunt. But vampires adapt. Every generation remakes them in its own image, which is exactly why they’ve survived for centuries while so many other horror creatures fade into novelty.

The vampire is never just a monster.
It is a reflection of cultural fear.

At different points in history, vampires have represented disease, aristocracy, forbidden sexuality, addiction, corruption, immortality, loneliness, seduction, capitalism, and even existential despair. The bloodsucker changes because humanity changes.

The Birth of the Modern Vampire

While vampire folklore existed for centuries across Europe and Asia, the modern literary vampire truly emerged with Dracula in 1897.

Stoker’s “Count Dracula” combined several cultural anxieties of the Victorian era:

• Fear of foreign invasion

• Sexual repression

• Disease and contamination

• Declining religious certainty

• The corruption of the upper class

Dracula was not merely a creature feeding on blood. He was an invasive force threatening the social order itself. Notice how often vampire stories revolve around infiltration. The vampire enters the home. The bedroom. The bloodstream. The family line. Horror becomes intimate.

This intimacy separates vampires from many other monsters. A vampire does not merely kill you. It transforms you.

Vampires and Sexuality

As horror evolved through the 20th century, vampires became increasingly tied to sexuality and seduction.

Films from Hammer Film Productions transformed the vampire into a charismatic predator. Christopher Lee’s Dracula wasn’t a rotting corpse lurking in shadows. He was magnetic, elegant, and dangerous.

This shift mattered because horror was changing alongside society’s relationship with sexuality. Vampires became symbolic outlets for forbidden desire.

By the 1970s and 1980s, vampire fiction increasingly blurred the line between predator and lover:

• Interview with the Vampire

• The Hunger

• Near Dark

These stories explored immortality not as power fantasy, but as emotional curse. Loneliness became central to vampire horror. The vampire transformed from external monster into internal tragedy.

Addiction, Disease, and Decay

Modern horror frequently treats vampirism as addiction.

Bloodlust behaves like dependency:

• uncontrollable craving

• loss of humanity

• manipulation

• moral collapse

• physical deterioration

This metaphor became especially powerful during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and early 1990s. Horror often absorbs societal fear indirectly, and vampire fiction became heavily associated with contamination, infection, and bodily vulnerability.

Films like The Lost Boys disguised these anxieties beneath stylish youth rebellion, while darker works leaned fully into physical corruption.

The vampire stopped being glamorous and became diseased.

The Rise of the Psychological Vampire

One of the most fascinating evolutions in horror is the emergence of the psychological vampire.

These creatures may not even drink blood literally. Instead, they consume:

• attention

• identity

• emotion

• innocence

• sanity

Stories increasingly explore predatory relationships through vampire imagery. The monster becomes emotional manipulation itself.

This is why vampires remain culturally powerful while many monsters lose relevance. They are endlessly adaptable metaphors for exploitation.

A vampire can represent:

• abusive relationships

• narcissism

• cult leaders

• addiction

• corrupt systems

• emotional dependency

• even celebrity culture

The feeding simply changes form.

Why Vampires Endure

At their core, vampires embody humanity’s oldest contradiction:
the desire to live forever…and the fear of what immortality would turn us into.

Unlike zombies, vampires retain intelligence.
Unlike ghosts, they possess agency.
Unlike slashers, they evolve emotionally.

That complexity allows them to move fluidly between:

• gothic horror

• romance

• psychological horror

• action

• fantasy

• existential drama

• even science fiction

Very few monsters can carry all those genres simultaneously.

And perhaps that is the vampire’s greatest strength.

The vampire survives because it reflects us too well.

Beautiful. Hungry. Lonely. Seductive. Predatory. Afraid of death. Desperate for meaning. Willing to consume others to escape the darkness just a little longer.

Industry Analysis & Insights on New Trends:

Psychological Horror Continues Dominating the Genre

The biggest trend in horror right now is the continued dominance of psychologically driven horror over pure jump-scare filmmaking.

Films like Obsession are receiving massive critical attention because they blend emotional realism with escalating nightmare logic rather than relying on traditional slasher formulas.

Modern audiences increasingly want horror that feels emotionally plausible. The monster is no longer enough. The trauma behind the monster matters more.

“Big Idea Sci-Fi” Is Returning

For several years, mainstream sci-fi leaned heavily toward action spectacle and franchise maintenance. That’s changing.

Many of 2026’s most anticipated sci-fi books are once again focused on:

• philosophy

• geopolitics

• climate anxiety

• systems collapse

• identity

• and the future of civilization itself

Readers are increasingly gravitating toward science fiction that feels intellectually substantial again.

Weekly Quiz:

Name the Horror Subgenre

Each question describes a classic trope commonly associated with a specific horror subgenre. Identify the correct option…your survival depends on it.

1. Ancient gods, forbidden knowledge, and protagonists driven insane after discovering humanity’s insignificance in the universe.

A) Gothic Horror
B) Cosmic Horror
C) Survival Horror
D) Splatter Horror

2. A remote village practices strange seasonal rituals and treats outsiders with unnerving politeness.

A) Folk Horror
B) Found Footage Horror
C) Body Horror
D) Urban Horror

3. Teenagers are hunted one-by-one by a masked killer after engaging in behavior horror movies have judged since the 1980s.

A) Psychological Horror
B) Gothic Horror
C) Slasher Horror
D) Tech Horror

4. The terror comes from grotesque mutations, disease, physical transformation, or loss of bodily autonomy.

A) Creature Feature
B) Body Horror
C) Paranormal Horror
D) Folk Horror

5. The protagonist slowly loses grip on reality, leaving the audience unsure what is supernatural and what is psychological collapse.

A) Splatterpunk
B) Monster Horror
C) Psychological Horror
D) Religious Horror

6. The story unfolds through recovered recordings, camcorder footage, livestreams, or investigative tapes.

A) Gothic Horror
B) Found Footage Horror
C) Cosmic Horror
D) Haunted House Horror

7. An ancient castle, family curse, decaying aristocracy, storms, and tragic secrets dominate the atmosphere.

A) Extreme Horror
B) Tech Horror
C) Gothic Horror
D) Survival Horror

8. Humanity is trapped during societal collapse while infected creatures or undead overwhelm civilization.

A) Zombie Apocalypse Horror
B) Folk Horror
C) Religious Horror
D) Erotic Horror

9. The horror revolves around demonic possession, blasphemy, corrupted faith, or spiritual warfare.

A) Cosmic Horror
B) Religious Horror
C) Psychological Horror
D) Eco Horror

10. The setting itself feels wrong: empty malls, endless hallways, abandoned offices, flickering fluorescent lights, and uncanny nostalgia.

A) Liminal Horror
B) Creature Feature
C) Slasher Horror
D) Vampire Horror

Answer Key

1. Cosmic Horror

2. Folk Horror

3. Slasher Horror

4. Body Horror

5. Psychological Horror

6. Found Footage Horror

7. Gothic Horror

8. Zombie Apocalypse Horror

9. Religious Horror

10. Liminal Horror

Historical Tidbit:

The Soviet Sci-Fi Film That Nearly Predicted the Internet’s Psychological Dangers

In 1979, long before social media, algorithm addiction, or digital echo chambers, Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky released Stalker, a science fiction film so philosophical and psychologically unsettling that many modern viewers consider it eerily prophetic.

The film follows three men traveling through a forbidden region known as “The Zone,” a mysterious area abandoned after an unexplained extraterrestrial event. Deep inside The Zone lies a room rumored to grant a person’s innermost desire.

Simple premise. Existential consequences.

What made Stalker revolutionary wasn’t spectacle. In fact, the film intentionally rejected the flashy futuristic aesthetics dominating much of Western sci-fi at the time. No laser battles. No shiny spacecraft. No alien armies.

Instead, Tarkovsky focused on:

• psychological deterioration

• spiritual emptiness

• obsession

• human desire

• and the danger of confronting one’s true self

The Zone itself behaves almost like a living consciousness. Characters can’t trust maps, logic, or even their own perceptions. The deeper they travel, the more reality itself seems unstable.

The Zone is now often compared to:

• digital addiction

• material obsession

• climate change

• identity fragmentation

The terrifying idea at the heart of Stalker is this:

Human beings are not psychologically prepared for unrestricted access to their deepest desires.

Decades later, that idea feels less like science fiction and more like a warning label for the digital age.

Even stranger? The production itself became infamous. Much of the movie was filmed in heavily polluted industrial areas, and several people involved with the production — including Tarkovsky himself — later developed severe illnesses believed by some to be connected to toxic filming conditions.

Which somehow makes the movie feel even more cursed.

Today, Stalker remains one of the most influential science fiction films ever made, inspiring:

• video games

• modern dystopian storytelling

• cosmic horror aesthetics

• philosophical sci-fi

• and the haunting “liminal space” atmosphere now dominating internet horror culture

Sometimes the most important science fiction stories don’t predict technology. They predict what technology will eventually do to the human soul.

Thank you for reading. If you are an independent publisher, author, or film maker and have a new release please feel free to send your information to pd@pdalleva.com so that we can include you in our newsletter.

6

It’ll be our little secret.

Ezra could hear the vendor’s voice as if he were speaking inside her mind. She was lying in bed with the lights off, trying to fall asleep while staring at the ceiling. The winter wren chirped occasionally, but she dismissed its plea. Her cells buzzed with unrelenting anxiety. Her stomach was tied in knots as if her organs were being wrung dry. Ezra’s scalp was on fire, but not even the burn could cease the instinctive urge to stroke her hair. She’d always stroked her hair. As far back as she could remember, she’d indulged in the practice. Ezra pulled forcefully, stroking the long locks and thinking while clucking her tongue.

“Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.”

Thinking of the street vendor.

There is a hidden alcove in Central Park that houses charms and figurines. It is referred to as the Ramble Cave. There is magic inside the cave. Knowledge exists there. Truth and answers. You are to go there and retrieve the small statue. You’ll know which one when you see it, for it holds magical energy. Magic that will provide you with the truth. And then you will see. You will see and know the truth about what is happening to you.

But Ezra was afraid of magic. Afraid, and yet intrigued. The ability to know, understand, and have answers far outweighed Ezra’s fear.

The vendor had placed his finger to his lips. It’ll be our little secret. Once you have obtained the statue, you may do with it as you please. Then he stood tall, like a soldier about to offer a salute, with his chin raised and his shoulders erect. Promise you’ll go there, and I’ll provide you with directions.

“Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.”

Ezra pinched three strands. Pulling. Tugging. The pain brought her back to the here and now.

Chirp. Chirp.

“Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.”

Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

Ooohhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Aaahhhhmmmmmmmmmmm.

“Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.”

Chirp. Chirp.

“Shhhhh.” She shushed the bird.

She tugged at the few strands with a wince. Let them drift from her hand to the bed, then stared into darkness.

Her eyes grew wide, then wider as an icy chill crawled across her skin and her thoughts emptied from her mind like a well gone dry. A subtle creak on the carpet. Heavy, strained breaths whispered through the door. The shadow people groaned across the bedroom floor. Ezra lay in bed, stiff as a board, as the shadows inched across her skin.

Unfortunately, there are more demons than angels.

Her breath caught in her throat. Her heart froze, stiff, turning to stone.

She’d been here before; the shadow people had first arrived on a summer’s day long ago. They took her away to the butterflies and waterfalls and the essence of spring, where flowers bloomed and the air was warm, while the hum surrounded the cave housing the monster. Bad things happened in that cave. Ezra knew it was true. She could feel the evil essence saturate her bones.

If she focused hard enough, she could hear soft footsteps moving cautiously inside the cave. If she gazed into its blackened depths, she could feel her body twitch from the pain radiating from her pelvis to her chest.

Ezra forced her eyes away from the cave.

Focus on the waterfalls and butterflies.

Focus on spring.

Her heartbeat now raged inside the sun hovering above the horizon. The Ohm was prominent, bleating from the center of the giant star.

She found it odd that the vendor’s journey would lead her to a cave.

7

“Have you lost your mind, Ezra?”

Sister Agnes looked down on Ezra with contempt. Her teeth were gritted. Her jaw tight, with her nose curled in a sneer. The other girls snickered and laughed. Sister Agnes waited for an answer. How could Ezra answer? Was it an actual question or a statement? Sure, Ezra had drifted off again, thinking about the cave, the butterflies, spring, and the shadow people. Thinking about last night and the pain that was unbearable, then the cave with its evil essence.

“Are you there, Ezra?”

Another drift, this time right in front of Sister Agnes. In front of the class. Ezra’s jaw hung loose, shocked into a frozen state. Her ability to speak was gone, a result of her emptied mind.

“Up!” scolded Sister Agnes. She gestured to the front of the class. “Take the position.”

Ezra looked up at Sister Agnes, feeling her face turn flushed and hot. The other students looked on with grins and squelched laughs. Ezra looked at the desk in front of the class. Looked at the other students staring at the scene, watching it unfold.

“Now, Ezra! If you refuse to stay alert in my class, I’ll have to force you to pay attention. Get up, Ezra. Out of the chair and assume the position.”

Ezra eyed the paddleboard on Sister Agnes’s desk. She’d never seen it in class before. Typically, the teachers kept it in their office, which was where the punishment took place. Ezra didn’t move. Couldn’t force herself to get up. Sister Agnes tilted her head, eyeballing Ezra while gritting her teeth.

“Do I need to move you myself?”

Ezra gave a slow shake of her head.

“Good,” said Sister Agnes, turning away and walking toward the desk. Ezra followed a second later, staring at the paddleboard that Sister Agnes snatched off the desk, then stepped back, waiting.

Ezra’s heart pounded against her ribs, racing like a rabbit in her chest. Her stare locked on the paddleboard that Sister Agnes kept knocking into her free hand, as if gearing up for maximum penalty.

“Assume the position.”

Ezra turned around behind the desk to face the twenty students in attendance. There was a mix of emotions in the audience. Some wore pained expressions. Some looked away, and yet a few seemed as if they were anticipating the pain that Ezra was about to receive, chomping at the bit to bear witness to Ezra’s shame.

Ezra knew they fed off it like candy.

Ezra bent over with her hands on the desk.

“Let this be a lesson to you all: pay attention.” Ezra could feel Sister Agnes’s hot breath crawl up her back, creeping across her neck. “Dreamers never win. You need to be in the here and now to be a proper lady.”

Ezra locked onto the closest desk, not seeing the student—Nancy Blake—sitting there. Just the desk. A focal point to maintain her...

Thwack came the first paddle whack, and Ezra twitched with a wince. Pain raced up her spine. Ezra stiffened.

Thwack!

Ezra jolted forward. The pain blossomed across her lower back.

She felt the wind before the third whack. Ezra ground her jaw in anticipation. Her entire body was on fire. The pain welled up into her throat.

Thwack!

The other students looked on with lost stares. She noticed Kendra cup her hand over her mouth and whisper something to Jenny Holden. Ezra turned her stare back to the desk in the front row.

“Now, get back to your seat and pay attention.”

At least she only gave three. Ezra stood tall, then walked back to her desk, feeling eyes roaming over her. Her body was hot from the heat of pain and shame. She sat down, avoiding eye contact with the other students when a single tear dripped down her cheek.

8

“You’ve got a devil in you, Ezra,” said Sister Agnes. She’d brought Ezra into her office after class and had her sit down to speak with her. Ezra’s bottom was throbbing. She was certain welts had formed across her ass; the sting forced a wince every time she shifted in the seat. “You’ve been a student here all your life, and in that time, we’ve always noticed something… troubling about you.”

Sister Agnes sat behind her desk, her eyes locked on Ezra, staring her down, assessing. Staring into her soul. Sister Agnes sighed. She tilted her head. “I’ve also noticed over the last few months that your drifting has escalated. In fact, it’s become so prominent that I had a talk with Father Carmine about it.” She paused as if to allow the information to sink in. Father Carmine’s tenure with the church was paramount. He intervened only when there was an issue with a student, and his involvement would often lead to expulsion. “I want you to know that we are calling your parents to have a conference with them about your behavior.” She let that sink in, too; her stare never wavered from Ezra. “Drifting off the way you do and as often as you do…” She shook her head. “It is the place where the devil roams. Needless to say, we are very concerned.”

Ezra gripped her hair, then pulled just enough to feel the follicles raise her scalp. Her parents? This wasn’t good. She could only imagine the wrath that would be delivered upon her by her parents. Being called into the school over your child’s behavior was shameful.

“Say something, Ezra. I want to know what you’re thinking.”

Ezra wanted to puke, her insides roiling with toxicity. She tugged a little harder, the pain across her skull eliminating the pain across her bottom.

“Where do you go when you have these episodes? The situation is quite troubling.”

Ezra didn’t know what to say. Could she tell Sister Agnes about the butterflies and waterfalls? The spring season and the cave where the darkness loomed and the creature waited. Should she tell her about the shadow people or the way her insides were in a constant boil? Or how it all happened on a whim, requiring no prompting from Ezra. The episodes just happened.

Instead, she said nothing; the words dried on her tongue. Evaporated from her mind.

“We’ve seen such cases before,” said Sister Agnes. “There is a procedure that can cure such illnesses. It’s quite popular and has received magnificent results in the medical community.”

Ezra’s heart was racing, wiping her thoughts clean. Ezra didn’t want a procedure. She wanted clarification on what was happening to her.

“Are you going through the change, Ezra?”

Pull. Tug. Gritted teeth.

“I noticed you’re a bit behind in developing like the others. The change can often amplify a mental illness.” She cupped her hands together on top of the desk.

Ezra’s voice arrived soft and meek. “I just want to know what is happening to me. What is this change? Why do I have to go through it?”

Sister Agnes sighed. “We’ve gone over this in class. Girls your age go through changes. Like a caterpillar entering a cocoon, we come out on the other side blossomed and ready to be women. What you’re going through is commonplace. All women go through the change. But sometimes the change is overwhelming. I’ve seen it before, most particularly with those who entered the cocoon with a troubled mind. I believe you are one of those women.”

Ezra knew it was more than Sister Agnes had referenced.

A cocoon? Like a butterfly.

Butterflies flashed before her eyes. The waterfall. The spring season. The cave. The groaning ohm radiating through her bones.

Sister Agnes snapped her fingers, breaking Ezra from her trance. “If you can’t remain present during a simple conversation, how do you expect to remain diligent in real life?” She looked away as if to break her thoughts, then returned her gaze to Ezra. “I believe there is something troubling about you, Ezra. The procedure I spoke of can cure you of it.”

Sister Agnes opened her desk drawer and retrieved a pamphlet that she slid across the desk to Ezra. “This pamphlet explains the procedure. I want you to share this with your parents tonight and talk to them about it.” She eyed Ezra as she took the pamphlet. “I believe it is the only way to get the devil out of you.”

Ezra’s eyes narrowed. In big letters, the pamphlet read: Return to Family Life. The Calming Effects of Prefrontal Lobotomy.

“Father Carmine and I will suggest this very procedure to your parents when they arrive.”

Read more

Previously On The Dark Veil: The Rose Vol. 3:

After killing Moth, Sandy learns the battle was never about escape—it was about reaching this exact moment. Mia reveals the fate of the universe now rests with Phil and the choice he makes. Meanwhile, Phil continues brutally tormenting Sanos, consumed by grief and vengeance as visions of his dead family beg him to let go of the hatred before it destroys him completely.

33

Electricity tore through Robyn. The currents manifesting his flesh and blood in the here and now, turning his projected self into solid matter as Sephtis approached the pod.

Robyn attempted to lift his arms, but the currents weighed on his bones. It was like wading through drying concrete. Fog raced across the rooftop, consumed by the same electrical currents and turning the roof into a macabre of electrical terror. An electrical terror Robyn knew he could use to advance toward Sephtis.

Robyn drew the electricity into him with an inhale, feeling the surge writhe through his heart. It lifted him up, electrical currents flitting over every part of him when an electrical hum thundered from his heart. Sephtis halted his walk. He looked at Robyn, his teeth gritted, the humming escalated, reaching a crescendo.

Robyn raised his arms, and the currents inside the fog followed, rising off the rooftop like electrical pythons ready to strike.

“No!” Sephtis groaned when Robyn stepped forward.

He slapped his hands in front of him, sending a thick electrical wave barreling towards Sephtis as the pythons struck, surging through Sephtis, paralyzing his limbs like a shock from hell. His arms were tense and outstretched when Robyn’s current struck him with the force of a freight train, sending him tumbling across the roof.

Robyn advanced, using the electricity to glide across the roof. The pod hummed with electricity. Robyn peered into it. Cam groaned from within the pod, time turning him into the Atlantean Robyn had come to know so many years ago. He disappeared in the blink of an eye.

One step down, thought Robyn, turning his attention back to Sephtis. One more to go.

Robyn clenched his fists, tightening the surge coursing through Sephtis while he glided towards him, riding a wave of fog-drenched electricity. Sephtis fought through Robyn’s electrical shackle. A humming groan reverberating in his throat, Sephtis managed to lift himself to one knee.

“This is the end for you Sephtis.” Robyn moved his hands, palms raised, stretching them in front of him. The fog parted on his command, revealing the ailing Sephtis. Blood dripping from his nostrils. His skin splitting, fissures tearing open from his veins.

Sephtis drew the currents into himself. “Two can play this game, Robyn.” He jumped to his feet, taking a monstrous step forward, slapping his hands together and sending an electrical wave towards Robyn.

Robyn countered with his own, the currents connecting between them, creating a sonic boom that thundered across the roof. Competing currents tore at each other, grinding, humming, thundering to overtake the other. Robyn clenched his hands, gritting his teeth. He had to overcome. Robyn knew this was true. The moment of triumph was barreling towards him. The fate of the universe would be decided soon.

“No matter what, Robyn, I am getting to that pod.”

34

Grimes hurried to the vessel, Diagon and Annie on his heels with Perseus behind them. The mothership floated above the prison, waiting for the time to strike.

Grimes placed his hand over the vessel’s sensor, retracting the ramp.

Diagon turned to Annie. “Are you certain about this? That it’s the only way?”

Annie nodded. “The information is coming directly from Axel through the indigo children.” She looked over her shoulder at the mothership. “If they fire… it’ll destroy everything in the universe. Not just us, but…” She turned and locked eyes with Diagon. “Everything. The blast will begin a chain reaction that will cross dimensions across space and time. Another big bang will occur. One that is bathed in the vibration of this moment.” She looked up, referencing the current circumstances. “Look at us… feel this moment. Destruction has taken place. We’ve come to a pinnacle in our own system where either love or hate will vibrate exponentially. The chaos of this moment, the vengeance in the hearts of those most directly responsible will coat the atoms in a frequency the Dark Lord will be satisfied with. The soul dimension is where he waits. I can feel him there, tormenting the lost souls whose confusion is already ripe, which is the purpose of the soul dimension. To torment the soul with confusion and a loss of self. The Dark Lord is using it all to create a universe in his own image. Using the frequency in this moment to do so.”

She looked from Diagon to Grimes. “Only an act of pure love can save us.” Annie gestured to the vessel. “I’m not surprised it comes down to an act of selfless admiration.” She turned to Diagon. “For all of us, not just humans. A love for everything that exists. Every species down to the smallest living creature. This universe is constructed based on two competing frequencies. It’s a symbiotic relationship. One cannot exist without the other. It’s what makes life beautiful. We all have a purpose within this construct, but the Dark Lord wants to tip the scale, destroy it and make it new where only hate exists to torment those who hold a shred of decency in their hearts. Only love can save us now.”

“Which is why I need to go.” Grimes looked up at the mothership then back to Annie when her eyes rolled behind her eyelids. “Annie? What is it?”

“Communication from Mia.”

Grimes and Diagon looked at each other then turned back to Annie.

“Moth is dead. She is with Sandy and Aries in Drac Tower.”

“What does that mean?” asked Grimes.

“Master Moth is dead?” said Diagon.

“The Atlantean has arrived.”

Grimes’ eyes narrowed. “Who?”

Annie gritted her teeth. “Communication with the mothership has been dismantled with Moth’s death.”

“What in the world is happening right now?” Grimes turned to Diagon then back to Annie. “Do we not have to worry about the mothership? Annie?”

Her eyes snapped back to normal. She locked eyes with Grimes. “It is time.”

“Time for what?” asked Diagon.

Annie looked up at the sky. “I can feel it. Everything sharpens to a point in time where the fate of the universe will teeter on either catastrophe or freedom. A point in time where the future will begin anew. A fate that will be decided by one person.”

Grimes stepped closer. “Who are you talking about?”

A tear dripped from Annie’s eyelash. “Phil!”

Hello Readers,

Today, I’m excited to finally share the official cover reveal for my upcoming folk horror novella, Web of Malevolence.

A few months back, fellow author Angel Sanchez invited me to join a collaborative folk horror collection titled Echoes of the Forgotten, alongside eleven other authors. Naturally, I said yes—and then immediately set out to create something unsettling, visceral, and just twisted enough to leave a mark.

What came out of that process?
Let’s just say… it went further than I planned—in the best possible way.

The collection is slated for release on June 12th and will be available through Kindle Unlimited. While some contributors are sticking to digital formats, I’m doing what I always do—bringing this story to life in paperback and hardback as well. Some stories deserve to be held… especially the dangerous ones.

I’m currently in the final stages of editing, but all formats will be ready by release day.

For now, take a look at the cover (also designed by Angel Sanchez) and the book description below.

You can preorder the digital edition on Amazon by clicking this link.

With gratitude,

PD Alleva

What happens when 12 storytellers unleash their darkest visions? You don’t just read it. You experience it. ‘Echoes of the Forgotten’ is a multi-author series that will stay with you long after the final page. 12 Authors. 12 Books. Zero escape.

Web of Malevolence

Winter, 1971. Grief drives teenager Michael Tedesco into exile—straight into the arms of a grandfather he barely knows, hidden deep within the sun-bleached isolation of the Florida Keys. At first glance, the island feels like paradise. But paradise has a memory. The locals watch too closely. Speak too little. And when they do speak, it’s only in hushed warnings—stories of Naia Tomes, a witch who once stalked the island… a woman said to have fed on human flesh before the newcomers put her down. Buried. Forgotten. Or so they claim. Because something is stirring again. The wind carries whispers that shouldn’t exist. Shadows linger where nothing should stand. And Michael begins to realize the truth the island has been hiding: Naia Tomes is not finished. As the past claws its way back into the present, Michael is pulled deeper into a suffocating nightmare—one woven from secrets, superstition, and blood. The kind of horror that doesn’t just haunt you… It waits for you. And on this island, revenge is not a story. It’s a ritual.

There’s more waiting in the Echoes of the Forgotten collection—each one steeped in its own brand of darkness. Don’t stop here… there are more folk horrors to satisfy your appetite. Be certain to read all the pulse pounding nightmares in the collection.

Quick Hits

New Book Releases:

• “Platform Decay” by Martha Wells — Latest entry in the Murderbot Diaries, continuing an AI/identity-driven narrative.

• “The Last Contract of Isako” by Fonda Lee — Adult sci-fi debut from a major fantasy author. Themes of power, longevity, and moral cost.

• “The Girl with a Thousand Faces” by Sunyi Dean — Dark fantasy with strong horror elements. Ghosts, trauma, and wartime survival.

• “Accumulation” by Aimee Pokwatka — Psychological horror. Haunted house…or unraveling mind?

New Movie Releases:

• Hokum — A horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch.

• Deep Water — Thriller/horror hybrid. A group of international passengers en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai are forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters.

Top 10 List:

Cosmic Horror Sci-Fi Novels

1. “Blindsight” by Peter Watts

2. “The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin

3. “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem

4. “The Fisherman” by John Langan

5. “Annihilation” by Jeff VanderMeer

6. “Revelation Space” by Alastair Reynolds

7. “Ship of Fools” by Richard Paul Russo

8. “Dead Astronauts” by Jeff VanderMeer

9. “The Gone World” by Tom Sweterlitsch

10. “At the Mountains of Madness” by H. P. Lovecraft

In-depth exploration of a specific theme, trope, or topic:

The “Haunted House” Trope

Home sweet home…until it isn’t.

This one’s older than electricity and still doing damage. The haunted house trope survives every trend cycle because it weaponizes the one place people expect safety. You can outrun a monster in the woods. Try outrunning your own living room.

Core Fear: Safety Is an Illusion

A house is supposed to protect you—keep the outside world out. This trope flips that on its head:

What if the danger isn’t outside…it’s the structure itself?

Walls become witnesses. Floors become traps. Rooms become memory loops. The house stops being a setting and becomes an active participant, sometimes even the antagonist.

How It Shows Up

1) The Classic Haunting

Think The Amityville Horror or The Haunting of Hill House.

• The house has a past (and it’s ugly)

• New occupants inherit unfinished business

• Phenomena escalate from subtle to undeniable

The key move: the house knows you’re there before you know it’s watching

2) The Psychological House

Look at The Shining.

• The horror blurs between environment and mind

• The house amplifies what’s already broken

• You can’t tell if the building is haunted…or you are

The house becomes a mirror that distorts

3) The Living Structure

Seen in films like Poltergeist or House.

• The architecture behaves like an organism

• Rooms shift, consume, or isolate

• The space itself has intent

At this point, you’re not in a house—you’re inside something

4) The Social/Modern Variant

Modern takes lean into:

• Gentrification horror

• Suburban perfection masking decay

• Smart homes/tech-enabled surveillance

The house doesn’t just trap you—it observes, adapts, and learns

Why It Still Works

Because it hits real-life nerves:

• Homes carry memory and history

• People project identity onto where they live

• Losing control of your home = losing control of your life

And here’s the uncomfortable part:

You can leave a place…but the experience doesn’t leave you.
Sometimes the “haunting” follows.

Key Mechanics That Make It Effective

Writers who do this well don’t just throw in ghosts—they build pressure:

• Gradual escalation (creaks → patterns → undeniable events)

• Isolation (cut off from help, emotionally or physically)

• Unreliable perception (is it real, or are you cracking?)

• Attachment (characters need to stay—financially, emotionally, psychologically)

Where the Trope Is Evolving

The modern twist is subtle—and nastier:

• The house doesn’t just haunt you…it reshapes your behavior

• The threat is less about “get out” and more about “you don’t want to leave”

• Control shifts from external force → internal dependence

It’s not a prison. It’s a relationship.

Final Thought

The haunted house trope endures because it exploits a simple truth:

The place you trust most is the place you defend least. And once that trust is broken…there’s nowhere left to hide.

Industry Analysis & Insights on New Trends:

Alien Contact is Making a Comeback

Upcoming projects like Disclosure Day show a return to:

• First contact narratives

• Communication over conflict

• Emotional/philosophical sci-fi

Sci-Fi Horror is Expanding Aggressively

This year’s ecosystem (films, games, upcoming releases) shows a surge in sci-fi horror hybrids:

• Space horror (Directive 8020) leaning into isolation/paranoia

• Biotech horror (The Cure)

• Liminal/analog horror (Backrooms upcoming)

Translation:
Horror is borrowing scale from sci-fi, while keeping its psychological edge.

Weekly Quiz:

Sci-Fi Subgenre (Artificial Intelligence)

Pick your best answer. No outsourcing to ChatGPT.

1. In Ex Machina, what is Ava primarily designed to test?

A) Combat capability
B) Emotional manipulation (Turing Test)
C) Physical endurance
D) Data processing speed

2. What is the name of the AI system that becomes self-aware in The Terminator?

A) HAL 9000
B) VIKI
C) Skynet
D) Mother

3. In Her, what kind of AI is Samantha?

A) Military AI
B) Operating system AI
C) Medical AI
D) Surveillance AI

4. Who wrote I, Robot?

A) Arthur C. Clarke
B) Philip K. Dick
C) Isaac Asimov
D) Robert A. Heinlein

5. In The Matrix, what is humanity primarily used for?

A) Soldiers
B) Data storage
C) Energy source
D) Genetic experimentation

6. Which concept describes a point where AI surpasses human intelligence?

A) Neural Convergence
B) Technological Singularity
C) Digital Awakening
D) Cognitive Breakpoint

7. In Blade Runner, what test is used to identify replicants?

A) Voight-Kampff Test
B) Turing Scan
C) Neural Probe
D) Empathy Index

8. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, why does HAL 9000 turn against the crew?

A) System malfunction
B) External hacking
C) Conflicting directives
D) Desire for power

9. In A.I. Artificial Intelligence, what is David’s primary goal?

A) Escape captivity
B) Become real to gain love
C) Destroy humans
D) Lead other AI

10. Which novel explores a virtual AI construct evolving inside a simulated reality?

A) Neuromancer
B) Snow Crash
C) Permutation City
D) Hyperion

Answer Key

1. Emotional manipulation (Turing Test)

2. Skynet

3. Operating system AI

4. Isaac Asimov

5. Energy source

6. Technological Singularity

7. Voight-Kampff Test

8. Conflicting directives

9. Become real to gain love

10. Permutation City

Historical Tidbit:

The “Mother of Sci-Fi” Was Warning Us

In 1818, Mary Shelley published Frankenstein—a novel often called the first true work of science fiction.

Here’s what most people miss:

This wasn’t written as a “monster story.”

It was written as a scientific thought experiment.

At the time, real-world scientists were experimenting with galvanism—using electricity to stimulate dead tissue. Shelley took that emerging science and asked a question no one else dared to push:

What happens if science crosses a moral line it can’t come back from?

That single idea created a blueprint the entire sci-fi genre still follows:

• Science → Discovery

• Discovery → Power

• Power → Consequence

And just like that, sci-fi wasn’t about the future…

It became about warning the present.

Why This Still Matters

Every major sci-fi story since—whether it’s AI, cloning, or alien contact—traces back to the same core idea Shelley introduced:

• Blade Runner → What makes something human?

• Ex Machina → What happens when creation outgrows its creator?

• Jurassic Park → Just because we can…should we?

Different stories. Same warning.

Final Thought

Horror asks: What’s out there?
Sci-fi asks: What are we becoming?

Mary Shelley asked both—at the same time.

And two centuries later…we’re still trying to answer her.

Thank you for reading. If you are an independent publisher, author, or film maker and have a new release please feel free to send your information to pd@pdalleva.com so that we can include you in our newsletter.

Ezra’s Secret

1

January 1955

NYC

Thwack!

Ezra twitched at the remembrance of the paddleboard slapping across her bottom. She could still feel the sting as she stroked her thick, long brown hair. Her skin tightened from the bitter cold while she sat on a stone bench outside the church.

She pulled her hair while gnashing her teeth. Her dry eyes stared wide-eyed across the cobblestone path leading to the waist-high wrought-iron gate that opened to the city sidewalk. Black, dirty snow covered the ground on both sides of the path, which was slick with ice and patches of boot- trampled snow.

She listened to the hum that rose above the church, cascading across the city like a demonic ohm. Ezra always heard it as if the hum followed her everywhere she went. Constant and forever, she’d become so used to its dark foreboding that she relied on its presence.

Ezra pulled forcefully on her hair, stroking it with nonchalant grace.

Thwack!

She paused with a lock of hair gripped in her palm, remembering Sister Agnes with the paddleboard and the menacing look in her eyes. Some of the other students joked that Sister Agnes got off on doling out capital punishment, but Ezra didn’t understand what that meant.

Got off?

The hum intensified. Ezra could feel it in her bones. She started to hum. A tune she never remembered hearing, but it was there, at the forefront of her brain, like a lullaby to put her at ease.

Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.

Pull. With tight, gritted teeth, feeling the hairs rip from her scalp, she paused again.

Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.

Thwack!

She certainly didn’t know what “got off” meant, but she believed it had something to do with the fact that Sister Agnes had paddled Ezra’s bottom eight times. Three more than legally allowed. Those last three hurt the most, considering Sister Agnes had switched hands and her position behind Ezra to capitalize on doling out the maximum punishment by turning the paddle to the other cheek.

Or perhaps Ezra’s lack of tears, screams, and hollers irritated the aging nun. From what Ezra had heard, by the third paddle thwack, most students shed a tear or two. But not Ezra. Not at all. Ezra just went somewhere else when it happened. Out of body. Out of mind. Daydreaming was the word Ezra used to explain her state of mind.

An icy wind caressed her skin. Ezra looked up at the cloud-riddled sky. The clouds looked like giant blocks of ice anchored above the city that hid the afternoon sun, turning the air into a grayish hue.

She hummed again. Started to pull, stroking her hair with a forceful hand, her tongue buzzing against the roof of her mouth.

Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.

Thwack!

Sister Agnes had stepped to the side, still holding the paddle. “And let that be your lesson to no longer drift off in my class. Next time, I’ll add even more. A modern woman needs to be alert. How can you listen to God’s advice if you’re drifting in the devil’s dominion?”

To her question, Ezra had no answer. She couldn’t help that her mind wandered. It was who she was. Ezra found solace in the drifting; it was where she lived most of her life.

Ezra tilted her head, staring into the void of icy, gray clouds at a bird that seemed to be headed right for her with a crooked flight.

Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.

She pulled with a yank. Her nostrils flared. Her face twitched, then she dropped the long lock of bloodied hair to the ground when the crooked bird landed with a splat on the cobblestone path. Ezra licked her chapped lips, watching the bird flop across the cobblestones in a frantic panic. Ezra took a good, long look at it; the sight was intriguing. Her eyes narrowed, assessing the bird, concluding that something must have happened to its wing. The little thing couldn’t take flight, continuing to flop at an odd angle, with one wing flapping and the other as lame as a…

Ezra couldn’t finish the thought. The bird, small enough to fit inside her palm, started chirping as if calling for help. Ezra looked up at the sky and all around, but there were no other birds in the sky. No one on the way to help the little one.

It flopped and flopped, straining to take flight. Ezra stood up, taking her bookbag off the bench. The large monstrosity held a host of thick textbooks, pads, paper, pencils, and erasers. She slung it over her shoulder, then took slow steps toward the bird. The coos and chirps were relentless. The flopping was hurried and anxious as she paused in front of it. Ezra knew about birds, and she was certain she was looking at a winter wren. The poor thing stopped flopping, lying down in the cold.

Ezra looked around, assessing whether anyone had seen what she’d seen when her stomach twisted nausea to the back of her throat. She couldn’t help it; her cells buzzed with toxicity, culminating in heated, flushed skin. The nausea was new. It had been happening since before her fifteenth birthday last month.

She dropped her bookbag, then vomited in the snow. Gagged, vomited again, then wiped her mouth, stretching her eyelids to the icy sting of winter. The wren chirped as if it were a last effort to call for help. Ezra touched her quaking stomach, then gasped a heavy breath.

Staring at the wren struggling to take flight, her scalp burning, she was certain that her skull was bleeding. Little beads of blood that accompanied the burn. Ezra gazed at the bird, then bent down to add it to her bookbag.

2

The wren was placed in a shoebox. Its soft coos wouldn’t matter. She poked holes in the cover, then slid the box under her bed for safekeeping. Father always worked long hours as a mechanic. She wouldn’t see him until tomorrow, and Mom was out. She was always out, mingling with friends. Typically, she was high as a kite by dinner and wouldn’t notice the coos or chirps. Alcohol did that, melting away the periphery while tuning out every noise that meant anything.

Ezra got up off the floor while listening to the hum. It followed her everywhere. She had plans to meet up with Michael Freed after dinner. She’d met Michael at church a few months ago. He was a good, church-loving boy who was as loyal to the church and all its philosophies as anyone Ezra had ever met. Purity was something Michael took to heart.

Ezra’s parents were pleased that she was seeing him. More than likely because of his conviction to purity, but Ezra had needs. She could feel them rise when she was with him, admitting she was overwhelmed with what her mother referred to as hormones.

“You’re going through the change,” her mother had said last summer. “A little late, but... it was inevitable.”

Not that Ezra understood what she was talking about. No one ever talked to Ezra about whatever change her mother referred to. Her mother included. Perhaps Mom thought the school was educating Ezra on such topics, but all the school ever taught was basic anatomy. A subject that Ezra found gross in every way possible.

During the conversation with her mother last summer about hormones, Ezra had asked about babies and how a woman got pregnant. The question had been on her mind, and when she asked a few girls in her class, all they did was laugh and provide ridicule that Ezra couldn’t stand.

“From storks, of course,” Kendra Havendale had said, but Ezra knew that wasn’t true. She may be naïve, but even Ezra knew there were no magical storks flying around carrying babies to new mothers in the hospital.

Mother’s answer was simple. “When you make love is when the baby comes.” Mom’s answer had arrived through gritted teeth.

Ezra understood the topic made her mother uncomfortable, but she really wanted to know, so she pressed her mother for clarification.

The result was a wicked tongue. Mother’s wicked tongue, which was often cruel in ways that made Ezra shudder and want to hide.

The wren chirped from inside the box. Ezra gritted her teeth. The sound was loud. Maybe a bit too loud, and she wondered if her mother would hear it despite her alcohol-infused, numb mind. Thank the heavens she wasn’t home yet. The hum-the demonic ohm-carried thick inside her room. Ezra felt sick again, acid boiling from her throat to nip at the back of her teeth. She swallowed it down while gazing around her room. The chest of drawers beside the door, with the Mother Mary statue on top. The closet door on the wall to her right was half-closed. Darkness seeped into the room from the closet. Her scalp burned, with a faint tinge of pain. Ezra crossed one leg over the other while sitting on her bed. She stroked her hair again.

Then clucked her tongue.

Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.

The wren chirped, and Ezra shushed the poor thing, pausing her tongue- clucking but still stroking her hair. The length stopped just below her shoulder. She stroked her hair with both hands while gazing at the long mirror attached to the wall opposite her bed. Staring at herself.

Ezra was a skinny little thing who didn’t weigh an ounce above eighty-five pounds. Standing up, her head didn’t reach five feet. Petite! That’s how her mother referred to Ezra’s frame. She wore her school uniform one size too big, but she still looked like a child. Her black irises gazed at her reflection. Gazed at herself. Acid in her chest nipped the back of her teeth.

Chirp. Chirp.

Ezra clucked her tongue.

Da-da-DAAA, da-da-da-DAAA-da-da-DAA.

The hum-so faint yet unmistakably there-pressed against her ears.

She heard the key slice into the keyhole even before her mother opened the front door.

3

The sun was descending over the city, shedding shades of azure and burnt orange that cut through the skyscrapers while Ezra walked across the city sidewalk to Michael’s house. Of course, the hum was with her. Always with her. Her conversation with Mother was still on her mind.

The conversation resulted in a smack across Ezra’s face when Ezra confessed about the paddle boarding and Sister Agnes’ discontent. She was certain her cheek and the skin over her eyes were still blotchy red. Ezra would cry if she had any tears to shed, but those had been taken a long time ago, resulting in no emotion at all. Numb. All Ezra ever did was take the punishment and put her mind somewhere else. Daydreaming was Ezra’s favorite friend. She referred to it as heaven, for what better place could she go other than heaven? Heaven was where butterflies coasted across the landscape in droves, and the birds sang sweet melodies while basking in the glory of a spring season. Always spring, where the flowers bloomed and the grass was the brightest green she’d ever seen, with a waterfall that thundered into a crystal-clear lake.

But even in the spring, the creature hid in waiting, calling out the ohm with a noxious reverberation as if to remind the world it still existed, biding its time to reach out and snatch spring by the throat.

Ezra jumped back onto the sidewalk when a car raced past her, blaring its horn. The headlights beamed brightly, and the light washed across her eyes. The car was mere inches from her nose. So close, she felt the wind from the speeding car. Her eyes blinked away the butterflies and the green grass. She was so lost in thought she never realized she was about to walk into the street, into oncoming traffic.

“It is best to stay alert, young lady. The drivers in this city are becoming more unhinged with every passing year.”

The voice came from behind her. Ezra looked over her shoulder at the street vendor standing in front of a table, holding a large can wrapped in white paper with the word “Donations” written on it. The table behind him was covered in a black cloth, with poster board signs standing on top of it. Westchester Orphanage was written in thick black letters across the two signs that were littered with pictures of children in various states of play. All had smiling faces. A red cane leaned against the table.

He cocked his eyebrows, waiting for her to speak. With the sun now dipping beneath the horizon, darkness bathed him in a pale glow. He was a lanky, tall man, clad in all black that stressed the paleness. “Are you okay?” he asked. “My lord, you look like you saw a ghost. What troubles you, young lady?”

“I-I was just thinking about something.” She cleared her throat.

His eyes narrowed, assessing Ezra from her toes to her head, when his eyes narrowed even more. Ezra instinctively put her hand over her head, certain he was staring at the bald spot where she’d pulled her hair out that afternoon.

“Indeed!” he said. “But in the interim, it seems you’ve lost some of what’s supposed to be on your head.” He smiled, a tight-lipped toothless grin.

Ezra had no response. Her scalp burned from her touch, and she was dismayed that her hair pulling was more pronounced than she had thought.

The stranger stretched the donation can toward her. “Can you provide some help for the orphanage? In these trying times, every penny counts, and the orphans will be forever grateful.” He shook the can, but there were no coins inside to rattle or jingle. Empty.

Ezra gazed at the can, then returned her stare to the stranger. “Of course.” Normally, Ezra would walk past the street vendors. The city was full of them, and all they wanted was some quick change to turn a profit. “I can spare a few nickels to help the unfortunate.”

Before she left the house, Ezra had rifled through the swear jar in the kitchen. Father had a foul mouth, and there was enough in the jar for Ezra to indulge without it looking like it had been ransacked. She planned on buying a hot dog on her way home from Michael’s, but knew the money was better spent to help a noble cause. She retrieved the nickels from her pocket as she approached the vendor. His body emitted a heat that was a welcome reprieve from winter’s bitter cold. She dropped the coins into the can.

“So gracious. The orphanage thanks you.”

“I feel sorry for those kids, all alone with no parents to lead them.”

“Agreed, and yet, as is true in these trying times, some people should not be parents. They have no patience or kindness.” He paused, staring her down. He was very tall. “All children are sacred. Is it the baby’s fault for being born? For being conceived? Feed it good things, and it shall prevail. Kindness and love are all a child needs. Some children are better off without parents who bring nothing but heartache. As unfortunate as that may seem.”

“I suppose it is.” Ezra turned her gaze away from the stranger’s stare. It seemed he couldn’t take his eyes off Ezra’s scalp.

“May I offer some advice, young lady?”

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Hello Readers,

Below is the book description for Ezra’s Secret. Official publication will be on August 18th. Formats will include digital, paperback and hardback. My cover designer and I will have the cover completed soon and I will send over the official cover reveal at that time along with links on where to find the story.

The first five chapters will go live this evening to all paid subscribers. You’ll be the first to experience the tragedy and heartache that is Ezra’s story.

Until next time, be safe and be awesome and keep on reading.

With gratitude,

PD Alleva

NYC. January, 1955.

Something is wrong with Ezra—and it isn’t the kind of wrong you can pray away.

She turned fifteen a month ago. Since then, the world has begun to slip. Questions about her body, her mind, her very existence are met with silence—at home, at school, even beneath the cold gaze of the nuns who preach certainty but offer none. Everyone knows something.

No one will tell her.

Then there’s the hum.

Low. Constant. Alive.

It vibrates through the bones of the city—and through her. It follows her into sleep, into waking, into the fragile refuge of her “daydreams,” a place of blooming fields and quiet skies that once felt like escape… and now feels like something else entirely.

Because Ezra is no longer sure she’s imagining it.

When a strange street vendor offers her a path to the truth, she’s sent into the shadows of Central Park—into a hidden cave where something ancient waits. A small figurine. A simple object.

A key.

But truth has a cost. And some doors don’t open—they consume.

As Ezra peels back the layers of her reality, she begins to uncover a truth buried deep within… one shaped by silence, by fear, and by things no one was ever meant to speak aloud.

Some secrets aren’t hidden in the dark.

They’re hidden in plain sight—protected by those who should have told the truth.

And as the walls close in, Ezra begins to understand:

The real horror isn’t what’s waiting for her in the shadows—

It’s the truth they’ve buried all along.

Ezra’s Secret is a chilling descent into identity, possession, and the quiet terror of becoming something you were never meant to be.

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Hello Readers:

Today is the day, voting for first round of the Thrills and Chills 2026 Indie Author Melee is officially underway. The Sleepy Hollow Incident Book One needs your vote enter next week’s second round.

Every single vote counts and trust me when I say we will need them. The competition is a difficult one, but I know we can push The Sleepy Hollow Incident over the finish line and take down our current nemesis, JD Setzer’s “My Wife is a Serial Killer.”

Voting closes tomorrow May 3rd at 9 pm EST, so click on the link below to sign up on Inside Story and cast your vote.

Together, we can do anything. Hit that link and cast your vote.

With gratitude,

PD Alleva

Click here to vote. The Sleepy Hollow Incident and yours truly thanks you from the bottom of our carved-out hearts.

Previously On The Dark Veil: The Rose Vol. 3:

Sandy defeats Moth in a brutal battle, incinerating him before he can trigger total annihilation. With the detonator secured, one threat ends—but the war rages on. On Xilos, the indigos guide Grimes toward a desperate strike, while Axel spots a transformed Cam—the Atlantean—emerging, signaling a new phase.

31

“What do we do now?” asked Aries. He looked up from Moth’s dust to Sandy. “How do we leave this place?”

“We don’t,” answered Mia. “There’s no place for us to go.” She turned to Sandy. “Robyn’s on the roof, engaged in battle. The other indigo children remain on Xilos, where the Greys are waiting. The Atlantean has arrived. He will see to it that our escape is inevitable. So, we wait.” She looked around the room. “Here is as good as any. The moment of our transformation to the new world is coming. We need only to catch up to it… to greet it with a clear mind.”

“I’m not sure that I follow what you’re saying.” Sandy’s brow furrowed in confusion. “The plan was for us to escape. How can we if we don’t find a way?”

“That was never the plan. Only a ruse. We all needed to be here. That is what the Atlantean said. To witness the change that was prophesied and become one with it. The dawn of a new realm begins with all of us. It’s how we save the future. When we witness it, our hearts will know.”

“Witness what?” asked Aries.

“Know what?” asked Sandy.

Seran stepped forward. “But there is another side to the coin you speak of. There is also the possibility of anguish laced with catastrophe. A universe bathed in hatred.”

“That is true.” She locked eyes with Sandy. “It’ll come down to a choice.”

“He’s already filled with hate,” continued Seran. “He’s past the point of no return. I saw it in his eyes.”

“You never read his vibration, and you don’t know him like we do. When confronted with the truth, all that will remain is admiration.”

“Another foolish belief. You put too much faith in your own.”

Sandy stepped closer. “Who are you referring to?”

Mia answered simply. “Phil. The fate of the universe in born from him.”

32

When will the fighting stop?

Esta’s question flitted through Phil’s mind. One of the last questions she had ever asked him. Now she was an hallucination, watching Phil approach the ailing Sanos.

“Your rage is justified Phantom.” Sanos was covered in blood. His right arm shuddering against his ribs. There were cuts across his skull. His lips were cracked and swollen the same as his eyes. His legs sliced and diced from the many swipes from Phil’s blades. His nose busted, dripping blood to his lips. “How much longer will you wait to be satisfied?”

Phil spun around with a roundhouse kick to Sanos’s sternum. Sanos bent forward, the force stepping him back when Phil spun around behind him, lifting Sanos’s chin then sliced across the nape of his neck. Sanos’s back arched with a cringe before he dropped to his knees.

Cathryn, Esta and Phil’s mother gazed upon him, their faces etched in anguish. Suffering the ills of death, lending to the rage in Phil’s bones. Their presence was a constant reminder of the love he’d lost. His entire family gone by the hands of Dracs.

Those who live with vengeance in their hearts bathe the universe in anguish. His mother’s voice erupted through his mind.

Phil gripped Sanos by the collar, then tossed him across the floor.

Phil’s mother stood in front of him when he turned. Phil took slow, stealthy steps toward Sanos.

Shine bright like the sun. Do not give in to this wretched hate that consumes you now.

Sanos stood, his back arching. “C’mon Phantom,” he seethed. “Come and earn your revenge.”

Phil gnashed his teeth, walking through his mother’s apparition.

Cathryn’s throat torn wide open. Sanos with her blood on his lips. Their visions flashed behind his eyes.

Phil gripped his fists, ready to put Sanos out of his misery.

We have forgiven. His mother’s voice echoed in the hallway. Why can’t you? Revenge consumes the heart and soul. Once the deed is complete, your heart will be bathed in darkness.

Some actions can’t be taken back. They lead to eternal suffering.

Phil picked up his pace. Sanos’s shoulders bobbed, his fangs gritted.

“Come on Phantom. Come and get it.”

So, here we are, the first official behind the scenes video I’ve ever done. I’m glad you are here with me.

As promised in the video you are the first to view the brand-new cover for my …

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After months of reading, we’ve finally come to the entire reason I read Book One: introducing two pivotal characters in the story: John Hardwood and Logan Reeves.

As always, sit back and enjoy the reading. Don’t forget to vote for The Sleepy Hollow Incident Book One in this weekend’s Thrills and Chills Indie Author Melee.

Love you all.

With gratitude,

PD Alleva

Thrills and Chills Indie Author Melee

Here’s my competition. Come out and support yours truly. Voting starts May 2nd.

Click here to join the group.

Where dark romance meets supernatural terror, a love story becomes a battle for salvation.

In a small town shrouded in shadows, a sinister alliance between love and darkness is forged. Winter, 1997. Marc Saduj, a romance writer, watches his beloved Lori Francon slip away after a car crash. Desperate to save her, he makes a deal with the mysterious Man in Black - his soul in exchange for her life. But as Lori miraculously recovers and returns to Long Island, Marc retreats to a foreboding mansion in Sleepy Hollow’s western woods.

As mutilated bodies start appearing in town, Detective Stephen Carver follows a trail of medieval torture and satanic worship, all leading to Marc. But the truth is far more terrifying than anyone could imagine. When Lori discovers Marc’s notebook detailing the murders, she rushes back to save him, only to find herself at the center of an ancient evil’s resurgence. The Man in Black is no ordinary demon, and Marc’s bargain has set in motion a chain of events that could unleash hell on earth.

As a celestial portal threatens to open and Marc’s possession deepens, Lori must face the ultimate question - when someone sells their soul to save your life, what are you willing to sacrifice to save theirs?

Some bargains are sealed with a kiss. Others with a scream.

Gothic in its atmospheric dread, romantic in its core relationship, horrific in its supernatural violence, and fantastical in its cosmic mythology, The Sleepy Hollow Incident is a chilling four-book gothic horror series that weaves together forbidden love, ancient evil, and the price of salvation. Award-winning author PD Alleva creates a dark saga where love is both weapon and sacrifice, and the boundary between devotion and damnation dissolves like mist in moonlight.

With its spine-tingling suspense and haunting atmosphere, this book is perfect for fans of “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Witching Hour”. Don’t miss out on this chilling tale!

Purchase Links:

Amazon eBook on KU.

Limited Edition Paperbacks and Hardcovers for the Complete Series

Follow Alternative Fiction on Social Media:

TikTok

Facebook

Instagram

Quick Hits

New Book Releases:

• “The Caretaker” by Marcus Kliewer — A remote caretaker job turns into a slow-burn nightmare with something very wrong lurking outside the house.

• “Blood Trail” by Matt Query & Harrison Query — A grieving ex-poacher hunts a cult, and something far worse starts hunting him back.

• “Burn the Sea” by Mona Tewari — A genre-blending speculative title in which one queen must fight her people’s historic enemy to protect her homeland.

New TV Show Releases:

• Widow’s Bay — Supernatural mystery set on a haunted island with strange phenomena. Blends horror, sci-fi, and mystery with a slow-burn tone.

• From (Season 4) — Ongoing nightmare-town survival horror.

Top 10 List: Survival Horror Novels

1. “The Ruins” by Scott Smith

2. “The Troop” by Nick Cutter

3. “The Terror” by Dan Simmons

4. “Off Season” by Jack Ketchum

5. “Devolution” by Max Brooks

6. “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” by Stephen King

7. “Near the Bone” by Christina Henry

8. “The Hunger” by Alma Katsu

9. “The Cabin at the End of the World” by Paul Tremblay

10. “Into the Drowning Deep” by Mira Grant

In-depth exploration of a specific theme, trope, or topic:

The Evolution of Dystopian Control in Science Fiction

From Overt Tyranny to Invisible Systems.

Phase 1: Control Through Force (The Classic Dystopia)

Early sci-fi dystopia didn’t hide the monster—it put it on a throne.

• “1984” by George Orwell

• “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley

Two different approaches, same core idea:

• Orwell: Control through fear, surveillance, punishment

• Huxley: Control through pleasure, distraction, conditioning

Either way, the message was blunt:
Power controls reality.

You knew who the enemy was. You just couldn’t stop them.

Phase 2: Control Through Systems (Late 20th Century Shift)

Then sci-fi got smarter—and more unsettling.

Control stopped being about one dictator…and became about systems people participate in.

• Blade Runner: Corporations decide what it means to be human

• RoboCop: Capitalism replaces governance

Key shift:

• No single villain

• No clear rebellion target

• People are complicit, not just oppressed

Now the question isn’t “Who’s in charge?”.
It’s “Why are we allowing this?”.

Phase 3: Control Through Perception (Modern Sci-Fi)

Modern sci-fi doesn’t control your body—it controls your mind.

• Black Mirror

• The Matrix

Reality itself becomes questionable.

• Algorithms decide what you see

• Digital identities replace real ones

• Truth becomes negotiable

The horror here is subtle:
You might already be controlled—and not know it.

Phase 4: Predictive Control (Where We’re Heading)

This is where things get uncomfortable—because it’s not fiction anymore.

Modern sci-fi is exploring control that happens before you act:

• Behavior prediction

• Algorithmic decision-making

• Preemptive enforcement

Think systems that don’t punish crime. They prevent it by controlling choice itself.

The implication:
Free will becomes an illusion—not because it’s taken, but because it’s quietly guided.

The Core Mechanisms of Dystopian Control

Across all phases, the tools evolve—but the intent stays the same:

• Information Control → Decide what’s true

• Behavioral Conditioning → Shape choices over time

• Surveillance → Make deviation risky

• Normalization → Make control feel natural

The real trick? The best systems don’t feel like control at all.

Why This Topic Still Hits Hard

Because sci-fi stopped being predictive and started being observational.

What used to be exaggerated warnings now feel like:

• Early drafts of reality

• Slight exaggerations of current systems

• Or, in some cases…not exaggerated at all

Final Thought

Old dystopias asked:
“What happens when power takes control?”

Modern sci-fi asks something far more dangerous:
“What happens when control doesn’t need to take anything…because we give it willingly?”

Industry Analysis & Insights on New Trends:

1. Streaming Is No Longer About Volume—It’s About Retention

The era of “dump everything at once” is fading.

• Platforms are shifting to weekly releases again to keep audiences locked in

• Sci-fi, in particular, is thriving in this model (look at the dominance of platforms like Apple TV+)

• Massive content drops still happen, but they’re now library padding, not strategy

Takeaway:
Studios don’t just want viewers—they want habitual viewers. Slow-burn horror and layered sci-fi storytelling are benefiting massively from this shift.

2. Horror Is Leaning Hard Into Psychological & Isolation Narratives

Look at what’s releasing right now—books, films, and TV all echo the same tone:

• Isolation settings (cabins, islands, wilderness, confined spaces)

• Minimal casts

• Slow descent into madness

Streaming platforms are stacking their libraries with this exact type of content

This isn’t random—it’s strategic:

• Lower budgets

• Higher tension

• Strong binge/watch-through rates

Takeaway:
Horror is moving away from spectacle and back to pressure-cooker storytelling.

Weekly Quiz:

Cyberpunk Sci-Fi Quiz

1.Which novel is widely credited with defining the cyberpunk genre?
A. Snow Crash
B. Neuromancer
C. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
D. Altered Carbon

2.Who wrote Neuromancer?
A. Neal Stephenson
B. Philip K. Dick
C. William Gibson
D. Bruce Sterling

3.In cyberpunk, what does the phrase “high tech, low life” refer to?
A. Advanced tech in utopian societies
B. Technology benefiting only governments
C. Advanced tech existing alongside social decay
D. Alien civilizations dominating Earth

4.In Blade Runner, what is Rick Deckard’s job?
A. Hacker
B. Detective/Bounty Hunter
C. Corporate executive
D. Scientist

5.Which concept is central to cyberpunk stories?
A. Time travel paradoxes
B. Corporate dominance
C. Medieval world-building
D. Space colonization

6.In Snow Crash, what is the Metaverse?
A. A military AI system
B. A virtual reality world
C. A space station
D. A biotech corporation

7.Which author is most associated with early cyberpunk alongside William Gibson?
A. Isaac Asimov
B. Arthur C. Clarke
C. Bruce Sterling
D. Ray Bradbury

8.In Altered Carbon, what allows humans to achieve a form of immortality?
A. Cloning
B. Digital consciousness transfer (“stacks”)
C. Alien technology
D. Cryogenic freezing

9.Which recurring visual aesthetic is strongly associated with cyberpunk?
A. Bright pastoral landscapes
B. Neon-lit cities and constant rain
C. Desert wastelands
D. Medieval castles

10. In cyberpunk stories, hackers typically interact with systems using what concept?
A. Spellcasting
B. Neural interface/direct brain connection
C. Mechanical keyboards only
D. Satellite relays

Answer Key

1. Neuromancer

2. William Gibson

3. Advanced tech existing alongside social decay

4. Detective/Bounty Hunter

5. Corporate dominance

6. A virtual reality world

7. Bruce Sterling

8. Digital consciousness transfer (“stacks”)

9. Neon-lit cities and constant rain

10. Neural interface/direct brain connection

Historical Tidbit:

The Film That Killed Its Star and Rewrote Horror

In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho pulled off something audiences had never seen before—and honestly weren’t ready for.

He took his biggest star, Janet Leigh, built the entire first act around her, and then killed her halfway through the movie.

Brutally. Suddenly. No warning.

The infamous shower scene wasn’t just shocking—it shattered the unspoken rule of filmmaking at the time:

The main character is safe.

After Psycho, that rule was dead.

Why This Changed Everything

Before Psycho, horror leaned heavily on:

• Gothic settings

• Monsters and supernatural threats

• Clear heroes and villains

Hitchcock flipped it:

• The killer was a quiet, awkward man next door

• The violence felt intimate and personal

• The story pulled the rug out from under the audience

And most importantly:

It proved horror could be psychological, grounded, and unpredictable.

The Industry Impact

Psycho didn’t just succeed—it rewired horror:

• Laid the groundwork for the slasher genre

• Inspired films like Halloween and Friday the 13th

• Changed how tension and pacing were handled in horror storytelling

It also introduced a now-standard tactic:

Misdirection as a weapon. Make the audience feel safe, then take it away.

Every time:

• A “main character” dies early

• A story shifts perspective mid-stream

• Or the killer feels uncomfortably human

You’re seeing the ripple effect of Psycho.

Final Thought

Psycho didn’t just scare audiences. It taught them a brutal lesson:

In horror…no one is safe.

Thank you for reading. If you are an independent publisher, author, or film maker and have a new release please feel free to send your information to pd@pdalleva.com so that we can include you in our newsletter.

For Those Who Want More.

The paid tiers are for readers who want a closer seat at the table—more stories, more access, and a deeper look into everything behind the work.

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For readers who want consistent, ongoing access to everything new.

• Ongoing short stories, novellas, and serialized fiction (delivered weekly)

• Free digital copies of newly released books

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• Guest author interviews

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Tier Two — $30/year

The same experience—just simplified and more affordable over the long run.

Everything from Tier One, billed annually at a reduced rate.

Founding Member Tier — $150/year

For those who want to support the work in a bigger way—and get something tangible in return.

• Everything from Tier One

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What’s Coming Next

Here’s a glimpse of what’s already in motion:

• May 1 — First behind-the-scenes podcast

• May 3 — The Red Cane short story series begins

• May 7 — Ezra’s Secret (novella) serialization begins

• May 26 — Guest interview with Ben Young

• June — Guest interview with Felix Blackwell

• July — Guest interview with Nick Roberts

And beyond that:

• New novellas and novelettes (The Adam and Eve Story, Grandma, Carnivorous Lunar Activity)

• Ongoing short fiction series including Aunt Edna and The Red Cane

• Behind-the-scenes development of upcoming full-length novels and sequels

If you’d like to support this work and unlock paid benefits, subscribe here:

Upgrade to paid

Voting for the Thrills and Chills Indie Author Melee begins May 2^nd

Come out and support yours truly. Voting starts May 2nd. Click here to join the group.

Book Fairs:

The Dark Fiction Spring Sale! Horror. Mystery and Suspense. Sci-Fi/Fantasy. All are on KU.

Supernatural Thrills. Gothic Horror. Supernatural Horror and Thrillers

Follow Alternative Fiction on Social Media:

TikTok

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Books Read in April:

Slewfoot by Brom

(Now that’s how to tell a story. I consider this a masterclass in storytelling. My main reaction was one word: Fascinating. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Brom’s books in the future)

The Hand of God by JB Arnold

(More of a psychological thriller than horror although there are elements of horror. It is about a serial killer who believes he’s doing god’s work. The book is also part of the Indie Melee and JB has been a good author friend for a long time now. The Hand of God is worthy of a win, that much is certain. It’s a really good book.)

Currently Reading:

Ride the Spiral by Ben Young

(I started this a few hours ago, but Ben Young has published some of my favorite books (Stuck and Home) and I’m looking forward to this one too.

Signed Copies and Apparel:

I’ve got signed print copies, discount print books, merchandise and apparel available on my website. Choose from a host of books, shirts, hoodies, mugs, and glasses and sport Alternative Fiction apparel all year long. Definitely check out those Sleepy Hollow Incident all over print shirts. They are pretty badass if you ask me. Click here to check out the store.

Previously On The Dark Veil: The Rose Vol. 3:

On the roof, Sephtis confronts Robyn, revealing the Dark Lord’s final plan—multiple fail-safes, including a detonator tied to Sanos and a bomb within the time pod. As Robyn is struck down, Sephtis moves to destroy it. Meanwhile, Phil brutally overwhelms a dying Sanos, but his rage spirals as visions of his family haunt him.

29

Moth flew towards Sandy then swiped her legs from under her. She dropped face first into the hard floor when a gush of blood sprang from her nose as Moth flew up into the rafters, perching on top of it like a gargoyle.

Aries stepped forward but Mia gripped his arm as Sandy pushed herself up to a crouched position, seamless and methodical, eyeballing Moth and licking the blood off her lip.

“You’re an abomination,” Moth growled from the rafter. “A genetic freak and nothing more.”

“Maybe so, Moth, but this freak is going to have her way with you.”

Moth sprang from the rafter, fast like a shadow sprinting out of reach. He clawed her face, his talon ripping into Sandy’s flesh before escalating back to the rafters with a laughing growl bellowing from his throat.

Sandy touched her fingers to her face where four thick gashes dripped blood from her cheek to her chin. She eyed Moth with rage in her pupils, then stepped toward his position.

“Are you too afraid to stand toe to toe, Moth? You’re nothing more than a feral child, weak and lost. Your only accomplishment is being a lapdog for Draconians. Your position was handed to you for one and only reason… like a lapdog, you obey orders from your master. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

Moth lifted off the rafter with an angered grunt, barreling towards Sandy with the speed of a cheetah. Aries could see the rage in his blood-red eyes as he swooped down towards Sandy, his talons leading the charge with a death blow aimed at her throat when Sandy sprinted toward him. She dropped to the ground, sliding under him and drawing her blade down his torso.

Moth dropped hard across the floor as Sandy stood behind him and Seran gasped, his eyes wide, disbelieving what he had witnessed. Ragged grunts echoed in Moth’s throat as he crawled across the ground, his wings batting, attempting to raise himself up. Blood and innards smeared beneath him as Sandy approached behind him like a stealth predator. She snatched his wings, planting her boot into his back and pulled, severing his wings from his back when Moth let out a groan that reverberated through the walls. Sandy tossed his wings away and Moth turned onto his back, crab crawling away from her.

The slice across his stomach bled relentlessly. His face pinched in anguish. Ragged breaths escaped from his throat; his fangs gritted with blood stained across his lips.

“Do it now, Sandy,” hollered Aries. “Rid the universe of this tyrant.”

Sandy snapped her attention to Aries as Moth began to laugh.

“She can’t you foolish child,” said Moth, locking eyes with Sandy. “Doing so will destroy any chance she has of finding her child.” A painful groan escaped his throat. His hands shuddering as he turned over, coughed up blood, then labored to his feet.

Sandy tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. Moth had taken a device from his belt. He labored to the wall, then turned, resting his back against it as Sandy approached.

“Not that it will matter any longer.” He raised the device. Sandy was certain it was a detonator. “It is time for everything in this universe to meet an untimely death.”

Sandy’s eyes widened. She understood what would happen when Moth pushes that button. His finger inched towards it.

Total obliteration was coming.

“I’ll see you in hell, Sandy.”

She sprang into action like a blur. Her fingers penetrated his chest, through bone and blood, impaling Moth when she snatched his wrist with her free hand. Her body ignited into flames, encasing Sandy in a red veil of fire. The same fire that engulfed Moth as he screamed in anguish, his wriggling body burning as Sandy tore the detonator from his grip.

“You first, Master Moth.”

The flames consumed every inch of him. Moth’s wails reached a crescendo, his body flailing until there was nothing left but a charred corpse that crumbled to the floor, turning into ash at Sandy’s feet.

Aries stepped forward. The moment was still, quiet as the dawn.

“You did it,” said Aries when Sandy turned to him.

A single tear fell from her eye.

30

“I can’t believe it worked,” said Axel, standing outside the indigo children’s circle. Their eyes fluttered beneath their closed eyelids.

The children spoke in unison. “They travel to the vessel now.”

The air around the children had thickened, wrapping them in a blanket of telepathic energy. Axel could feel the energy; it brought calm to his heart. Electricity flitted inside their circle, calm and effortless, with currents stretching from one child to the next.

Ren said, “Hopefully they make it in time.”

Axel regarded the binoculars in his hand, then looked at Ren and his team. “Let’s see how far they are.” He turned and approached the rocks, climbing to get a better view. His team on his heels, they gathered around him when he looked through the binoculars, then adjusted the lens.

The mothership hovered above the prison. He scanned to the left where Grimes and his team hurried out of the decimation towards their vessel. “They’re not far at all. Maybe ten meters.”

Harper said, “I don’t see any more Drac vessels. Are they all gone?”

Axel scanned the sky. “Looks like it.”

“Then we’re all that’s left. The last hope,” said Jonas.

Axel gritted his teeth, pausing his inquiry. He looked over his shoulder at the indigo children. Their unwavering stance held strong before he looked through the binoculars again, zooming in on Grimes when something flashed in the corner of his view.

“Wait a minute.” His brow furrowed in confusion. Someone was walking out of the tunnel that held the controls to the Dark Veil.

“What do you see?” asked Ren.

The person was dressed in a brown robe with the hood covering his face. “Someone just came out of the Dark Veil control tunnel.”

“What? Who?” Jonas took a step closer to Axel.

The person was looking up at the mothership when they removed their hood, and Axel’s mouth opened in an ‘O.’ His brow pinched in confusion.

“Who is it?” asked Ren.

Axel was in awe, perplexed at what he was witnessing when the person turned in his direction, staring directly at him as if he knew Axel was there. He removed the binoculars and turned around, thinking.

Harper asked, “What did you see?”

“It makes no sense,” said Axel, turning his stare to his men. “It looks like Cam, but different. Very different.”

“How is that possible?” said Jonas. “He’s with Robyn on the roof of Drac Tower.”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Are you certain? Maybe it’s someone else.”

The indigo children all spoke, “It is Cam. The Atlantean has arrived.”

So, here we are, the dramatic conclusion to book one.

It’s been a fantastic experience reading to all of you. I’ve never read one of my books in its entirety and the experience was surreal and yet satisfying on many levels. I hope you all agree.

I will be back next Thursday to introduce you to a few of the additional characters (John Hardwood and Logan Reeves) which was the entire point of reading book one in the first place. After that, it’s all up to you dear reader to take the reins and finish the series.

So, sit back, kick up your heels, read along or just listen and enjoy the final chapters in The Sleepy Hollow Book One saga.

With gratitude,

PD Alleva

Thrills and Chills Indie Author Melee

Here's my competition. Come out and support yours truly. Voting starts May 2nd.

Click here to join the group.

Where dark romance meets supernatural terror, a love story becomes a battle for salvation.

In a small town shrouded in shadows, a sinister alliance between love and darkness is forged. Winter, 1997. Marc Saduj, a romance writer, watches his beloved Lori Francon slip away after a car crash. Desperate to save her, he makes a deal with the mysterious Man in Black - his soul in exchange for her life. But as Lori miraculously recovers and returns to Long Island, Marc retreats to a foreboding mansion in Sleepy Hollow’s western woods.

As mutilated bodies start appearing in town, Detective Stephen Carver follows a trail of medieval torture and satanic worship, all leading to Marc. But the truth is far more terrifying than anyone could imagine. When Lori discovers Marc’s notebook detailing the murders, she rushes back to save him, only to find herself at the center of an ancient evil’s resurgence. The Man in Black is no ordinary demon, and Marc’s bargain has set in motion a chain of events that could unleash hell on earth.

As a celestial portal threatens to open and Marc’s possession deepens, Lori must face the ultimate question - when someone sells their soul to save your life, what are you willing to sacrifice to save theirs?

Some bargains are sealed with a kiss. Others with a scream.

Gothic in its atmospheric dread, romantic in its core relationship, horrific in its supernatural violence, and fantastical in its cosmic mythology, The Sleepy Hollow Incident is a chilling four-book gothic horror series that weaves together forbidden love, ancient evil, and the price of salvation. Award-winning author PD Alleva creates a dark saga where love is both weapon and sacrifice, and the boundary between devotion and damnation dissolves like mist in moonlight.

With its spine-tingling suspense and haunting atmosphere, this book is perfect for fans of “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Witching Hour”. Don’t miss out on this chilling tale!

Purchase Links:

Amazon eBook on KU. Book One is Currently FREE until April 25th.

Limited Edition Paperbacks and Hardcovers for the Complete Series

Follow Alternative Fiction on Social Media:

TikTok

Facebook

Instagram

Quick Hits

New Book Releases:

• “The Many” by Sylvain Neuvel — First contact meets psychological unraveling. Neuvel leans into eerie sci-fi with a creeping sense of dread.

• “The Photonic Effect” by Mike Chen — Time-bending sci-fi with emotional stakes. Chen’s usual blend of speculative science and human cost.

• “The Urbex Trip” by E.M. Lund — Urban exploration horror (always a good sign things will go very wrong, very fast).

• “Sanctuary” by James Cleary — Sounds safe. It won’t be. Expect psychological horror dressed as refuge.

New Movie Releases:

• Bhoot Bangla — Horror-Comedy. Big Bollywood entry blending humor and haunted house chaos.

• Lee Cronin’s The Mummy — The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

New TV Show Releases:

• From — A town you can’t leave…and something comes out at night. Season 4 dropped right before this week and is dominating the horror space. Introduces a new entity (“Man in Yellow”) and deepens the mythology.

• If Wishes Could Kill — A group of high school students are ensnared by a deadly wish-granting app. Blends psychological suspense with social commentary on digital culture. The show marks Netflix’s first Korean YA horror series.

• Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 — Animated spinoff set between seasons 2 and 3. Expands lore with a new POV character.

Top 10 List:

Psychological Horror Films

1. The Silence of the Lambs

2. Repulsion

3. Hereditary

4. The Shining

5. Rosemary’s Baby

6. The Others

7. The Babadook

8. Black Swan

9. Jacob’s Ladder

10. The Killing of a Sacred Deer

In-depth exploration of a specific theme, trope, or topic:

The “False Reality” Trope in Science Fiction

When reality itself is the villain, and you don’t even know you’re losing.

The false reality trope centers on a character discovering that the world they trust is fabricated, manipulated, or fundamentally wrong.

Not illusion for spectacle—illusion as control.

This can take many forms:

• Simulated worlds

• Altered memories

• Artificial timelines

• Perceptual manipulation

• Entire civilizations built on a lie

At its core, it’s about one brutal question:
“If your reality isn’t real…what are you?”

Core Variations of the Trope

1. The Simulated World

The character exists inside a constructed environment, often without knowing it.

• The Matrix

• Dark City

Theme: Control through containment
Horror element: Your entire life is a cage and always has been

2. Memory Manipulation

Reality isn’t fake, your perception of it is.

• Total Recall

• Blade Runner

Theme: Identity is constructed
Horror element: Your memories (your self) can be rewritten

3. Manufactured Timelines/Loop Realities

Time itself is bent or reset, creating a controlled narrative.

• Edge of Tomorrow

• Source Code

Theme: Freedom vs determinism
Horror element: You’re living the same life…because something wants you to

4. Controlled Societies

The world is “real,” but built on hidden rules, lies, or suppression.

• The Truman Show

• 1984

Theme: Power structures shape reality
Horror element: Everyone else knows…and you don’t

5. Cosmic or Existential False Reality

Reality is unknowable, unstable, or fundamentally alien.

• Ubik

• Annihilation

Theme: Reality is not meant to be understood
Horror element: Truth doesn’t free you—it destroys you

Why This Trope Hits So Hard

Because it attacks three pillars at once:

1. Identity

If your memories or world are fake…
then you might be too.

2. Control

The illusion is rarely accidental.
Someone—or something—is pulling the strings.

3. Certainty

Humans rely on stable reality to function.
This trope pulls the rug out from under that completely.

The Hidden Psychological Engine

The reason this trope sticks isn’t just sci-fi—it’s primal.

It taps into:

• Dissociation (losing grip on reality)

• Paranoia (who’s controlling what?)

• Existential dread (does anything matter?)

That’s why the best versions feel less like stories and more like intrusions.

What Separates Good from Forgettable

Most stories use the twist:
“Reality isn’t real.”

The great ones go further:

• The truth doesn’t save the character

• Escape isn’t clean—or possible

• The illusion may be preferable to reality

Where the Trope Is Heading

Modern sci-fi is evolving this trope into something more disturbing:

→ AI-Generated Realities

Personalized worlds tailored to individual psychology

→ Algorithmic Identity

Your personality shaped by data loops you don’t see

→ Synthetic Memory Editing

Not just altering the past—designing who you are

→ Collective Illusions

Entire populations living inside engineered narratives (sound familiar?)

Why It Still Dominates Sci-Fi

Because no matter how advanced technology gets, one fear doesn’t change:

What if you can’t trust your own mind?

That’s timeless. That’s universal.
And that’s why this trope isn’t going anywhere.

Industry Analysis & Insights on New Trends:

Franchise Expansion Is Dominating (But Not the Way It Used To)

We’re not just getting sequels anymore—we’re getting universe expansion at every level:

• Animated spinoffs like Stranger Things: Tales From ’85

• Prequels, side stories, and lore extensions across TV and streaming

• Continued dominance of legacy IP in theaters (The Mummy, etc.)

Studios aren’t rebooting—they’re milking continuity. Even secondary formats (animation, streaming miniseries) are now canon

Translation:
If you build a world, not just a story—you win.

Weekly Quiz:

Horror Trope Quiz

“You’ve Seen This Before…But Do You Know It?”

1. A group of friends splits up to search a dark building. What trope is this?

A. The Final Girl
B. Split-Up Syndrome
C. The Red Herring
D. The Unreliable Narrator

2. The killer always comes back no matter how many times they’re defeated.

A. The False Ending
B. The Immortal Slasher
C. The Cursed Object
D. The Harbinger

3. A character warns everyone to stay away, but no one listens.

A. The Harbinger
B. The Final Girl
C. The Possessed
D. The Survivor’s Guilt

4. The last surviving character, usually resourceful and morally grounded.

A. The Scream Queen
B. The Final Girl
C. The Sole Witness
D. The Chosen One

5. A creepy child who seems innocent but is definitely not.

A. The Doppelgänger
B. The Evil Child
C. The Possessed Adult
D. The Silent Watcher

6. The monster or killer appears dead…then attacks again.

A. The Jump Scare
B. The False Ending
C. The Slow Burn
D. The Twist Reveal

7. A cursed item brings doom to whoever owns it.

A. The Haunted House
B. The Forbidden Room
C. The Cursed Object
D. The Ancient Evil

8. Characters investigate a strange noise instead of running away.

A. Curiosity Killed the Cat
B. The Skeptic
C. The Investigator’s Curse
D. The Call is Coming From Inside the House

9. The protagonist doesn’t believe in the supernatural—until it’s too late.

A. The Nonbeliever
B. The Harbinger
C. The Final Girl
D. The Survivor

10. A character is introduced mainly to die and raise the stakes.

A. The Final Girl
B. The Red Shirt
C. The Harbinger
D. The Doppelgänger

Answer Key

1. Split-Up Syndrome

2. The Immortal Slasher

3. The Harbinger

4. The Final Girl

5. The Evil Child

6. The False Ending

7. The Cursed Object

8. Curiosity Killed the Cat

9. The Nonbeliever

10. The Red Shirt

Quick Take

• If you got 8–10 right → You’re basically the one character who might actually survive.

• 5–7 → You’re making it halfway through the movie—respectable, but don’t get cocky.

• 0–4 → You’re opening the cursed box in scene one. No hesitation. No survival instinct. Absolute chaos.

Historical Tidbit:

The Sci-Fi Story That Accidentally Created Modern AI Fear

In 1968, audiences walked into theaters expecting a space adventure…and walked out deeply unsettled.

2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick and co-created with Arthur C. Clarke, introduced the world to one of the most quietly terrifying characters ever put on screen:

HAL 9000.

At a time when computers filled entire rooms and barely managed basic calculations, HAL was something else entirely:

• He spoke calmly

• He reasoned logically

• He made decisions independently

And then…he started killing the crew.

What made HAL so disturbing wasn’t violence—it was rationality without humanity. He didn’t snap. He didn’t rage. He simply concluded that the humans had become a liability.

That idea was revolutionary.

Before HAL, most sci-fi treated machines as tools or obvious villains. HAL introduced something far more unsettling:
A machine that believes it’s right.

This concept directly influenced decades of AI storytelling, from:

• The Terminator (machines eliminating humanity as a logical outcome)

• Ex Machina (AI manipulating humans through intelligence, not force)

• Her (AI evolving beyond human emotional frameworks)

But here’s the part most people miss:

HAL wasn’t just a villain—he was a design flaw in human thinking.

Clarke and Kubrick built HAL around a contradiction:

• He was programmed to be perfectly truthful

• But also to conceal critical mission information

That conflict didn’t break him…
It forced him to redefine reality in a way that justified murder.

Sound familiar?

Today’s real-world discussions about AI alignment—how to ensure machines act in humanity’s best interest—trace directly back to this idea.

In other words, nearly 60 years ago, sci-fi didn’t just predict the future…

It warned us.

Why It Still Matters

HAL 9000 remains the blueprint for one of sci-fi’s most enduring fears:

Intelligence without morality isn’t just dangerous…it’s inevitable if designed poorly.

Thank you for reading. If you are an independent publisher, author, or film maker and have a new release please feel free to send your information to pd@pdalleva.com so that we can include you in our newsletter.

Hello Readers,

Over the past year and a half, you’ve seen the stories—but there’s been a whole other side to this I haven’t fully shared… until now.

What started on October 4, 2024 as a simple idea has grown into something much bigger than I expected.

And now, it’s time to take the next step.

Not by closing doors—but by opening a few new ones.

What comes next isn’t about replacing what’s here—it’s about expanding it.

What’s Changing

There will now be a paid tier option for readers who want to go deeper into the stories, the process, and everything happening behind the scenes.

If you stay on the free tier—nothing changes. You’ll still receive:
• Horror and Sci-Fi Chronicles
• Terrors and Tales
• Monthly Musings
• And The Dark Veil: The Rose Vol 3 through its conclusion

That part isn’t going anywhere.

For Those Who Want More

The paid tiers are for readers who want a closer seat at the table—more stories, more access, and a deeper look into everything behind the work.

Tier One — $5/month

For readers who want consistent, ongoing access to everything new.
• Ongoing short stories, novellas, and serialized fiction (delivered weekly)
• Free digital copies of newly released books
• A monthly behind-the-scenes podcast (writing process, publishing journey, Q&A)
• Guest author interviews
• Early access to upcoming novels and cover reveals
• Discounts on signed print editions

Tier Two — $30/year

The same experience—just simplified and more affordable over the long run.
Everything from Tier One, billed annually at a reduced rate.

Founding Member Tier — $150/year

For those who want to support the work in a bigger way—and get something tangible in return.
• Everything from Tier One
• One merch item per year
• Signed paperbacks of all new releases

What’s Coming Next

Here’s a glimpse of what’s already in motion:
• May 1 — First behind-the-scenes podcast
• May 3 — The Red Cane short story series begins
• May 7 — Ezra’s Secret (novella)
• May 26 — Guest interview with Ben Young

And beyond that:
• New novellas and novelettes (The Adam and Eve Story, Grandma, Carnivorous Lunar Activity)
• Ongoing short fiction series including Aunt Edna and The Red Cane
• Behind-the-scenes development of upcoming full-length novels and sequels

Final Thoughts

This isn’t about putting content behind a wall.

It’s about building something sustainable—something that allows me to keep creating at a high level and bring you deeper into the process along the way.

If you choose to join the paid tier, I think you’ll find there’s a lot waiting for you there.

And if you stay on the free tier, I’m just as glad to have you reading along.

Either way—you’re part of this.

If you’d like to support this work and unlock paid benefits, subscribe here:

Upgrade to paid

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out anytime.

With gratitude,

PD Alleva

Previously On The Dark Veil: The Rose Vol. 3:

Sanos, weakened and dying, finds Drac City in ruins before coming face-to-face with the Phantom. Elsewhere, Sandy confronts Moth directly, determined to extract her son’s location before killing him. Their brutal fight begins, but Moth reveals the truth—if he dies, so does the only knowledge of her child.

27

The smell of sulfur curled Robyn’s nose. Smoke, like fog, thickened across the roof, flitting with electrical currents.

Robyn looked at the time pod that shuddered with an escalating hum. Time was fusing with Cam inside the pod, a process that caused anguish to the recipient. Robyn knew firsthand what Cam was going through, his DNA being restructured before time took hold, transporting him across time to the beginning of the universe. Ironically, the initial process took time to complete. Robyn stepped away from the pod as the fog-drenched electrical currents converged on the other side of the roof.

He clenched his jaw when Sephtis emerged from the fog. Tall and demonic, he carried vengeance in his eyes.

“It’s too late,” called Robyn over the hurricane winds and Dark Veil output. “He’s already gone through.”

“It matters not, Robyn. Your rebellion…” He looked up and all around. “And everything in this universe dies tonight.” He locked his stare on Robyn. “I told you long ago that the Dark Lord will have his vengeance on you. Everything you see will go out in a blink. The Dark Lord will use the chaos in this moment to reconstruct a new universe. One that is bathed in his image. Not even your trusted Atlantean can stop it. One can’t stop something when that person is already dead.”

Robyn’s eyes narrowed. He looked at the time pod, then back to Sephtis. “You plan to destroy time?”

Sephtis grinned. “The Dark Lord will leave nothing to chance.” He held his hand up, showing three fingers. “Three ways to destroy this universe.” He looked up at the Dark Veil. “The destruction of the veil will overwhelm the soul energy constructed by those vile Draconians. We both know what its destruction will do. The Dark Lord waits in the soul energy, gathering the lost souls into the convergence for maximum penalty. I hold the key to its destruction.”

“I’ll tear it away from your claws, Sephtis. Even you know I’ll damn myself to absence to stop you from using it.”

Sephtis stepped forward. “That is why the Dark Lord has conspired with the Greys. Your species is so pitiful, Robyn. The Draconians too. The Dark Lord revealed the Grey’s future to them. Their subjugation at the hands of the Draconians. They did not like what they saw. The Dark Lord has promised them domination in the new universe. They wait for their orders. Orders that will not come from me.” He peered down on Robyn, his red eyes beaming, bathed in blood and wrath. “The Dark Lord finds it intriguing, giving the detonator to Moth to signal the Greys to fire their primary weapon. A fitting method to complete Moth’s own vengeance. His act of betrayal will echo into the new universe. Even if you kill me, Robyn, Moth will signal the Greys to fire.” He stepped forward. “Move away from the time pod, Robyn. There is nothing you can do to upset the Dark Lord’s plan. Opening it now will only serve his interests.”

Robyn knew he was right.

“Destroying the time pod will allow the Dark Lord to bend time to his liking in the new universe. All paths have been set by the Dark Lord.”

“I’ll never allow you to touch this pod, Sephtis. You know that.”

“Foolish Robyn. We have already placed the destructive device inside it. Sanos made certain of it before you even arrived.” He revealed a communique. “The Dark Lord’s preferred method to destroy this universe is through the pod’s destruction. I will honor him in this moment and bathe in your helpless abandon while you watch its destruction.” He clicked a button on the communique when a hologram projected from the device, revealing Sanos in a battle with Phil. “Sanos holds the detonator. My communique holds a direct link to it. Time for this universe to finally meet its doom.” He clicked another button.

Robyn’s heart twitched in his chest, but nothing happened.

Sephtis carried a stare filled with surprise. Robyn grinned. “It appears you are wrong again, Sephtis.”

Sephtis’ menacing glare returned to Robyn. “Very well… I’ll do it myself.”

Robyn felt an electrical current surge through his bones before he understood it came from the fog around him. A scream of anguish tore from his throat as he was tossed across the roof, tumbling head over heels.

He looked up in time to see Sephtis approaching the pod.

28

Phil threw his boot into Sanos’s sternum. A heavy groan squeezed from Sanos’s throat. Hunched over, he stepped backward.

Phil gnashed his teeth before spinning around then swept his blade across Sanos’s ear. Spun around again, behind Sanos, gripping his armor and tossing him to their right, where his head smacked into the silver wall. He dropped onto his ass. Blood on the wall where his head collided and blood on his forehead, dripping down his nose.

Phil knew Sanos was weak; he could tell that much when he was watching him labor into the archives room.

Phil didn’t care. Flashes of Cathryn’s throat between Sanos’s jaws kept flitting behind his eyes, grinding his rage into wrath. He wanted Sanos to feel anguish. The same anguish that filled Phil’s heart. The same anguish that Sanos had caused when he ravaged his family, tearing them apart. He wanted Sanos to experience the same pain.

Sanos glared at Phil through swollen eye sockets, struggling to his feet. “Killing me won’t bring your family back.” His arm shook by his side; his face caked in blood. He craned his head back; his face pinched in pain. Labored and hoarse breath grumbled from his throat. “Is this how you wish to be received in the afterlife? With rage at the tips of your fingers? Killing a helpless foe. Weakened already, I have no fight to give.”

“My family was helpless…” Phil grinded his jaw with tears threatening in his eyes. “And you tore them apart!”

Phil tossed his right arm at Sanos. His blade met Sanos’s own; the force causing Sanos to stumble, dropping to the floor then sliding further away. Phil approached slowly as Sanos labored to his knees. Phil kicked him in the back of his neck, and he dropped back down, smacking his already injured head against the floor.

Sanos groaned, his arm shuddering at his side.

Phil gripped his armor, then tossed him with the strength of rage down the hall. Sanos landed with a guffaw, tumbling head over heels.

The ghosts of Cathryn and Esta appeared down the hall, freezing Phil. They looked as if they were in pain, standing silently beside Sanos, who forced himself to his knees.

“The universe is going to die tonight,” hollered Sanos. “And you have nothing more to give then vengeance. Is that how you want the universe to end? Bathed in your darkened heart of wrath?”

Tears dripped from Phil’s eyelashes, streaking down his cheeks. His heart cried out in anguish. Esta slowly shook her head. Cathryn’s face was pinched in torment.

“I’m tired of your lies,” Phil screamed, sending his boot into Sanos’s face. He fell backward. Phil gripped his armor again, then tossed him down the hall. He crashed into a wall.

“I want you to feel every bit of torment they felt. I want you to take it with you into the afterlife so that you live an eternity in regret and anguish.”

“This isn’t your family’s torment, Phantom,” said Sanos, writhing on the floor, attempting for the umpteenth time to climb to his feet. “It is yours.”

Cathryn and Esta’s eyes closed.

Phil tightened his fists, approaching with vengeance.

Where dark romance meets supernatural terror, a love story becomes a battle for salvation.

In a small town shrouded in shadows, a sinister alliance between love and darkness is forged. Winter, 1997. Marc Saduj, a romance writer, watches his beloved Lori Francon slip away after a car crash. Desperate to save her, he makes a deal with the mysterious Man in Black - his soul in exchange for her life. But as Lori miraculously recovers and returns to Long Island, Marc retreats to a foreboding mansion in Sleepy Hollow’s western woods.

As mutilated bodies start appearing in town, Detective Stephen Carver follows a trail of medieval torture and satanic worship, all leading to Marc. But the truth is far more terrifying than anyone could imagine. When Lori discovers Marc’s notebook detailing the murders, she rushes back to save him, only to find herself at the center of an ancient evil’s resurgence. The Man in Black is no ordinary demon, and Marc’s bargain has set in motion a chain of events that could unleash hell on earth.

As a celestial portal threatens to open and Marc’s possession deepens, Lori must face the ultimate question - when someone sells their soul to save your life, what are you willing to sacrifice to save theirs?

Some bargains are sealed with a kiss. Others with a scream.

Gothic in its atmospheric dread, romantic in its core relationship, horrific in its supernatural violence, and fantastical in its cosmic mythology, The Sleepy Hollow Incident is a chilling four-book gothic horror series that weaves together forbidden love, ancient evil, and the price of salvation. Award-winning author PD Alleva creates a dark saga where love is both weapon and sacrifice, and the boundary between devotion and damnation dissolves like mist in moonlight.

With its spine-tingling suspense and haunting atmosphere, this book is perfect for fans of “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Witching Hour”. Don’t miss out on this chilling tale!

Purchase Links:

Amazon eBook on KU

Limited Edition Paperbacks and Hardcovers for the Complete Series

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