Happy Almost Halloween Everyone,
I hope you’re ready for the scariest night of the year! To
get you ready for the holiday, I’m sharing a true horror story, plus an excerpt
from my Civil War horror novella…
DEAD ‘TIL DAWN
Disturbing the dead doesn’t prove you’re brave – it proves
you’re stupid.
After touring Gettysburg battlefield, Jessica, Tim, and
Steve decide to sneak out to the Devil’s Den for some late-night fun. Jessica’s
friend Kathy objects, and warns them about trespassing where they’re not
wanted.
Undaunted by ghost stories and fueled by his own arrogance,
Tim races toward the Devil’s Den. When the group drives through mysterious
battlefield fog, they find themselves surrounded by Civil War soldiers looking
for a little fun of their own.
Kathy leaves the others to fend for themselves and flees to
Little Round Top. Although she’s rescued by a kindhearted Union solider named
Charlie, she refuses to believe that what she’s experiencing is real. As the
nighttime battle rages on, Charlie introduces Kathy to other weary soldiers,
and she quickly realizes she’s trapped in the land of the dead until dawn.
***
So how did this story come about? Well, if you know me, you
know I love writing psychological/creepy/spooky horror stories. And I also love
traveling to historic places—especially if they’re haunted.
This novella was inspired by actual events that happened to
me in Gettysburg, PA. My husband and I had a very unusual experience with
battlefield fog and I wanted to use it in a story. Here’s the short version:
It was around 11:30 pm and we wanted to explore. Since you
can’t go onto the battlefield at night, we decided to drive around it. As soon
as we got outside of town we came upon a wall of fog. You could literally see
the line where it started. (I incorporated this into the story.)
I thought that was strange–but what the heck–we’d drive
through it and come out the other side. Wrong. The thick, swirling fog
completely engulfed the car. We couldn’t see more than two feet in front of us,
and saw nothing but fog on all sides.
We figured the fog would dissipate or…something. Nope. The
further we drove, the thicker it got. From time to time I swore I saw shadows
in the fog, but I figured it was my imagination.
Robert was getting a little nervous because it was pretty
obvious this wasn’t normal. He was worried about another car coming down the
street (there weren’t any, who else would drive around in creepy fog?) and
hitting us. I told him I was more worried about what we’d do if a Civil War
soldier on a horse ran in front of us.
Although I don’t consider myself a “paranormal investigator”
I love exploring haunted places and taking ghost tours. Historic houses and
basically “anything old and creepy” appeal to my imagination. Is it any
surprise that I love Halloween?
Here’s an excerpt from Dead’ Til Dawn, featuring the
infamous battlefield fog. I’m happy to say that the book got several great
reviews on Amazon!
***
Steve leaned forward in the back seat and tapped Tim on the
shoulder. “You think we can get to the Devil’s Den now? Won’t they have
security guards?”
“Who’d guard a battlefield at night? Ghosts?” Tim chuckled.
“The ghost stories we heard today were cool,” Steve replied.
“I wanted to take that ghost tour at the orphanage. They let you investigate
and try to contact dead soldiers. Maybe tomorrow–”
“I told you, that was a rip off,” Tim interrupted. “Who
cares who died out here, anyway? It was over a hundred and fifty years ago. I
don’t know why you keep wasting your time and money on that paranormal crap.
There’s no such thing as ghosts. People in town made up those stories to rake
in tourist money and sell costumes to idiot reenactors. If playing dress-up…
Whoa!”
Tim stopped the car. A wall of white mist covered the road
ten feet ahead of them.
“Is that fog?” Jessica asked, brushing her long red hair
over her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Steve answered. “But why is it there and not
anywhere else?”
Kathy peered out the side window. The two-lane road was
crystal clear on both sides of the car, but the line of fog blocked their path.
It’s waiting for us to advance. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Let’s go
back.”
Tim stomped on the gas and plowed into the fog.
“Check it out. We’re surrounded,” Steve exclaimed.
Fog engulfed the car, blocking out the fields, trees, and
fences along the road. Every so often Kathy thought she saw a glimpse of
movement in the misty darkness, but it was hard to tell with Tim speeding like
a maniac.
Steve pointed behind them. “Look back there. The town’s
gone, swallowed up,” he said.
Kathy gazed out the rear window. Steve was right. Behind
them, Gettysburg lay sleeping, wrapped in a blanket of milky whiteness.
***
Wanna find out what happens when they get out of the car?
Order your copy of Dead ‘Til Dawn here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Til-Dawn-Civil-Horror-ebook/dp/B015LHI08A
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4X9aLb
Want more horror stories for Halloween? Visit the Horror,
Mystery & More page on my site: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror
Happy Haunting!
Kelli
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has
published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 8 mystery/horror
ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare
readers with her horror and mystery stories.
Her twenty-fourth romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic
historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.
In August 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection
of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this
anthology.
Kelli also released her fourth gay romance, A Thousand
Summer Secrets, in 2024. This tender contemporary romance takes place over a
summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking love and acceptance.
She published The Route 9 Killer, a mystery/thriller set in
Central NJ, in 2023. Look for a follow-up story coming in 2026!
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins
and visit her website
www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.
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