The Haunting of Old Splinter

The Haunting of Old Splinter

• Innocent wishes turn decidedly sinister in this chilling horror for fans of Katherine Arden and R. L. Stine.
  
  Peter and his half brother, Adrian, live in the shadow of Old Splinter—a formerly lavish estate now in ruins. Rumored to have once housed an eccentric magician, it’s now home to little more than spiderwebs and mold. Tasked with renovating the crumbling mansion on behalf of their wealthy uncle, Peter’s stepdad is at his wits’ end. And the cracks are beginning to show in their once-happy cottage.
  
  A mysterious local legend may be their only hope. The wishing claw, a magical hand that grants your deepest desires, has spell-bound townsfolk for centuries. If it’s real—if he can find it—then Peter might just save his family! But wishes are tricky things and they always come with a price. What starts innocently enough soon unearths much more than Peter bargained for, including a dark secret lurking in the walls of the mansion…and a monstrous hunger that comes knocking at his door.Jack Mackay is a writer, theater-maker and horror enthusiast. Though he’s currently floating around somewhere near York, his heart is in the Midlands, in his grandparents’ creaky old house. He has written stories since he was four years old. He is also the co-founder of Griffonage Theatre, a York-based company with a taste for the madcap and macabre. He loves his family, his dog, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and K-pop.1The Magician
  
  It was all Uncle Lawrence’s fault.
  
  That was what Peter would tell himself, over and over, but there were several people who were to blame for what happened. George, for moving them to Old Splinter in the first place. Alfie, for telling them the story. Adrian, for believing it.
  
  But more than anyone, Peter blamed himself. It was his foolishness that had caused it.
  
  His terrible mistake.It began on the coldest, wettest day of a cold, wet summer. Peter Carney and Adrian Lee were walking home from the park, hands tucked into the pockets of their anoraks.
  
  “I’m bleeding,” said Adrian. “I don’t want anyone to see.”
  
  “Chin up,” said Peter.
  
  “That’s the problem, Pete. It’s my chin that’s bleeding.”
  
  The boys were walking down the main road toward their end of town. They had lived in Barghest-on-the-Moor (“Barghest,” for short), with its streams and bridges and brightly colored doors, for a year now. Dry-stone walls divided the surrounding fields into a patchwork of greens and purples, but today the heavy cloud turned everything a shade grayer.
  
  “Mom and Dad are going to be so upset,” Adrian groaned.
  
  Peter and Adrian were half brothers, although they rarely acknowledged the “half” part. They saw no reason to behave as if they were anything other than just brothers. True, you couldn’t always tell from a glance that they were related. Peter was lanky while Adrian was stocky. Peter’s hair was light brown while Adrian’s was jet black. Peter was pale while Adrian had olive skin that never seemed to burn. Only when they stood next to each other could you see the likeness in the shape of their noses and the corners of their mouths. Nevertheless, they were practically inseparable. Wherever Peter went, Adrian’s red woolen beanie would always be bobbing along not far behind.
  
  “It’ll be okay,” said Peter. “Mom will get you a plaster and George will have
• Mackay, Jack
• ISBN: 9780593693865