Born Burning — Thomas Sullivan

Some families have strange traditions.



It has been passed down from generation to generation. An antique chair carved from a two-thousand-year-old tree. Steeped in history, this priceless heirloom has become part of a time-honored tradition in the Whitehall family. On the seventh birthday of every firstborn son, the chair is bequeathed to the next in line.



Some children have strange fears.



Now it's Joey's turn. But for some reason the boy doesn't want to inherit the chair. In fact, he's frightened of its grotesque carvings teeming with spires and gargoyles and tormented figures. He has dared sit in it only once--but never again. And yet it seems so important to Joey's father, who flies into a rage when Joey refuses to accept his birthright. And to Joey's uncle, who seems to be watching his every move. But the chair is only part of a darker family tradition. A tradition in which Joey must take his place--no matter how terrifying it seems....



He was born for it.