The Two Masks — John Salonia

Where does darkness end and light begin? Why, in the shadows, of course â€" and this collection begins in the darkest of shadows, where unearthly horrors slink and prowl, flesh creeps, and blood congeals at the touch of hellish talons. That's our first course. But don't worry; we wouldn't dream of leaving you with frozen blood. For dessert, we skew those selfsame shadows to show the lighter side of the dark side . . . â€" The nightmare was stuck in his head - but it wasn't content to stay there. Not when there was so much else to eat . . . â€" It was a lush green planet thousands of light-years from Earth. So why did the dead colonists have the marks of Earth's legendary demons on their tattered corpses? â€" When a noted scientist unknowingly strikes a bargain with a treacherous demon, it could spell the end of the world . . . â€" The murderer prided himself on his disguise. Unfortunately, his masquerade was only skin-deep . . . â€" The murder victim's brain was removed with surgical precision. It was the perfect crime - until the victim turned up alive . . . â€" It all started when Dennis stepped on Mr. Wilson's lawn. But one shotgun blast later, it had escalated into total warfare . . . AND MORE!