Creepers (novel)
| Author | David Morrell |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror fiction, Horror Mystery |
| Publisher | CDS Books |
|
Publication date
|
2005 |
| Followed by | 'Scavenger' |
Creepers is a 2006 novel written by David Morrell. This is Morrell's twenty-fourth novel.
Frank Balenger, a reporter, meets a group of four 'Creepers', urban explorers whose primary target in this case is the long abandoned Paragon Hotel. The Creepers introduce themselves as Rick, an athletic young man who is the husband of Cora, an intelligent and attractive young woman who is still longed for by Vinnie, another member of the group. They are led by Professor Conklin, who introduced them to 'Creeping' while they were students of his in College.
The history of the Paragons owner, Morgan Carlisle, is told to the group by Conklin. Carlisle was a Hemophiliac ("The slightest bump or fall causes almost uncontrollable bleeding..."), who never left his Hotel until one morning he walked out to the beach the Hotel is next to and shot himself in the face with a shotgun.
The five soon break into the Paragon through an underground sewer system which leads them to the pool area. They wander about, eyeing old pictures of the Hotel in its Glory, and walk up the aged stairs to some of the rooms, discovering, among other things, a decaying monkey in a suitcase left there years ago by the rooms occupant. Suddenly the floor gives and Vinnie almost falls through, though Balenger is able to assist him up and to safety. The group has a bathroom break by urinating into waterbottles (they refuse to leave any evidence of their presence behind), when something moves in the dark distance and Balenger takes out a handgun, though this is unnoticed by any of the others.
They decide to leave but the stairs begin to sway and the Professor injures his leg. After the Professor is safe, Balenger and the others notice a sound in the distance, which to their horror they realize is whistling to a song Rick played earlier. Before they realize it they have been attacked and Balenger's gun is stolen. Three men tie the Creepers up and introduce themselves as Mack, JD, and Tod. JD throws Rick over the banister to fall three stories and likely to his death.
Tod reveals that the reason they came was to steal from the seemingly mythical vault of a gangster named Carmine Danata, who was a frequent guest of the Hotel and was supposed to be a friend of Carlisle. Eventually they find Danata's suite. Vinnie and Balenger set the wounded Professor on a couch in the room and set off to find the Vault. They find it hidden behind a wall and in a long corridor that is in between the rooms. The vault is opened when to their shock they find a woman has been living inside the vault for an undetermined amount of time. She tells them her name is Amanda, and she reveals that she is under the capture of a mysterious man named Ronnie, who lives inside the hotel.
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