Book Spotlight | Girl That You Fear by Azzurra Nox

Today the spotlight is on Girl That You Fear by Azzurra Nox!

This has been described as a “feminist demonic possession horror” that is The Exorcist meets Come Closer, so get ready to be scared. Girl That You Fear is available now!

To give you a taste, I’m sharing the synopsis and excerpt from the book. Thank you to the author for this exclusive excerpt!

Genre: Horror
Publication Date: 2 January 2023
Author: Azzurra Nox
Publisher: Black Bed Sheet Books

Synopsis

There’s something strange going on with Spencer Torres and it all began with a visit to the Queen Mary.

It’s the fall of her Senior year, and Spencer Torres, Queen Bee and next in line for valedictorian of Sacred Heart High has a perfect life. Until that is, her idyllic existence is shattered when a visit to the infamously haunted Queen Mary ship causes her to become possessed by a demon. But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill demon—Dever’s cunning, attractive, and manipulative. Somehow, this possession causes memories of a trauma she had succumbed to earlier in the summer to resurface.

As Dever’s power over Spencer increases, she begins to see her perfect life spiral out of control as she grows increasingly weaker and unstable. But rather than try to cast Dever away, Spencer embraces the demon, who vows to help her avenge those who wronged her only if she’s willing to sacrifice all that she has.

Time is running out, and only Spencer can determine whether she should fear the demon or herself.

Excerpt

Chapter One

The night the fires tore through Hollywood hills devouring wildlife and mansions, Spencer Torres got possessed by an ancient demon. It sunk its claws deep into her flesh and refused to let go. It was the fall of her senior year. A year where she expected to shine. A year where nothing was meant to go wrong.

Until it all did.

Spencer was sitting in English class trying desperately not to fall asleep. Her set of pens and highlighter sat ready for action upon her sheets of notes, but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to lift either of them. She kept nodding off in small intervals, and each time she’d snap back awake and take a deep breath trying to make herself more focused on the lesson at hand.

Ever since she visited the Queen Mary for the “Haunted Encounters Tour,” she didn’t feel the same. It hadn’t been her idea to go as she wasn’t a fan of being frightened for fun. It was her best friend Fallon’s idea, she insisted it wouldn’t be so scary, and her boyfriend Mason joined them. To her annoyance, even her younger sister Isla tagged along, there was no way to dissuade her from not going since she loved haunts. Fallon kept rattling on about how the perennially docked ship at Long Beach was an interesting historical landmark to visit.

From the very first moment she walked down the long passageway with its carpeted corridors and glossy wooden walls, she felt a strange sensation. It was a quiet sense of dread that followed her throughout the visit. A sense that she was being watched prickled her skin with uneasiness.

At some point during their visit, she remained momentarily behind. Goose flesh littered her arms as she was hit with a sudden touch of icy air.

That’s when she saw her.

The figure of a little girl cast in shadows. Once she stepped out into the light she saw that the little girl wore a dated 20’s style blue dress while she clutched a teddy bear with a red bow. Something was unsettling by the way the girl looked at her. Something about her gaze wasn’t right. Her expression was vacant. Then the little girl opened her mouth in a silent scream as her eyes melted down her cheeks like two crimson puddles.

Spencer wanted to scream but suddenly felt violently sick. Brutal cramps seized her abdomen, and before she had a chance to stop herself, she released strange green-hued bile from her mouth. When Isla, Mason, and Fallon had found her she had tried to save face by wiping her lips with the back of her hand and remarked, “I told you we shouldn’t have eaten those fish tacos.”

But two weeks had passed since that fateful night, and Spencer could no longer joke about the circumstances. Nightmares plagued her sleep, causing her to wake up multiple times and making it extremely difficult for her to stay awake in class. Ms. Reynolds’ soothing voice droned on about Faust and his deal with the Devil, and she found it irresistible to give in to the sweet temptation of slumber.

Her eyelids drooped as her hand stopped writing. She felt a chill. She suddenly became aware of her surroundings and noticed that she was back at the Queen Mary. Only this time when she saw the wet footprints, they began to overflow. Dark, murky water slowly rose from the depths, and Spencer was unsure what to do. It almost felt like being swallowed by the darkness. Soon she was knee-deep in freezing water.

Tap-tap-tap.

She jerked her head to the side and watched as the little girl dragged her jagged nails along the ship’s wooden walls. In her other hand, she clutched her teddy bear with the red bow.

Spencer tried to move but soon realized that her feet were stuck as though the icy waters were made of molasses.

She let out a whimper.

The little girl stared straight at her as she had done that night on the ship.

“He’s coming for you!” She said in a raspy voice that sounded coarse like sandpaper.

“Who? Who’s coming?”

She opened her mouth and that’s when her eyes melted. They ran down her cheeks like runny eggs.

This time Spencer was unable to contain her screams.

“Miss Torres! What’s the meaning of this?!” Ms. Reynolds shook Spencer out of her nightmare. Her teacher was taken aback by her outburst.

Agitated, she jumped up, startled.

Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking. Her nerves felt on fire.

“She…she was there!”

Ms. Reynolds peered down with judgment in her eyes and asked, “Who are you referring to?”

That’s when Spencer felt the weight of a hundred eyes turning in her direction. The whole class was staring intently at Spencer. Her cheeks flushed in shame as she heard a few whispers. Leo Jenkins, her only rival for valedictorian peered over at her from behind his textbook. Something about his furtive glance hidden behind his black-rimmed glasses gave her a slight shudder. A couple of girls from Cheer seated nearby expressed their concern. One girl, Ally Brand quickly offered her a bottle of lemon water as a means to soothe her jitters, but she declined. Humiliation burned her to the core.

“I suggest you get more sleep at night, Spencer. I won’t tolerate this sort of behavior in class. Now go compose yourself and then return to class,” the teacher shook her head in dismay.

“But Ms. Reynolds…”

“Please, trust me, just go take a breather and come back.”

“Can I go with her?” Fallon called out raising her hand from her seat. Spencer recognized that look. Concern was written all over her face.

“Absolutely not, that won’t be necessary.”

Fallon sulked from her seat, her blonde bob caressing her chin. The two friends made eye contact, and Spencer forced a smile trying to pass off as being okay. She simply had a nightmare, there was nothing wrong with her. Nothing at all. Or at least that’s what she kept repeating in her head as she got to her feet and made her way to the door. Someone on the other side of the room must’ve made a comment because a few of her classmates snickered in return.

She quickly turned around, glaring at the culprits who froze in fear.

“Fucking losers,” Fallon muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

Cover photo by Sayan Ghosh