This story is based on an actual town legend and actual history. All historical details are factual, the demons represented are metaphorical. This is a unique story written on three levels. The first is the "campfire tale" level, basically just a fun novel to tell around the campfire. The second is the metaphorical level, where the demons represent the mining companies and mining interests and those fighting the demons represent the residents and others working for the miners and the town. The final and most important level is the overall reason for writing this novel - the personal beliefs of the author; on big business, politics religion and humanity in general. When you comprehend the story at this level you have read it correctly (it may take more than one reading to grasp the full complexity of the story.)
Cloak and Dragon Bookstore Signing. Sadly the Cloak and Dragon has gone the way of the dragon. Guess I will have to hold my signings vicariously over the Internet since no one shops at bookstores any more!
A short novel based on historical fact
Centralia PA, Devils Fire by Andrew Shecktor
"A town cursed, a town destined to burn by the very commodity it was founded upon."
First in a series of small town legend novels by author Andrew Shecktor,
this novel combines history with fiction and is about the town of
Centralia, PA, which was lost due to a coal mine fire which has been
unable to be extinguished. It details the history and offers a fanciful
story behind the history. Sample from the book: “More water! More water
damn it! The fire is spreading!” From behind a fire pumper a soot
covered black-faced fireman came running and shouting. “Around the other
side! Quickly!.” Three more fire fighters joined in, sweat pouring from
their brows in the 83 degree heat, made many times hotter by the raging
fire, dragging limp cloth hose toward the quickly spreading fire that
was reaching out in anger from the pit. “Charge the line,” screamed a
scrawny teenage fireman. The hose they were carrying quickly filled and
whipped along like a disturbed snake. The fire, in the pit of an old
abandoned strip mine near the Odd Fellows cemetery was started once or
twice a year to burn excess municipal rubbish, but had never gotten out
of control, as did this one. This fire was started on May 27 to clean up
rubbish and municipal waste in preparation for the Memorial Day
celebration, and was then extinguished by the fire department and was
thought to have gone out. It had again re-kindled on May 29 and was put
out late in the evening. It again re-kindled on June 12, though not as
bad. Now it had re-kindled yet again, this time with a vengeance, as if
set by Satan himself. None of the locals had ever seen such an inferno.
This was no ordinary fire. The flames leaping from the ground formed
shapes resembling demons from Hell, the heat was melting fire apparatus
staged many hundreds of feet from the pit.