The devil has put a blight on the folks of Wicker, Alabama.
A shadow looms over the Church of New Lazarus’ doorstep, cast by the boughs of a champion oak tree where its reverend was left hanging during the heat of a fearsome revival. His remains didn’t come down until the rope rotted through. Now his spirit lingers, signaled by the sounds of groaning wood and straining fibers. The once-joyous congregation he left behind is now hollow and haunted, covered in sin and shame, unable to leave the church or the small town of Wicker.
For eighteen years since his husband’s death, Pastor Dallas Hackett has led the church. And in all that time, the devil has never once strayed from his side. In his youth they struck a deal at the crossroads, where Dallas asked for revenge against the congregation that killed his grandfather. As proof that their contract remains evergreen, no one in Wicker can leave or die without Dallas’ spoken permission. Through pain, loss, and sickness, he has forced even the most agonized to linger, only granting mercy when he is satisfied by their suffering.
Through it all, Dallas does not age, and he does not sleep.
And now, a new face has appeared in the congregation—a young columnist who wants a look behind the curtain of the Church of New Lazarus. He has his sights set on Dallas for more than just answers, but the darkness that waits may prove too hungry for either of them to conquer. 
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 24th, 2026
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