Publisher's Synopsis
Some stories don't die. They hide. Waiting.
In the citrus groves, the back alleys, the blood-stained hotels of 1994 Riverside, California... evil is wide awake.
Once Upon a Time in Jurupa is a chilling horror anthology where ten interconnected tales spiral through heatwaves, haunted houses, forgotten festivals, and shadow-soaked memories-each more twisted and terrifying than the last.
Inside these pages, you'll find:
- Supernatural horror steeped in Mexican folklore and Inland Empire legends
- Psychological descent that claws at the mind, blurs memory, and distorts truth
- Grotesque revenge, haunted mirrors, cursed healers, and soul-hungry soldiers
- Dark and twisted justice, possessed landscapes, and roads that remember your sins
The stories are deeply entwined- shared streets, recurring echoes, and converging fates- yet each stands on its own as a nightmare you won't forget. This is folk horror scorched in sunlight, urban legends reimagined, and spiritual horror wrapped in cultural wounds.
From the smoky taquería of Tío's Tacos, where a traumatized veteran's grief fuels a gruesome culinary revenge, to the whispering citrus orchards of The Grove, where ancient folk rituals demand horrifying sacrifices- every story twists reality into chilling nightmare.
Explore psychological horrors like Memorial Day, a disturbing journey into madness, obsession, and generational trauma; or step inside the shadowed halls of The Glenwood Inn, where corruption, murder, and spectral secrets refuse to stay buried. In El Curandero, forbidden healing miracles exact a bloody price, while The Reaper takes readers on a sinister quest for twisted enlightenment among the victims of Riverside's most notorious killer.
Stand before the cursed reflection in Reflections, face the living grief in The Maze, or buckle up for the spiraling descent into madness with White Bronco, where a road trip through foggy highways becomes an unforgettable nightmare. Finally, uncover ancient evils and moral ambiguity in El Conquistador, where a centuries-old curse blurs the line between protector and predator.
This collection is unrelenting, literary, and razor-sharp. The terror here is visceral and emotional, layered with social commentary, mythic dread, and a twist of sun-scorched noir.
Read it cover to cover. Or savor each short horror story like a forbidden fruit. But don't read it alone. And never turn your back on the orange groves.
Buy Once Upon a Time in Jurupa today-and discover the Inland Empire's deepest, darkest stories... before they discover you.
