Ghost Creek

In the deepest recesses of everyone’s mind lurks an irrepressible force just biding time, waiting for the opportune moment to unleash the full measure of its fury. Such would happen one sunny day in July 1988, when a young man’s madness—years in the making—boiled over into a blind rage that irrevocably altered the fate of many within the labyrinthine depths of an abandoned Colorado gold mine. So prepare yourself for an emotion-filled, cataclysmic adventure about four Huron College students whose friendship is betrayed by the physical and emotional terror inflicted by one of their own, as 450 years of history is about to resurrect itself along the banks of a picturesque rivulet the settlers aptly named Ghost Creek.
Ghost Creek delves into the psychological torment suffered by Garret Sutton, a young man whose fate is bound to a centuries-old Indian curse. Garret struggles to control the demons—the Scary Man in particular—that have unwittingly guided his actions and controlled his fears since childhood. After a troubled upbringing, Garret finds temporary solace at Huron College where, along with the jovial Nick Kozlowski, both excel in the school’s geology program.
The boys fall in love with Michelle Snow and Tracy Sheridan, respectively, whom they meet on a field trip. This proves to be a watershed moment for Garret when his demons return unexpectedly; this time they focus his attention on the black crystal pendant worn by Michelle.
The demons harness Garret’s energy towards finding the crystal’s origin, which lay hidden in the cursed Sacred Lands tract on Huron’s field research station property. When Garret meets his destiny at the lost Little Bear Mine—the crystal source and location of the horrific nightmare that has haunted him since youth—he is inspired to implement an ingenious plan to acquire the Sacred Lands. His endeavors are supported by his soul mate, John Parker, the 19th-century prospector who discovered the area’s mineral riches and with whom Garret can communicate through photographs in his textbook.
Garret’s downward spiral begins when Huron anthropology student Dave Hoffman arrives in Colorado to investigate the Ghost Creek legend. Hoffman unlocks the mystery, including the 1898 mine disaster that caused the school’s mine—and the lost Little Bear Mine—to be abandoned. Hoffman, along with the field station directorate, also uncovers Garret’s egregious plan to take the Sacred Lands.
Driven to insanity by the demons he ultimately couldn’t control, Garret makes his final stand inside Little Bear. There, he hunts Nick, Michelle, and Hoffman who race against time to rescue an injured Tracy from Garret’s rage before they, too, become the next victims of the Ghost Creek curse.

Rick Ley is an independent environmental consultant who works from his home office in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Rick has a Master of Environmental Science degree from Miami University (Oxford, OH) and an undergraduate degree in geology from Waynesburg College (Waynesburg, PA). His wife, Laura, works in the magazine publishing industry and their son, Taylor, is currently enrolled at Miami. Rick enjoys hockey, fishing, and vacationing at the family cabin located on the Allegheny River in Northwestern Pennsylvania. His writing interests span the horror, thriller, and action-adventure genres, with any particular work likely to include elements of each.
Components central to each of Rick’s writing projects include: engaging locations that provoke feelings of comfort, fear, and/or intrigue; in-depth description of a character’s thoughts, insights, and reactions to the activities experienced; vivid depiction of the external stimuli (sights, sounds, aromas) that influence a character’s actions and enhance a scene’s ambiance; and, where relevant, the inclusion of factual or historical information.