Michael E. Smith
In a seedy bar, John Clarke begins his journey. We learn that John was like the rest of us, not so long ago. He had a steady job, a wife and a place in the world. By working hard and playing by the rules, he believed got you security.Life tenders no promises; he lost it all; marriage, job, sight and sanity.Living in a shabby hotel on the government’s dime, stumbling from one misadventure from another, he is urged on by a seductive, enigmatic voice in his head. At midnight of the winter solstice, the voice gives him a simple offer, survive one year and a day and he will get his sight back.With this desperate hope hung on an insane premise, Prof takes up her challenge. Unsure of his own perceptions, John navigates this dark urban landscape built from funhouse mirrors, populated by; A lonely, betrayed grad student who rejects that final cab drive we all take and finds love with an arms-dealing creature of darkness A con-artist who is looking to make a legendary score and ends up auditioning to be the next great trickster god The last good cop in a city gone bad who learns the difference between law and justice A fashion-conscious fox spirit who wrestles with her own base instincts lest she loses her franchise on humanity Between sinister government agents, tutelary bikers and a chess game between voodoo Loas, Prof threads his way through these events and prepares to face his own demons and reclaim his life.
