Chapter 1: "Checking Inn" - FULL SCALE (Monster Hunter Mitchell, Book 1)
Marcellis Mitchell, a man with a...unique profession...arrives in town for what could be his latest case.
Isaac Hayes had just finished telling his ex to “Walk on By” when Marcellis pulled his black F-250 into a space and placed it in park, the engine idling. He sat back and sighed. Took in his surroundings.
The drive from Rawlings was long but uneventful, a 356-mile trek that wove through Kansas City en route to his destination deep within the Ozarks. That made the trip longer than the distance across Missouri at its widest point. Marcellis chuckled.
That would get him less than halfway across his native Texas.
Random facts. Useless unless he was on a quiz show like Jeopardy!, but the type of things his mind lingered on from time to time.
The building in front of him was just as quaint as the town seemed to be: two stories, the bottom floor coated with a light brown stucco, the top finished in post-it note yellow. In contrast, the entrance was painted a mid-range blue; the same color was used to accent the carport and its supporting pillars. Several vehicles, modest in model and design, dotted the parking lot. Things certainly looked quiet, peaceful, and serene.
They always did—before.
Time to get to work, but first things first. Marcellis reached for the infotainment system, tapped the touchscreen twice. Within moments, the sound of a call connecting filled the spacious cabin. A woman picked up on the fourth ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey. Just calling to let you know I made it.”
“Good. You didn’t have any problems, did you?”
“Only a little traffic in KC, but other than that, it was a straight shot.”
“That’s good.”
A short silence followed.
“You know you don’t have to worry about me, right? I’m a grown man. And so far, I’ve done a pretty good job of taking care of myself.”
“And?”
The tone was blunt, yet it sliced Marcellis to the core. He started to clap back, but caught himself. At thirty-two, he’d finally learned to pick and choose his battles. “I’m just saying, you don’t have to be concerned about me every time I head out of town. I got this.”
“That’s all well and good,” the woman said, “but as long as you’re out there dealing with the worst this world has to offer, I’m going to worry. Understand?”
Evasive maneuvers—now. “I’d think you’d get enough of that keeping up with Marie. I know she’s giving you all you can handle.”
“More like driving me up the goddamn wall. You know she’s already picked out a car, right? Just got her license and already trying to drag me to the lot.”
Marcellis smirked. Heat successfully deflected. “Sounds about right.”
“And of course she wants the most expensive thing they got. I swear, the girl thinks money grows on trees.”
An elderly couple crossed in front of the truck, hauling outdated luggage to the building’s dual glass doors. “That would be nice,” Marcellis said. “Something like that would solve a whole bunch of problems. But say, I’ma head inside and get settled. I’m jumping on things bright and early tomorrow.”
“Alright, then. You take care.” The woman’s voice assumed the rich, loving tone Marcellis was used to. He smiled, memories from years past flitting through his conscious.
“I will. I’ll check in again once I know what I’m dealing with.”
“You do that. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Mama.” Marcellis tapped the screen, and the truck fell silent, leaving him once more with just his thoughts. He glanced in the rear-view miirror—rubbed his tightly trimmed goatee. He didn’t hate calling mama, he just wished she didn’t stress over everything. She and Daddy—God rest his soul—had prepared him for this. But at some point, he just had to give up and let go. Things like that were not in his control.
It was hard enough dealing with the things that were.
The lobby of the Laurentown Inn was just as unassuming as its exterior, it’s promise of an inexpensive stay most attractive. Unlike his social media-obsessed baby sister, Marcellis couldn’t dream of being so—what was the word mama used?—cavalier with his money. His apartment back home was a paint-by-numbers affair, and though he routinely rocked the latest fashions, he kept his finances in check by becoming a connoisseur of off-price retail stores. It helped that his look trended toward simple and practical, like the blue jeans/brown V-neck/black denim jacket combo he currently wore. But he wasn’t without his indulgences; Marcellis allowed himself to splurge in two areas: his sneakers—and his truck, loaded to the gills with special features including a few custom upgrades useful in his line of work.
Marcellis strolled to the empty service counter. A spindly magazine rack stood to his right, providing refuge to wilted brochures touting the town’s limited wares. Laurentown was small—far less substantial than the 460,000 or so that Rawlings boasted—but from the decorations on the streetlights and banners hanging over the main road, it had an abundance of pride. But it had something else, too. Or maybe. The exact nature of the possibility had to be determined. With any luck, it would be nothing, and Marcellis would be in and out in a couple of days. Three, at most.
That is, if he ever got any service. Marcellis made a trumpet out of the countertop, tapping his fingers against the weathered laminate. There wasn’t an employee in sight; indeed, the only other soul present was a heavyset middle-aged man occupying one of the three mangy easy chairs in what constituted a lounging area, leaned to one side, head propped on one of his beefy hands, while the other gripped a tattered fishing magazine. Expired, no doubt.
“May I help you?”
Marcellis spun. A young woman in a blue business suit—her chestnut complexion a few shades lighter than his own—glared at him from behind the counter. “Where did you…?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Marcellis took a breath and exhaled. “It’s okay. I’d like to get a room.”
The woman punched some keys on her terminal. “Okay. And what are you looking for? Single bed, double?”
“Cheapest thing you got.”
Large brown eyes swept him up and down. “I see. How many nights?”
“Yeah, I’m not 100% sure. Can we just add them as we go?”
The typing ceased. The clerk’s eyes, lovely when not lethal, became slits. She must have known how she looked, because she suddenly brightened her face. “Sure. No problem.” She tapped a few keys. “I’ve got you in room 107, out back, by the pool. Just let us know by eleven on the day you’re leaving. That’s checkout time.”
“Will do.”
The clerk finished her work and met Marcellis’s gaze.
It finally dawned on him. “Oh. I guess you want some money now?”
“Unless you think you can pay for the room on good looks alone.”
“Oh, really?” Marcellis leaned on the counter. “And how long do you think I can get with this?” He flashed his ‘moneymaker’—a perfectly straight, gleaming white smile.
“Give or take? Thirty-six minutes.”
Marcellis dropped the expression. He fished his wallet out of his pocket and handed over his drivers license and a credit card. The smile usually worked. This woman was just built different.
The clerk glanced at the ID as she completed the transaction. “So, Mr….Mitchell… Are you hear on business or—”
“Business. That’s it.” He spat the words before he had a chance to temper them with kindness. It shouldn’t have mattered, and it damn sure wasn’t any of her concern, but he couldn’t let her go on insinuating the worst. The bluntness worked, however…
The clerk’s tone lightened. “I see.” She handed back his things. “What kind?”
“Pest control.”
The woman dropped her eyes back to her terminal. Marcellis couldn’t tell if she was impressed or disgusted and he didn’t care. However she felt, it was better than the alternative…
Telling people he killed monsters never went over well.
CHAPTER QUESTIONS: What are your first impressions of Marcellis? Do you think he could be a hero you could get behind? What about the story? Are you curious to learn more?
FULL SCALE PLAYLIST - CHAPTER 1
I got this idea from E.A. Noble, a fellow author whom I greatly admire. She shares a theme song for each chapter she releases. While I have a pair of playlists I use when writing Monster Hunter Mitchell, they’re mostly comprised of film scores that fit the mood of the series as opposed to songs that would work as chapter themes. But I do have a few, and I’ll share them sporadically along with why the song works for that particular chapter.
For Chapter 1, the easy choice is The Heavy’s “What Makes a Good Man.” Why? It’s Marcellis’s theme! It fits perfectly, it not lyrically, then tonally. Plus, it’s just a great introduction to the series.
K.J.’S KORNER (Notes and Commentary)
Chapter 2 drops November 3, 2025.
I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. I know it’s just an intro with a bit of setup, but trust me, things are going to get really weird for our hero before everything is said and done.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
If you enjoy this story, please tell your friends, and feel free to leave your thoughts, comments, and questions below. You’re pretty much my unofficial beta readers as well, so if you spot something that needs fixing, or something just isn’t working for you, let me know. I don’t plan on posting chapters until I’m 100% satisfied with them, but that doesn’t mean I’ll catch everything.
Let’s see how big we can grow this thing. There’s so much more planned for the Darquelight Universe, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
- K.J. Knight
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I’m late to the party, but I’m here to stay! Loved the first chapter and look forward to much more.
I like this a lot. Your pacing is just right, and you give these lines early on that beautifully foreshadow that the reader is in for something. Such as, "They always did—before." I'm excited to read more so I can unpack the layers I can tell Marcellis carries around. The hotel desk receptionist tickled me. "Thirty six minutes" 😂