Bread

Rhonda Hogarth presents a horror narrative rooted in the agricultural history of the American Midwest. The story centers on Ross Jennings, a farmer whose ambitions for his family were abruptly ended by a gruesome death involving a tractor. His spirit lingers within the crops he cultivated, transforming the harvest into a vessel for malevolence. As the grain moves from the field to the mill, then to flour and finally to bread, a curse spreads through the community. The narrative follows the progression of this evil as it infects a small town, challenging residents to uncover the truth before the contamination becomes irreversible. Hogarth adapts her work from a screenplay that reached the Second Round Finals of the Moviebytes 9th American Gems contest. This background informs the pacing and visual nature of the prose. The book appeals to readers who enjoy supernatural fiction tied to rural settings and agricultural themes. It may not suit those seeking complex character studies or non-fiction accounts of farming practices. The story relies on the premise that death can inhabit food sources, creating a localized terror rather than a global apocalypse. The tension builds through the inevitable consumption of the tainted bread by unsuspecting townspeople. The narrative structure mirrors the production cycle of bread, linking the field to the table. This approach grounds the supernatural elements in tangible, everyday processes. Readers interested in the intersection of folklore and modern horror will find this work engaging. Those preferring fast-paced action without atmospheric buildup might find the progression slow. The story does not offer easy answers or clear resolutions for the curse. It ends with the town succumbing to the taste of evil, leaving the outcome uncertain.