Title: Cryofactory Cryptid
Author: Brenda Murphy
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: 09/23/2025
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 27500
Genre: Horror, Lit/genre, horror, paranormal, urban fantasy, humor, lesbian, urban explorers, cryogenics lab, genetically modified creature
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Description
When urban exploration photographer Cat McIntyre and her wife Lelia stumble upon a gruesome discovery in an abandoned cryofactory, their lives are thrown into chaos. Pursued by relentless security forces, they barely escape only to realize something even more terrifying is stalking them.
The creature in the shadows isn’t just any predator. It’s intelligent. It’s deadly. And it may be tied to Cat in ways she never imagined. As the women fight for survival, Cat must confront a buried secret from her past, one that has unleashed a monster.
When the cryofactory’s enforcers strike again, the bond between Cat and the beast becomes undeniable, forcing Cat and Lelia to make an impossible choice.
A campy horror thriller, Cryofactory Cryptid is a tale of survival, identity, and the unexpected bonds of found family.
Cryofactory Cryptid
Brenda Murphy © 2025
All Rights Reserved
Cat scooted along the couch to sit next to Lelia and settled the laptop in her lap. She clicked the play button. The first part of the video played, recording their entry into the building. After a minute, she paused the video, rewound it, pressed the keys to zoom in, and played it again. “What the hell is that?”
“Dunno.” Lelia pointed at the object on screen. “Here. It looks like a dog. All curled up sleeping on a pile of clothes.”
“A dog? What kinda dog is that big? What the hell is it?” Cat pressed the key to move the video forward a couple of frames. “Right here you can see it’s not sleeping on the clothes; it’s wearing the clothes. The clothes are ripped to hell and back. Is it a bear?”
“Who the hell puts clothes on a bear? It’s not like we broke into a circus.” Lelia pressed the keys and advanced the video frame by frame. “Look here. It’s standing on its hind legs. Could be a squatter in a furry costume, maybe. Look at the eyes.”
“Huh? The fuck would a squatter be doing in a furry costume?” Cat leaned back and peered into Lelia’s eyes. “Babe, how long have you been staring at this?”
Lelia scrubbed her hand over her face. “Since three? Four maybe. I couldn’t sleep.”
Cat placed the computer on the table. “Whatever it is—it’s not right. If it’s a squatter, it could end up like the body we found. If it’s…”
She shifted her gaze from Lelia’s face.
“We have to go to the police.” Lelia pulled the laptop back into her lap.
“No. We’re not going to lockup again. Especially you. Who wants a wedding photographer with a record? If we get the same judge as last time we’re toast.” Cat stood and paced the room. “Whoever or whatever it is, it seems like the factory is its home. Or den. So long as folks stay out, they should be safe.”
Lelia scowled at Cat. “So, we act like nothing happened? Go on about our lives like we didn’t see the partially eaten remains of a person last night? Pretend we didn’t get chased out of an abandoned lab and followed home?” She shoved her hair back with both hands. “Are you really saying we should act like we didn’t see whatever the hell this animal is? We can’t unsee any of that.”
“No. I’m not saying that.” Cat picked at the dark-blue blanket covering the back of the sofa. “I’m going to post it. Maybe someone else will be able to tell us what it is in the video.”
“Post it?” Lelia slammed her laptop onto the coffee table. She stood and rounded the couch. “You’re serious? Post it? No. No fucking way, Cat. I don’t care how safe you think you are using a VPN. If someone wants to, it’s still traceable. We already had to leave our car and walk home through a flipping cornfield to get away from the building security. And that was no normal security.” Lelia hugged herself. “Posting photos and the video would be like sending up a flare.”
Cat crossed the room to stand in front of Lelia. “So, what do we do?”
Lelia leaned her head against Cat’s shoulder. “I don’t know. We can’t tell anyone. No one would believe us. Even with the video they’ll say it was AI.”
“What if that thing gets out? Like what if it already has?” Cat rubbed Lelia’s back. “We need to let someone know.”
“What if it does? What could we do about it? Half of that body was gone. I don’t want to even think about where. If that…that animal or whatever it is on the video is dangerous. It’s a killer. We have to tell the police.” Lelia leaned back to peer into Cat’s eyes.
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Brenda Murphy (she/her) writes erotic romance. Her most recent novel, Double Six, is the 2020 Golden Crown Literary Society winner for Erotic Novels, and Knotted Legacy, the third book in the Rowan House series, made the 2018 The Lesbian Review’s Top 100 Vacation Reads list. You can catch her musings on writing, books, and living with wicked ADHD on her blog Writing While Distracted. She loves sideshows and tattoos and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not loitering at her local library, she wrangles twins, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot
I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. For a free short story, information on book signings, appearances, work in progress snippets, previews and sneak-peeks, sign up for my email list at:
Website: www.brendalmurphy.com
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