Chemical Exposure
Chemical Exposure by Brendan Jennings is a horror/fiction novel set in the small, economically struggling town of Morrisville, Illinois. It opens in 2004 during a tense Illinois Supreme Court hearing about the mayor's controversial decision to deforest the Morrisville Valley. The proceedings are interrupted when teenagers Daniel Davenport and his best friend Tallulah Charles burst in, warning of a viral outbreak in their town. Initially dismissed and held in contempt, they are later vindicated when a state of emergency is declared.
The narrative shifts to Daniel's point of view, chronicling a turbulent few days in May. Daniel is an anxious, introspective high school senior grappling with partial amnesia after a mysterious incident that left him and Tallulah unconscious in a ditch. Their shared memory loss is compounded by strange dreams, a growing paranoia, and an urgent need to discover where they had been working before the blackout.
Daniel's life is further complicated by strained relationships-his best friend Amy is moving to Nevada, neighbor Nadene is in an abusive relationship but planning to leave, and Tallulah has grown distant, evasive, and defensive about the incident. When Daniel confronts Tallulah's mother for answers, the encounter turns ugly, with racially charged accusations and implications of foul play, including a connection to the recent gruesome murder of a local woman named Yolanda.
Amid this interpersonal tension, unsettling phenomena begin to emerge-unexplained weather changes, ominous black clouds ignored by official forecasts, and a strange odor in town. Daniel's vivid nightmares blur the line between dream and reality, featuring disturbing imagery of shadowy figures and cryptic warnings. His home life offers little comfort; his parents pressure him to "make a move" after graduation while sidestepping open communication about his mental state, mounting medical bills, and the trauma he has endured.
The small-town setting, with its dilapidated infrastructure, gossip-driven social life, and limited opportunities, amplifies Daniel's sense of entrapment. As the days pass, rumors of the virus mingle with whispers about violence and corruption, suggesting a deeper, possibly systemic, danger lurking in Morrisville. The novel weaves together themes of memory loss, racial tension, small-town decay, and the insidious spread of both physical and psychological contagion.
By blending courtroom drama, mystery, social commentary, and creeping horror, Chemical Exposure positions Daniel as a reluctant but determined figure on the edge of a revelation-one that could expose both the truth of his own past and the deadly secret threatening his entire community.
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