Barron's Best Buys Online

Through the static, he heard his own voice, terrified: "Get out of the house, Arthur! The gas—"

A heavy click echoed from the basement. The pilot light. The smell of sulfur filled the room. barron's best buys

High on Route 12, the neon sign flickered once and went dark. Barron was already packing the next shelf. Through the static, he heard his own voice,

Arthur took the machine home. He sat in their quiet kitchen and turned the brass knob. At first, there was only static—the sound of wind and settling wood. Then, a ghost of a laugh. Her laugh. The smell of sulfur filled the room

Barron didn’t blink. He reached under the counter and pulled out a device that looked like a cross between a 1950s transistor radio and a medical heart monitor. It was brass-heavy and warm to the touch.

One rainy midnight, Arthur gripped the knob and forced it clockwise, past the resistance. The machine screamed. The brass grew red-hot, searing his palm.