Smog - Baggage of Eternal Night (JournalStone's Doubledown)

The DoubleDown series continues with two novellas that cast mid-twentieth-century America in a dark light. In Smog, tomboy Joey thinks she's got the perfect life: It's 1965 and she lives in an idyllic Southern California suburb where everyone works for the aerospace industry. But when something goes wrong with a rocket test, the smog thickens and the teenagers change into rampaging killers. Can Joey survive long enough to escape the neighborhood before she joins their ranks? Joey Third will gamble on anything, but the old suitcase he wins at a baggage auction turns out to be a bad bet. Inside is a record player, and the song it repeats lures the listener to surrender to its mysterious voice. Charlie Stewart senses the music's intent, but can he find a way to turn it off forever, or will the cursed song possess the souls of all who listen?