Linda Styles
Background
Linda Styles is an editor for Arcane Publishing in New York City. She works exclusively with Sutter Cane.
During the events of In the Mouth of Madness (1994) played by Julie Carmen
Linda walks into Jackson Harglow's office and Jackson tells John that Sutter Cane disappeared two months ago. He tells him that the last person to hear from him was his agent, who also happened to be the Axe Maniac. The meeting ends and John tells Linda that he thinks the whole thing is a publicity stunt. Linda tells him that a year before his disappearance, Sutter Cane's work became more erratic and bizarre and he began to think that his writing was real and not fiction.
John has another meeting with Jackson and Linda and shows them that the cut outs from the book covers form a map of New Hampshire and he believes Sutter Cane is at the town of Hobb's End in New Hampshire. John tells them that he thinks they are lying about Sutter Cane's disappearance and agrees to go searching for him with Linda. John and Linda drive to New Hampshire and they have a discussion on reality and she brings up that if the crazy took over the world, then he would be the one in the padded cell. As Linda is driving and John is sleeping she sees a Bicycle Boy riding in the dark. As she drives, she passes him again, but this time, he has aged to an old man. As she is looking at the map, she hits the Bicycle Boy. She pulls over and the Bicycle Boy tells her that Sutter Cane won't let him leave. As she is looking down, another Bicycle Boy walks by her and disappears into the darkness. The radio goes to static and as Linda is driving, the road disappears and is replaced by clouds until she drives onto a bridge that leads to the town of Hobb's End.
They park and watch as a Group of Kids chase a dog through the streets. They drive to Pickman Hotel, which matches the details as described in Cane Sutter's book, even including a painting in the entrance. Mrs. Pickman checks them in and as John is asking her questions about the town and Sutter Cane, Linda notices the couple in the painting have changed positions. They go to room 9 and Linda opens one of the windows and the view is of a large church, just like in the books. They drive to the church and Linda again sees the Group of Kids chasing after the dog. A group of vehicle drive up to the church and Simon and a group of men run over to the church and Simon yells for Sutter Cane to release Simon's Son (Johnny). The door to the church opens and Simon's Son (Johnny) stares at Simon, before the doors suddenly close and open again. They open again and instead of Simon's Son (Johnny) standing at the doors, Sutter Cane is standing there. A group of doberman pincers then appear and attack Simon and the other men. A Little Girl stares at John and Linda as they are leaving and tells them, I see. John and Linda go back to the hotel and he accuses her and Jackson of setting him up. She tells him that Jackson and her had set up a publicity stunt, but Sutter Cane never showed up and everything in Hobb's End is real. She tells him that some things that they are witnessing are from chapters that Sutter Cane wrote for his new book. She says that the new book is about the end of the world.
As John is distracted, Linda drives away in the car. Linda goes to the church and as she is walking towards it, a ball rolls towards her and the Group of Kids and the dog, which is now missing a leg, stand nearby. A Little Boy tells her to give the ball back and Little Girl tells her that she is their mom. Linda goes inside of the church and finds Sutter Cane typing on a typewriter. He tells her that the Great Old Ones told him what to write and gave him the power to make it real. He then forces her to read his book and she starts to bleed from her eyes. They kiss and a creature growing from his head and back growls. She returns back to the hotel room and she tells John that she is losing herself and not to look at the book.
John finds Linda is also a tentacle monster. He drives into town and sees the Residents of Hobb's End surrounding Linda. Linda punches him and he punches her back and puts her in the car. She swallows the keys and he is forced to hotwire the car. John stops the car when Linda keeps on trying to kiss him and he sees the Bicycle Boy. Linda's body changes and contorts and John gets back into the car and drives away. As he tries to drive out of town, he is transported back to the middle of town, time and time again. He finally drives through the Residents of Hobb's End and crashes the car trying to avoid hitting Linda. John ends up at the church and Linda tells John that she has to stay and John runs through the portal back to Earth.
