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Vicki-Ann Bush
Category:
Young Adult/Teen
Publisher: Creative James Media
ISBN-10: 1956183272
Type: Fiction
Pages: 229
Copyright: October 15, 2024
ISBN-13: 9781956183276
Price: $5.99 (eBook)
The second installment of the standalone series, Alex McKenna.
No dark entities shall pass through this shield, as I will it ... so shall it be.
Alex McKenna's plans for a couple of supernatural-free days are interrupted by an ominous visit from the ghost of seven-year-old Haven.
The little girl needs his help and he's willing to risk his life to save her after-life. Despite his great-grandmother's warning, he choose to cross the bridge between the living and the dead to assist her. The trip lands Alex and his girlfriend at a high school known as the Academy of Souls. The ghostly campus for dead teens is a safe place for those who are unable to complete their after-life journey. There they meet Ophelia, Haven's older sister, who has been searching for her for more than a century.
To reunite the sisters, Alex must cross the teacherous terrain of the in-between realm known as the Underworld, and rescue Haven from the clutches of the Soul Gatherer. A demonic spirit that feeds off of the souls of children.
Could this be Alex's last case or will he keep his promise to Haven and save her soul before it's too late?
Excerpt
Alex slipped his arm out from underneath Margaret's neck. They had fallen asleep and the TV was still on. He reached for the remote on the nightstand and clicked it off. Silently stretching, he nearly fell when his socks slid across the oak floor. A quick look at Margaret, she was still sleeping peacefully. He quietly padded across the room and ambled down to the kitchen.
Pouring a glass of soda, he sat at the table. Peering out of the sliding glass doors to the backyard, he could see the row of houses cascading down the block. His mom had opted not to fence in the yard but trim it with hedges, leaving the driveway to the garage bare. A perfect viewing platform for the rest of the neighborhood behind them.
The streetlamps illuminated the black empty sea of asphalt.
A quiet calm laced the row of sleepy houses. Alex reveled in the tranquility. So much noise constantly filling his head, any semblance of stillness wrapped around his mind like a child's favorite blanket.
In the center of the glass, a small sphere of light caught his attention. At first, he thought it was in the yard. Leaning forward and squinting, he realized it was a reflection coming from directly behind him.
Jumping up, he spun around. Growing in diameter, it was beginning to spin.
"Hey, whatcha’ doin’?" Margaret said groggily.
"Stop. Babe, slowly move to your left and come over here by me."
"Why? What's going on?"
Margaret gingerly slid to the left as Alex instructed, and then quickly scurried by his side. "What do you see?"
"It's the vortex opening, the gateway to that girl, Ophelia.” "Alex, please be careful. Remember what your Gram said. “Don't get too close," Margaret pleaded.
"She's there, it looks like a bedroom." "What's she doing?"
"Sitting on the bed, she's covering her ears."
The wind whipped around the vortex howling like a wolf speaking to the full moon.
"I don't hear anything?" Margaret turned to Alex.
"It's like a high-pitched howl. It's deafening. Wait. It's quieting down. She sees me."
"What's she doing now?" "She's coming closer."
Alex leaned closer to the anomaly.
"Alex, back up." Margaret tugged at his T-shirt. "Babe. I gotta do this. Please. Let go of my shirt."
Margaret reluctantly let the fabric fall from her fingertips. Alex inched closer.
"You are Alex McKenna, right?" Ophelia asked. The anxious teen widened her eyes in anticipation.
"Yes. I've seen Haven. Who is she?" "She is my sister."
"I think she's in trouble," said Alex.
Ophelia floated o" the bed and stood directly in front of the entrance to the living.
"I've been searching for her for years. She was taken by a man, a Soul Gatherer. I think she is counting on you to help."
"I think she is, too."
"Can you?" Ophelia's eyes widened.
"I can try. Where are you? Is it The Academy of Souls?"
Ophelia’s chin dropped. "Yes. You know about my school?"
"I do."
"Oh no." "What is it?'
"The gateway. It's closing!" Ophelia shouted.
Alex heard the desperation in her voice as he helplessly watched the circle shrink. The wind cried out once again, as it violently thrashed around the outer edges of the bridge between the dimensions.
"I have to go." Alex tasted Margaret's lips. "I'll be back soon." "What the hell? No. Alex. You can't," Margaret shrieked.
"I love you," his voice trailed.
Alex stepped into the center of the storm. The vision of Ophelia rippled, traveling to the rim of the circle, and splashing into the void. "This shield is my power to protect against evil, this shield keeps out harm. No dark entities shall pass through this shield. As I will it, so shall it be."
Sawing to fill his lungs with air, he pushed forward and landed on the floor of the dorm room. Gazing up, Ophelia stood in front of him, her mouth wide open.
"Ugh. My head hurts. Where are we?" a voice echoed.
Alex winced. His heart punching the walls of his chest.
Whipping his head around in a frenzy, Margaret was lying on the floor beside him.
"No, no, no, no. What the fuck, il mio amore." Alex scram bled to her side.
Ophelia moved closer. With her pointer finger, she quickly poked his shoulder and retracted.
Alex didn't respond. His focus was Margaret.
"How could you do this? Why did you do this?" his voice strained.
"I couldn't let you go without me."
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