Rending Skies / 2012, Book 2 in the Faulkner’s Curse series

By Jean Brown

The Faulkner family’s lives have changed for the better since the Black Day in 2010. As horrible as that day was, the family reunited and formed a close bond even the curse couldn’t rescind -until the day before Billy, Robert’s youngest deceased son’s birthday. They all felt a sense of trepidation due to the eve of Billy’s birthday. As the obscure evening of December 17, 2012 advances, each family member comes to realize the curse is back to seek retribution by claiming their bloodline.
Robert Faulkner became rich at the young age of ten. He became the sole heir to the Faulkner fortune - millions in stock, bonds, bank accounts, investment properties throughout Zincbeck and a large track of land that surrounds more than half of Durga Lake where the old house he lived in for the first ten years of his life stood abandoned. For more than five decades, he never touched the money, desperately wanting to deny his namesake. But after the Black Day of 2010, Robert felt drawn to return to the lake, so he claimed his inheritance, built his home near the old home place and split the properties and money with his children. Joe, his oldest son, and Eve, his youngest daughter had also built homes and lived on each side of him. Paul, his middle son, was in the early stage of building his home there as well. Sandra, his oldest daughter, was his only child who hadn’t made plans to move to the lake. Billy, Robert’s youngest son had been shot in cold blood in 2005, and Mary his wife died soon after Billy’s death.
Two children are born – one capable of destruction and death, the other capable of peace and life. In the balance of good and evil, which way will the scales tilt? Lanie Truitt along with her twelve year old daughter Seren, who was born with a gift to bring peace, has fled from the predators that have tracked them from Miami. Lanie is seeking sanctuary with the Faulkner family, but what Lanie doesn’t realize is they’re heading into an uncharted land where more malevolence exists than imaginable. Will the Faulkner family’s Arcanum be able to stop the force of maleficence that engulfs the lake and promises no survival for anyone on December 22, 2012 apocalypse?
Felix was born with no conscience, but with powers so resilient, he is capable of changing the biological makeup of the environment...everything. Jena, his mother, has sheltered him for fear of what would happen if anyone discovered what he was. She homeschooled him and never allowed him to leave the apartment unless she was with him. Jena tried to convince herself she was protecting him, but deep down, she knew she was protecting the world from Felix. Most of the time she spent with her son were failed attempts at teaching him morals. No matter what she did, he held no shame. Her only hope was to bring Seren back into his life. As long as Seren was by Felix’s side, he only wanted to do good. When Lanie left with Seren, Felix’s anger multiplied, and she had no power to stop the hideous crimes her son committed. Jena has to leave Felix alone as she hunts for Seren, with the intention of bringing Seren back to Felix regardless of who tries to stop her; she won’t let anyone stand in her way. But Felix is tired of waiting for his mother to return, so he sets out on a deadly path to find Seren.
As the evening progresses, the characters are all heading for the lake in pursuit of Lanie and Seren. As ruthless as the hunters are, their wickedness can’t compare to the evil that lies beneath the surface of the beautiful but deadly landscape. The Faulkners are surrounded by evil hearts as they gather on the cursed land. Will anyone survive as the skies split open to reign perdition onto the earth as the Mayans predicted?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jean Brown
• Release date: Oct 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301883417

Jean Brown

Jean Brown lives in the Piedmont area of North Carolina with her husband Michael, daughter Asia, and all her furry friends. In her spare time, Jean fosters and rescues animals in need. She also enjoys spending time on the lake. She is currently working on book three in the Faulkner's Curse series. Jean invites you to take a journey with her to the cursed Durga Lake where evil resides beneath the surface of the breathtaking landscape.

Book preview

Book 2 in Faulkner's Curse Series

By

Jean Brown

Copyright 2012 by Jean Brown

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without written consent of the author except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, journal or electronic review. Purchase only authorized editions.

Rending Skies/ 2012

Book 2 in the Faulkner’s Curse series

By

Jean Brown

First Edition

jeanbrownbooks.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Edited by Morten Rand

Cover Design by Asia Brown and Brittany Harper

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my family and friends for all the support and kindness you all have shown me. To list all of you would mean I would have to write an entire book of credits of special recognitions that each of you so deserve. While I’m unable to do so, just remember all of you are in my heart and soul, and I’m forever grateful.

Special thanks go out to Asia and Jordan. As always and forever, my life is better and brighter with you both in it. Asia is always my first reader and is able to give me a kind smile when she finishes reading my first draft although she might really want to scream at me or just run away. I would also like to thank both of you along with Brittany Harper for all the hard work you put into the art for this series.

More special thanks to all my Facebook friends whose selfless acts on a daily basis save countless lives of the voiceless. Your compassion and willingness to stick your neck out on the line touches my heart and leaves me speechless finding no words to describe how you inspire me to do more and to be more compassionate.

Denise Neal, a lady with a heart of gold, thank you so much for your never tiring support and wisdom of the canine psyche. You are a true blessing to all four legged and two legged creatures. Hats off to you.

I would like to thank Sergeant Curtis Morris from Major Crimes Unit at the Alamance County Sheriff’s Department. Your wisdom about weapons and legal procedures were important all during the creation of the book. Your keen intuition of the job played an important role as I developed the characters.

Last, but by far not least, I have to thank you readers again for investing your time into this story. My intention was to introduce you to the cursed Faulkner family in hopes you would care about them enough to stick it out with them on their journey for survival. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the story and that you will continue with me to book three. Kudos to you all!

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the readers who have been so kind to take time from their busy lives to read this story. I can never thank you enough. Without you, this book would be pointless. Love and appreciation to you all.

Chapter 1

The boy tried to cry, but tears would not come. He covered his head with a blanket for comfort but felt none. Curled into a fetal position, he rocked back and forth, hoping to fall asleep. He was so lonely, so unsure of his future.

Out of his covered bed again, he made his way to the kitchen. The boy took the phone book from the drawer at the end of the counter, opening it to the listing in the back where his mother had written names and numbers. He dialed the first number, got no answer, then the second, third, and forth number without an answer or a machine. It didn’t matter anyway because he didn’t know anyone on the list besides Mrs. Annie. She couldn’t be reached at the number listed because she had moved away without leaving her new number, just as his best friend left without any contact information. He willed Annie Johnson’s phone to ring, and spoke to her as if she were there.

Mrs. Annie, I need you. Mother is gone. I’m all alone.

Frustrated from the silence, he slammed the phone on the counter. He went back into his bedroom and moved his shoes on the closet floor. In the left corner of the closet, he lifted the carpet and took the small piece of paper that he had hidden; one that had ten numbers scribbled on it. He debated over and over whether to call the number. Finally, he put the paper back and threw his shoes back in the closet, unconcerned about neatness. If he called that number, his life as he knew it and wanted it to be, would never be the same.

Where his mother was, he had no idea. He was alone in the world. He crawled back into bed and tried to cry once more, but still, the tears would not come. Once, he'd heard someone say that crying will make you feel better; but if he couldn’t cry, how was he supposed to feel better?

He got out of bed again, went to the living room, and turned on the thirteen-inch television then watched the fuzz fill the screen. He wasn’t allowed to watch television except for the movies and cartoons his mother brought home for the DVD player. He'd heard about cable and satellite television from Seren but was forbidden to watch it. One time while in town with his mother, they walked by the movie theater and saw the advertisement for new major pictures. He heard people laughing and talking about how great the movie was as they exited the theater. Having decided that watching a movie would make him feel better, he sat down in the armchair and focused on cable television until the picture became clear. A woman was talking about how Restasis would get rid of dry eyes by increasing tear production.

While listening to her, he decided that getting rid of dry eyes would enable him to cry, and then he would feel better. What troubled the woman on television enough to make her want to cry, he wondered, but decided he couldn’t concern himself with other’s problems right now, since he had so many of his own. From the console the television sat on, he took the remote and pushed the plus sign, and the volume went up. Then he pushed the arrow button, and the screen flashed to a little boy sitting in Santa Clause’s lap telling Santa what he wanted for Christmas.

He remembered his mother taking him to the mall once, and he sat in Santa’s lap. When Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he'd asked Santa to let Seren live with him and never leave him. Santa acted like he didn’t really care what the boy wanted, and said, Yeah, sure, then gave his mother a strange look. Why would Santa ask him what he wanted for Christmas, then not care? As time passed, he became sure that Santa didn’t care because Seren didn’t live with him and had gone somewhere, far away. Thinking about this now, he wanted to cry more than ever. He had to get some Restasis.

The boy clicked the upward arrow again, and saw a man and woman talking about things that were supposed to be going on in the world. Although he'd never watched the news, he knew what it was because he saw News 22 across the bottom of the screen. His mother had told him that he shouldn’t watch news or read about it because all news people were just a bunch of sensationalists who took small amounts of truth and added lies to make a story interesting enough to sell and make money from, at someone else’s expense.

He clicked the arrow button again to see a lady showing a beautiful snowflake bracelet for only $39.95. There was a number on the bottom of the screen, and the lady insisted there were only a limited amount of these unique bracelets left.

All you have to do is call, and this gorgeous piece will be shipped today. So if you’re looking for the perfect gift for the lady in your life, don’t waste time. Order now, and you’ll have it by Christmas.

He grabbed the phone and dialed the number from the bottom of the screen. After explaining which item he wanted to order, the operator asked which credit card he would like to use. Once he told her he didn’t have a credit card, she hung up on him. He dropped the phone on the chair then waved his hand to the television, and it clicked off. No wonder his mother didn’t want him watching those horrible people tell their lies.

He went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. It was empty besides a few condiments such as ketchup, mustard and a bottle of fat free ranch dressing. He opened the pantry, and took out the box of saltine crackers, only to find the box as empty as the refrigerator. He ate the last few crackers with mustard yesterday. There was no bread or anything to put on it. He was hungry, although he had summoned food that looked fit for a king. But the food had no flavor, and he always felt hungry even after eating. Why would his mother leave him alone with no food?

When he saw the snowflake bracelet, he felt happy for a few moments about getting a gift for Seren, but the hateful woman on the phone had ruined it. He decided that getting into the Christmas spirit would cheer him up for he had heard that expression before. Besides, he shouldn’t let that woman dictate his happiness when he could get the bracelet without money. Closing his eyes tightly, he pictured what the bracelet looked like concentrating only on the jewelry. But when he opened his eyes, he still didn’t have the bracelet, just like he couldn’t will the return of Seren and his mother. Sometimes, his will wasn’t enough to make things happen, especially when he felt so unsettled. Oh well, he still had seven days to get Seren and his mother a gift, and thinking about Christmas was starting to make him feel better.

To break the monotony, he went to the closet in the short hallway and took out three plastic totes that were marked Christmas across the top. He opened two of the tubs, and took out the sections of a tree. He put them together, then straightened out the limbs and formed a perfect shaped Frazier fir. He opened the other box, and took out strings of electric lights, then strung them on the tree. He took a drop cord from the lamp, and connected it to the electric lights. He was frustrated to see that only one set of lights out of five worked.

Dammit! he yelled.

He wasn’t supposed to use that type of language, but how frustrating it was to have only one set of lights work. He realized he should have checked the lights before stringing them, but he wasn’t used to having to do such tasks alone. His mother was always with him when decorating or celebrating any holiday. She was always with him for everything, until now.

Focusing only on the lights, he willed them to shine. They were bright at first, but then they faded. This reminded him of Seren. She was a bright light that faded out of his life, leaving him in darkness.

He would have to do this the hard way. As he took the lights off the tree, he wondered if his mother was okay. He summoned her with his mind again; in the mental picture his mind formed, he could see she looked weak. She had dark circles around her eyes and a sullen expression on her face. At least, he knew she was alive. She was trying to find Seren for him, he knew for sure. His mother, who loved him and wanted him to be happy, knew that his happiness depended on Seren’s return.

Working quickly now from frustration, he unstrung the lights, used the one strand that worked and wrapped them around the tree as far as it would reach. The tree looked as hopeless as he felt. Maybe it would be better once he hung the decorations. He carefully placed the ornaments, trying to achieve symmetrical balance. Finally, he unplugged the lights and stood back to examine his work. The tree looked better with no lights on. Satisfied somewhat with his work, he put the empty ornament boxes back into the rubber tubs and placed the tubs back inside the closet.

The boy went into the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and imagined it was chocolate milk. He closed his eyes and drank. The water tasted like milk at first but then lost its flavor. He felt enraged at the idea of the flavorless beverage, and threw the glass across the room. The glass shattered after it bounced off the wall and crashed to the floor, staining a streak of water across the flat painted walls.

This type of behavior wasn’t productive. He took some deep breaths, gained control of his temper, then took the broom and dustpan from the closet and cleaned up some of the broken glass. He looked around the dirty room. Not having cleaned up much of anything since his mother left, he got frustrated with himself about how quickly he let the apartment become such a mess. The mess overwhelmed him, just as many things did these days. He went to his bedroom to find an even bigger mess, previously having taken all the blankets and covers from his mother’s bed and built a tent city. He crawled into the city he had constructed into three rooms for himself, Seren and his mother by hanging bath towels to separate the rooms. Well, he might be a little too old to be playing in tent cities, he thought, but it made him feel less lonely. He had Harry, Seren’s favorite teddy bear, tucked into his blanket pallet on the floor.

Seren, are you awake?

Seren didn’t answer him.

Just sleep, Seren. When you wake, we’ll be together. I promise. We’ll never be separated again.

The boy squeezed Harry and held his furry paw as he willed himself to sleep. As he grew sleepier, it occurred to him that the last few days – or was it days, maybe weeks or months – he'd been doing the same exact thing over and over. He was in hell. His eyes heavier, he knew his hellish nightmare would come; and when he awoke, the hellish repetition would begin anew.

Chapter 2

Lanie could remember a time when she was in love, happy, or at least she thought she was. Maybe she was too young back then to know the difference. That’s what Collin’s mother said, anyway. Lanie and Collin were only children who didn’t know what love was; they'd outgrow this phase, as she called it.

She would barely turn sixteen before she gave birth to her daughter, Serenity. Not once did it occur to her to have an ultrasound to see what sex her baby would be, and she never looked at a baby name book. It would be pointless. She knew she would have a daughter, and her daughter’s name would be Serenity Sellers. What she didn’t actually know at the time was that Serenity’s last name wouldn’t be Sellers but Truitt, just like Lanie and her mother’s birth name.

Mrs. Sellers then, Querulous Nag now, refused to accept Lanie and the baby. She thought Collin, her son, was much too good to be mixed up with a white trash family, as she called the Truitts. As soon as Q-nag – by then, Lanie’s pet name for Mrs. Sellers – found out about the pregnancy, she sent her fifteen hundred dollars by Collin to pay for an abortion. Lanie refused to accept the money and to have the abortion.

I won’t do it, she'd said.

It’s just that we’re so young, and I have college, Collin said.

Go to college. I can’t have an abortion. Don’t ask me to do this.

Okay, we’ll figure something out. Collin held her close on that evening, assuring her everything would be all right.

Lanie didn’t refuse the abortion because she was pro-life. She thought a woman should make decisions about her own body’s reproductive cycle. From the moment she found out she was pregnant, not once did it occur to her to have an abortion. She thought that as a woman, it was her decision, although she wasn’t exactly a woman at the age of sixteen.

Collin proclaimed his love for Lanie, promising that as soon as he graduated from college, he'd come back for her and Serenity. Being two years older, he had left for college the Fall before Serenity was born, and he had never seen his daughter. On the Thanksgiving before the birth, Collin came home for the holidays and stopped by her apartment at twelve o’clock at night on his way home from a party. They made love that night, which was the last time she had been touched by a man. He had made promises of their future together just to lure her into bed. She knew that now, but had believed his lies that night thirteen years ago.

Her mother told her that Collin would never come back, that he had gotten what he wanted and was finished with her.

He loves me, Mom. He’ll be back.

Men can only love themselves, Lanie. Why are you so naïve? Your father was the same way with his broken promises.

Her mother’s words cut into her like a knife. She refused to believe Collin wouldn’t come back. Even after he had graduated from college, she refused to believe it. She waited. The truth hit her when she read about his engagement to someone else in the newspaper.

So she was twenty-eight now, never been with another man, and was sure she'd never have another relationship with a man. She had a chance to be with someone she thought loved her, but she blew it. Billy claimed to love her, but so did Collin. Her mother was probably right about men; but she had Seren, and her beautiful child is all she needed. She wouldn’t say she regretted falling in love with Collin. He gave her Seren, which was the best gift anyone could receive. Seren brought her peace and love, but that peace was the reason why they were on the run. She would have to protect Seren with her own life, and knew she would give her life very soon to secure her child's safety. The peace and love Seren offered freely to others was what others wanted to take from her by force. They wanted to pick her apart to see how she did what she did. Lanie didn’t know how her daughter did such remarkable things, but she knew Seren was capable of doing impossible things and solving impossible problems that no one else could. At least she had never met anyone who was capable of such miracles.

Lanie was a child herself when Seren was born, so she didn’t know at the time that it was unusual for a baby not to cry. Doctors and nurses thought something was wrong with Seren. One doctor thought she might have a mental disability, while another one speculated she was def. Her response to touch and Lanie’s voice ruled out both prognoses. Lanie just thought Seren was a good baby, who remained silent when her diaper needed changing or she was hungry. Throughout her childhood, Seren remained tearless, calm and peaceful.

Lanie adjusted her rearview mirror, and turned on the interior lights to take glances at Seren as the child slept in the backseat. She did this every five minutes or so, as she needed to receive the gift her beautiful daughter gave. Peace. Over the years, Lanie had been angry, resentful, and Seren was the only person that could calm her down, the only person capable of giving her tranquility. She didn’t want to think about a life without Seren. Seriously, she would likely be dead or in jail if not for her daughter. Serenity gave her purpose in a life that was filled with pain, confusion, and no promise of progress. When she felt hopeless, Seren restored her faith. Such restoration would hopefully enable her to bring Seren into safety before Lanie… She didn’t want to think about it; because in that event, her approaching death would become real.

Trusting someone would cause pain and problems, which was a lesson Lanie learned early in life. All in all, though, Lanie considered how fortunate she was for having Seren which was more than she could ever have imagined. She wondered if there were others out there like Seren, and hoped this was the case. She didn’t want Seren left alone in a world of hatred and greed.

Throughout her life, she had made a few good friends she could count on, friends she'd now have to trust to help her. They loved Seren as everyone did, so Lanie would have to trust them. She didn’t like trusting people but had no choice but to trust in order for Seren to survive.

She had less than an eighth of a tank of gas, and didn’t know whether that would get them to the lake. She wasn’t even sure where she had to go exactly. Eve gave her the directions, but she was so shaken up and exhausted that she wasn’t even sure she heard her right. Years ago, she had been there once before when Eve took her and Seren out on the boat, before the Faulkners had built homes and when the heavily wooded area was desolate; but it would be dark by the time she got there, making the place difficult to find. Eve was the closest friend she ever had; someone who knew her well, accepting her for who she was without judgment. Eve was also the person Lanie had to get Seren to, the one she knew was Seren’s best hope.

Sorrow filled Lanie’s heart as she contemplated dying soon. She wouldn’t be there to see Seren graduate from high school or college and wouldn’t see Seren get married and have children. She would miss her so much, no matter whether there was an afterlife. Even if there weren't any and her body rotted in the ground without a soul, she believed enough of her spirit would exist to love Seren. She would die protecting Seren, had known this for a long time and accepted that reality. Eve would care for Seren, protect her in ways no one else could, so Lanie would die in peace knowing Seren was in good hands. Besides missing Seren, death didn’t seem that lonely to her. She dealt with her impending death by telling herself that there is an afterlife, and that she would see Seren again. She would see Billy again and have someone who truly loved her. She was ready; might as well be, since she had no choice.

Some nights, she lay awake imagining what her life would have been like without any relationship with Billy. He adored Seren, and vice versa. He wanted to be a father to her, but Lanie couldn’t bring herself to let him inside her family because she couldn’t chance him walking out on her and breaking Seren’s heart. Besides, his lifestyle wasn’t the kind you wanted for a father of your child.

Marry me, Lanie. I’ll get a real job and take care of you and Seren. We’ll be a family, Billy had said.

She smiled as she vividly recalled Billy asking her this so often. He said so many things, right things to her, and she'd love to hear his voice again. She would love to hear him calling out, I’m going to get you, Seren. That is what he'd say to Seren when she was young, chasing her as she giggled until the point of losing her breath. God, how she missed him and the laughter he brought into their life.

Things change, though. Now, more people than she could count were after her and Seren. She stabbed a cop in Miami less than two days ago, so the law could be after her also if the rapist son of a bitch filed a report. If she had it to do over, she would have pulled the knife from his stomach and stabbed him again in the heart; but hell, hindsight is twenty-twenty, isn’t it! She felt fury rise in her stomach and then into her head. She adjusted the rearview mirror towards Seren again, accepting the gift she was offered.

Chapter 3

The glare from the computer screen was the only light in the small cabin. Eve logged out of Facebook, where she had been cross-posting animals scheduled for euthanasia in shelters that needed a home. She checked her e-mail to find nothing of interest, only sixty-seven spam mails. She closed the laptop, and the room was completely dark outside of a few glowing embers from the fireplace. Earlier, when she sat down at the computer, it was daylight, not bright because of the cloudy sky, but not dark. She had lost track of time again, as she often did these days.

Recently, she read about a study that indicated that people who spent too much time on Facebook (more than twice a week) suffered from low self-esteem. What a bunch of bull, she thought. Biased studies were constantly coming up with explanations about certain things people did, causing mental or physical problems. She was sure that if they studied the way people used the bathroom, they would claim that certain ways of wiping would lead to loss of self-esteem, depression and heart disease. She didn’t put a lot of faith in these studies because a study couldn’t determine facts about an individual’s habits and addictions. It was too broad a spectrum varying from one person to the other. In med school, she found that most people lie when participating in studies, even if the study doesn’t require them to identify themselves.

Facebook is addictive in one way, she supposed, but so is just about anything a person enjoys whether it be television, video games, cell phones, food, drugs and even exercise. Eve thought it was simple – people enjoyed doing what they liked. Some things were worse for them than others, but each individual had to figure that out for themselves. Whatever, she liked Facebook. She liked being reclusive, no crowds, but also enjoyed feeling connected. Facebook offered people easy access to finding an old friend or making new friends and a means to interact regardless of location. A person can advertise or just get their ideas heard, whereas previously it would have been more difficult for the average person to state their feelings.

Without turning on the light, Eve paced from room to room in the small cabin, looking out the windows restlessly as Ruby whined and paced behind her. Ruby, her one hundred twenty pound German Shepard, sensed her mood and shared her tension. Eve had an unsettling feeling since earlier today when Lanie called, asking for a place to stay. In the dark, she went to her entertainment center and turned on the radio. It was tuned in to 100.3 with the volume low. Music helped ease her tension, and she was a bundle of nerves.

Lanie should have been here by now. Eve didn’t know where Lanie was coming from, only that she was headed north on I-95. She had called from a cell phone, but when Eve called the number back, a recording said the number had been disconnected or was no longer in service.

I can’t explain this on the phone. You’ll think I’m crazy, Lanie had said. I’m sorry to disappear then call after so long.

"Lanie, tell me something. You’re scaring me."

I’m sorry. I promise I’ll explain it when I get there.

Eve doubted she would think Lanie was crazy. She tried to imagine something Lanie could say to her that would sound crazy, but came up with nothing. After the things she'd seen, things she did herself, she might believe anything. Ever since the black day, Eve had witnessed resurrection, telekinesis and wounds healing in only seconds. There was nothing Lanie could say that would shock Eve.

No problem. You and Seren can stay with me. Are you okay?

Yes, we’re okay, for now anyway. What happened to you and your family almost two years ago, I…I think you may be the only person who will understand.

Gooseflesh spread up across Eve’s arms, then down her back at Lanie’s words. She knew Lanie was talking about the day when everything changed. It would be accurate to say that day was the best and the worst day of Eve's life. The day when Sandra, Joe, Paul, her father and herself almost died, and the day they all started living. She found out that her father possessed the power to heal on that black day, as she had her hands on the hole in her father’s stomach, trying to slow the bleeding down, when the homeless man