Stones of Influence

By AJ Georgia

Get ready for a little sci-fi, a little adventure, and a little love. Be with Deric Dawson as he finds an ancient secret that allows him to influence the decision of others. See how it affects his life at college, his career, and his love life. Lillian Petronovich, the love of his life gets a job on the east coast and he has to stay on the west coast trying to build an empire. Will the stones of the ancient ones make his life perfect or will they ruin everything he ever wanted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AJ Georgia
• Release date: Jun 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311682857

AJ Georgia

The AJ Georgia persona is a cheeky 30ish female with a quick wit and infectious sense of humor. AJ loves to put her ideas and fantasies to paper to share them with the world. Never lacking in humor, drama, or passion she forges ahead with whatever idea comes to mind. Deep rooted in family beliefs but also not afraid to let her hair down and delve into the realm of passion. No one knows what to expect next and surprise lurks around every thought.

Book preview

Stones of Influence

By AJ Georgia

Copyright 2015 AJ Georgia

Smashwords Edition

AJ Georgia is my chosen pseudonym or nom de plume if you will. The origins of this name are very personal and mean a great deal to me. I hope you enjoy the literary works created by AJ.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The idea for Stones of Influence came to me in a dream. I woke up at three in the morning and thought wow, what a weird dream. I went back to sleep and dreamed about it again. It was all I could think about the following day and I decided that the only way to clear my mind was to pen down an outline. That outline has grown into the book you’re about to read. I hope you enjoy it.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Prologue

Chief Hoypt beached his small double canoe on the sandy beach of Ejyan island. He stretched his legs and his back. He’d been in his canoe for almost three days on the open water. He’d chosen this island to die on. He’d been here a few times in his youth with his father on fishing voyages. He was actually surprised that he remembered how to get here after so many years. After unloading his gear he pushed the canoe back out into the water and watched as the current and gentle breeze slowly pushed it out of sight. He would build a small raft that he would use for fishing. He wanted to make sure he didn’t have an easy way to return home. He spent several days exploring the island before settling on a place to set up his new home. Over the next few weeks he worked on a small hut that would be his residence until his death. Once it was finished and the furniture was built he spent his first night sleeping in his new bed. Over the next several months he constructed a totem to pay homage to the past leaders of his tribe. He hoped that they didn’t look down on him with displeasure that he didn’t carry on the tradition of the stones.

It was tradition in the LLwyth tribe that the leader would take the person designated to be the new leader and tell them the secret of the leaders influence. Chief Hoypt had decided that the tradition would end with him. He brought the secret with him to the island where he planned to let it die with him. He spent the final years of his life alone living on his island. For the first year he expected every day that someone from his tribe would show up and take him back. He wasn’t sure how many people knew the secret. The leader before him had told him only the new leader was ever told. He’d kept the secret and had never told a soul. As age crept upon him he started working on a journal. He wasn’t sure why he did it but it helped to ease his mind knowing that death was ever approaching. As his health made it to the point it was impossible for him to hunt and fish he knew his time was almost over. He would gather the fruits and nuts that grew close to his hut and eat from the stores of dried fish he’d put up over the years but that was it. The last few days of his life was spent in his cot with him too tired to get up. He lay wishing for death so that he wouldn’t have to spend another night hungry and alone.

The moon was shining bright as he lay on his cot looking out the window. He hadn’t eaten in days and his strength was completely gone. As he lay wishing for death he heard his hut door open. Thinking that someone from his tribe had found him after years of hiding he slowly rolled his head so that he could see who it was. Much to his surprise it wasn’t someone from his tribe. It was the bird. The bird he’d seen the night he’d performed the ritual of the stones. Seeing the bird he knew that his life had come to an end. He watched unable to move as the bird walked through his hut. At the foot of his cot it hopped up onto the rail and stood looking at him. The bird began to sing a sad and lonely song. Chief Hoypt was positive he saw tears running down the birds cheeks. As darkness enveloped him the bird bowed its head and sang louder. Knowing the chief was gone the bird walked up the bed and deposited a tear on each one of the chief’s hands. It returned to the end of the bed and bowed one more time and then walked slowly out of the hut.

Chapter 1

Deric Dawson woke to the sound of his alarm. Today was the first day of class in his second year of college. His first year had been spent with his nose to the grindstone as the saying goes. He had listened to his parents and took a full class load made up of several very difficult classes. He had the GPA to prove that college life was different than high school. This year he had done his own scheduling and was only taking a partial load and one of the classes should be a breeze. He was taking Business Law and Zoology. The law class was of course going to be a struggle but the Zoology class should offset that. He’d talked to several people that had taken it and everyone had said it was a complete breeze and the easiest A at school. An easy A was something that Deric desperately needed if he was going to keep his financial aid because he was currently on academic probation and another bad grade would spell the end of aid for a year. That wasn’t a call to his parents he wanted to make so he fully planned to stop the parties and buckle down and make it happen. Thus the reason for the Zoology class. It had absolutely nothing to do with being a business major but he needed a physical science and this qualified.

The snooze timer ran out and the alarm woke him again. He dragged himself out of his bed and headed toward the bathroom. On his way he noticed his roommate’s door was half open and blond girl he hadn’t seen before was laying on his bed naked and asleep. What the hell? This guy gets laid once a week and the only naked women I’ve seen since I’ve been here are in his bed. College sucks. After showering he passed back by Ron’s door and she was still sleeping, and she was still naked. It’s just not fair. Deric gathered his things and headed to class thinking all the way there that maybe he should come out and ask Ron how he got so many girls to grace his bed but was afraid that Ron would figure out that that the only naked women he’d seen was in his room and didn’t want to answer the questions that would follow. He had intended to stop by the commons area and grab breakfast but lost in thought he had walked by and was almost at his class. He checked the time and decided he didn’t have time to make a trip back so it would be Business Law on an empty stomach today.

After hours of listening to professor Huang drone on about the positives and negatives of corporations, limited liability’s, doing business as, and legal problems that come out of each one Deric was ready to stab himself with his pen. Who cares if a company is an LLC, or an INC, or a DBA, how do they make money? Isn’t that why we start companies? I know what it is, the lawyers make this a required class so that you’ll hire them to watch over your company so you don’t have to. With the lecture finally over he headed for the commons area to grab some lunch. While he was eating he noticed the same girl he’d seen last semester. He didn’t know her name but he thought she was beautiful. She looked like she was maybe from Europe or somewhere in that area. He hadn’t spoken to her so he didn’t know if she had an accent. He hoped she did because that would make her even more attractive. She definitely had an accent in his fantasies when she would make all his dreams come true. He could hear her sultry voice as she spoke French or some other foreign language while they doing very explicit things to each other.

He was quickly snapped out of his daydream by Ron who had dropped into the chair across from him blocking his view. Why don’t you go talk to her instead of stalking her? What? Don’t give me that crap. She’s the same chick you lusted over for half of last semester and you still haven’t talked to her. I’m not lusting, I was daydreaming, and I wasn’t even looking at her. Sure you weren’t. So who was the blonde in your room this morning? Don’t change the subject. Her name is Lillian Petro something. Petronovich or Petronivik or hell I don’t know. She was naked in your bed this morning and you don’t know her name? What? No, that was Trisha from biology class and that’s why I told you not to change the subject. I was talking about the chick over there you’re lusting after. She was in my Econ class last semester. Go talk to her, she has a really cool accent. Thanks but I’m good.

Fine suit yourself but don’t say I didn’t try to help. I’m your roommate and other than a threesome I’d do anything to help you. I don’t want to see you naked but if you want one of them after I’m done that’s different, you can help yourself. I’m sure you would and I’m good. Sure you are, I’ll send Zoe out to see you next time she’s over. She thinks you’re cute anyway. Do you know how it feels to be right in the middle of sex and the girl ask who your roommate is because she thinks he’s cute? No I can’t say that I do. Well I do. It’s not like she’s my girlfriend or something so I really don’t care if she’s hot for you but she could’ve waited until we were done. Principals and all that. Ron you’re a real gentleman you know that? I told you I’m just here to help. So do you have another class today? Zoology tomorrow. Serious? Yeah, I needed an easy A and I heard that was the ticket. Sweet, enjoy the animals and I’ll see you later.

Once Ron was gone Deric looked around but didn’t see his dream girl. So I wonder if he’s full of crap or if he actually had a class with her? I wonder if he’s also full of crap about Zoe thinking I’m cute. I wouldn’t mind if she visited by bed one night. Not sure I really want seconds but I’d take what I can get even if it meant Ron had to get her all riled up first. Wow, how pathetic is that? I need to get laid but seriously. Deric shook himself out of his own head and made his way toward the bookstore. He needed to pick up his Zoology book before tomorrow and get started on the preliminary work that he was supposed to have done before the first class. When he opened the door to walk in she was standing right in front of him. He stood for a second not able to move or speak. The only thing he could do was look into her perfect green eyes. This was the closest he’d been and she was beautiful. With a perfect smile and a bat of her eyes she broke the silence. Excuse me. She slid past him in the door and then she was gone. She had an accent, she smelled amazing, and she had brushed against him on her way out and it sent tingles all over his body. Oh boy I think I’m in love.

Deric found his book and waited in line. He thought about asking the attendant what she bought or what her name was but the longer he thought about it the more it seemed like a really bad idea. He paid for his book and went back to his room. Three hours later he finished his pre-work and closed his book. He looked at the clock on the wall and wondered if he had time to order pizza and eat before Ron made it back. Anytime Ron came in and found pizza he always helped himself and Deric preferred to only feed himself. Knowing that Ron usually didn’t come in until after nine he decided that he had time. A few taps on his phone and food was on its way charged to his dad’s credit card. Once the pizza arrived he decided to take it elsewhere just in case Ron came home early and brought a friend. He grabbed his backpack and his dinner and headed out to the garden area behind his dorm. He ate in silence looking up the sky as it slowly filled with stars wondering if he would ever have the courage to talk to her. After he finished his dinner he laid his head on his backpack and watched the stars. With a full stomach and the four beers he had with dinner it wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep.

A large crowd was gathered in a ball room having a black tie dinner and cocktails. Deric and Lillian along with several other people were seated at a table at the front of the room next to the podium. An old man made his way to the podium and stood waiting for the noise in the room to die down. Good evening everyone. I’m glad you could all be here tonight to witness history. I started this company in my cubical over fifty years ago. I thought one day I would be turning it over to my own son but life has a way of making fools out of those who make plans. My son instead decided that a career in music was more his style and left the company when he was twenty two. His mother and I both thought he was nuts and that he’d be back in a year but he proved us wrong. Though he didn’t make millions as a musician he has made millions as a producer. He reminds me of that every time he diverts his jet and drops in on us. But that’s not why we’re here tonight. We’re here to usher out the old and bring in the new.

As you all know my time has come, it’s time for me to enjoy my grandchildren and do the traveling I never got to do while I was building my empire as my wife calls it. We did make over ten billion last year, a fact that I do remind my son of, so I guess BMC could be called an empire. After fifty years I’ve decided to step down from the CEO position and retire. I’ll hang around the board room on occasion just to make sure my baby doesn’t fall apart but that will be it. I’m sure many of you have heard rumors about the future of the company. I can promise you it’s not being sold. It’s not being broken up into small pieces and sold off or any of the sort. BMC will be around for many years to come under the watchful leadership of its new CEO. This wasn’t a very hard decision but I still put months of thought behind it and in the end I came right back to where I had started. Please welcome the next CEO of BMC, Deric Dawson.

Deric jumped as the applause in his dream started. He sat up and looked around not sure for a few seconds where he was. As his heart rate settled back to normal and his vision cleared he remembered where he was. He was alone in the garden staring up at the stars. He checked his phone and it was eleven o’clock. The night air was cool, damp, and very quiet. Being close to the desert the temperature here had large swings from day to night. It could be ninety five during the day but drop to sixty at night. He pulled his sweatshirt over his head and started walking back toward his dorm with is mind full of visions of his future. I could be the CEO of a major company. Millions in salary, even more in bonuses, and maybe even a golden umbrella clause. A master’s degree from Baja State and I’ll be on my way. A CEO by the time I’m forty shouldn’t be an unattainable goal. Deric eased into his room incase Ron was sleeping but the voices from his room said he wasn’t. He peeked through the half open door on his way to the bathroom and it was the sexy blonde that he’d seen earlier. Lucky bastard.

Deric’s alarm brought him back from dreamland and he sleepily made his way to the shower. After shaving, showering, and getting dressed he grabbed a pop tart from his pantry that he kept hidden from Ron and headed toward Business Law. He caught a glimpse of Lillian, if that really was her name, heading into the library. He slowed his pace so that he could see her as long as he could. Once she was out of sight into the darkness of the library he picked his pace back up. He didn’t want to be late for professor Huang’s continuance of corporations and their impact on global commerce. He settled into his seat preparing for the onslaught but instead the class aids were passing out papers. Once they made it to him he looked at the first sheet and felt the pop tart roll over in his stomach. The title of the very thick pile of papers said it all. Exam One Business Corporations This was only the second day of class and they were already taking a test. He waited for directions hoping this was really only a practice exam. "Good morning class, you will find on your table an exam titled exam one business corporations. This will cover the lecture over corporations