Elias

By C. B. Allerdee

His mother's agonizing words echo through his mind, "He loved you, Elias."

Twelve-year-old Elias Reinhart's worst fears are realized when his half-brother drowns and their mother blames him. Elias is sent to live with his biological father, but overwhelming grief soon puts Elias in hospital.

While there, Elias meets Phoebe, a resourceful young woman employed by Willa Corp, a Paranormal Research Facility. Creeping around the hospital corridors at night, Elias overhears Phoebe talking to his father. She has returned from the spirit realm, where she encountered an entity powerful enough to bring the dead back to life.

 

Elias' desire may be the only thing that can free his half-brother from the spirit realm, but how far is he willing to go?

Elias is the first book in this series. If you like dark narratives, suspenseful situations, raw emotions, engaging supernatural universes, powerful paranormal forces, and humorous ghostly beings, then you'll adore the first installment in C.B. Allerdee's page turning series.

Buy Elias to start the suspense today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. B. Allerdee
• Release date: Jan 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386046653

Book preview

Elias

C. B. Allerdee

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Copyright 2016 C. B. Allerdee

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. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

To Skye, the true inspiration behind this novel. If it weren’t for you,

this project would cease to exist.

Literally.

Table of Contents

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

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 1

Moisture douses the metal swing that Elias Reinhart touches. It travels down the length of the chain-links in a jagged pattern, thrown from its perch on the high bar by the constant lurching of two avid swingers below. His companion for this summer’s evening, a child donning navy blue overalls and a white striped shirt, excitedly giggles and gestures about as he recounts his outlandish adventures of the day. The boy’s messy brunette hair tells that his trials are indeed not fiction, but Elias is a bit too preoccupied to notice. He doesn’t even hear his seven-year-old brother speak. Elias rubs an itch from his nose, taking great care to avoid his right cheek. He only realizes his apparent brotherly error when his younger companion stops swinging and stares at him with a belligerent pout. Oh. He sighs despondently, knowing full well what that look meant. Elias allows his sneakers to slam against the gravel, impacting the earth with a soft thud.

Are you going on about those ghosts again? Elias groans; this is the fourth time he’s mentioned the bloody things in the same day! Fynn, I’ll tell you until I’m blue in the face. They don’t exist!

Not a day has gone by without his younger brother nagging him about these ghosts. On most occasions, Fynn tells Elias he is in trouble—all credit going to a make-believe entity. After that claim, he’ll babble a continuous stream of justifications on why he shouldn’t leave Seagulton to see his father. Sounds like babyish excuses tied to a fictitious ghost.

Fynn slumps in his swing. They do, ‘Lias!

The older boy rolls his hand over a clump of curly blond hair; dang. Need to trim these bangs.

Then why haven’t I been informed of our impending doom? His brow cocks in the direction of his disheartened ghost-busting brother. Fynn’s brown eyes lose their childish sparkle, falling into the depths of despair. Great... now he feels guilty. Who knew the ghosts could shove the guilt onto him like this?

Hey. Elias hops off the swing and drapes a bare arm over Fynn’s small shoulder. "Don’t be gloomy. It’s my last week at home with you guys. Let’s make it a fun one... without ghosts."

Fynn narrows his eyes at his brother. Stop calling them that. They’re spirits. How could his brother not listen to him, especially when the spirit in question is only a few yards away from them? The spirit watches on silently, hovering around the large lone rock that rests by the riverbank. Every night this week the figure has visited Fynn and warned him, but Elias has always teased him every time he brought it up. Why would the figure warn Fynn unless it was true though? Why didn’t his brother believe him? Most importantly, why didn’t this figure warn Elias instead? It would save the younger boy grief, and would resolve the endless teasing.

Whatever. Elias rolls his eyes, taking his brother’s dirt-stained hand into his own. Fynn exclaims his disappointment immediately, recognizing the gesture from years of use. He grumbles and whines about having to return home but Elias tunes him out, knowing too well the repercussions if they didn’t hurry. His mom and Kurt would have a fit should their darling boy not return for dinner on time. They keep tabs on the seven-year-old like he’s an exquisite china doll from the ruins. Unlike his parents, Fynn values spending time with him—leading to after school play sessions at the local park by their quaint house. Before a few weeks ago, their sessions used to consist of make-believe through the woods, or knights and dragons. Now, all Fynn talks about are ghosts nonstop.

Fynn interrupts his thoughts by stopping abruptly.

Can I go with you to Will’s?

Elias cocks his head. Why would you want to? Dad’s busy all the time and you hate staying inside. Kirkwall’s too busy for a kid like you. Relief swept over the blond’s face. It was perfect. He could keep his distance from everyone, especially him.

I don’t care! Fynn’s grip tightens on his arm. If you won’t stay home, I’m going with you!

Yeah right, like Kurt would allow Fynn to live under the roof of Mom’s former fling—Elias’ father. He could envision the conversation escalating into unfathomable volumes, resulting in an all-out war in the household. It’s better the kid keep his trap shut. I’ll talk to Mom about it, but you have to keep quiet, okay?

Fynn shows his toothy grin, followed by a side-hug. Good, at least he could appease the seven-year-old beast.

An ear deafening screech brings both boys to a halt. Elias instinctively shields Fynn from the contact of a vehicle honking ferociously. It speeds off, the curly-haired teen behind its wheel giving them both the solid finger and a curt "Brats! Fynn clings onto his body, convulsing in fear. Unwilling to admit it, Elias worries that his brother will believe the near-car collision was a sign from the ghost—heeding a warning. However, Fynn remains silent; the small boy’s frame unstable in the arms of the older boy. Fynn, it’s alright—we’re okay."

Fynn looks up at his brother with a tear-stained face, keeping his words to himself. Elias dabs his tears with the hoodie tied around his waist. He prays that Fynn will keep quiet about this—if Kurt finds out, he’ll be in deep... you know what.

The boys make their way towards the long driveway of the house, where the family patriarch lingers on the terrace. Elias sees his mother out in the garden, fluffing up some newly sprouted pansies. Both seem ignorant of the event—what a relief. As long as Fynn keeps quiet, this may very well be a peaceful dinner.

Of course it never works out the way you want it to.

Fynn blabbed, Kurt yelled, and his mother did nothing but watch the event with a foreign glaze in her pupils. His accusatory brown eyes (the ones Fynn inherited) bore into his soft blue ones. The accusations were fierce and dripping with contempt—chiding Elias with how irresponsible he was, and how he can’t throw his cares out the window just because he’ll be leaving for the summer. As the older brother, he has a responsibility to uphold; keep Fynn safe and out of harm’s way. Which he did, Elias wanted to argue, in the form of a meat shield. He could tell Fynn was aiming to defend his honor, but was promptly quieted by their mother—right; she had one son she catered to be in her husband’s good graces.

The bed greets Elias with comfort as he stares out the window with glazed eyes. If his stepfather hadn’t made it clear that he was an irresponsible child before, he definitely had tonight. He may as well have smacked the boy on the face for his apparent wrongdoings. It wasn’t his fault a car decided to speed right past them when it did. Stupid Kurt; good riddance he was spending the summer with his father. Laying in the dark was the best idea Elias had all day. Perhaps the family would think he was sleeping and leave him alone. Well, except for Fynn. He would likely burst in and jump on his bed or something just as ridiculous.

Two hours pass; he can hear the muted sounds of the family interacting downstairs without him. Elias changes into a loose bed shirt and buries himself under the covers. No sense in waiting for Mom or Fynn to check up on him. He allows the darkness to fill his head with the compulsive urge to sleep.

Rrrrrring. Rrrrrring. Rrrrrrrrring.

His laptop screen flashes on with the face of... Travis. Oh. Elias flips off the covers and clicks mute repeatedly in an attempt to silence the volume. Mixed feelings aside, he accepts the call.

Ah, hey bud. Travis is illuminated by his laptop screen, giving his reddish hair a soft blue undertone. Echoes of his brothers Trevor and Tyler create a distraction, and Elias witnesses the annoyance on Travis’ face grow with each peep. He can’t see the two, but there’s no misplacing the hypertension of a squeal made by Tyler.

Hey... It’s like a barrier has formed against his friend’s face. Elias can’t look at him, or he’ll get a rash from the embarrassment present on his pale skin. He hears the clicking of Travis’ fingers firing off a message—likely an explanation of what happened this afternoon at the hill-front near their school, abundant in indigo flowers and the elegant metal gate.

The fact he can recall his surroundings is indication enough. Shivers recreate the memory as if it just happened. His body tenses up rigidly from nerves.

He waits with bated breath.

A paragraph of text appears on the screen.

As if an alarm went off, Tyler and Trevor appear behind their brother in a frenzy of tickles and roughhousing. Travis demands his brothers leave immediately, he’s trying to have a serious conversation with Elias. Tyler and Trevor match Travis identically—they are triplets after all. Tyler sports a shaggy look while Trevor’s auburn hair is kept short; rivaling the army-cuts his father threatens him with if he makes the man angry. Travis takes the most time with his ‘do, opting to gel it straight in the front while leaving soft curly tresses in the back. There’s no doubt that it’d be messed up in a matter of seconds if left up to the devices of these two.

Elias! Don’t talk to this dink. He’s just going to bore you with some dumb book. Tyler pipes up. Trevor departs at the mention of the word ‘book’, seemingly a bibliophobe. Tyler takes a bit more coercing, as his eyes appear to be reading his brother’s silent message until he sees... all he needs to see. Tyler gives a small grin, pats his brother’s shoulder, and leaves without mentioning another word.

Elias’ stomach falls. Did Tyler just read...

Uh. Travis begins, with an awkward grin. I’m sorry that my brothers exist.

... It’s fine. I have one too. I get it. Elias feels the jitters crawl up his legs. His breathing stifles as he reads the text block Travis sent his way.

Travis studies Elias’ expression intently. The preteen appears to be in the same apprehensive frenzy he is.

The redhead takes a deep breath and proceeds softly. About today, I don’t... uh... I don’t know what came over me. A gentle laugh escapes his lips as a hand rests against his forehead. "I kind of messed up. I know you said to keep it quiet, but I don’t know... I really like you. The boy bites his lower lip, appearing to fight back the residual shame left in his body. I don’t want to hide how I feel, not anymore."

A curt sigh leaves Elias’ lips; a hint of resentment reflected in his voice. "You didn’t see Stacy staring at us? Do you know the influence she has over our classmates? She’s going to ruin us."

Don’t be dramatic. That’s a girl thing. Elias doesn’t buy his excuse.

"Maybe so, except she saw you getting quite... friendly with me. The memory is overwhelming as it washes over him; his gaze wanders over to the lively t-rex poster plastered near his window to escape his friend’s scrutiny. God, Travis. I told you I needed more time."

Elias. Travis’ voice catches in his throat. His eyebrows furrow as he does his best to stay composed. I’m sorry. I acted on an impulse. You told me you were leaving... and I reacted. He sighs, staring off screen. I didn’t think you’d be mad about it. We were getting along so well, and—

You might be comfortable with it, but I’m not. Elias couldn’t take the pressure. What if it reached his mother, or Kurt? What then? His friend’s actions confused him—making him feel guilty by association. His lips purse in frustration as he looks away from the screen once more, tempted to close the lid of his laptop.

"You know, today was terrible. Fynn nagged me about the stupid ghosts again, on top of us almost getting hit by a car—oh, and Kurt? He blames me for it. Surprise surprise. And you... Elias turns his gaze to the defeated redhead on his screen. I told you I wasn’t ready."

It slipped. Travis’ shoulders slump. I-I just thought you were ready to show people that you liked me too.

Well, Elias sighs in resignation, you were wrong. He pulls away from the screen.  I don’t think I can do this.

Elias. Please don’t. His voice quivers with emotion. I’m so sorry. He starts to backpedal. It-it was wrong of me. I should have kept to our agreement. I didn’t mean to be selfish—

I’m sorry. His apology rings with finality. Elias watches his friend deteriorate on the other side, face bearing shock and disbelief. It’s hard to watch. Travis’ head slumps as he stands up; ending with a sudden black screen. The call has dropped.

Elias stares blankly at his laptop. He takes a deep breath, believing he did the right thing. Or, he wants to believe. A frustrated growl leaves his throat as he plunks himself in the middle of his bed covers. His bed greets him with a warm, safe hug. Before laying his head to rest, he closes the lid to his laptop to prevent any more calls. It was bad enough his father had skipped out on tonight’s call. Again. It may have been for the best. He’s not sure he could handle anything else today.

He wants to scream.

With the lights out, his eyes grow weary. It’s a bit earlier than he’s used to, but it is a school night. Was there a way to avoid the terror that was middle school? He sighs, feeling the eye roll under his heavy lids.

There’s no escape.

Chapter 2

Elias ends the day to the echo of clapping erasers. His thoughts lament on how his school still lives in the era of gross blackboards with their screechy-chalky sounds, while the high school kids are treated to pristine whiteboards and projector installations. It’s not fair. He wants to draw on the whiteboard and smell their luxurious markers. He had a whiff once; it was amazingly toxic. If friggin’ Tyler hadn’t thrown sticky tack on his shirt, he wouldn’t be in detention right now. On the bright side, at least the air was crisp and fresh—especially for a summer day. It was great. This may be the best detention he’s had in his entire life! The redhead stands beside him, scrunching his nose at the remaining dust cloud.

"C’mon Eli, face it like a man. He eggs his friend to open his eyes. Just don’t breathe in the dust—it’ll stick to your lungs for days."

Shut up Tyler. It was his fault he had to be here in the first place. This stuff can kill a person.

Right. I didn’t mean to make fun. You look so healthy that I forget these things, you know? Tyler claps his set of erasers together again, unleashing a fresh cloud of chalk into the air. Thankfully he has the decency and common sense to hold them out in the opposite direction from where they’re standing.

Elias gets where he’s coming from, but he doesn’t like the implications. Tyler is right, of course. It wouldn’t be against his constitution to black out. It’s happened before. Changing the subject...

Mom’s going to be here in a few minutes. She’s going to ask me if you’d like a ride home... He’s pleading in his mind that Tyler will say no. After his conversation with Travis last night, he’d like to stay clear of any relations. If Tyler didn’t purposely get Elias in trouble, he’d be on his way home by now.

Tyler’s eraser slips out of his hands. His face droops as a result.

Oh, crap!

Elias tries to be mindful of the word ‘mom’ around the triplets. He couldn’t imagine how he would have felt if his mom left and never returned. Oh... Sorry.

Eh. Tyler pulls a face. I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. He turns back to his task, scrubbing the well-worked grime in-between the bristles.

Elias falls silent, feeling awkward for broaching the topic of the elusive Phillips woman. He’s never met her, for obvious reasons. If Tyler could press that toothpick any harder, his fingers would bleed.

My dad says she’s coming back but I don’t believe it for a second. He pipes up moments later, noticing the newfound empathy on Elias’ face. He laughs, his freckles appearing twice-fold.

Elias frowns at this, moving closer to the youngest of the Phillips family to provide support the way only a best friend can. He bumps into the teacher’s desk as he approaches, however, resulting in a cloudy eraser coming into contact with Tyler’s sleeve as he reaches out to balance himself. His face flashes brief embarrassment and a sheepish apology as the two stare at the stark imprint of his failure for the world to see. Are you sure you don’t care? Elias asks.

Only the dead care about her, bud. Tyler shrugs, ignoring the chalk stain on his shirt. And I believe they don’t. His green eyes dart off to the clouds above, refusing to look at the blond boy beside him. It’s like there is a chill every time I say her name. Maybe she’s a ghost herself. Whadd’ya say Eli? His attention falls back to his friend.

Tyler, enough with the paranormal stuff, ok? Seriously, what is with everyone and ghosts recently? It’s getting way out of control. Fynn is young and impressionable so he’s easy enough to dismiss, but now Tyler too? Sheesh. Common sense is turning into a rare commodity these days.

Ask your brother about the ghosts when you get home. Tyler beams with excitement. They say little kids have an affinity with the occult. Oh wonderful.

The only thing Fynn has an affinity with is getting me in trouble. Elias rolls his eyes in discernment, blips of past memories resurfacing. Ghosts aren’t real.

Have you seen one? The redhead’s lips curve into a smile. Unless you’re too scared to admit they’re real.

"And have you seen a ghost? I doubt it. Tyler doesn’t answer. Elias stands his ground. See? I told you they weren’t real. I’m getting sick to death of hearing about it."

I wouldn’t be so sure, Eli. Tyler’s face represents something more than what he’s letting on. If Elias didn’t know any better, he’d say Tyler actually believes in the subject. How naive...

Tyler’s phone vibrates. He pulls it out and starts to read, his smile vanishing as his eyes trail down the screen. Knowing full well where this conversation is heading, Elias attempts to end it prematurely.

He fails.

Have you heard from my brother at all? Trevor just messaged me—the dude hasn’t said a word to him all day.

Elias hasn’t seen the eldest Phillips brother, and inwardly he’s relieved that’s been the case. Their conversation last night wasn’t one he cared to discuss with Tyler. The question struck him as odd, however. It wouldn’t be unusual for brothers to talk, right? Shouldn’t Tyler know what was going on with Travis already?

I know he told you what’s up. You’re like, his best bud. Tyler grins. It’s kind of nice seeing him socialize with other book nerds. He playfully punches Elias in the arm.

So Tyler doesn’t know. Elias is genuinely surprised by this. He could have sworn that his cheeky friend knew more than what he was letting on, given that he had seen Travis’ text message last night. He must have glanced over the top and bowed out to respect his brother’s privacy. Apparently Travis hasn’t talked to anyone about it. Guilt washes over him as he considers the situation over in his head. That could only mean that Travis has been isolating himself to save face.

I know he’s different, and it’s cool you get that. Tyler continues, smiling softly. He recalls his brother and Elias spending a great deal of time together, always returning from their excursions looking fresh and rejuvenated. He liked what Elias brought out in the normally reserved Travis.

Yeah, you could say that. Yep. Tyler hadn’t a clue what went on beyond his sight. Elias thought that would be a great relief, but after the way he spoke to Travis last night—well, he wasn’t proud of it. It would at least have some repercussions if Tyler knew. And Stacy didn’t say anything after all, or anyone else for that matter. They had either ignored it or never truly cared in the first place. The shame for his outburst grew in his gut. Wow. He messed up big time.

I worry when he gets like this, you know? When he bottles his feelings inside. Tyler puts his eraser down. "I want to understand... I want