The Gift: The Dark Corner - Book III: The Dark Corner Archives, #3

By Easton Livingston

Ten-year-old Jason Meechum is a quiet boy who hides in fantasy and science fiction books. Other kids pick on and make fun of him but he suffers through it. That's because Jason has a secret. A secret of pain, fear, and hopelessness. A secret he wants to tell but can't.

All of that is about to change because Jason will be the recipient of something special. Something beautiful and mysterious. Something wondrous and odd.

Tonight, Jason will have two secrets. They will meet for the first time. The outcome of this meeting will determine if it is Jason's last night. Ever.

The Gift is the third in a miniseries of short stories, novelettes, and novellas by Easton Livingston called The Dark Corner. It is a dark fantasy novelette. The other stories in the series, The Visitor, The Forest, and The Basement are available online for download.

Easton Livingston is a published writer, having written articles for national magazine publications, newspapers, online websites, and graphic novels. His foray as a fiction author has him specializing in urban fantasy/supernatural, sci-fi, fantasy, action-adventure, and suspense, often weaving different elements of those genres together. He describes his writing as The 4400 meets Stranger Things. It is all a part of his Reality Imagination Universe which you can find at Easton Livingston's Reality Imagination.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMD Publising
• Release date: Jan 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781497785083

Easton Livingston

Easton Livingston has written articles for national magazine publications, newspapers, online websites, and graphic novels. He began his self-publishing journey in 2013. In 2017, he revamped his brand, re-releasing all of his books. He writes superheroic-type speculative fiction weaving elements of action, the supernatural, and the psychological. He often describes his work as a cross between the cult television show 4400 and Netflix's Stranger Things. His first project is the miniseries titled The Dark Corner, a collection of supernatural, urban fantasy suspense tales. These stories that tie together that make a novel. There are five stories in all (technically six). The first three, The Inception Trilogy, are free for citizens of his R.I.U. (Reality Imagination Universe) and can be downloaded on Amazon. To become an R.I.U. citizen, go to his sign up page at www.eastonlivingston.com. These tales are the precursor to his novel Blackson's Revenge: Book I - The Poltergeist Files, an action drama with a fantasy/sci-fi twist which is out now. Easton's books are family-friendly, focusing on fantastic tales for adults which often addresses mature themes (think PG-13). Easton has just released the second novel in the Poltergeist Files, Blackson's Repentance, on sale now. He's busy at work on the third novel in the trilogy, Blackson's Redemption.

Book preview

Introduction

Welcome. My name is Easton Livingston. Thank you for taking an interest in my work. 

The place where you have entered is called The Dark Corner, a series of short stories, novelettes, and novellas meant to introduce potential citizens to what I have affectionately called the R.I.U. (Reality Imagination Universe). There are five in all and as I alluded to above, there is an order to them. The further you get in, the longer the stories get. By the end you will be getting, in effect, the equivalent of a novel.

The first three stories in the series are called The Inception Trilogy. You are holding in your hand the third story in the series. All of the books are available online which are:  #1 - The Visitor, #2 - The Forest, and #4  - The Basement and the last story #5 - The Confrontation. 

Before you enter, I want to invite you to become an R.I.U. Citizen. R.I.U. Citizens will be alerted when my books will available for free. They also get exclusive access to the Veiled Athenaeum. This is content of the stories behind the stories. So, if you're not a part of the R.I.U. community, just tap the link below to become an R.I.U. Citizen.

Sign Up for the R.I.U. by Tapping/Clicking this Link.

The-Inception-Trilogy-Front-Matter

If you have worked your way through the first two connecting points, I applaud you. The shadowy labyrinth of The Dark Corner can be difficult to traverse, hard to navigate. Discernment is a key attribute. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm…informing you.

This access point is now available. The door is open. You may enter.

Part I - Enter the Monster's Lair

Jason Meechum sat at his front row desk eager to learn. He loved school and was smart for his age which meant in the eyes his peers; he was a nerd. Not in the good way. This made him somewhat of a social outcast. He had no fondness for that particular part of his reality. It was just the way it was. His peers would tease him, call him all kinds of cruel names which he tried to ignore but seldom could. Given a choice, there were many times he would have rather they punched him instead of being subjected to their verbal flaying. They were relentless in their ostracizing and upbraiding. Whoever said names will never hurt you was a liar. They hurt more often than not and he couldn't escape it.

Not everyone viewed him in that light. His teachers' view of him was quite different.

He's a good kid, he'd heard them say.

I wish all of my students were like him. Save the world a ton of headache.

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