Revelations of Evil

By Pernell Rogers

Do you have a secret that you’ve never revealed to anyone? I’m sure you do. What is it? Come on, you can trust me, can’t you?

In this collection of five tales, Pernell Rogers delves into secrets that no one wants to tell and no one wants to know. He’ll introduce to a close-knit family that celebrates holidays like most, but they should never reveal their secret holiday ritual to anyone. Then there’s an up-and-coming paralegal with her eyes on a promotion. What she doesn’t know is that something secretly has eyes on her.

We move onto another family that suffers a devastating tragedy. One of the family members takes part in an unusual celebratory custom, but when others try to interfere, they’ll discover a secret they can’t escape from. Next, are a group of entrepreneurs eyeing to make their way in life — the easy way! But their internal secrets make them discover that the hard way is the better way. Finally, three couples get together to celebrate after returning from their Peruvian vacation. One in the group passes out refreshments purchased the country, and after ingesting the liquid, they reveal so many secrets, it will make your head spin!

These stories are not for the faint of heart so sit back, wrap up tight, and dive into the world of SECRETS!

This is the second of Pernell Roger's stories that has received a 5-star rating from Reader's Favorite!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pernell Rogers
• Release date: Jul 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463935705

Pernell Rogers

Pernell Rogers hails from Cleveland, Ohio. Reading was one of his first interests as a child, and he dove into it. The Apollo missions forged new interests in astronomy, UFO, the pyramids, and ancient cultures. Oddities about our world captured his attention.After traveling the world during his 14-year U.S. Air Force career, he became a civilian again working in Information Technology. His interest in writing blossomed from the removal of a lily pad from his backyard pond. In his eyes, it looked like something out of Swamp Thing with its massive, tangled root system. He imagined the root system coming alive, and that was the trigger. His first attempt at fiction writing was long, but not very good.After more years of reading and practice, he published his first story in the horror genre. Soon, his direction turned toward the supernatural thriller genre with hints of horror with some of his best ideas coming from the ideas and dreams of his friends.Visit http://pernellrogers.com to find more about him and his stories.

Book preview

Revelations Of Evil

Everyone Has Secrets

by

Pernell Rogers

Copyright © 2019 by Anthony Pernell Rogers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

These stories are entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 9780463935705

Don’t forget to check out my other stories of supernatural horror at

pernellrogers.com

Table of Contents:

1. A Most Unusual Feast

2. Welcome, Claire!

3. Remembering the Bellflower

4. Manifestations of Guilt

5. Whispers of Cusco

1

A Most Unusual Feast

Alright boys, when we get there, ya’ll know what to do, right? Papa Reed asked with his head turned slightly right while keeping his eyes on the rocky dirt road.

Yeah, Pa, Loomis answered, with a booming voice that filled the old pickup’s interior. Then he planted his shotgun butt into the floorboard with a thud.

Jesse Reed, Pa’s second eldest, sat in the darkened back seat behind Pa, leaning inward so he could peer through the front windshield. The large revolver planted between his belt and jeans jabbed his kidney each time the pickup bounded over the uneven road.

Jesse knew Pa was on a mission, and his older brother Loomis went along with anything their Pa demanded. Elmo, Jesse’s younger brother, sat in the back seat beside him, leaning inward too, because both brothers wanted to know where the hell they were heading. Jesse took a quick glance over at Elmo. The whites of his eyes were clearly visible in the cab's dim light, and Jesse could see the fright in them. This would be his first time joining the rest of the family in their upcoming Thanksgiving tradition.

Jesse abhorred the tradition. He’d lost his virginity to it two years ago, and if he had had any say in the matter, he’d have preferred not to experience it again. But all it took was a single stern look from Pa’s wrinkled face to change his mind. Loomis was Pa’s favorite, and between the two of them, he dared not disobey.

Tonight was Jesse’s turn to watch his younger thirteen-year-old brother become a grown member of the family, but Jesse thought he was much too young to be a participant in such a mission. He wasn’t grown, at least not yet. He had had the same feelings two years ago when it was his own turn. His eye shifted toward Elmo again. How would his little brother react to what he was about to see? Sorrow seeped into Jesse’s heart, but he couldn’t be concerned about that now. It was time to focus on his own tasks.

Pa’s pickup sent him shimmying right and left, and the pain from his pistol intensified. Tonight, peering through the windshield, the Tennessee backwoods rushed at the pickup as it raced down the dirt road, its high-beams exposing only a few yards out front. Dormant trees and bushes, devoid of any greenery sprouting from their craggy branches, enveloped the road. Insects streaked through the headlight’s beams like zipping meteors.

Pa’s foot leaned on the gas pedal like a lead brick. Nothing was going to stop him this frigid night. From where Jesse sat, he could see Loomis’ squinting eyes staring straight ahead like a tiger stalking its prey. Any second he expected Loomis to start licking his chops.

Beyond the headlights was darkness and the unknown. No moon was available to assist them in locating their final destination. From the side windows, faint blurs of dead foliage whizzed by. Jesse swiveled his head to look out the back window but all he saw was a faint red glow, which illuminated the cloud of dirt kicked up by the pickup’s rugged tires.

Jesse knew the plan, and its brutality made him squeamish; however, he kept that secret from the rest of the family. After all, he was a Reed, and their family had occupied that part of Tennessee for over two hundred years. It was their land, no matter what the county or state believed.

Inside the unheated cab, no one said a word. Gravel popped and pinged the pickup’s undercarriage and doors. Its tires skidded as they breached the well-established grooves of the dirt road, kicking up clouds of dirt. The pickup’s growling engine owned the night, signaling to all within hearing distance that it was on the prowl.

Where we goin’, Pa? Elmo’s shaky voice asked.

You’ll see when we get there. I don’t want you hesitating, alright? You go and do just what I tell you to do.

Okay, Pa.

Elmo’s eyes couldn’t disguise his fear. Would he really follow through with what Pa demanded, or would he freeze up? Elmo tended to take after Loomis, blindly doing whatever his Pa told him to do, but there were times when he second-guessed his father, and on those occasions, it usually meant the back of Pa’s huge hand across the face. Tears were forbidden. They weren’t appropriate for the men of the Reed family.

Pa made a sharp right turn, sending everyone flying left. Jesse found himself pinned against his door, and Elmo rolled into him, jamming the pistol even further into his side. How Pa had seen the opening between those two dark bushes amazed Jesse. The pickup bounced wildly as it bore down another smaller path, and Jesse wasn’t sure if they were still on any type of road.

After a while, the headlights barely illuminated the ground. Jesse couldn’t see anything out the side windows or windshield. He assumed they had to be in an open field somewhere. Pa stayed on the gas, terrorizing the pickup’s shocks and springs. Jesse knew this ride had to end somewhere.

Seconds later, the pickup’s roar softened. Through the windshield, Jesse's eyes discerned a small house with two illuminated lights; one stood over the front door, and another was attached to the wall on the side of the house which shone on a small two-seater car. Everyone in the pickup lurched forward as Pa hit the brakes in front of the house. Pa didn't want to pull too close. He killed the engine.

Get out and do what I told ya.

Loomis had already exited the cab, with his shotgun tucked under his arm, and began marching toward the front door. Jesse saw Elmo open his door, pause, then leap from the cab with his revolver in hand. Jesse pulled out his revolver and got out as he watched Pa retrieve his shotgun. They all left the pickup’s doors wide open.

Pa turned to Jesse and pointed towards the rear of the house. Jesse rounded the back of the truck, tapped Elmo on the shoulder, and Elmo followed his brother. Jesse glanced back and saw Pa catching up to Loomis, and knew they would be the first inside.

Elmo’s eyes stayed glued on the house’s windows, his revolver flashed briefly under the light hanging outside. Then Jesse caught a scent of fear. Was it coming from Elmo or himself? They continued heading toward the back of the house.

Jesse found a spot by the back door and crouched down. He waved for Elmo to move back so he could see both the back and side of the house, then motioned for him to get down. Elmo lifted his revolver and pointed it at the house as puffs of vapor exited his mouth in rapid succession. Would he pull the trigger if he saw someone trying to escape? Only time would tell. Jesse grabbed the front of his jacket with his free hand, clutched it, then hunched over to prevent the chilly November wind from creeping inside. He hoped Pa and Loomis wouldn’t be much longer.

A shotgun blast sliced the late fall solace.

Jesse jerked, then watched Elmo fall backward. He was sure Elmo would start firing at any moment, but instead, Elmo returned to his knees, pointing his revolver at the house.

Thumping, high pitched screams, and deep yells came from inside the house. Jesse heard his father’s deep twang followed by more commotion. Would there be another shot?

Suddenly, all the bumping eased, but there still was movement coming from inside. If everything went okay, Pa should be calling soon. His voice was unmistakable.

Jesse popped up and turned to see Elmo drop his hands and get to his feet.

Come on boys. We have them hogtied. Let’s get them in the back of the truck.

Jesse hated watching their pupils plead for help. He knew their fate and it made him feel ill. It was the same every year.

For the first time, Jesse thought he saw a spark of excitement in Elmo’s eyes as he entered the front door. Jesse followed behind. Through the darkened, yet neatly arranged living room, he heard struggling. Elmo turned left down