Dark Secrets: Dark Secret Series, #1

By Mikki Smith

Misty's family, hid a dark secret from her. Until the coven came to claim what they believe belongs to them. Their chosen one, to lead the coven to become the most powerful.

Prophecy is written of the twins who they separated at birth are to reign together as one to keep the bloodline pure.

When Misty refuses to stand with them, hell will break loose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mikki Smith
• Release date: Jun 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393762669

Mikki Smith

Mikki Jo Quinn Ensey Smith was born in Franklin, Indiana. She attended Wayne Township Schools, where she made many friends. The Dark Secrets series is based on places in that area. Mikki is married, with four children and awesome grandchildren. Mikki loves writing fiction, where anything and everything is possible, including the impossible, creating new characters and worlds with no condemnation or remorse. She takes her readers into a world of magic, evil, murder, friendship, love, lust and utter terror - a world her readers eagerly return to visit time and time again. Do you dare to follow? Enter the world of Mikki Smith’s Dark Secrets series and buckle up for the thrill ride of your life!

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Escaped

October 31, 1975

Halloween

Branches snapped in the high winds as Misty Quinlin struggled not to cry out from the freezing rain pelting against her wounds. Stopping was not an option. That would mean the end of her. To save her soul and the souls of her friends, she needed to find a way out of the sinister backwoods. The storm was ravenous, ready to devour anything in its path without exception.

Members of a local and worldwide coven, the Black Prophets, whose powers increased due to the rare blood moon, were lurking somewhere in the forest searching for her. She faintly recalled something her friend Laura once told her. It was some random statistic about more evil being committed during a blood moon than any other celestial event. It was one of those moments where useless facts find meaning.

The only light available was the moon.  It became much clearer once the rain slowed down and the clouds parted. The downside was that the storms in Indiana were unpredictable.  Her fragile visibility could suffer more at any moment.

Lightning continued to flash across the midnight sky, but it was of little help. The trees were tall enough that their branches extended out as far as the eye could see, giving the illusion that the ends of the branches disappeared into the midnight sky.

At times her vision failed, and all was dark.  Misty tried feeling her way through the woods, going from one tree to another, her arms extended out, in hopes of finding a road to escape her impending doom. She leaned her beaten, broken body against the nearest tree and tried to catch her breath. Her only real goal was to keep moving forward and to stay alive.

A small laugh escaped her dry, cracked lips, in spite of her current position. She found herself in an impossible situation, despite the decent life she’d always tried to live. She questioned herself about how things managed to spiral so far out of control.  She could not even begin to fathom it.

Misty thought she and her friends were going to rent a cabin, but apparently, the Prophets had other plans. How could she even find her friends again at this point? This she asked in a whisper under her breath. She could only hope she’d run into one of them, but she knew in her heart that was highly doubtful. It was more likely that all of them had fallen victim to Bob, her evil brother, or the members of his coven. They didn’t seem like the kind of people to leave witnesses alive.

She had to assume her suspicion was correct. The guilt was all-consuming. Not knowing their fates would likely haunt her forever. She did what she could to push it from her mind, to continue attempting an escape she thought unlikely to occur.

Warm blood dripped down her otherwise freezing leg.  Steam escaped in small wisps. The raging storm merely washed away the blood along with her hopes of survival. She scanned her surroundings, forcing her eyes to focus through the torrent of the storm, hoping to find a clear path out of the woods. Her tired body drove itself in and out of the brush.

She had zero sense of direction, even at the best of times. For all she knew, she could have been going in one big circle. She was far too exhausted to pay close enough attention to her surroundings.  This certainly didn’t aid the process, since all was trees and bushes, and all seemed so similar.

Her mind began to process every possible scenario. Would she make it out of the woods? Would she die of blood loss? Would Bob and his coven find her first?  It all swirled together into one giant explosion of anxiety.

A voice carried her name in a low tone. She held her breath, poised to run again.

Misty! the voice called again.  She used the nearest tree as a shield while trying to determine both whom the voice belonged to and its distance from her. Whomever the voice belonged to was female. The voice was distorted by the echoing sounds, as well as crashing of thunder from the storm. She wanted more than anything to respond, but deep inside she was rooted by terror.

Misty, are you out here? This time the voice came to her closer and more familiar. She spoke as recognition dawned within her.

Laura, is that you? Misty asked.

Laura did her best pushing her way through the thicket, sharp limbs scraping against her skin. Her once wavy auburn hair that she always kept styled was now a mess of drenched, soaked curls. Yes, it’s me, where are you?

With that came a moment of hesitation. The chance of them finding one another seemed astronomical to her. Could this be a ploy of Bob’s? Using her best friend against her certainly wouldn’t be beyond his doing. For all she knew about Bob and his coven, there could be some spell for mimicking voices. Her desire for the company in her misery won out. She could do nothing but hope for the best as she called out, Laura, keep talking so I can find my way to you!

There was dead silence.  Even the Thunder refused to bellow. Misty found her way to a large tree, exhausted and frightened.  She leaned against it, trying to catch her breath. In between huffs, she called out in an a loud stage-whisper, Laura, can you hear me?

Laura fought against the darkness, trying her best to find her way to where Misty was.  Unbeknownst to her there was a dark figure that shadowed her.  Misty! Laura once again called out.

Misty felt uneasy.  She could taste her nervousness as she swallowed hard. She’d always experienced such things since she was little, assuming it was intuition. She hugged the tree as she peeked around it, using it as a shield, just-in-case. I’m over here. Keep talking!

She found maneuvering her injured leg was more of a challenge than she anticipated, thinking that stopping caused it to stiffen. She hobbled from one tree to the next, walking in blindness, unable to even see the hand that she extended in front of her to keep her from running face first into a tree. She was vulnerable to the darkness, trying to stay alive. While the pain in her leg was nearly unbearable, it paled in comparison to the pain in her chest. Her heart shattered for the friends she was forced to leave behind.

Misty slowly felt her way, praying she was headed in the right direction.  Laura, can you still hear me? she whispered once again. She desperately needed Laura to keep talking so she could find her. The silence built to a degree of borderline madness. Laura, where are you?

Laura continued to push herself forward through the thicket, unaware of what lurked in the shadows just behind her. Misty . . . Misty? her voice called again.

Misty responded, out of breath and trying to mask the fear in her voice, as her eyes searched the suffocating darkness. I’m out here, just keep talking.

The tall shadowy figure crept up behind Laura, placing a hand over her mouth while pressing the dagger to her throat. Call for her, and no funny business! he demanded, as he slowly removed his hand from her mouth. Laura frozen in fear, turned slightly toward him, knowing his voice and how crazy he is. Nodding in agreement, she turned and screamed in utter terror, Misty, run!

Bob angrily motioned forward and had a couple of his coven members take Laura back to the others that were waiting for the ceremony to resume, even though she was kicking and screaming, trying to break free from their grip.

Misty could hear a struggle happening not too far from her current location. The scuffling in the nearby bushes echoed through the air. Laura screamed, the sound chilling Misty to her core. She gasped and held her breath as the silence resumed. She wanted to run forward to help her, but she was too frightened to move.

Misty remained motionless for what felt like an eternity as she waited for the silence to once again be broken. Her common sense revived as she realized she had to move. Her numb and battered body refused to obey her need to continue her quest for salvation, then eventually prevailed.  Her heart pounded, sounding so loud in her ears she thought it might just explode. Her respiration quickened. Sweat—or was it rain? Misty couldn’t be sure anymore—as the beaded drops gathered along her forehead. Every whisper of leaves in the woods forced her head to snap in different directions.

A brief flash of light raced across the sky, giving just enough light to see something.

There! A path! she foolishly said aloud to herself. Misty, you have to get up, Grams spoke in a more insistent tone. Grams? Is that you? she mumbled in sheer disbelief.

Misty violently shook from the cold and fear. Life, as she knew it, was ending. The shock of everything set in. She was quickly losing control. It was the thought of Grams that forced her into action.

I don’t want to die. Not like this, not here because of him, she declared to herself.

With a deep breath, she struggled to her feet–extremely off balance–and began a slow wade down the creek bed.

As she moved, her hands continually fumbled against the walls of the ravine, fingers searching for anything that would give her a hand or foothold to help keep her balance on the slippery bed of mud.

It had to be something strong enough to hold her weight so she could extricate herself from the creek. Just when it seemed all hope was lost, she found a wet, slimy tree root that had grown far enough out to allow her to grasp it.

Gripping it tight enough to get herself out was going to be extremely difficult. Misty was not the athletic type; she had barely passed gym class.  The rain took that inopportune moment to once again breach the heavens, hitting her sharply in the face—making it increasingly hard to keep her eyes open. She doubted her abilities, her strength, and even her will. She had to convince herself that she could do this.

Her feet slipped on the muddy walls as she continued to grasp for leverage. She struggled to pull herself up, only to slide right back into the creek bed, once again.

Frustrated, she closed her eyes.

Damn it. How much more do I have to take? Why can’t you help me, God? Just this once and I promise never to ask for anything again! she huffed out, her voice echoing in the ravine.

Snapping branches signaled her attention, pulling her out of her reverie. The sound paralyzed her, making her afraid to move or breathe. It was close enough that whoever or whatever was out there might hear anything she did. Although, she also knew if she stayed, she would be forced to surrender. In her heart, however, she knew that if she didn’t move, she might not get away. Her thoughts warred with one another. Self-preservation prevailed in the end.

Misty gathered the last of her strength to give it one more go. This time she grabbed onto anything within reach, hoping it would be strong enough to assist her. She dug her hands into the muddy, rocky wall. She ripped a few fingernails down to the beds, but she refused to let it deter her. It would be a problem to deal with later if she made it out alive. Really, what was a little more pain and blood at this point? she whispered to herself.

Her progress up the side of the ravine was rapid, this time around. Sheer will blocked out the pain and agony of the climb. She took another deep breath just as she crested the ridge, pulling herself up and over.

She mentally celebrated overcoming the hurdle. She laughed to herself; it came out like a mad cackle. She wondered what her old gym teachers would say if they could see her now. It was an errant thought for sure, but in her delirium, it was something to grasp.

Miiiisty! Ohhhh, Miiiiisty! a voice drifted out, through her bleak environment. She tensed up all over again.

Misty, you can come out now! that strange and familiar voice spoke out again. It was somewhat distant, but certainly not distant enough.

Robbie? her mind raced.

No. That’s not possible. He died right in front of me! she whispered to herself.

She bit her bottom lip hard to try to get her thoughts back in order. She listened more closely for the voice to echo once again.

Misty, where are you? the voice asked, an angry note to it.

She cupped a hand over her mouth to keep any sound from slipping out, not wanting to expose her position. She wanted it to be Robbie’s voice.  Oh, how she longed to hear it, just one more time! Unfortunately, the voice belonged to Bob, the monster of a man who attacked her.

His voice drifted up from below. Somewhere from the ravine, if she had to guess. Misty did not dare move. One tiny slip and he would know where she was. She could hear his boots sloshing in the creek as he walked.

He was worse than any serial killer she had ever read about, but she was immediately sure that all victims felt that way about their pursuers. Bob and his coven, the Black Prophets, were responsible for the deaths of so many innocent children.

The children had become sacrifices in the name of whatever dark gods the coven worshipped.

Misty! he yelled aloud. Come to me, my dear one, and take your rightful place next to me upon the throne!

Bob bellowed loudly, as he trampled through the muddy water waving the torch around, making sure she wasn’t hiding in any of the crevices. He still wore his cloak with the hood up, blending in with the darkness and hiding his light-colored hair.

The sound of his voice sent an icy chill through Misty’s entire body. When she first met him, it was Laura that introduced him as the new kid at school. He was a charming young man in his way, but she had an uneasy feeling about him.

She quickly sat up, indecision once again reigning. She was caught between running for the tree line now or waiting till he passed by.

The lightning briefly flashed across the midnight sky. The storm clouds seemed to dissipate, making it a little easier for her to see. In the dim light, she spotted an enormous tree trunk that she could hide behind. She made a run for it just as he spoke. His eerie, bone-chilling tone could frighten the bravest of souls.

Miiiiiisty! There is no need to run. I didn’t want to hurt you, but you gave me no choice. It was important that we completed the ritual and sealed our destinies. If you come out now, I promise I won’t hurt you again, come, dear sister and take your place with me.

Bob pleaded with her as he continued searching, waving the torch to light his path.

We are family, you and me. It’s imperative that we keep our bloodline pure for our destiny to be complete. You can’t run from me Misty.  Love will always find a way! Letting out a mischievous laugh, he then stated, Aww hell. Who am I kidding? Love has nothing to do with this! It’s all about power- you and I together would make us the most powerful couple out of all of the covens worldwide!

Misty knew what the consequences of going to him now would entail, and nothing was worth that. She refused to lose her soul as he had done. For her, that just wasn’t an option. She had dedicated herself to