Anima Chronicles: Archive of the Last Blau

By Alex Blau

Love will be shared between two opposing sides, and it is that very act of heresy that will become the breaking point. It will tip the scale, causing chaos. Even in the brightest of lights, darkness can find you. It creeps around like a disease. Witness as your once-friendly allies become your deadliest foes. No one is to be trusted as fate takes you to places nobody knows. Follow the stories of the three individuals who are connected by blood as they traverse a once-friendly society, trying to regain control. It ends where it begins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: May 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645365297

Alex Blau

Alex Blau, a passionate young author from New Jersey, finds inspiration from the dreams and nightmares that have been fueling his stories since the first grade.

Book preview

Begins

About The Author

Alex Blau, a passionate young author from New Jersey, finds inspiration from the dreams and nightmares that have been fueling his stories since the first grade.

Dedication

These stories are dedicated to the dreams and nightmares

that make us who we are.

Copyright Information ©

Alex Blau (2020)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales: special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloguing-in-Publication data

Blau, Alex

Anima Chronicles

ISBN 9781643788241 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781643788234 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781645365297 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020900722

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published (2020)

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 28th Floor

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

Rachel’s Story

Broken Promise

The sunset seemed so peaceful in the meadows near my house. As I lay there, watching the night sky cover the land, I couldn’t stop thinking about my sister. My name is Rachel Florentine. Not too far from here, my sister was murdered in these woods. For years, I searched for her killer, but no justice was ever found. Perhaps, it is time for me to give up, considering she has been gone for a while now. Ever since she was killed, this town has become more and more paranoid with restrictions because they fear some story their ancestors have told them is real. The town’s biggest restriction would be its curfew. Everyone must be inside by nine at night or they will be arrested on the spot. However, I never follow these rules due to my rebellious behavior.

The town’s clock rang, so the curfew started. I wanted to remain under the stars, gazing at its marvelous structure, but I had to go. Law enforcement always checked within and around the town’s area first, so it wouldn’t be a good idea for me to stay here. I have been in a lot of trouble already with disobeying rules, so if I get caught again, it could result in jail time. Quickly, I hurried off the meadow and into the woods that surrounded the town Solace. I had to get back home before anyone found me.

Normally, I wouldn’t care if they did, but I don’t want to risk going to jail. I need to be free in order to find my sister’s killer; I can’t do it in confinement. The wind whistled through my ears as I whipped through the trees. Nothing was making a sound, except for the rapid pounding of my feet hitting the ground while I ran. As I got closer to the town, I could start to see law enforcement on patrol. They were approaching my position, almost near where I was heading. I ducked into the bushes to hide from them, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take for them to pass. While they were searching around me, my heart pounded out of my chest.

They were talking about what they saw, but none of them had found anyone yet, according to what I heard. As they started to leave the area, I began to escape from the bushes, but I fell, by mistake, on my way out. Immediately, they turned around and started to chase me. I ran as fast as I could, trying to dodge nature’s obstacles as I attempted to escape, but my efforts were unsuccessful. The police were too fast for me. As I was running, one of them came up on my right side and tackled me down. My head hit the ground so hard that I blacked out.

After what seemed like days, I woke up. My eyes peeled open as they struggled to adjust. The light was very bright; I could vaguely see a police officer sitting across from me. It looked to me as if I was in an interrogation room. While I struggled to get my head together, I began to speak.

Rachel – Who are you?

Detective Schaeffer – My name is Detective Schaeffer, but you can call me Andrew. I apologize for the injury you sustained, but you must understand that, especially after your sister’s murder, we must take everything very seriously here. We can’t afford for another massacre to occur.

Rachel – Don’t refer my sister to anything! You never found her killer; I wanted justice for her death and no one could serve it.

Detective Schaeffer – Your sister, Renee, has never left our minds, but you have to understand that this is more serious than just her death. There was a story passed down from everyone’s ancestors about this place, and it strikes fear in everyone’s minds. The story started with disappearances and then led to a massacre. We don’t need the people of Solace getting chaotic, and that is why we crackdown so hard on everyone. We do it to ensure things like your sister’s death don’t occur again.

Rachel – What story? Everyone keeps on talking about it, but I never heard of it before! Why does a story strike so much fear in everyone? It is just a story and nothing more than that.

Detective Schaeffer – I should have you arrested now for all the times you have been taken in already, but maybe if I tell you the story, it might knock some sense into you. If I tell you the story, then you have to promise me that you will obey the laws; if you don’t, then you are getting arrested on spot next time.

Rachel – Fine! I will agree to that, but I want the truth and nothing but that.

Detective Schaeffer – I promise you this is the whole story; I won’t leave out any details. No one knows too much about it because the story kept losing elements the further it got passed down, but here is what I was told. In the 1800s, there was a German-American timber mogul by the name of Friedrich Weyerhäuser, who originally cleared this land here. He secretly came here to clear out land for a special project of his, but it didn’t work out so well. They cleared out a lot of land and utilized the rest of it for power and farming. The land that Solace offers was and still is a great place to live on. In the beginning, there were several disappearances that occurred; after the fourth or fifth people became concerned. More security was placed around their camp site and construction areas, but that ended up leading to the massacre. A while into this plan he had, there came a night where it was all going to end. According to the story that he told people, they were attacked and saved by creatures. Friedrich was one of the very few that survived the horrendous event. He said that he was saved by people that looked like natives but they weren’t as they appeared. Years after the massacre that occurred here, the land entered a peacetime where no violence happened. It took a while, but in 1937, a couple of rich investors took the risk to rebuild this fallen place. It took a while for it to repopulate, but eventually it did. People fear that this will happen again, but no one really even knows if it even happened. They just fear the possibility of it, and that is why everything that is going on now is necessary.

Rachel – You can’t expect me to believe all this. I mean, would that mean a creature killed my sister? That just sounds insane!

Detective Schaeffer – I actually do expect you to! I have been nothing but nice to you; remember our deal or you will be locked away for a while. I am not playing games with you; that was a serious talk we just had. Either you take my advice and learn, or you will face the consequences. It is entirely up to you, Ms. Florentine, but don’t ever think that I am bluffing! This is no laughing matter at all; I mean, just imagine what your sister would think of you if she saw you like this right now.

Rachel – Whatever, I understand exactly what you mean, but don’t ever bring up her name again! You don’t know her, and you all obviously don’t care about finding her killer.

Detective Schaeffer – Listen, I am trying to help you out here, I won’t bring up her name again, but I have to do whatever it takes to keep you safe. We cannot afford any more deaths to occur here; it will cause a riot. I am here to help protect everyone in Solace with the rest of the law enforcement, but you have to be willing to work with us. I know you hate everyone, but please listen to me and stop looking for your sister’s killer. Curiosity doesn’t end well at all; it only leads to more trouble than you hoped for. You are free to go; someone will escort you out of the building. Here is my number; call me if you ever need to talk. But, don’t do anything stupid again please.

An officer escorted me out of the room and through the building. As I got outside, my mom was waiting for me in her car with a stern look on her face. I knew I was going to be in a lot of trouble, but what else can I expect for my reckless behavior? As I entered the car, she began to scream and yell at me, but then she became silent. For minutes, she didn’t speak a word, but as we got closer to home, she broke that silence. As she began to speak, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this time, it was in a more concerned subtle voice.

Margret Florentine – Rachel, I know that these past couple of years haven’t been easy on you, but you must learn to control your rebellious behavior. I cannot afford to lose another daughter. Your sister would have wanted you to move on and stay safe. Sure, she wouldn’t want to be forgotten, but she also wouldn’t want you to get hurt either. I don’t want to yell or badger you because it would only cause more tension, but please, for me, just be more careful. You can also talk to me whenever you want to about anything; never hesitate to do so. We will talk more about this at dinner tomorrow, but you need to get some rest. You have school tomorrow, and you can’t afford to miss any of it. I just want the best for you; you’re my daughter and I love you. Don’t make me lose my last anchor here on earth. You are destined for great things; all you have to do is find out what they are.

When we got home, she didn’t speak anymore, but I knew she was still upset though. I went to my room and began to get ready for bed. The next morning, my alarm woke me up an hour before school began. Quickly, I crawled out of my bed and onto the floor. As I got up, my eyes immediately adjusted on my way to the bathroom. After I finished my morning tasks, I had only fifteen minutes to get to school now. Thankfully, it was close to my house, so I didn’t have to rush that much. I grabbed my keys and ran to my car. When I got to my high school, almost all the parking spots were taken, so I quickly secured one for myself. I rushed out of my car and into the school. I made it on time; my teacher didn’t even arrive yet.

I sat next to my friend, Julianna; she and I grew up together. We both live near each other, just a couple of streets apart. She is somewhat adventurous, just like me. Both of us always got in trouble at school. Our only other friend is Richard, he is very smart, which is why he isn’t in this class with us. We see him throughout the school day, but after school, we hang out with him from time to time. The school day went by as quickly as usual. After the day was over, Julianna and I went to Richard’s house to hang out. His family comes from one of the wealthy investors who brought life back into Solace.

Richard lives about ten minutes away from us in a richer part of the town. He usually goes home right after school to work on his computer projects. After Julianna dropped her car off at her house, I picked her up and we headed to his house. When we got there, his guard stopped us from getting in, until Richard gave him permission to. Richard’s parents are never home because they are always out doing business deals, so he actually enjoys our presence a lot. I am sure being alone all the time gets boring. It took a while to scale his large property, but we eventually managed to reach his room where he usually resided.

Rachel – Hey, Richard, we just came by to see if you wanted to hang out.

Richard – I can’t right now. I am stuck working on something very difficult and I need to concentrate.

Rachel – Please, Richard, Julianna and I were looking forward to hanging out with you before graduation. It is in two weeks, but who knows how much time we will have together after we all graduate.

Julianna – You can do that later; we only want to go hiking like we used to. It will be fun. Come on, you need to get some fresh air. It isn’t good to stay confined inside all day long.

Richard – Alright, I will come. You’re right, I do need a break. We do have a lot of fun when we go hiking.

Rachel – Well, we don’t have school tomorrow. But we still have to be home by nine, so we should leave now. That will give us a couple of hours to spend together and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Richard – Okay, I will be right down; you can wait for me by your car. It won’t take long. I just have to change my attire first, and then I will be ready.

It took him about ten minutes to quickly change and hurry to my car. We headed toward the place that we usually go to, deep within the woods that surround Solace. For years, we have been going there. The mountainous area is great for casual hiking and wandering around. We really aren’t supposed to be there because of restrictions, but it was early, so what harm could we possibly do? I parked my car near the path we usually take, so we didn’t have to walk too far to get back to it. Normally, you can’t park that far up, but I do it anyway, to make our lives easier.

We started to walk around, searching for a place to start our hike. Julianna insisted that we go to the mountain side that we never hiked before. I was a little nervous about that, but she kept insisting. Eventually, I said okay to her. In the back of my mind, I knew I would regret that, but what else could I say; she was one of the best friends I have ever made. She eagerly started running for that side of the mountain.

Rachel – Wait up! You are going too far ahead. Let’s take it slow, so we can enjoy the weather while we talk.

Richard – Yeah, wait up, Julianna! Come on. You said that we were going to have fun today.

Rachel – Richard, let’s follow her before she disappears. I have no clue what she is up to. She is always adventurous, sometimes too much, like today.

Hopefully, she slows down enough for us to catch up. We wanted to have a fun, relaxing day today, after the stressful week of school, but she seems to be too relaxed. Richard and I ran after her, going up the path that led to the mountain side she wanted to explore. As we ran, it took a while, but we finally caught up. She stopped at the very top of the path, in an open field on the mountain side.

Julianna – Can you believe it? The sky looks so beautiful up here. The field looks even more spectacular. We should come here more often; it’s the best spot I have ever visited.

Richard – You could have slowed down on your way up here. I am almost out of breath thanks to you!

Julianna – Quit your complaining, Richard, a little physical activity won’t hurt you.

Rachel – What now, Julianna? What are we going to do, now that we already hiked the mountain side?

Julianna – We could sit here and talk for the rest of the time, while we admire the nature that surrounds us.

Richard – I am okay with that. As long as we don’t run anymore, I am good.

Rachel – We could do that; it sounds like a lot of fun to me.

We lay down next to each other in the field, gazing at the sky as we talked for hours, until it became time to leave. As the sun started to set, we knew it was time to go. I especially didn’t want to get caught after hours again; jail wasn’t something I strived for. As we walked back down the hill, we started to hear a noise in the woods. It sounded like a dying animal, screeching its last screech. Julianna got curious and wanted to see what was going on, but I tried to persuade her not to because it was getting very late. She didn’t listen to me and ran off toward the noise. Richard and I followed her, yet again, even though we were already tired of her behavior that day.

Rachel – Come on, Julianna! Where did you go?

Richard – Julianna! Enough with the games already!

Rachel – I don’t see her; where could she have gone?

Richard – I don’t know, but we have to find her. We can’t just leave without her.

As we argued about where to look, a scream began to surface. It was Julianna, and it sounded like she was hurt or scared. As soon as we heard it, we ran toward the noise, hoping to find her. What we found though, was nothing we ever expected. She was being torn apart by a creature with dark purple fur. Richard and I freaked out and began to run back to the car. We didn’t want to leave, but it was too late to save her. So many things kept racing through my mind, but never again will I leave Solace. That was for sure.

Richard made it to the car first; he started it up as I quickly got in. Without hesitation, he hit the gas, and we began speeding our way back. The creature was now accompanied by two others, and they were catching up.

Rachel – Come on, Richard! We need to lose them!

Richard – I am trying! They are too fast! What could they be?

Rachel – I don’t know; keep driving and pay attention to the road.

As he was driving, we began to see Solace. It was very far, but in sight. I urged him to hurry up, but it didn’t seem to matter. The creatures hit the car from behind, and Richard swerved. He tried to stabilize the car, but it didn’t work. Another creature came from the side and hit the car extremely hard, pushing us off the road. We drifted out of control, and the car went down a hill. It hit several trees before stopping, and as a result, it brutally injured Richard and me. The last thing that I remember seeing, before I passed out, was the group of creatures surrounding the car.

When I woke up, Richard was gone, and I was all alone. Where did those creatures go though, I thought that I was going to die. This didn’t make any sense to me. The car door was jammed, so I got down on my back and kicked it open. It took a while because I was very weak at the moment, but I managed to get it open. Blood decorated my face and clothes. Sirens sounded off in the distance as I started to stumble out of the car. I headed toward the town, hoping to avoid any law enforcement officials. My balance wasn’t so good. I kept stumbling over my feet as I walked through the woods. My head was throbbing, and my vision wasn’t so clear, but I kept on going. I really hoped that Richard was okay. I wondered where he went. While I walked, footsteps kept getting louder and louder around me, but the noise stopped as fast as it started. I stood still, looking around for the source of that noise. Then, something caught me off guard. I was tackled down to the ground and handcuffed. The fall hurt me so much that I couldn’t walk at all. The police officers dragged me through the woods and into their car and took me right down to the station. Most likely, I was going to jail, considering I was already warned once. Detective Schaeffer was waiting for me in the interrogation room.

Detective Schaeffer – I told you to stay away from those woods and now look at you! You are going to be charged with murder, now that your friends are missing. Why didn’t you listen to me? I can’t help you now that you did this. You might as well explain yourself.

Rachel – I went with my friends into the woods near the bordering area. It has always been a safe place to be, but Julianna was too curious. She went running into the woods more than we wanted to, so we followed her. For a while, we spent time in a wide-open meadow. Then when nightfall arrived, we began to leave. Julianna was very stubborn, and she didn’t want to leave at the moment. Again, she wandered off blindly into the woods. Richard and I warned her, but she refused to listen. As we followed her, she outran us so much that we lost sight of her. Then we heard screams toward the right of us. We dashed through the woods as fast as we could. She was being torn apart by some creatures, so we panicked. We both sprinted to where our car was and drove off right away. The creatures followed in a large group. They bashed into the car eventually, sending us off the road and into a tree. When I woke up, Richard was gone. After that, the police tackled me down to the ground as I tried to escape the woods. I don’t want to go to jail though! I didn’t kill anyone.

Detective Schaeffer – That is quite some story you have there. I want to believe you, I really do, but I just can’t. Without any legitimate proof, we have to put you on trial. You will sleep here for the night, and your trial will begin tomorrow afternoon. We contacted your mom, and she should be here in the morning to pick you up before the trial. I will see you in the morning. The guard over there will escort you to your cell.

The guard brought me to my cell. It was damp, cold, and scary, but I had to stay strong. It was hard to sleep, knowing that I was alone. Nightmares plagued my mind as I slept. Those dreams woke me up over and over again all night.

Fixed Trial

I stopped trying to sleep. The sounds of Julianna’s screams kept me awake. Those creatures, their faces, never left my mind. The thought of their existence made my head hurt. Sleep was something I wouldn’t get for a while, now that I was traumatized.

Detective Schaeffer – Your mom is here to pick you up. Hurry up! We don’t want to keep her waiting.

Margret Florentine – Thank you so much, Detective Schaeffer. I am going to have a long talk with my daughter about all of this! When is the trial?

Detective Schaeffer – It starts at three, but make sure you are there on time.

Margret Florentine – Okay, just wanted to make sure. Thank you again. Let’s go, Rachel. We have a lot to discuss before that trial, now don’t we?

Rachel – Yes, Mom. Bye, Detective Schaeffer. See you later at the trial. Sorry I broke that promise I made you. I really didn’t mean to.

Margret Florentine – Now! We are leaving now. Rachel. Move it!

My mom rushed me out of the station and into her car. The awkward silence remained in the car, but once we got home, it ended.

Margret Florentine – Get out of the car now! We need to talk inside right away.

I did as she said, even though I didn’t want to. The thought of going to jail petrified me completely. My mind froze in place. I sat on the couch, waiting to be yelled at, but I got a much different reaction. My mom sat next to me and hugged me hard as she cried.

Margret Florentine – I’m so happy that you are alive! How could you be so stupid? I mean, seriously, Rachel. You know the dangers that lurk deep within the woods. Why would you get yourself involved in all of that, especially with your two friends, Richard and Julianna?

Rachel – I understand you’re mad, Mom. I’m so nervous right now, and no one will believe me. Julianna and I wanted to go out to this place in the woods that we have always been to, but that didn’t happen. We brought Richard along with us, hoping to have some fun together before graduation. The problem was with Julianna. We would have all been safe, but she ran off on us twice. Richard and I were so scared. I don’t know what happened to him, but Julianna was killed by some creature. I have never seen anything like it before.

Margret Florentine – I believe you! Honey, I really do. I know you would never harm anyone; you’re way too kind. However, you don’t understand how serious this is. Forget Julianna for a second. Richard is more important right now. His family is one of the families that invested in Solace; they truly founded it. Now that he is gone, with his blood on your hands, you are in serious trouble. We both know you didn’t do it, and I am sure others do as well, but that isn’t good enough. I’m going to buy you the best lawyer I can, even if I have to use all the money I have saved up. I can’t lose another daughter! It’s too much for me to take. Start getting ready while I find you a lawyer. I know someone who might be able to help.

My mom was still hugging me, crying some more, but she got up eventually and left. I went upstairs to prepare myself for court. Hours passed and she came back home excitedly. She eagerly opened the door with a man standing behind her. He was a tall, thin man with grey hair, his eyes green as grass, and his suit very dapper.

Margret Florentine – Rachel, dear! I found someone who can help you out. This is Mr. Salazar. He is going to be your lawyer for the trial.

Mr. Salazar – Hi, Rachel. How are you feeling? Your mom told me everything, and I am here to help you.

Rachel – I was still petrified by what happened, but all that is on my mind now is this trial. I don’t want to go to jail! I am an innocent person who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mr. Salazar – I am here for you. When your mom came to me today, she told me the situation. After hearing everything, I know you are innocent. This town has been covering up things and taking advantage of people within its land. I am here to put an end to that.

While we talked, a ringing noise echoed throughout the house. It was my mom’s alarm that she set before she left. She set it to let us know when we had to leave. I guess now was that time, unfortunately.

Margret Florentine – I don’t want to interrupt the conversation, but the trial is going to commence soon. We should really leave now so we get there on time.

Mr. Salazar – I will meet you both there. I just have to go home and pick up something for the trial.

Margret Florentine – Okay, see you later then.

When we arrived at the courthouse, there was a mob waiting for us. People were rioting in the street and along the sidewalk. As my mom pulled up to park, they surrounded the car. Security pulled them aside so we could get out. Guards pushed them back as we walked to the courthouse. They told us to head into the courtroom as soon as we got inside. Everyone set up in their places, but I was still alone at mine. Mr. Salazar wasn’t here yet and I was getting nervous. Everyone was