The Dark Light: Gate Key Chronicles: Book I

By J.G. Blodgett

The Dark Light is the first book in the Gate Key Chronicles, an epic fantasy series by J.G. Blodgett. The story is written for teen readers, but is sure to please children, teens, and young adults alike, or anyone who dares to believe in something beyond themselves!

~ Jimmy Mankins is a quiet, reserved boy from a broken home in Cottonwood Grove, KS. When he befriends the strange new girl in school, he has his eyes opened to a new world full of wonder and beauty, but also hidden dangers that fight to penetrate his quite life in a small town.

Amelia Miller walks into Cottonwood Grove as the new kid, only she has a secret, and her mysterious and curious nature captivates Jimmy, drawing him to her. The two quickly become friends after Jimmy rescues Amelia from the local bullies. While their friendship blossoms, Jimmy gains Amelia's trust and she lets him in on her little secret-Amelia has in her possession a seemingly simple blue egg, which she claims is the key to another world.

But Amelia's secret is also Jimmy's past, intertwined with his own family bloodline. This meeting was no accident, and there are dark forces that threaten to destroy both Amelia and Jimmy's worlds.

In the end, the two must stand together, united under a banner of friendship, love, and faith if they hope to confront the ultimate foe from Amelia's world... the Dark Light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.G. Blodgett
• Release date: May 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736398333

J.G. Blodgett

J.G. Blodgett is a fantasy novelist, children's book author, and screenwriter, who was born and raised in Southern Nevada. He now resides in beautiful Northern Arizona, where he will spend the rest of his days living for his God, loving his family, and creating art through writing, photography, and film.J.G. has been writing since middle school and has developed his craft through many years of formal teaching, as well as through collaborations with his peers. Said collaborations were probably the most important teachings J.G. could have received, each one offering him a chance to humble himself and reflect inwardly on why he cared to create art in the first place.

Book preview

Gate Key Chronicles

Book 1: The Dark Light

J.G. Blodgett

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and identities are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2020 by J.G. Blodgett

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: [e-mail]

First paperback edition December 2020

Cover art by Sharon Martin/Copyrights owned by J.G. Blodgett

Book & Cover design by J.G. Blodgett

ISBN 978-1-7363983-3-3 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-7363983-0-2 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-7363983-2-6 (hardback)

Gate Key Publishing, Prescott, Arizona

DEDICATION

For God; I can only create because you first created me.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Prologue

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

Epilogue

About the author

Coming soon & More by J.G.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I can sum up all acknowledgements into two categories: my friends and my family. Without each, and every one of you believing in me this story could not have been all that it has become. Thank you.

PROLOGUE

The boy awoke on the side of a road unsure of how he got there. ~ He slowly opened his eyes to see storm clouds dissipating above him, the night sky behind the thinning mist alight with twinkling stars, the likes of which he had not seen in weeks, or so he thought.

But how many weeks? How did I even get here? Where was here? He had no answers for the questions. A cool breeze brushed over the skin on his arms, distracting him from his thoughts.

The young man stood then and looked around, trying to make sense of his situation. He took note of his clothes which were damp and cold on his skin, his white t-shirt and jeans smudged with mud. The hairs on his neck were settling, goosebumps were sinking back into the skin on his arms. His heart too was slowing down to a steady pace. It was as though he had just finished doing something exciting, or frightening. He took a deep breath, the moist air feeling cold on his palate and back of his throat. He closed his eyes and searched his memories… but nothing came.

He opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, only to find that his location was just as mysterious as his memories.

He was at the edge of a field, looked to be the same wild wheat field where he had… where I had… he couldn’t remember. He knew that this field was familiar somehow, but he couldn’t quite remember why. Sure, he walked by this road many times on the way to and from school, but there was something else pricking at the back of his mind; more recent memories threatening to reveal themselves. Another cool breeze snatched him away from his wonderings again, blowing over and rustling the stalks of grain before him.

The field itself was in a disheveled state, he took note. Patches of stalks of grain looked as though they had been ripped from the ground, while others lay bent and twisted in their place. Looking further out over the field the young man could see that a tree line bordering the edge of the field was not in any better shape. What used to be a thick collection of sycamores at the edge of the field, creating a border to the more wooded part of his small town, was now a mess of lone limbs, splintered remains of the once-grand trees that stood out in his memory. The damage stretched on for at least a half-mile in either direction, as well as deep into the forest where the woods remained dense. Then… he saw her.

The young man’s heart leapt in his chest and he took a slight step forward at the sight of a girl lying amongst the natural rubble of the broken trees. He hesitated for just a moment before rushing over to her.

He stopped at her side, unsure of what to do next. She lay on her stomach, and a closer look as he knelt revealed her back was rising and falling at a steady pace. This calmed the young man a little, his heart and breathing slowing as he assured himself that this frail creature before him was okay, or at least alive and breathing. He noticed then she was wearing what appeared to be a hospital gown and a questioned look captured his gaze.

She had dark hair, he took note, bordering on black. It was sprawled out in several directions as if blown about by strong winds before settling. It lay in tattered strands across her back and on the ground mixed in with twigs, debris, leaves, and branches.

I think I know this girl, he thought to himself, prompting him to reach toward her face. He gently moved some strands of her hair to the side, revealing the pale skin of one of the most beautiful faces he had ever seen. Again, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Then her name dragged out in his mind in a long whisper as a look of recognition seized his stare. Amelia…

Soon enough, the young girl, Amelia—now awake—and the young man were sitting in front of their parents. Amelia’s father, Gary, and the young man’s father, Donald, both waited with expectant eyes. The four of them sat silently for a moment in front of a warm fire that crackled and creaked in the fireplace; the young ones wrapped in wool blankets. The boy’s father broke the silence.

Jimmy, Donald began, his voice but a whisper, what happened?

Gary’s expression mimicked the question, his eyes also falling heavily on the boy.

The young man, Jimmy, lifted his head peeling his eyes away from a stoic gaze into the hypnotic glowing embers of the fire. He only took a glance at his father before his eyes settled on Gary’s worried, watery eyes. Jimmy searched his mind for answers but could only turn up more questions. He was aware that he knew the man before him well… but how? Jimmy could feel deep respect within himself for this man, Amelia’s father, as though they’d been through a lot together… the institution, the thought suddenly pierced the fog in his mind. Amelia, she was… in trouble. He looked up at the girl to his left.

She met his eyes. Amelia looked just as confused as Jimmy, if not more so. They searched each other’s eyes for answers.

Memories started to come back to Jimmy, memories of a budding friendship with this girl, the new girl: time spent together in wild fields; on long walks to and from school; and… and… he couldn’t remember. He knew there was something else, something of great importance, but he could not bring it to the forefront.

Jim, Donald snapped, but softly, more urgent than harsh. What happened? One minute you were visiting Amelia at the hospital, the next minute you two were gone. Then the sirens sounded… I…? Donald trailed off, clearly just as confused as everyone else in the room, as he too tried to remember the day’s events.

Again, Gary’s expression echoed the question, as well as the concern behind it; his words seemingly snatched away by the current circumstances.

Jimmy turned to look at the two men. I… can’t… remember.

1

The girl silently drove with her father down a country road. She surveyed the expansive fields of domesticated green alfalfa, wheat, and sorghum that dominated the landscape outside her window as they traveled this Midwestern road to nowhere. At least that’s what it looked like on the surface, but this girl did not truly feel this way. To her all of life was a journey. She loved not knowing exactly what the next day would bring, adored the idea of discovering new wonders with each passing moment. Each road taken was a road that would most certainly lead to a new chapter in her story and new people that would most certainly affect the direction of her path.

Amelia Miller, on the cusp of 13, always wore a calm, mature smile. She had a way of looking at life that no other child her age would be able to. Mostly because Amelia had a secret that she held, both physically, and within her heart. This secret defined her entire being and so long as this secret was kept safe and close to her, she would always see this world as one of wonder and beauty, even as she anticipated the next.

She daydreamed as she continued to watch tall stalks of wheat—both wild and domestic—whisk by in a blur through the misty passenger window. As the car moved beyond farmland, she looked fondly on a particular field of wild grain, as though she had been here before, although she and her father were just moving into town on this very day.

Amelia looked deeper, over to the edge of the field where a line of great sycamores formed a lush green border to a dense forest of both sycamore and cottonwood trees.

A great gray wolf—most likely one of the last of its kind in this part of the country—stood in the broken shadows of the tree line, standing guard over the field. Amelia looked on with admiration at the majestic creature.

Seventeen cents for your thoughts? asked her father, Gary.

Amelia smiled and responded, That’s a hefty price for a wisp of air. She turned and rewarded her father a smile. When she spoke, it was not what you would expect from a 12-year-old girl; she was clearly mature beyond her years.

The price of inflation, I suppose. I remember back in my day it was only a penny for a thought but times they are a-changing. Gary lightly chuckled at his own joke.

Amelia smiled a little brighter then turned to gaze out the window again… the wolf was gone.

Gary looked at his mature baby girl fondly as his thoughts drifted, the mist trailing along the window and the field beyond taking him back in time.

Over twelve years ago, Gary and his pregnant wife, Sharon, were enjoying a peaceful evening snack in the country, in a vast field of what was then just tall grass. They were watching the sun set behind some sycamores at the edge of the field. As soon as the sun had disappeared, as if on cue, dark clouds rolled in and grumbled in protest of the day.

The young couple laughed as they made their way to their car as quickly as Sharon could waddle. Just as they approached their vehicle the clouds above broke, as did Sharon’s water.

The weather took a dismal turn as the couple rushed to the hospital, with blinding rain battering the windshield. Gary drove well above the speed limit, prompting Sharon to warn him to slow down from the back seat, concentrating on breathing between her shouts. Her deep-red hair was wet with sweat, strands pasted to her forehead. Her pale skin glistened. Her entire self was glowing with joy despite her clear agony. Gary extended his hand to her and Sharon took his hand in her own. They exchanged a loving glance just as a strange blue flash of lightning illuminated the night outside their car, then Sharon’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted.

Sharon!

At the hospital, all was a blur of chaotic movements as the doctors and nurses frantically worked to get Sharon treated. The doctor barked orders and said alarming things about having a low pulse and how they were losing her. Before Gary knew it, his wife had been admitted, laid in a gurney, and taken from him, swallowed up by the sterile hospital into some cold lonely room that will surely decide the fate of this young couple. He fought to go with his wife, but it was no use. Gary could not go where Sharon was heading.

He stood there, alone, in a room full of others that each had their own problems to worry about, their own loved ones held at the mercy of the hospital; this gate to the other side where men and women with M.Ds decided who would move on and who would stay behind. All inside the room were quiet, only dimly aware of the stirring storm and thunder that rumbled softly beyond the walls of this world between worlds.

Gary later stood on the other side of a glass viewing window. His expression betrayed no emotion. A silent tear escaped and fell from his right eye.

On the other side of the window was a room full of infants in transparent, sterile cradles. They all cried, some louder than others, some merely a whimper. All but one. Gary’s little one lay silently, looking up out of her cradle, seemingly beyond anything in the room. She was silent, at peace, swaddled in a pink blanket like a little burrito.

Gary took notice of his daughter then. He looked on as his brand-new baby girl expressed nothing but calm in a pond of cry-babies, content amongst the angst. It was a strange sight, he thought. Gary wondered if any of the other parents on either side of him noticed what he had. He brushed the thought away, as he did the tear that had just fallen. Gary allowed himself a small smile as he admired this new life that he had traded for his wife’s.

I love you, sweetheart, Gary said softly.

Amelia turned again. I know. She paused then spoke again. I love you too.

Gary smiled at this and returned his eyes to the road.

Their SUV, with packed trailer in tow, slowed at the end of a driveway in a small neighborhood beyond the farms, wild fields, and woods. They turned into the driveway, their vehicle settling in next to a modest ranch-style home.

After a week of hard work for Gary and Amelia, with unpacking and settling into their new home, followed by a weekend of rest, it was time for Amelia to go and see her new school. She once again found herself taking in her surroundings through the passenger window of their SUV, watching the buildings of her new hometown move slowly past. It was the first time she had seen the main street, so she saw the structures in unusual clarity.

She thought to herself how the buildings here were much smaller than the tall city skyscrapers she was used to. They were old-fashioned buildings, hailing from the first half of the last century. Some were well-maintained businesses: like the freshly painted barbershop complete with a spinning red and white striped pole; or the brightly painted ice-creamery. These contrasted gayly with more run-down but functional buildings. Both old buildings and new buildings alike looked equally dull in the gray gloom of the approaching storm. The ground around them and the road ahead shimmered with lingering puddles and a coat of moisture from last night’s drizzle. The town was certainly different from home, she thought again, although she supposed this was her home… at least for now.

Gary glanced over at his daughter. She looked calm, focused on the world beyond the window, a curious smile on her face. He smiled to himself. She had been more introspective lately, but Gary was uncertain as to why. He thought maybe it could be the move, the new town, or settling into a new school. But when they spoke about it, she said none of these things bothered her. He felt uncertain about how to connect with her lately. Their relationship, although still full of love, had… changed. They still had fun together, were still able to be silly, but something was different. He could sense it.

The small stretch of uptown came and went in what seemed only a moment and the towering brick façade of a stately school soon came sliding into view. As Gary pulled up, the bell rang, prompting children to rush the stairs in a gaggle, yelling and jostling, pouring in in a playful bottleneck through the looming entrance.

Amelia could see a thin, neat woman, older than her father, gray hair back in a bun, standing at the top of the entry stairs. She was hurrying children through the door, her eyes roving the lawn for loitering preteens.

You’re going to be fine, said Gary, pulling Amelia’s attention from the scene.

She turned to see him smiling reassuringly. I know, Amelia said as she studied her father's face for a moment.

Gary reached out and brushed a dark lock of hair from Amelia’s cheek, then smiled broadly. I know too.

Amelia leaned over and they quickly embraced and kissed cheeks before Amelia took up her bag and stepped out of the car.

Gary looked at his girl, so neat in her new school uniform, and felt rising pride. I’ll be right here when you get out.

Okay, Amelia said as she closed the door, then turned and hurried up the steps with the last few children.

The neat woman greeted her as she approached the stairs, Well, hello. You must be Amelia Miller?

Yes, Ma’am.

I’m Mrs. Keller, she replied. It is a pleasure to meet you, Amelia. You better hurry along now. You wouldn’t want to be late.

Yes, Ma’am.

Inside, children bumped and brushed against Amelia as they rushed here and there. Her ears were filled with their shouts, laughter, and squeals. Amelia paused a moment to take in the impressive hall. Its vaulted ceiling towered dizzyingly overhead and had small lofty windows that let light filter in from high above. The