Embers: Inferno, #4

By Yolanda Olson

I swore to myself that I would never love you.

I promised my children that they wouldn't suffer for my sins.

But it's so hard, Daddy.

It's hard to not love the man that gave me life. It's hard to not love the man that's taken care of me the only way he knows how.

I know it's not your fault, and maybe one day, I'll find out why you became a monster.

While we still have time left together, I want you to know that I forgive you for everything you've done. I want you to know that I do love you, even if not in the way you would have hoped for.

It's almost over, Daddy.

Close your eyes and go to sleep; I'll be here with you, holding your hand and letting you know that everything will be alright.

Because it will be, won't it?

That's the promise that you made to me—that no matter what happens between us, everything will always turn out okay.

I know you don't care much for anything you can't control, but sometimes life folds its cards and we have to go when it's our time.

Please stop fighting it, Daddy.

It hurts me to see you suffering so much.

I've done my best to take care of you, but it's time to go.

Hurry along and know that we'll be behind you shortly because I can't live in a world that doesn't have you in it.

I love you, Daddy.

Always and forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yolanda Olson
• Release date: Jul 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9798201265014

Yolanda Olson

Yolanda Olson grew up in Bridgeport, CT and currently resides in Bloomington, IL. Through her love of writing, she has channeled the emotions of early life experiences into characters that are intriguing and powerful. Her vivid imagination and her love of video games and horror movies are evident in her writing style.

Book preview

Embers

Inferno #4

Yolanda Olson

Copyright © 2019 Yolanda Olson

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 from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This book is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Inferno Series

Inferno Series by Yolanda Olson

Inferno

Cinere

Sparks

Embers

Incendiary

A New Beginning

Scorched

by Yolanda Olson & Jennifer Bene

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Blurb

I swore to myself that I would never love you.

I promised my children that they wouldn’t suffer for my sins.

But it’s so hard, Daddy.

It’s hard to not love the man that gave me life. It’s hard to not love the man that’s taken care of me the only way he knows how.

I know it’s not your fault, and maybe one day, I’ll find out why you became a monster.

While we still have time left together, I want you to know that I forgive you for everything you’ve done. I want you to know that I do love you, even if not in the way you would have hoped for.

It’s almost over, Daddy.

Close your eyes and go to sleep; I’ll be here with you, holding your hand and letting you know that everything will be alright.

Because it will be, won’t it?

That’s the promise that you made to me—that no matter what happens between us, everything will always turn out okay.

I know you don’t care much for anything you can’t control, but sometimes life folds its cards and we have to go when it’s our time.

Please stop fighting it, Daddy.

It hurts me to see you suffering so much.

I’ve done my best to take care of you, but it’s time to go.

Hurry along and know that we’ll be behind you shortly because I can’t live in a world that doesn’t have you in it.

I love you, Daddy.

Always and forever.

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Dear Readers,

Most of you have been with me since the inception of Inferno. A lot of you struggled with that story, but I appreciate you so much for putting on a brave face and continuing on with the Greene Family.

Most of you have gone through the Hell of Inferno World in anticipation for the end. Myself and my Inferno World authors thank you.

I know that a lot of you have mixed feelings about this finally being over, and I know you may be a little afraid of what Embers will bring, but I’ll promise you something right now.

This series concludes here the way it should. I hope it was worth the wait. I hope I make you all proud.

XoXo,

Yolanda

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Playlist

Gravemaker - Butcher Babies

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To My Baby

My sweetest love,

I knew it wouldn't last, but I still dared to hope. You see, when he took me as his new wife he made a promise that no matter what happened between us, everything would be okay. Has he made the same promise to you? I'm sure he has.

I bet you're a girl. Did he make you bear his children? God, I hope he didn't; I pray that you were spared from having to become just like me. But if he did, watch them; keep them close to you because the moment you think it's safe—the very second everything seems to be normal, he'll snatch them away from you just like he did you to me. He'll make you believe that he loves them and that he'll never do to them what he's done to you, but he's a liar. Please don't fall for the words that slip from his silver tongue.

I love you. I love you so much. Remember that when things seem dark and whatever happens, I want you to know that I've never been more proud of anything in my life than the moment I felt you kick inside of me. That's when I knew that I had finally gotten something right. Even though I never got the chance to hold you, please remember me.

Love always,

Mom

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Prologue

Mom died almost a year to the day that Dad put her back into the well. He stopped going to check on her when he realized that maybe I wasn't too young to take care of his needs after all. A little bit of training and easing me into the things he liked, and just like that, Jocelyn became a distant memory.

I had my first child when I was twelve, the second at thirteen, and the third one at fifteen. I’ve managed to keep them away from their father and they seem to be happy for the most part—and to be honest, so does he.

Time has taken a toll on the old man, and I can tell he won’t last for much longer. Oh, but he’s stubborn; too stubborn and I know that he won’t leave until he’s good and ready.

Everything has to be on Dad’s terms because it’s the only way he knows how to function. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by the sands of time spilling over his head into the almost full end of the hourglass, if anything, he seems to be looking forward to it.

So am I.

Even though it will hurt me when he takes his last breath, I think it’ll hurt me even more if he continues to watch our children with the same intent that he watched me, and my mother before me, and her brothers along with her.

Dad lost his way a long time ago. I don’t know what happened to him to make him the monster that he became, but my heart hurts for the man he could have become. A loving husband, a doting father, an amazing grandfather—but his mind is rotten with ill intent and the need to taste each drop of dew from his family tree, and for that reason alone, if he doesn’t succumb to whatever illness is plaguing him this time, I’ll have to look the man that I love most of all in the eye and send him on his way.

For my children.

For my mother.

For her brothers.

For the end.

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