The Coven

By Phillip Jackson

Tony and Kate Stark and their two children, Caleb and Mellissa were on their way to Burlington, Vermont for a two week vacation, a vacation that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
While the family explores the island on Lake Hogan, Tony finds an ancient book that unleashes the demon Ariton and his legion. As a result, the demon begins to possess Tony. Kate calls her friend Selene who is a witch and she brings a friend who is also a witch to the mansion in Vermont. Eventually a whole cast of colorful characters arrive to help, but will they be in time to save Tonys soul or his life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477128060

Phillip Jackson

I was born and raised on Cape Cod, MA. I'm an avid reader and writer, am a construction worker, into martial arts, the craft, and bodybuilding. I have one novel finished and two others in the works that I hope to get published in print.

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 by Phillip Jackson.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012910718

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4771-2805-3

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4771-2804-6

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4771-2806-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2      The Discovery

Chapter 3      The Book: A Gift from the God’s or a Curse of Pure Evil

Chapter 4      The Gathering

Chapter 5      The Island

Chapter 6      Conversations with the Other Side

Chapter 7      The Demon Realm

Chapter 8

Chapter 9      The Mysteries of Magick

Chapter 10      Ariton’s Lair

Chapter 11      The Lake of Fire

Chapter 12      Ambush

Chapter 13      The Torturer

Chapter 14      The Mansion

Chapter 15      Judgment Day

Chapter 16      The Last Stand

Acknowledgements

I want to thank:

My girlfriend Faith, for all of the late nights typing and editing, her input and mostly for her support, if not for her this book would not have come to fruition.

My mother Virginia, for giving me the creativity to generate this work.

My daughter Sammy, for helping with the typing.

My brother, Kris Gundberg, for his diligence, dedication, detail, and the talent he put into creating the cover. He captured the whole essence of the book and is a truly incredible artist.

And Ma, for reading all of my books so far, for her enthusiastic, positive feedback and her support and belief in me.

And last but not least, our two dogs the girls, Angie and Zoey, for lying at my feet and having no opinion at all.

Introduction

There is a realm beyond ours, like the realm of spirits it’s around us everyday, inhabited by creatures of legend; Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, and Shape shifters, they are all around us, Hidden creatures do exist and they walk among us, you just need to look deeper in the darkness to see them.

Chapter 1

Although Tony Stark would not have left his hometown of Toledo for anything, he and his wife, Kate, his sixteen-year-old son, Caleb, and his twelve-year-old daughter, Mellissa, were going on a two-week vacation in Burmingham, Vermont. They had made plans last summer and saved up enough money for this family getaway. It would be a vacation that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Burmingham, Vermont

August 8

It was a long, hot ride to Vermont. Tony was driving; Kate was sleeping in the front seat, and Caleb and Mellissa were arguing over what radio station to put on. Could you kids keep it down back there. You’ll wake up your mother, Tony whispered. Tony Stark was in his mid thirties.

All his friends called him Big Tone because of his size. He was about six feet four inches, two hundred and forty pounds, and had not a lick of fat on him. On the other hand, his wife, Kate, was gorgeous. She had long blonde hair and bright green eyes. She weighed only about one hundred and fifteen pounds soaking wet, but she was a real looker. Kate was about thirty-two years old, tall and slender with every bit of her one hundred and fifteen pounds in the right places. Tony and Kate were married eight years ago and have been in love ever since. Tony turned off the radio and was peering out through the windshield. There was a sign up ahead that read Burmingham one mile. Tony reached over and nudged Kate on her left shoulder. Kate, Kate, wake up. We’re almost there! Kate rolled her head toward Tony and asked, How much further? About half a mile, Tony replied. Mellissa was in the backseat yelling at Caleb for spilling soda on her sweater. Stop screaming in my ear! Caleb yelled. Tony took a sharp left turn and passed a sign that read Entering Burmingham. Kate looked at Tony, shaking her head at the commotion that the kids were making in the backseat. Tony felt like turning around and smacking both of them, but he had vowed to Kate years ago that he would never lay a hand on her or any of the kids. Tony had told Kate that when he was younger, his father used to beat him, and he said he would never put his children through what he went through as a child.

There should be a long, dirt road a little ways down here, Tony exclaimed. He rolled his window down. He could feel a cool mist on his face and on his left arm, which was hanging out the window. The sky had clouded up and it looked as if it might even start raining. Kate leaned over and kissed Tony on his cheek. Tony’s unshaved face hurt her lips. There it is! Kate said with excitement. It was a long, dirt road going uphill with huge evergreen trees all the way up both sides of the driveway. The house they were renting for two weeks looked like a mansion up on the top of the hill. It was owned by an old eccentric man by the name of Ray Mallard. Ray seemed like a nice old man. There was no doubt in Tony’s and Kate’s minds that he was extremely wealthy. He had to be to own a house like that. They didn’t know much about this man. They had seen an article in the newspaper for vacation getaways and had called to talk to him over the phone. Tony pulled in and drove the caravan up the long-winding driveway.

Ray Mallard

Tony pulled the caravan up in front of the house. There was no sign of Ray Mallard anywhere. This place is huge! Caleb said with astonishment. It’s scary looking too! squawked Mellissa. Well, there’s no sign of Mr. Mallard, said Tony. I’m sure he’ll be here eventually, Kate said with uncertainty. Caleb opened his door and got out of the caravan. Why don’t we look around, Dad? Caleb mused, not knowing if they should or not. Why don’t you ladies wait here, and we’ll go take a look around, Tony exclaimed. Just as Tony was opening his door, a cherry red BMW pulled up beside the caravan. It was Ray Mallard! Tony was surprised when he stepped out of the car. He had pictured Ray a lot older. This man was tall, almost as tall as Tony. He looked to be around his early fifties. He probably weighed about two hundred pounds, Tony guessed, with shoulder-length brown hair, an earring in his left ear, bright blue eyes, and, by the looks of it, a couple of hundred thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry. How are you all doing? Ray asked. We didn’t think you were going to show, Tony exclaimed. Yeah, the traffic’s hell out there, Mr. Mallard said. Hi, I’m Tony, and this is my wife, Kate. Tony put his hand out and shook Ray Mallard’s hand. Hi, Ray Mallard at your service, Mallard said with that slurred accent. You folks are going to love this place! Yes, we thought we were long overdue for a little vacation away from our everyday routine, Tony said with a grin. Mallard looked at Tony and Kate and said, Well, why don’t I show you folks around. Mellissa was still complaining about the soda stain on her sweater. Look at this stain, you ass! Mellissa told Caleb. Kate turned around and said, Watch your mouth, Mellissa! Mellissa just turned around with a pouty look on her face. Caleb looked at Mellissa and started laughing at her. Can’t you two ever get along? Kate exclaimed. Tony and Ray Mallard were already at the front door of the house. Tony was waving for Kate and the kids to hurry up! Ray Mallard slipped the key in the lock and opened the door. Tony’s face was expressionless. The place looked even bigger from the inside than it did from the outside. It had huge oak doors and chandeliers hanging in the living room. How do you like it? Ray asked. It’s beautiful! Tony said with a surprised look. Let’s take a walk through the parlor, Ray said. They came to a set of sliding glass doors that looked out over the lake. That’s Lake Hogan out there. Beautiful view, isn’t it? Ray Mallard said, gesturing with his hands out toward the lake. Yes, it certainly is, exclaimed Tony. Kate, come out here and take a look at this! Tony yelled. Kate stepped out onto the deck and her eyes widened. Wow! she said. This is beautiful! Out on the deck, you could see the entire lake and a small island out in the middle. There looked to be some kind of ancient ruins that had crumbled down hundreds of years ago. There were big blocks of cement and what looked to be a small statue of some ancient time long gone. The lake was fenced in by huge evergreen trees, and there were stairs leading from the right side of the deck all the way down to a small beach below. Caleb and Mellissa were now standing out on the deck, staring over the edge. Wow, this is cool! Mellissa said, dropping a piece of wood over the edge. Knock that shit off, Missy, Caleb said to his sister. Tony turned around and said, Both of you knock it off, and watch your mouth, Caleb. Caleb looked at his father and asked, Dad, can I look around the house? Yes, but don’t touch anything, Tony told his son. Mellissa, why don’t you go with your brother while your father and I talk to Mr. Mallard, Kate scolded. Ma, do I have to? Caleb’s a jerk! Kate turned around with those just do it kind of looks, and Mellissa walked into the house, no questions asked. Tony looked over at Ray Mallard, who was staring out over the lake, and said, Here’s the check for the two weeks’ rent, Mr. Mallard. Thank you, and just call me Ray, Mallard said as he turned back and started staring down at the ancient ruins in the middle of the lake. Kate had her arm around Tony. She leaned over and whispered something in his ear. I think we will have a great time here, Tony said as he looked at her and winked. Suddenly, Mr. Mallard turned toward them and said, Well, folks, I have to be getting along now. I have a lot of business to take care of. I’ll see you to the door, Tony said. When they got to the front door, Ray Mallard said, Well, I hope you folks enjoy your stay. Don’t worry, we will, Kate said with a little nod. Well, bye now, Ray Mallard yelled as he walked down the driveway. Tony shut the front door, turned to Kate, and hugged her. I love you, he told her. I love you, she said. They looked at each other and smiled. I’ll go and get the food out of the van and whip us up something for dinner, Kate said to Tony. Caleb, Mellissa, help your mother with the groceries, Tony said as he walked out onto the deck. It was starting to get dark. The sun was almost all the way down behind the trees. Tony was staring at the little island in the middle of the lake. He turned and went into the house and slid the glass sliders shut. If he had turned around at that precise moment, he would have seen the shadow fall across the statue’s face as the sun slowly sunk down behind the trees.

The Next Morning

Burmingham, Vermont

August 9

Tony awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking in the kitchen. He rolled over and looked at his watch on the nightstand. It read 10:30 a.m. Boy, did I oversleep, he said to himself. He got out of bed with a grunt. He thought to himself, Old age is getting to me! He walked into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror; then he picked up a razor and started shaving. When he was done, he walked out to the kitchen. Mellissa and Caleb were playing with a black cat they had found wandering around out in the yard. Tony walked over and gave the cat a brush with the back of his hand. The cat hissed at him. Tony walked over to Kate and kissed her on the back of her neck. Good morning, honey, Kate said. Good morning, babe! Tony replied. Kate put the plate of bacon and eggs down in front of Tony. Thanks, Tony said, half awake.

Tony stared down at his food. He was used to eating a big breakfast, but this morning he wasn’t feeling too hungry. He scoffed down as much as he could eat. He looked over at Caleb and said, Caleb, how about me and you going out in one of the canoes that Mr. Mallard said we could use. Sure, Dad, that would be great! Caleb said with excitement. Can we take the boat out to the island? Caleb asked excitedly. We’ll see, Tony said. Well, I and Mellissa will hang around here and straighten this place up a little bit while you’re gone, Kate said to Tony. We could even have a little picnic out on the deck when we’re done, Ma, Mellissa said to her mother. Caleb, why don’t we go down in the basement and get the canoe out, Tony said. All right, Dad, Caleb replied and then ran down the basement stairs. Tony walked over to Kate, kissed her on the lips, and said, I’ll see you later, babe. He walked over to Mellissa, leaned down, and kissed her on the cheek. You mind your mother, honey. We’ll be back in a little while. Mellissa looked up at her father and said, I will, Dad. Tony went down the basement stairs.

Tony and Caleb had taken the canoe out of the basement. Tony was standing down on the beach, waiting for Caleb to come back with the sandwiches that he had sent him to get. Hurry up, Caleb, the boat’s leaving! Tony yelled. Caleb was running down the steps with a bag full of sandwiches in one hand and a small igloo cooler in the other. Bye, Dad! Mellissa yelled from the porch. Mellissa and Kate were standing out on the deck like two sailor’s wives watching their husbands go out to sea. Bye, baby! Tony yelled back to her. We’ll be back in a couple of hours, Tony said as he waved good-bye. Caleb sat down in the boat. Tony sat down and used one of the oars to push off with. Tony and Caleb could still hear Mellissa and Kate faintly yelling good-bye. Kate and Mellissa walked back into the house and shut the sliding glass doors. She walked into the kitchen. Ma, where’s the cat? Mellissa cried. I don’t know, hon. I haven’t seen it since this morning when you and Caleb were playing with it! Kate yelled from down the hall in the bathroom. Damn it, where are you? Mellissa said to herself. Tony and Caleb were halfway to the little island in the middle of the lake. They could see the ancient statue on the backside of the island. The statue looked a lot bigger from this close up. Wow, Dad, look at that thing! Caleb said with fascination, pointing to the statue that now looked like some ominous sentinel guarding the island. Back at the house, Mellissa was still searching for the missing cat. Kate was in the bathroom in the process of taking a bath. She put her foot in the water. Owe! she said. The water was extremely hot. She turned the cold water on, wrapped a towel around herself, and went out to the kitchen for a glass of milk. Ma! I still can’t find the cat, Mellissa said to her mother. Well, I don’t know what to tell you, honey, Kate said. Maybe it ran outside when your father and Caleb left, Kate said, walking back toward the bathroom.

Tony and Caleb were just reaching the shore on the island. They could see the statue clearly now. It looked like some kind of demon out of a horror movie. It had great big eyes, a horn on both sides of its head, long sharp teeth, and huge bat wings. One of the arms and part of the left leg had crumbled off over the years. It looked very realistic for a statue that was made out of stone. Tony stepped out of the canoe. They were in waist-deep water. He pulled the canoe along beside him as he walked through the water to the shore.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Kate was relaxing in the bathtub, thinking to herself how nice it was to be able to relax in a hot bath with no worries in the world. Suddenly, Kate heard a scream, or so she thought she did. She sat up in the bathtub, and then she heard it clearly. Mellissa was screaming down in the basement. Kate jumped out of the tub, grabbed a bathrobe, and threw it around her. She ran out of the bathroom and down the hall to the basement door. Mellissa! she was yelling all the way down the basement stairs. When Kate reached the bottom of the stairs, Mellissa was standing in the middle of the floor with her hands to her mouth, staring at the corner where Mr. Mallard kept all his garden tools. Mellissa, what’s wrong? What is it? Kate yelled at her. The cat, the cat! Mellissa kept crying. What about the cat? Where is it? Kate asked. Kate turned around and looked over in the corner of the basement. There was the black cat, eyes bulging out of its head and its tongue hanging out on the floor! Apparently, the cat had gotten its head stuck in between the prongs on one of Mr. Mallard’s pitchforks and suffocated over a matter of hours. By the looks of it, the cat had been struggling for quite some time. There were scratches on the cement floor, and it looked as if its neck was dislocated from trying to pull its head out of the prongs. The poor thing, Kate said in a low tone. Mellissa was still crying. Go upstairs, honey. I’ll be up in a minute, Kate told Mellissa. Mellissa ran up the stairs. Kate walked over to the cat. She grabbed the pitchfork with her left hand and lifted it up. The cat’s head lifted up with it and then fell to the floor with a sickening thud. Kate thought she was going to be sick, but she held it down. She could smell the rancid smell of death in the air with the musty smell of the basement. She walked over and grabbed a burlap bag out of the toolbox in the corner and walked back over to the cat. She put the bag on the floor beside it and used the pitchfork to push the cat onto the burlap bag; then she took one half of the burlap and covered the cat with it. Kate would tell Tony about it when he and Caleb got back. He could deal with burying it. Kate walked up the cellar stairs and turned the light off.

Tony and Caleb were walking along the shore of the island. Why don’t we sit down right here and have lunch, champ, Tony said to Caleb. Can we go and look at the statue after we eat, Dad? Caleb exclaimed. "Sure, I