The Glory Box: If Summer Were a Place

By Claudine Marcin

There are some things you just can’t forget …
The Long Winter is over, and life is beginning to return to normal. But just as they begin to have hope for the future they’ve been longing for, the past comes to visit.
Vytas and Hanita are on the baby track, along with a record number of survivors. And while in their baby bliss, they discovered a gift. Hidden away by her beloved Saira, Hanita learns the glory box holds many treasures. And as they begin to unravel the mystery, they uncover a long-buried secret about a summer her parents can’t forget.
Set upon a dystopian landscape, The Glory Box is a four-part mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Each book features interesting, complex characters that must overcome tragedy and loss to save humanity … for love.
Begin your journey today with Pineapple in Winter and The Children of Autumn. The series-ending fourth book will be released later in 2022 — there’s a bombshell conclusion you won’t want to miss!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665553292

Claudine Marcin

Claudine Marcin is a Maryland-based award-winning author of the short story The Stairs and is also known for the four-part romantic sci-fi mystery series titled The Glory Box. She is a member of the Maryland Writers Association and the Harford County Writer’s Group as well as a spirited football fan, poet, amateur photographer, and artist. Her book In the Wake of Spring, the fourth and final book of The Glory Box series, will be released in Fall 2022. For more information about Claudine’s books and to join her mailing list, visit her website at www.claudinemarcin.com and follow her on any of the below platforms: Facebook.com/mmadtales Twitter.com/marcinclaudine Instagram.com/claudinemarcin

Book preview

The Glory Box

If Summer Were a Place

Claudine Marcin

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AuthorHouse™

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2022 Claudine Marcin. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/06/2022

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5330-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5329-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022903805

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Summer

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

Mom – thank you for supporting me during this journey,

listening to me go on and on and remaining a faithful reader.

I couldn’t have done it without you.

Summer

If summer were a place,

it would be forever balmy—

and not a cloud in sight,

we would bask in the light

counting fireflies and stars by moonlight.

If summer were a place,

we could go there, right now—

and I would take your hand,

running along shells and sand

as waves at our feet, crash-land.

If summer were a place,

it would be our secret—

and we would promenade,

to the nocturnal soundtrack made

by Whip-poor-will and Katydid serenade.

And it would be eternally ours,

mine and yours.

And we would never leave.

If summer were a place.

Prologue

S he watched her lover become smaller and smaller as he disappeared into the tall meadow grass, and a sick feeling began to stir in her stomach.

This will be our last summer, she thought to herself.

When he reached the top of the hill, he smiled and waved, just as he always did. It was their last glimpse of each other before he vanished over the other side.

Once he was out of sight, her body twisted forward, over the windowsill and she wretched onto the grass below. Then she pulled her thick ginger hair to the side as she heaved again and spat out the foul taste in her mouth.

When she finished, she grimaced, holding a handkerchief to her lips as she slid back inside and eased her body to the floor.

And then a bright light slowly crept in from the outside edges. Her ears began ringing as the circle of light became bigger, surrounding her and the room in white.

As it was about to swallow her up, the high-pitched howl began to drown out the sounds of the meadow until she heard nothing at all.

And then, everything went black.

********

When she opened her eyes, it was night, and the air was thick with honeysuckle and lilac. She was wearing her nightgown, standing in a field, alit with the bright full moon.

Suddenly, tiny white flakes began drifting down as if the stars were falling from the sky. She tilted her head back and stuck out her tongue, letting the cold snow come to rest in her mouth.

And then she looked down. Several inches of snow covered the ground, and she was standing on it in her bare feet. But she wasn’t cold.

Autumn.

She turned around in circles, but no one was there—only a shimmering glow in the distance along the horizon.

Autumn.

She began walking, toward the voice, toward the lights, until she found herself among the tall buildings in the city. Puffy flakes continued to fall, but she paid no attention. She just kept walking toward the voice and in between the buildings on a blanket of white.

As the wind blew hard against her body, her nightgown whipped against her legs, and she stumbled backward. But it would not deter her. Instead, she leaned forward and kept moving, turning away, and shielding her face as ice pellets stung her skin.

Where are you? she called out as the blinding snow hurled toward her.

I’m here.

The voice went through her like a dagger, and she spun around quick. Behind her standing in a field of green was a small boy, five or six years old, wearing blue pajamas. But over her shoulder, it was still pitch dark and snowing.

She turned back to the boy and began walking toward him, feeling his warmth envelope her as she left the storm behind.

How could he be here all alone? she wondered as she crouched to her knee in front of him and brushed his sandy-colored hair to the side.

What’s your name? she asked, staring into his big round eyes, like two melted caramels.

Liam.

Where are your shoes, Liam?

The boy shrugged his shoulders and smiled, revealing a mouth full of teeth changing from baby to adult.

Do I know you?

He furrowed his brow, then shook his head side-to-side, whipping his hair around at the same time. Then he leaned toward her, cupped his hand around her ear, and whispered, They’re coming.

Who’s coming?

Darkness and light.

I don’t understand.

You must cast out the darkness.

In the distance, a baby begins to cry. She stands up as if in a trance, then suddenly, she feels something. She looks down and sees that her belly is full and round. She pressed her hands against her body and smiled, feeling the life moving inside.

Then, the wailing started again, this time from behind. She spun around but still, there was nothing there. And when she looked down again, her arms were holding her flat stomach.

Where’s my baby? she gasped, turning in circles.

But there was no one to answer her. She was all alone, and the child’s cry continued from all around and nowhere.

Where’s my baby?

Suddenly she was on the beach by the lake, and the sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon. She stopped spinning and watched as beams of light danced across the water and stung at her eyes.

Where’s my baby? she shouted into the wind.

Then she collapsed into the sand, sobbing. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, but she couldn’t. She just kept gasping.

Don’t be afraid, someone said.

She spun around on the sand, and now she was at the mouth of a cave. The familiar voice was calling out to her from inside, but it was too dark to see him.

Papa? She held her breath and slowly rose to her feet.

The breeze lifted his onyx curls as he emerged from the shadows, and she could see that he was holding a newborn in his arms.

My baby, she gasped as she ran to them with her eyes full of tears.

When she reached them, she could finally breathe again. She wrapped her arm around her father and cupped the newborn’s auburn tufted head in her hand.

She’s beautiful, he said.

She? she questioned, looking up into her father’s sapphire eyes. A girl?

We don’t have much time, my darling. Do you know where you are?

She turned her head to the north and saw the mountains surrounding the valley. Then she turned to the west and recognized the path leading to the village. She turned back to him and replied, Yes, you’ve brought me here before … But why now?

A storm is coming. Then he glanced over his shoulder toward the cave. This will be your salvation. But first, you must let her go.

No, she whimpered, gazing down at her daughter cradled in her father’s arms. I can’t.

Don’t be afraid. She doesn’t belong here, but the light will keep you warm.

I don’t understand … what does the prophecy mean?

His lips turned up as he laughed. You’re just like your mother … She was impatient too. A storm is coming, he said again as he placed his hand on her shoulder. But first, you must wake up.

What?

Autumn, wake up!

********

Her eyelids flung open as she woke, gasping for breath. The last thing she remembered was vomiting as she hung over the windowsill before sliding down the wall to the floor.

And that’s where she was now: lying on the hard wooden floor.

It wasn’t snowing. She wasn’t standing in the meadow wearing only her nightgown. Or even at the mouth of the cave with her father. She was still in her bedroom. The morning glow still cast its light through the open window onto the unmade bed in front of her.

She pushed her body upright and sat with her back against the wall, scanning the room as she brought her hand to her sweat-soaked brow.

It was only a dream, she told herself. But she knew that wasn’t true.

Slowly, she scooted her body up the wall until she was standing on her feet. Once she was sure she had regained her balance, she turned away from the wall and faced the window, hoping to catch one last glimpse of her lover, but he was already gone.

Darkness and light, she muttered out loud.

She recognized it from the prophecy: darkness and light, divided. But she never understood what it meant … even her mother didn’t know.

The boy in my dream—what was his name? she wondered, wrinkling her brow as she struggled to remember. Liam! He said they were coming.

Then she felt a flutter deep inside her belly. She lowered her head and placed her hand on her stomach.

I feel you, she said with a smile.

Nothing had changed, and yet everything was different. Finally, she was beginning to understand her destiny, which was both frightening and exciting at the same time.

And then a chill came over her body as a thought entered her mind.

What if the prophecy is real?

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Chapter 1

V ytas leaned against the desk with his long legs stretched out in front of him as his wife paced back and forth. He was still wearing the white t-shirt and gray boxer shorts he had slipped into when he got out of bed a couple of hours ago. In the excitement, there’d been no time to get dressed.

The day had begun like so many others. First, waking to the gentle glow of the morning sun peeking through the curtains, followed by a round of playful cuddling, then warm mugs of coffee—or in her case, ginger tea to settle the morning sickness.

Except today was different.

Wrapped in a blue scarf and cleverly hidden underneath baby clothes and blankets, they found a mysterious wooden box. And as he waited patiently for his wife to explain the black rectangular-shaped object they found locked inside, he thought about the photograph.

He couldn’t shake the impossible idea that the woman on the left bared a resemblance to his grandmother. And stranger still, how much he resembled the man standing behind her.

He folded his arms across his chest as he looked down at the blue scarf lying in a pile at his feet. Across the room, the baby clothes and blankets were still folded and stacked neatly next to the cedar chest.

And suddenly, a feeling came over him.

Our lives will never be the same.

********

Where should I begin? Hanita thought to herself.

The truth about her mother still lingered in the air as she paced back and forth with her black satin robe flowing open by her sides. She was holding Kyle’s beekon in her hand, twirling it between her fingers as if it had the answer.

Since yesterday, she had been trying to tell her husband the truth about Kyle’s accident and what he was doing. But she couldn’t find the words.

And now, there was no avoiding it. She had to tell him.

She stopped in the middle of the room to stare at the beekon. Then, as the memories from that day came back, she took a deep breath and started from the beginning.

It was three years before the Long Winter began, she finally said. Two years before the first groups would enter the hibernation chambers. You told me you would be doing a walk-through of the lab the following week.

I remember, he agreed. I wanted to make sure everything was on schedule.

Kyle had been working on something that he wasn’t ready to share with you. Some kind of … machine.

And you knew about it?

I only knew because I walked in on him—and I didn’t know what he was doing, she assured. I told him I would have to report him, but he asked me for some time. He said he wasn’t ready … he needed to—

I don’t believe this, Vytas sighed, lowering his head.

V, that was almost twenty years ago.

It was four years ago to us, he said, wrinkling his forehead. I’m not counting the years we were asleep.

Fine, she snapped, throwing up her arms. Look, be mad at me later. Just please, listen to me now.

He sighed heavily and shook his head. All right.

I gave him one week before I was going to tell you myself. But now that I knew you were planning the inspection, I had to tell him he was out of time. So, the next day, I tracked him down on the R&D floor and when I found him, I immediately regretted keeping his secret.

********

Tucked away in the South corner of the research and development floor, Lab D was the only room that required a special clearance—making it perfect for clandestine experiments.

But as head of security, Hanita was authorized to enter all of the labs.

She swiped her badge, input the seven-digit security code then leaned forward for the retinal scan. With a loud thud, the lock disengaged.

She pushed open the thick steel door then walked into a dimly lit foyer. After a couple of steps, she turned to the right and then, she was in the room.

She squinted her eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the bright fluorescent lighting. This was her first time in Lab D, and immediately, she was amazed at the sheer size of the space. It was twenty thousand square feet with a sixty-foot-high ceiling and no windows.

And then, she saw it: Kyle’s project.

Two parallel white tubes molded into a fifty-foot-high, thirty-feet long, double arch. A complicated network of cables jetted out from the base of the machine and across the tile floor, presumably connecting somewhere.

I’m up here, he called out from atop the structure.

Kyle, what the hell are you doing up there?

Isn’t it beautiful?

I need you to come down, right now.

I have a few more adjustments to make, he said, returning to his work. His curly black hair fell over his eyes as he hunched over, appearing to be perfectly balanced on the twelve-inch diameter tube, like a bird on a twig. I’m getting so close, he mumbled to himself.

You don’t understand, she urged. Vytas is performing a site inspection, including R&D.

Now? he asked, stopping to look down at her.

No, but—

You didn’t tell him, did you?

No, I told you I wouldn’t, but he’s going to find out. You need to stop and prepare your pitch.

He lowered his head and rubbed his hand across the thick beard coating his jawline. Then with a heavy sigh, he closed the panel in front of him and packed up his tools into a dark brown case.

As he carefully stood up, he slipped a black rectangular object into the pocket of his lab coat. Then he turned around and reached for the scaffolding positioned behind the arch as he prepared to ascend his precious invention.

Suddenly, the machine woke up with a loud clunk, jolting the frame. Kyle dropped the brown case and crouched to hold on to the metal tube as the arch began to vibrate. Then, a faint hum began to stir from the machine and the brilliant white lights around the platform clicked on.

She shielded her eyes and turned away, but not before the afterimage burned into her retinas.

As the hum grew louder, the lights began to pulsate with heavy thumps, each sending a shockwave through his body. He laid on his stomach and wrapped his arms and legs around the cold metal cylinder.

Cut the power, he said.

What?

The power, he shouted, letting go long enough to point at the wall behind her before returning to