The Stalking Shadows

By Thomas Freedom

Short stories about the path that life can lead us, the harm it can do and the justice in our minds and souls. How often are we dismissed and used for someone else's wants and needs. Life is hard, cold, demeaning and gives no thought to our feelings hopes, or dreams. There are those very few who receive help from some unseen force that gives them back hope, but many many more who receive only the terrible destructive and painful memories of life. We look to the church for understanding and hope. We dream of the moment it all turns around and gives us peace and finally happiness. In the midst of it all one life takes another because that same unseen force spoke to them. The bright piercing watchful eyes of the shadows that comes from the darkness where nothing should be. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Smiling Beagle Publishing LLC
• Release date: Jan 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215285114

Book preview

The Stalking Shadows

Smiling Beagle Publishing

Short Stories

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First Edition

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Stories

Church Sins

No Credit Funding

Changing the Devil in Me

The Law of Friendship

A Moment to Care

Broken Mind

Playing with String

Straight Forward

Your Horns are Showing

Forgiveness or Justice

Innocent Lives

Church Sins

There was so much to do I hardly knew where to start. My wife and child were coming home

after all these years. I figured to get things in order but I would need to go to town. I made a list of

things that I would need from the grocery store and left home on my way to town some 30 miles

through the mountains. I had gone about 2 miles when I saw a white truck coming my way with his

hazard lights flashing. I slowed to a stop and the truck pulled up beside mine. The driver was gray and

sick looking.

Mister there has been a bad wreck at the bottom of the hill, no survivors.

I told him I would go back home and call the Police then come down to help.

Waves of dizziness and sickness brought me to my knees. The vehicle before me was destroyed

and inside were the mangled lifeless bodies of my ex-wife and child . Unable to think I simply stared

all  the while screaming inside why, why did you do this.  There was no one I could call, there was no

one that would care!

That  morning a car had pulled into my drive, it was my ex-wife Tanya and my daughter

Cynthia. I had not seem them in nine very long years and honestly did not believe I ever would again.

Tanya had come to apologize for all the wrong that had been done not only to me but to our daughter as

well. When she started to tell me this I  immediately became suspicious. Once before Tanya had told

me that she wanted to talk and I met her only to find out I was facing the preacher again and all they

really wanted was for me to admit guilt. She could see the weariness in my eyes and quickly made it

clear she knew this was not my fault and if she could just explain I would understand. I told her I would

listen with no promises.

"Jackson Barron's wife called me ten days ago and asked if I could come over and talk to Jack,

he had something  he wanted to tell me and she said it was urgent, so I went to see him."

JACK TOLD ME THAT IT was him who started the rumors about you and Wendy at the hotel.

I came out of my chair anger flooding over me.

Why would he do that, I have never done one thing to that man or his family?

"Just hold on and let me finish and you will soon understand. Martha had been spending money right

and left and they were in financial trouble. He knew that you were bidding on the hotel and he needed

that job so he figured if he went home and told Martha about seeing you and Wendy it might cause us 

problems and I would make you let it go. He said he never dreamed that it would end the way it did."

I just looked at her for a few moments then replied the best I could;

"I am not sure what to say here, I just found out that my whole life was ripped away from me because

someone's wife was spending money she did not have."

Tanya could not look at me and it reminded me of the moment I told the whole church exactly what I

thought of them and there religion. She could not look at me then either.  I had left that day with

nothing at all but my clothes and 500.00, not much for three and half years of work.

Tanya said there is more and continued.

" When Jack went home that day and told Martha,  you know he had might as well have told the church

on Sunday morning and according to him it just snowballed from there. When he found out that we

were breaking up he went to Martha told her the truth and was going to come here and make a

confession. Martha stopped him and said she would get the preacher involved and he