Time’s Crucible

By E. R. Schaeffer

In the gripping supernatural thriller, “Time’s Crucible” young Emma Mitchell is unwittingly thrust into a paranormal whirlwind when the spirit of her late Great-Uncle Harry implores her to track down a long-lost gold pocket watch. As Emma joins forces with her friends Samuel, Kelli, and Isobel to unravel the mystery, they quickly discover that the search for the timepiece is far more than just a treasure hunt.

As they dig deeper, the friends become entangled in a dangerous battle against a trio of ruthless demons who have set their sights on Emma. Intent on using her to open a portal between the demonic realm and our own world, the demons will stop at nothing to achieve their sinister goals. To make matters worse, Emma’s friends are possessed, forcing her to confront the darkness alone.

Time’s Crucible weaves an intricate web of ancient secrets and modern-day intrigue, tracing a story that spans millennia and propels Emma along a twisting path toward an uncertain future. With the demons closing in and the stakes higher than ever, Emma must summon her inner strength, courage, and resilience to thwart their plans and prevent her own untimely demise.

Get ready to embark on a heart-pounding journey through time and the supernatural in this spellbinding novel, where nothing is as it seems, and every decision can mean the difference between life and death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: May 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781665744027

Book preview

01

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Emma woke in the middle of the night, heart pounding.

She sat up and turned on the light on her nightstand, taking deep breaths. Already, the nightmare was leaving her conscious mind — but the fear she’d felt remained.

There’d been a storm — wind howling, rain lashing down through the night. There’d been a barn, too. She remembered seeing it when a flash of lightning had lit up the sky.

There had been blood.

Okay, she said, softly, needing the sound of her own voice to break the silence, it was just a nightmare. Come on, Emma — you’re a big girl now, right? You’re not going to let a little thing like a nightmare bother you.

She sighed, took a deep breath, and reached for the light, ready to turn it out, ready to try to get back to sleep.

Ticking.

At first, she thought it was her imagination or the remnant of the dark dream but it wasn’t. She distinctly heard the sound of ticking in her bedroom.

Her alarm clock was electric.

As she listened, the sound of the ticking grew louder — and faster. She threw the covers off and stood up, trying to determine where the sound was coming from. She moved slowly around the small room, trying to locate the source of the ticking, but it seemed to come from all around her.

Her heart raced — and the ticking pace increased, as well

It grew louder and she wanted to run away, wanted to get out of the bedroom, needed to get to safety — but she remained where she was, trapped as it grew louder and faster and —

— and suddenly stopped.

As quickly as it had started, it stopped and Emma closed her eyes, letting out a long breath, her entire body shaking.

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Emma sat down across from Kelly, who was already halfway finished with her white chocolate mocha.

As she sipped her morning coffee, she refrained from thinking about what had happened the previous night. It had taken her a long time to finally get back to sleep and the only way she’d managed to do so had been to tell herself that she’d actually been caught in a dream within a dream.

When she’d first woken up, she hadn’t really woken up — she’d still been in the dream. An online search showed her that her case was not unusual and that it happened to quite a few people. It had never happened to her before, however, and she definitely hoped it wouldn’t happen again.

Kelly gave her a long look and said, Don’t take this the wrong way, Emma, but you really look awful. What’s wrong? You’re not coming down with something, are you?

Emma shook her head.

No. I’m fine.

Kelly looked skeptical, but shrugged and said, So, would you like to hear about my latest disaster?

Emma grinned, her mood already beginning to lighten. Kelly was one of her best friends and was constantly attempting to find true love, even though it usually meant falling for the wrong people.

I take it your blind date didn’t work out? Emma asked.

Kelly rolled her eyes. Let’s put it this way, she said, it’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone who made me want to rush into the bathroom and climb out the window to avoid seeing him again.

What was wrong with him?

Kelly sighed. He was one of those losers who thinks that the reason I agreed to this blind date was so he could talk about his ex-wife all night and what a horrible person she was and how could she have left him when he was such a great guy and after ten minutes of that, I was definitely understanding why she decided to leave him.

Well, your night was still probably better than mine, Emma said.

Kelly raised her eyebrows. Go on, she prompted.

I just had a really bad night, that’s all — and yes, I know I told you that I’m fine and I am…but last night, I definitely wasn’t. I had a nightmare and I woke up from it…at least, I thought I woke up from it but it turned out I didn’t because I heard a ticking sound that grew louder and faster and then it stopped and I guess I must have woken up at some point after that — but, to tell you the truth, I don’t actually remember the waking up part.

Her friend frowned.

What did you eat before bed? Did you have Chinese food again? You know you can’t eat that after eight o’clock, Em.

No. It wasn’t like that. It was — weird. The first nightmare definitely seemed like a nightmare; you know? It was disjointed and stuff and I only got flashes of images when I woke up — but the second nightmare felt so real. It just had me standing in my bedroom and hearing this ticking sound grow louder and faster.

What kind of ticking are we talking about here? Was it like a ticking time bomb or something?

Emma thought for a moment.

No — it was like the ticking of a clock…but not really a clock. The tone was different. It was like — I think it was like the ticking of a watch or something smaller like that.

Kelly glanced at her wrist and said, Speaking of watches, mine is telling me that if I don’t leave within the next thirty seconds, I’m going to be late for work again and I’ll have to sit through another of the Dragon Lady’s lectures. I’ll see you later.

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02

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While many people might find the idea of working in a library to be boring, for Emma, it was ideal. She’d worked in a variety of jobs but the only place where she found herself relaxing was at the Center Pointe Public Library.

She liked being around books and being in a quiet place — and not dealing with crowds. Even on the busiest day, the number of people coming into the library was never overwhelming.

Emma was rolling the cart down one of the non-fiction aisles when suddenly, someone came up behind her and put their hands over her eyes.

Guess who?

She whirled around to see a grinning Samuel standing there.

Don’t do that! she snapped, slapping him lightly on the arm.

He gave her a confused look.

Whoa — you okay?

Samuel was one of her oldest friends. They’d known each other since childhood and he was one of the few people who Emma felt had always been there for her.

Sorry, she said, with a sigh. I didn’t sleep well last night.

That makes two of us, he told her.

She raised her eyebrows. Nightmares?

Worse — Julie broke up with me.

Emma shook her head. Okay, she wasn’t surprised by that announcement. Samuel and Julie were never going to last. They were two different people — Julie was ambitious and driven and a dominant personality.

Samuel was — well, Samuel was Samuel.

I’m sorry to hear that, she said.

He sighed. I kind of always knew this was how it was going to work out, you know? I just kept thinking I’d find a way to make it work, he said. I don’t suppose you’ve got a book that can teach me how to understand women.

Emma laughed.

Sure — you’ll find it in the same section on how to understand men, Samuel. Don’t act like women are such a big mystery and that men are easy to figure out. You guys are just as confusing as we are.

You really think that? he asked.

Definitely.

Huh — so, what’s up with you? You okay? You seem a little — jumpy?

Nightmares, she said.

The one where you’re being chased by a giant s’more in the forest?

Emma shook her head.

No. This one was different. It was — strange.

You don’t think a giant s’mores nightmare is strange?

She was about to answer when her phone pinged, signaling she’d received a text message.

UNKNOWN NUMBER.

Emma’s heart seemed to stop when she read the one word text.

DANGER.

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That night, Emma had Isobel and Kelly come over to the apartment to tell them what was going on.

They were in the living room and after Emma poured some wine and they settled in, she went over the nightmare again and how it had made her feel. She needed them to understand there was something about it that went beyond a mere dream.

They listened and she could tell from their expressions that Isobel was more concerned about it than Kelly. That made sense, actually — in their years of friendship, Isobel had always seemed to have a kind of intuition that was uncanny. She somehow just seemed to sense when things weren’t right, even while others couldn’t detect anything wrong.

The thing is, Emma, Kelly said, I’ve had some pretty freaky nightmares, too — but they’re just nightmares. I mean, I think that you’re blowing things a little out of proportion here.

Emma sighed. Kel, have you ever known me to act this way? Think about it — have I even once been overly dramatic about something like this?

Kelly was silent for a moment, then shook her head.

No, she admitted. You’re pretty level-headed.

Isobel frowned and said, There’s more, isn’t there, Em?

Yeah. I was at work when Samuel showed up and while he was there, someone sent me a text, she said, and showed them the message.

Isobel and Kelly exchanged looks.

Okay, Kelly said, that’s a little concerning, but I don’t think that it’s something to completely start freaking out over. I mean, the whole thing might be a prank. There might be some bored idiots out there randomly sending texts to people they don’t even know.

Emma shook her head. No — I mean, yes, that’s possible, but that’s not what I think. When I got that text, I felt a wave of such coldness that I can’t really begin to describe it. It was as if all the warmth completely was ripped out of me.

It’s possible the text was meant for someone else, Isobel said, softly. Maybe you weren’t the one who was supposed to get it.

Emma thought about that for a moment, then said, If that’s the case, who’s out there in danger that doesn’t know about it?

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After Kelly and Isobel left, Emma did the dishes and got ready for bed. Even though she and her friends hadn’t really come up with any ideas about what was going on, just the fact she had those two with her made her feel better.

For Emma, making friends had always been difficult. She’d never felt as if she fit in and that made her a little introverted, a little wary about people. She knew, all too well, that people who didn’t fit in made a lot of people uncomfortable.

When her friends had been leaving, Isobel had told her, while Kelly was putting some stuff in the refrigerator, For what it’s worth, Em, I really don’t think that you’re over-reacting about this. I don’t know what’s going on but right now, I can tell you that there is definitely something ‘off’ about this whole thing. Call me if you need anything, okay?

Just that little bit of reinforcement made Emma actually feel better about things. It let her know that she wasn’t being dramatic or too sensitive.

Emma found she was still a little too excited to just crawl into bed, so she sat on the couch and turned on the television. She went through the guide until she found something that looked mindless enough to just give her something to look at while she tried to relax and after a few minutes, she felt herself beginning to unwind.

Just then, the volume went mute.

Emma picked up the remote and tried to turn the sound up, but it stayed silent. Switching to another channel didn’t help because no sound came from the television.

But there was a sound, she realized.

Ticking…

Just like before — the ticking of a watch, slow and steady, gradually increasing in tempo…and volume.

Her phone.

It was actually coming from her phone.

Hand shaking, she picked up her phone — and the moment her fingers touched it, a wave of icy terror washed over her, and she was swallowed by darkness.

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03

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Emma opened the door the moment the doorbell rang and when she saw Samuel standing there, she pulled him inside and slammed the door, locking it quickly.

He stared at her, totally confused.

Okay, so I got your text and came over here as quickly as I could. What’s going on?

Emma stared at him and took a deep breath.

My phone was ticking.

He frowned.

Your phone...was ticking.

She nodded.

Yes — but not like ordinary ticking, okay? It was like something a pocket watch or something might sound like.

Um — and that’s why you sent me the urgent text saying I needed to get over here as quickly as possible?

I would have texted Kelly or Isobel, but I didn’t want them to think I was a baby or something.

And yet, it seems as if you don’t mind if I think that you’re a baby.

Emma rolled her eyes.

You don’t count, she said. You’re Samuel, okay?

If I didn’t have such a thick skin and if I didn’t find this whole situation incredibly amusing, I might actually be offended by that comment. So — how about showing me where this mysterious ticking phone is?

Emma took him into the living room and pointed to the smartphone on the coffee table.

There it is.

Right — and it was ticking, right? he said, and picked up the phone, holding it to his ear. It’s not ticking now.

Emma stared at him.

How does the phone feel? she asked.

What?

Just now — when you picked up the phone, what did it feel like?

It felt like a phone, Emma. Listen, have you been taking some cough medicine or something like that? You have any muscle relaxers that you swallowed?

When I picked up the phone before, it was ice-cold. It was like something that was from the polar ice caps.

Emma, he said, carefully setting the phone down, what is going on? I can see that you’re obviously frightened about something.

She stared at him. For a moment, she was tempted to tell him about the nightmare and the ticking sound she’d heard but she finally just shook her head.

It’s nothing.

I know you and this is far from nothing, he said. So, I’ll tell you what — I’ll stick around for a little while to keep you company and that way, I’ll be here if the phone starts ticking again or turning into a snowman or something. How’s that?

You don’t have to do that, she said.

He nodded.

Right. I don’t have to do that — but I want to.

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When Emma joined Kelly and Isobel for their weekly Saturday pancake breakfast, she found herself hoping that she didn’t look too tired. She hadn’t gotten much sleep and there was only so much magic a concealer could do.

Don’t take this the wrong way, she said, as Emma sat down, but you look awful.

Thanks. I’ll try to take that as a compliment.

Kelly studied her friend for a long moment.

Are you okay, Emma? You look — stressed?

I’ve been having some issues, she admitted, but it’s okay. I’m working through it.

And since when do you work through issues without talking to us? What’s going on?

Emma sighed.

The thing is — okay, I’ve been having some weird things happen to me. Like I was telling Samuel last night, I don’t actually —

Wait a minute here — you called Samuel instead of us? Why would you do that?

My phone was acting up and he came over to see what was wrong with it and we just kind of spent some time talking.

The fact was that Samuel had been up with her for most of the night. Once he’d seen that she wasn’t going to be getting any rest, he’d told her that he was going to crash on the couch so that he could be there in case anything weird happened.

How much time did you spend talking? Kelly asked, eyes narrowed.

Emma felt her face heat up.

It’s not like that.

Your mouth is doing that funny little thing it does when you don’t want to talk about something that’s going to make you uncomfortable. Why are you uncomfortable, Emma? What did you guys talk about?

More importantly, what time did Samuel leave?

I refuse to dignify that question with an answer.

Isobel and Kelly exchanged looks.

It sounds like he spent the night.

It does, Kelly agreed, nodding. It definitely does.

Emma sighed. She could tell it was going to be a long breakfast…

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04

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It was a little after three o’clock in the afternoon when Emma heard the ticking again.

She was at work and she looked around at the scattering of customers who were there, checking to see if any of them suddenly looked up to investigate the loud ticking that was filling Emma’s ears.

I’m going crazy, she whispered and went behind the counter, sitting down, hands shaking.

Her phone rang.

For a long moment, she was afraid to touch it, remembering what it had been like when she’d first picked it up in her apartment. She tried to tell herself that she was being foolish but that didn’t make her pick up the phone.

Your phone’s ringing, dear, an elderly woman’s voice said, and she saw Mrs. Pendquist standing there, a worried expression on her face. Are you alright, Emma?

Emma took a deep breath and nodded, picking up the phone.

I’m fine, Mrs. Pendquist. I was just — just daydreaming, I guess.

Emma looked at the Caller ID and saw her mother’s name. A wave of cold dread washed over her and she accepted the call.

Hey, Mom, she said. What’s up?

There was a slight pause.

I don’t want you to get worried, her mother said, and Emma heard the worry in her mother’s voice, but I just got a call from your Great-Aunt Bertha and I don’t think she’s doing well.

Emma frowned. Great-Aunt Bertha was her oldest living relative and the one person that Emma felt truly connected to, other than her parents. She was an opinionated old woman who spoke her mind and Emma loved her.

What’s wrong? she asked.

She didn’t say, her mother told her, but I could hear in her voice that she was definitely under the weather. I’ve already called into work and told them I needed a couple of days off. I called you so that you’d know what was going on.

Do you want me to go with you? Emma asked, already turning to the computer to see how much personal time off she had built up.

Oh, definitely not. It might be nothing, of course, but I just want to make sure that Bertha has someone there to take care of her while she recovers from whatever it is that she’s got going on.

Well, you know that if you need me, I’ll definitely be there, Mom.

I know that, dear, her mother said, and I promise that if I think that you should be here, I’ll immediately call you.

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Emma spent the rest of her afternoon thinking about Bertha and hoping that the old woman was just experiencing a brief spell of something harmless. With all of the diseases out there nowadays, it didn’t seem like anyone was really safe from getting sick.

She went home and made a quick meal of pasta and marinara sauce, then sat down to watch some television. Even though she didn’t want to, she kept the phone nearby, in case her mother tried to get in touch with her.

Although she tried to get interested in the sit-com on the screen, her mind wouldn’t stop shooting around — going from the weird dream to the ticking watch sounds to Samuel to Great-Aunt Bertha being sick.

Emma remembered the first time she’d seen Great-Aunt Bertha. From the stories she’d heard from her parents, she expected to see some sort of towering woman with stern features and a no-nonsense air surrounding her. To her amazement, though, when she actually met the woman, she found her to just resemble a stereotypical maternal grandmother type.

Whatever her relationship was to the other members of the family, Emma had always felt there was a special place Bertha had for her side of the family. Her father had once told her, Bertha likes me because the two of us are black sheep in the family and we tend to stick together.

Why are you the black sheep? she’d asked and her father had shrugged.

I guess it’s because the two of us always do whatever it is that we want to do and we don’t spend a lot of time worried about what anyone else might think or say, her father had said, then added, which is why she gets along with you, Emma. I think you remind her of herself when she was young.

At that moment, the telephone rang and even before Emma answered it, she knew there was going to be bad news on the other end of the line.

It was her mother calling.

Mom, is everything okay? she asked.

No, her mother said, and Emma heard the tears in her voice. Bertha isn’t doing well, Emma, and I think that it might be best if you came down here to — to say —

Emma cut her off, saying, I’m going to pack and I’ll be there as soon as I can.

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05

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Emma drove through the night, doing her best to stay calm. She hated driving at night to begin with and when she found herself worrying about Aunt Bertha, that only made things worse.

She tried to take her mind off of her situation by focusing on the Taylor Swift song playing on the radio. The pop music filled the interior of the car and after a few moments, Emma found herself beginning to relax.

However, before long, she found herself thinking about the events that had been taking place and telling herself there was a logical explanation for what was going on.

There had to be.

It was probably something as simple as a defective phone. When things settled down and when she was able to get back home, she’d take the phone to a dealer and get it replaced — and that would be the end of it.

At least, that’s what she was telling herself.

In reality, though, she had a gut feeling telling her something was terribly wrong and she needed to be careful.

In the distance, she heard the rumble of thunder. Lightning flashed across the