The Scrying - Softcover

Valentine, Joseph R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 145202748X ISBN 13: 9781452027487

Publisher: AuthorHouse, 2010

Synopsis

The hearts and minds of young people haven't changed through the centuries, but they have definitely gotten more desensitized to trauma, despair and the powers of ill will. Death doesn't hold them back any more. If you think you have a good grip on reality and a firm foundation to stand on, your ability to logically define "the truth" is challenged. Somehow, Stacy comes into Hayden's upside down life and gets caught in the whirlwind of his reality. She may have gotten more than she bargained for.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Scrying

By Joseph R. Valentine

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Joseph R. Valentine
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-2748-7

Chapter One

Another day comes, bringing with it sudden memories of the day before. Every day is the same and they just seem to melt together now. It has become hard to tell one from the other. He is waiting for something, but not even he knows for what. The only thing that is certain is that he has been waiting for a long time. Time, no longer recognizable by his mind anymore, weighs down heavily on his heart. Forever was only a word to him before someone gave it meaning. Now, forever was something he held in his heart for the rest of his life. He lies alone in his room, drifting in and out of this world, waiting for something, wanting to go there because he knows that's where it is. He dreams of death, sometimes embracing it. He knows that death is the ultimate release from the pain, but lives in fear of it. Only in his dreams can he stand to face it.

"Come here," she whispered. The sweet smell of perfume heightened his senses, and he reached to the faceless being, unable to speak her name out loud. She wandered into the back woods, and although his body didn't move, he found himself following her. She drifted in and about the trees, and at a particular area where boulders protruded up through the ground, she moved to and from, then around an open crack, a fracture in the largest stone.

Hayden woke in a miserable state, uncomfortable, saturated in sweat. His pulse was quick, and the stale smell of his unwashed skin, filled his nostrils. He lay still, staring at the ceiling, searching for a coherent thought and tried to catch his breath. "What day is it? Am I still here?" "It must be Monday," his mind taunted. He rolled over to see his clock beaming a red stare right back at him. It made his eyes ache as he squinted: half awake, fumbling for the snooze button.

7:00 am

One more piece of his soul will stray away from his body today, leaving him a little colder to those that once cared for him. Surrender was nothing new for him. In truth, it had become second nature. Time, friends, family, and everything else, had all been sacrificed just to listen to the sound of her voice resonating in his ears, lingering in his thoughts. Is this all in vain? He wonders every cognitive moment of his life what he is doing here, brooding over what had been and what will be. All those people who he cares for now see him as a lost spirit, each wanting to help, but none knowing what to say. Their fumbling gestures manage to provoke a groaning in his spirit. He is physically here, though his mind continually keeps him from seeing the pure intentions of those who love him. He has no drive to talk to anyone about the demons inside him. Any attempt in the past had only lead to more problems. Better if he keeps it to himself now. They wouldn't understand anyway, they never have. Hayden was aware he was writing his own miserable epitaph. He had come to enjoy playing these thoughts over and over through his head, looking for the perfect eulogy.

He dropped his face down into his pillow. The eastbound train slipped in and then out of his thoughts, as he heard it make its pass through the edge of the city, assuring him that he was still here.

It hadn't always been this way. Memories of his childhood danced in the shards of sunlight stabbing through the blinds of his bedroom window. They had once lived in a small town in Texas, in a time when life was so much easier. The pressures of school and money didn't even exist. Sitting there in the front yard under the shade of the neighbor's enormous walnut tree, thinking of nothing but the wonderful feel of the damp green grass under his legs, he remembered how he would run and play without giving time a single consideration. The smell of fresh cut grass and neighborhood barbeques floated in on every cool breeze. He marveled at the birds that flew by, wishing he could fly like them, and how he would run with his arms extended trying to mimic them. The days were his to do as he wished. He wished so much that he could go back to that time.

The sounds of the morning were the same as yesterday. Pressing his face down, to block out all light, he slid his hand under his pillow and thought of things he could say to make himself get up. Nothing came to mind. Hayden pinched his eyes tight, and felt the sadness knotting up in his throat; every breath came at a price. The realization of his overwhelming loss empties his soul; he can almost feel it leave. More images of the times when he was happiest twisted and coiled around his thoughts. Images of her ...

The syllables of her name echoes in his mind, like a song with no real words, and he pressed his face deeper to bury his anguish. The tightness in his throat grew, as he tried to utter her name, but his breath would not come. Images of her flooded his mind instantly and she came to him again.

Chapter Two

Alice was sitting on a park bench staring down at her shoes. Though she'd only bought them the day before, the shoe on her right foot had been scuffed already. "Figures." she scoffed. The meadow at the far side of the playground was over grown with tall grass, the brown edges hinting at the season's change. Other than two young girls occupying the swings, the park was quiet and empty.

Hayden thought it slightly odd that the park was so quiet on such a nice day. Not having many things to do in town, most of the residents took to the park for entertainment. There were a number of cook stations for grilling; all empty today, and a large pavilion for bigger get-togethers. Alice was sitting alone, and he could see her from the entry gate clearly enough to know it was her.

The crisp air was refreshing, and the sweet smell of decaying leaves filled his nostrils. It couldn't have been a better day. When you truly love someone, the whole world is a painting of all that you hold dear. His pulse quickened as he picked up his pace and began to jog towards her. He was glad she was there by herself. There were no friends to distract her: just him and her for once.

As he swung himself around the backside of the bench to face her, Hayden announced with sheer pleasure, "Hey Alice, I got you something." His heart was full, his ambition beamed from his smile. He looked at her for what seemed to be an eternity, but there was no response. She wouldn't lift her face to him, greet him, or say anything at all. She sat looking down at her shoes, without a word.

"Alice?" Haden asked, quieting his tone. As he waited for her to respond, he began to notice the details of her dark brown hair. The tints of red streaked down through her hair were new. "Alice?" He knelt down to capture her gaze, but only saw more hair.

"There is someone else here Hayden," Alice said in a broken voice. Hayden looked around and saw nothing but dead leaves dancing across the park. The silent chill air, gave no evidence of bird or beast, and the clicking of the tree branches echoed their nakedness all around. The two girls who had been on the swings were gone, and the swings were motionless. He hadn't noticed the silence until now. He suddenly grew anxious. Had he fallen back to sleep? It was all just a little too eerie to be real. Nothing moved in the park now, not even the creatures that lived there.

He stood up, looking down at her, and then glancing about with a feeling of bad news looming in the air. The sun had already gone under the horizon, leaving the sky a brilliant lavender hue, making the trees appear to be black and lifeless; lonely. He met Alice's eyes when he turned back to her. He felt his heart thump hard, as if it had stopped for a moment, and he drew in his breath hard, to force the air back into his lungs. He unconsciously stepped back when he saw her eyes. They were soaked in blood and, her face looked as if she had been beaten, and he tried to regain his composure but his knees felt weak and threatened to give out on him. "Alice," He cried! "What happened to you, who did this to you!" he struggled to scramble forward to hold his precious Alice. As he fought for composure, he reached out his shaking hand toward her battered face.

He felt something warm roll down his neck, and he mechanically put his hand up to wipe it away. He caught a glimpse of his hand as he reached for her again. It was smeared with blood. "How did that get there," he said under his breath. The blood was oozing from his right ear, but it still didn't register with him. His focus was on what had happened to Alice. There was no pain, just the warm trickle, and he continued to reach for her.

"Alice ..." he stuttered.

He was about to touch her cheek when she suddenly let out a horrid cry. Instinctively, he drew his hand back. Her scream shattered the still cold air and slammed into him with enough force to throw him to the ground. He scrambled to pick himself up, with no strength in his legs, and fear blurred his vision, as he grappled with the ground to find his feet. He cupped his hands over his ears trying to block out the sound, realizing now where the blood was coming from. The pitch of her scream grew and reverberated in his head. Hayden fought against the sound but could not keep it out. The image of her in his mind was lost, only to be replaced by throbbing pain throughout his entire body.

Hayden awoke in his bed with a jump and could still hear her scream echoing in his ears. He looked over his shoulder at his clock and saw that only seven minutes had passed. "It wasn't real" He sat up wiping the sweat from his face briskly with both hands. The panic in his eyes betrayed his calm exterior. He examined everything around him, checking himself for damage, looking for the presence of any other. His hands were clean of blood. He had all he needed, to convince himself that he had to get up. He threw his legs off the side of the bed and stepped onto a broken glass cutting his right foot. "Damn it!" He grimaced, as he looked down, and then grabbed his foot. The glass that had been on his nightstand was now shattered on the hardwood floor. "What the ..." he complained to himself. Little drops of blood lay around the glass, which trailed after him into the bathroom as he hopped to the toilet to sit down.

"Maybe it's a sign to stay home today," He opened up his medicine cabinet and pulled out some gauze and the bottle of peroxide. He carefully put his foot under the spigot in the bathtub, watching the swirls of blood spin in ribbon-like strands down the drain. He examined the cut carefully, to be sure there was nothing still stuck in the wound. "Well, that's real," he winced. He wrapped his foot before pulling on his socks, and limped back into his room.

He had slept in his cloths that night. He hadn't had the energy to change before he went to bed. Actually, he hadn't had the energy for what may have been months now. No one was home this late in the morning, and he moved himself down the stairs, taking his regular morning route to his car. He found his book bag in the kitchen, where he left it. The echo of his jingling keys being pulled from the wall hook seemed loud and as he stuffed them into his coat pocket, it reminded him that he was alone. He grabbed his book-bag and left.

He had to stop for a second in the driveway to let his eyes adjust to the brightness of early morning sun. The searing light made his head hurt, as he covered his squinting eyes with dark sunglasses that had been clasped on top of his head.

"My routine," he said to himself, as he flung his bag on top the car to unlock and open the door. He grabbed the bag again brusquely and flung it over into the passenger's side, and sat firmly in his seat, pulling the door shut. He turned the key, and as the car warmed up, the warning lights and bells signaled him to finish his safety steps. He locked his seatbelt pulling his strap tightly, and the left seatbelt bell turned off. The right seatbelt sign was still dinging and flashing and then went silent. The LED stayed on. He looked over to the passenger seat, where he had thrown his book bag. His chest began to ache, as his mind instantly wandered to Alice. He briskly grabbed the bag and threw it on the floor, disengaging the warning signal for the right seat belt. "Oh yeah, it's going to be one of those days," he scoffed grinning resentfully, as he threw the shifter into reverse and launched the car backward, openly annoyed

Everything about the drive to school added to his discontent. It wasn't as if he expected anything different, it was the routine he was used to. People were in a hurry, going about their own personal business. And yet, it always amazed him how irresponsible people are when they are in a hurry. Running stop signs, changing lanes without signaling, tailgating; it all got on his nerves. He really had to get his road rage under control. He wondered why he hadn't gotten used to it after having been driving for a long time now.

Pulling into the parking lot, he could hear the laughing, talking, hollering of anxious students as they prepared to go to class, expelling their early morning chatter, quickly, before they were silenced by required listening. As he approached the student parking area, he watched as the other kids walked in their zigzag patterns. Weaving in and out around the other cars while making their way to the building, they paid little attention to anything going on around them, completely focused on their own agendas. He was suddenly amazed that no one was ever hit by a car.

It was a sunny day, not too hot, not too cold, and morning birds chirped here and there, barely audible over the noisy kids. "Their feigned happiness is just an illusion, they just don't know it yet." He sighed. He watched more closely. As the couples moved past, they laughed, hugged, and gave up little pecking kisses of affection to each other. One couple stopped in front of his car engaged in a lingering kiss. He watched them as the seconds lingered. He began to feel annoyed; an inward anger bloomed in his chest and slowly seeped into limbs, as they openly enjoyed each other's embrace.

Hayden pressed a long blast from his horn. The startle couple jumped back in alarm, but when they realized it was him, they walked away as if nothing had happened, shaking their heads in pity. He could feel the irritation growing and a brooding gloom begin to overtake his tolerance. He didn't care that they were shamelessly groping each other; he just wanted them to go away. A few kids looked over and laughingly scoffed with the regular derogatory comments. He knew that people talked behind his back. Hell, they talked about him while he was there, unconcerned whether or not he could hear them. He also knew some he used to call his friends were nothing but back stabbing jerks, willing to turn on him in a second, and he secretly despised them for it. Hayden removed his shades, tossing them on the console, running his hands over his face and through his hair all in a single movement with his back pressed into his car seat. He tilted his head back and pinched his eyes closed. He needed to get it together before he went into the school or there would be trouble again. He wasn't in the mood for anyone's BS today.

"Alice," her name softly sounded through his mind. He could feel a deep pressure growing in his chest, and the throbbing in his temples pounded a little harder. Hayden put his hand over his heart and tried to hold back an escaping sob. More thoughts of Alice ran through his mind and images of "them," him and Alice were all he could see. He could even remember her smile when they first met.

The thoughts of their time together aggravated the agonizing sorrow. His hand tightened on his chest searching to press the invisible wound shut. Hayden suddenly swung at his air freshener and tore it from his mirror and threw it hard, with frenzied anger out of the window to the ground.

He was aware that as he sat in his unsavory world, students walked by his car and just laughed and thought nothing of it, but he didn't care. He never planned to be the class `head-case', but who does? Their voices became echoes in the back of his mind, meaningless, and the intensity faded. He tried to close his eyes more tightly, as his body became relaxed and his thoughts moved into that quiet space. It was his equanimity process, an exercise he taught himself over time.

"Hey man!"

Hayden about jumped out of his skin when the passenger door flung open, and Leo flopped down in the seat. "Dude, you worry too much," said Leo. Hayden looked over to Leo and made a face.

"Girls are complicated dude. It's not like we're gonna figure them out all at once. It's like a banana split." Hayden looked over to Leo with a confused face.

"A banana split Leo?" Hayden asked with sarcasm.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The Scryingby Joseph R. Valentine Copyright © 2010 by Joseph R. Valentine. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 145202748X
• ISBN 13: 9781452027487
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 216