by Stormi Lewis
Chapter 21
C larice wasn’t sure what was happening. All she knew was she needed to lay down. She staggered down the hallway in desperate need of her bed. Clarice felt like she had suddenly been drugged but knew better.
She fumbled with the doorknob before pushing the door open and falling face first into her bed. She weakly rolled onto her back as her body quickly grew several degrees too hot. She closed her eyes to calm down her senses, but when she opened them, she found a wooden door.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Clarice yelled angrily into the darkness. She stopped immediately when she heard her father’s voice talking to someone on the other side. “What the hell?” she muttered, as she reached out to open the door….
Sophie had no idea that she had passed out in the taxi. All she knew was that she was surrounded by darkness with no wooden door before her. A wicked laugh started to rumble before her. She had an idea of who the unpleasant owner was. She took a deep breath and began walking towards the voice that was taunting her.
“You can’t!” she heard her mini me cry, grabbing Sophie by the hand and pulling her back. The little girl stood with her long red hair swinging in a ponytail, and her training clothes on. Her eyes remained glaring and focused on the laughter ahead of them.
“The kid’s right,” said the teenage version of herself, standing before her with shorter red hair, black combat attire, and her arms crossed defensively in front of her chest. She, too, glared over her shoulder at the sound taunting Sophie to come to it.
“Something’s not right,” teenage Sophie said flatly.
Sophie rarely saw both versions of herself before her and knew that if they were, whatever lie ahead, was definitely not going to be good.
“He’s not going to stop,” she declared to them before starting to walk on.
Teenage Sophie stuck her hand out and held onto Sophie’s shoulder, not taking her eyes off of whatever was before them. “This isn’t the way,” she said shaking her head. “This won’t end well for us,” she said staring Sophie down with a pleading look.
“We can’t,” begged the little girl as she tugged on Sophie’s hand violently and shook her head no.
Sophie looked wildly between them. “He’s getting stronger. We have to do this now,” she said in a motherly voice. “We’re more prepared,” she added.
“Not for this,” the little girl warned.
Sophie yanked her hand out of her grasp. “I’m doing this,” she said firmly.
“We can’t go with you then,” teenage Sophie stated flatly. The little girl looked at her as if she had gone mad. “She’s going regardless. We need to stay safe,” teenage Sophie shrugged and stepped aside.
Sophie nodded at them and continued on blindly.
“You won’t win this way!” she heard the little girl plead, but Sophie was tired of running and continued on.
The laughter grew louder as she grew closer. Suddenly, a presidential sized wooden desk was before Sophie with a large red leather chair turned with its back to her. She saw a wooden door to the left of her, which gave her little comfort at the moment, but comfort all the same to see the familiar image.
“Nice of you to finally join me,” the old man hissed with excitement oozing from his voice.
“Visiting and joining are two different things,” Sophie said boldly.
“Interesting point of view,” the old man laughed as he spun his chair around to face her.
Sophie did not react to the half-scared face like everyone else. In fact, it appeared to not faze her at all. Interesting, he thought to himself.
“We have much to discuss, you and I,” the old man stated as his left side curled up into a wicked smile.
“I seriously doubt that,” Sophie heard her mother announce, before stepping in front of her daughter, and holding her arms out to prevent her from getting any closer.
“Jess,” the old man sneered.
“Algos,” Jess growled back.
Sophie’s temperature rose as she felt her mother’s energy against her.
“I think we’re missing someone, aren’t we?” Algos asked casually.
Sophie heard the doorknob turn and jerked her head to see who was coming as her stomach began to churn nervously. But the person who entered wasn’t at all who Sophie was expecting.
Clarice nearly fell through the door. She looked around the room clearly not aware of where she was or what was happening. Her head bounced back between the old man and Jess.
“Now the family’s all here!” Algos clapped and smiled the same way he did after pushing his little brother into his death.
“Not quite,” Jack said stepping in next to Sophie and wrapping his arm around her waist tightly.
“Family?” Sophie asked feeling vomit threating to come up through her throat.
Algos crossed his arms in annoyance. “Jack,” he muttered.
“What do you want?” Jess demanded cutting into Sophie’s confusion.
“I have every right to talk to my granddaughter,” Algos stated flatly.
“What?” Sophie whispered weakly as her head began to quickly spin out of control.
“Yes, Dear,” Algos smiled. “You belong to me,” he said with pride.
“She belongs to no one,” Jack declared, but squeezed Sophie trying to keep her grounded at the alarming announcement.
“Oh, but doesn’t she?” Algos said tilting his head and hauntingly inspecting Sophie as if she was suddenly a new test subject for him. His eyes were dark, dilated, and soulless.
“What the hell?” Clarice asked, trying to figure out how she managed to be caught in such a horrible dream. She looked to Jess for answers, but Jess never took her eyes off of her father.
“You can’t have her!” Jess demanded as she fought to keep the animal in her in check.
Sophie’s body temperature began to increase to the point of being unbearable. She could feel the anger emanating from her mother, and it was scorching.
Algos laughed the laugh of a predator.
“I already have her,” he hissed at Jess and went to take a step forward.
Clarice froze, unable to move. She began desperately gasping for air as some unknown invisible creature seemed to have grabbed her by the throat and was trying to crush her windpipe. Algos paid her no attention and began striding towards Sophie.
“Not this time!” Jack declared and pushed his hand on his daughter’s forehead forcing her spiraling into darkness.
Sophie did not see what happened to her parents. She did not see what happened to Clarice or Algos. She shocked everyone as she sat up inhaling as much oxygen as she could force into her lungs.
“I know who he is,” Sophie gasped.
“Who?” Ben demanded as they rushed to get closer to her.
“My grandfather,” Sophie breathed out. “Clarice is my aunt.”
Then Sophie’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body began to seize.
“Ben!” she heard James scream as he yanked Sophie’s convulsing body into his arms.
“Hold her down!” she heard Ben order.
“She’s going to bite her tongue off!” Tina yelled as Sophie felt someone pry her mouth open to shove something hard into it.
“What’s wrong?” she heard James demanded furiously.
“I don’t know!” she heard Ben scream back in frustration.
Sophie felt her body temperature continue to rise as she convulsed on the bed. She heard her friends cry out to her. She felt their tears as they fell onto her skin.
Someone picked her up and put her into freezing water. Most likely trying to lower her temperature as quickly as possible. Sophie heard the water splash violently around her. Then the darkness took her and swallowed her completely.
Sophie felt the life slowly leave her physical body. She felt her lungs fill up with what felt like water as she slowly drowned in nothingness. She couldn’t move no matter how hard she tried. She screamed, but nothing came out as she con
tinued to fall deeper and deeper.
Suddenly, she hit the ground hard with a thud.
“Ugh,” Sophie grunted when she landed.
She attempted to open her eyes and see where she was. An image floated before her out of focus, then she finally saw the child version of Eddie sitting on the ground staring at her curiously.
“Do you want to play a game?” the little boy asked innocently. “Chess is my favorite….”
Dead Draw
Book Three of the Sophie Lee Trilogy
Coming Fall 2021
Dead Draw
Sophie was barely breathing. Ben grew pale as he checked her vitals.
“She’s barely got a pulse,” he whispered.
“We need to get her to the hospital!” James called out in panic.
“No,” Tina ordered. “If he hasn’t found her yet, he will definitely find her there. She won’t stand a chance,” she whispered softly as she stared at her friend.
“What do you mean if he hasn’t found her yet?” Ben asked his wife in alarm.
Tina remained silent.
“What do you know?” James quickly challenged.
“I don’t know anything,” Tina lied still staring at Sophie’s barely breathing body.
“What. Do. You. Know?!” James demanded.
Before Tina could respond, her eyes rolled back, and her knees buckled under her. Ben raced to catch his wife before she fully hit the ground.
“What the hell is going on?” Ben yelled looking at James with wild eyes, but James was too busy stumbling to the bed to catch himself before he fell into his own dark spell. “A little help here!” Ben yelled in frustration at the ceiling. There was no reply.
Tina opened her eyes to a wooden door. Her stomach jumped, and she put a protective hand over it.
“You’re safe,” she heard Jess assure. “Please open it.”
Tina took a deep breath and pushed open the door. She shielded her eyes as they adjusted to the flooding white light around her.
“Hello, Tina,” Jess whispered with a smile. She sat on a couch, in the middle of what looked like a log cabin living room warming up to a fire.
“Jessica,” Tina replied nervously.
“I’m not here to harm you,” Jess assured. “But we do need to talk,” she said in her motherly voice. “Come,” Jess said patting the cushion next to her. “Have a seat.”
Tina hesitated, but made her way to the couch and took a seat.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with her,” she blurted out.
“I know,” Jess whispered softly. “This isn’t about Sophie. This is about you.”
Tina looked at her in panic, unsure of what she already knew. Jess kept her gaze directed towards the fireplace and gave a heavy sigh.
“Motherhood is both a glorious and difficult journey,” Jess started slowly.
Tina tried desperately to swallow the panic forming in her throat.
“We do what we can to keep our children safe,” Jess continued softly. “Even if that means making choices others don’t understand,” she added looking Tina straight in the eyes.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tina lied looking into the fire.
“You will be forced to choose a side, unfortunately,” Jess continued as if Tina hadn’t responded. “We understand you have to choose what is best for you,” she said still staring Tina down. “We won’t think less of you either way. But they do deserve to know.”
Tina looked at Jess as her eyes quickly filled with tears.
“We need to save Sophie,” Tina said with great determination. “It will do no good to know the mistakes I’ve made. It will only distract them.”
Jess’ heartbreak showed through her eyes. She reached out and gently put her hand on Tina’s thigh.
“Your secrets are safe with us, but they still need to know,” Jess shared.
“My life can’t be saved,” Tina said looking guilty as she stared at the floor.
Jess tilted her head suddenly at the girl who had already condemned herself to sacrifice before her.
“You fight for my daughter,” Jess said with authority. “Therefore, we fight for you.”
“Clarice is your sister?” Tina asked looking at Jess in shock.
Jess took to staring back at the fire as Tina watched her attempt to blink away the heartache in her eyes.
“You can’t save everyone,” Jess sighed. “But you can always try,” she added with a weary smile.
Jess jerked her head quickly to stare into Tina’s soul once more.
“A mother should always put her child first,” she said firmly.
Tina understood what Jess was saying. She knew what Jess wanted her to do.
“I will tell them,” Tina resigned. “Together, we will save Sophie so she can save us all. With as little casualties as possible,” she added as she put her hand over Jess’. Tina felt Jess squeeze her leg slightly as her body swelled up with comfort and love.
“So, tell me about this dreamcatcher theory you have,” Jess said with a knowing smile.
Tina looked horrified, then shook her head and laugh.
“I don’t know if it’s a theory, really,” Tina sighed.
“You’re the smartest person I have come across in my lifetime,” Jess said smiling with encouragement. “That says a lot since I’m still existing amongst the living,” she added with a wink. “Walk me through it.”
Tina grabbed the paper and pencil that appeared on the table next to her. She began to scribble and describe to Jess the images that came to her last night.
“That’s interesting,” Jess said once Tina was finished, deep in thought. “Why do you think Sophie needs this?”
“Do you not know?” Tina asked in surprise.
“Know what?” Jess questioned; not sure she was ready for the answer.
“Sophie thinks he has found a way to access her mind and control her,” Tina replied hesitantly.
Fear flooded Jess’ eyes, and panic filled her heart and lungs.
“No,” she whispered so softly, even Tina barely heard her.
“I thought you knew,” Tina gasped in panic.
“We knew he was pushing in,” Jess breathed out. “We didn’t know he could get control.”
Jess grabbed her stomach and began gasping desperately for air to get into her lungs. Tina grabbed Jess by the arms.
“Breathe!” Tina ordered her.
“We can’t find her,” Jess started to sob. “Her life is too low.” She violently shook her head and scrambled out of Tina’s arms.
“What does that mean?” Tina asked as fear began to paralyze her.
Jess backed herself up against a wall.
“Jess! What. Does. That. Mean?” Tina demanded.
“We thought she turned herself off,” Jess chocked out.
“Maybe she did!” Tina offered in desperation.
Jess looked at Tina, making Tina shiver to her core. It was like she could see the insanity take control over Jess, and Sophie’s mother was no longer present.
“He’s done it,” Jess whispered as she slid slowly down the wall. She held out her hand as a light shoved Tina through to the other side of the door.
Tina woke up gasping for air, and Ben grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in panic, but Tina couldn’t breathe.
She looked desperately at the only person that was going to be able to save them all. Tina grabbed Sophie’s limp hand and placed it over her belly as she sobbed uncontrollably for the life that was going to be sacrificed before she ever got to hold it.
Acknowledgements
The Sophie Lee Trilogy would never have existed if it hadn’t been for several people in my life. My mother, for putting the original seed of writing a fiction book into my crazy head. It was her comment that I later mentioned to Shyera McCollough when I was so desperate to find balance in a world that was quickly spiraling out of control due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
When discussing possible writing topics, I mentioned a story that had been started and never finished in middle school. I laughed telling her that my mother mentioned that my writing draws people in and I could be like Nora Roberts with a fiction novel. She was immediately invested and insisting that this story needed to be told.
Once a few pages were written, I shared it with my friend, Mario. He insisted it needed to be a trilogy. I couldn’t believe he thought it was going to last that long when it wasn’t even a full chapter yet! However, the thought intrigued me way too much to pass it up.
I found myself leaving “Easter Eggs” for what I envisioned to come as Sophie continued her journey. Writing The Key allowed me to have another thing to bond over with my father. He was the first to read the rough draft of The Key with my mother a close second. Before I knew it, my mother was offering up ideas to wrap up the trilogy with The Key not even being finalized yet! Thus, my parents quickly became my creative
writing team.
When it was time to get started on The Protector, we sat around the dining room table and tossed around ideas and what I was stuck on. It is truly a blessing to have such a supportive team for my current journey. I love that my father is still sending me text messages of their ideas that never stop flowing!
You, my readers, also keep me going. I wasn’t sure if you were going to love the story as much as I did, but you eagerly proved me wrong! At first, your excitement was a little overwhelming. It made me want to write an even better second book. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
This story took an unexpected turn, as usual when the story is writing itself. I found myself diving deeper into the world that Jack and Jess remain to keeps Sophie safe. The world Algos wants to crumble in order to gain total control of Sophie and her abilities. This new inspiration is thanks to the OG Storm Chaser.
It is a difficult journey to be on when the person that supported you the most is slipping before your very eyes. The woman that never hesitated to tell me how proud of me she was and how much she loved me now has a time clock that seems to be running out quicker and quicker as the days pass. I strongly believe that loved ones never truly leave us when they pass on to another plane, but I wasn’t quite ready to be done hearing her stories or praises.