by Mark Lukens
She looked at the phone on the desk. She thought about calling Shane … she wanted to ask him a question—something important.
But she hesitated, sitting in the chair for a moment.
Kristen had taken over as temporary CEO of her Uncle Nick’s production company. She figured she might not have the same success her uncle had had as a producer, but she would at least try to carry on his legacy.
It had taken months to get her uncle’s will straightened out, but after investigations by the police, by the FBI, by teams of lawyers and doctors, things weren’t getting anywhere. They had dug through the rubble on the island but they had never recovered any of the bodies.
She didn’t think they were ever going to.
Without the body, it tied everything up in probate. It could be that way for years until the courts could rule Nick Gorman dead. At least Nick had wired three million dollars to her savings account before they had left on their little adventure down to Devil’s Island. And he’d had his lawyer draw up a contract making her the CEO of the company in case of any prolonged absence. Of course there were romantic rumors of Nick slipping away to live a peaceful life in some Mexican fishing village, faking his own death. Kristen assured the press that her uncle had died in the collapsed Thornhill Manor, but she knew she could never convince everyone.
The families of Harold Penski and Billy Toomer were suing for wrongful death of course, but they had both signed an ironclad release form and their families weren’t going to win in court. But it was still the beginning of a long and expensive legal battle.
As soon as they had gotten back from the Devil’s Island, Kristen had made sure that each of the team got paid what they had been promised by her uncle … and then some.
They had all talked on the docks that morning as they waited for the boat to come. They had no proof of what had happened there. Nigel still had his battery-powered tape recorder, and Kristen had taken some video on her phone, and Shane had some photos on his digital camera, but altogether it wasn’t much—it wasn’t the proof that the laptops and cameras could’ve been. But as they had seen, things didn’t show up on camera down there so what would they have had anyway but their own stories? Kristen agreed to keep a lid on what had really happened on the island, as did the others. No one would ever believe them anyway. She told the press that her uncle had gone down there to film a documentary and the old building had collapsed, killing him and two others … that was the official story they were all sticking to.
Kristen kept in touch with the others over the last few months.
Warren had gone back to Texas to resume teaching. He had gotten back together with his wife. He had told Kristen in their last phone conversation that his wife had finally forgiven him about their daughter’s death.
“I told her what I saw there on that island,” Warren had told Kristen in a recent phone conversation. “I told her I saw Erin … and that she helped me.”
Kristen hoped everything would work out for him.
Laura went back to live with her aunt in Tennessee, helping her with the money she had received from Nick. The money was enough to get her car fixed and help her aunt out. Kristen had paid off her aunt’s medical bills even though Laura told her it was far too much. It was the least she could do for what Laura had done for them. Laura was gifted, but she didn’t want to pursue her talent. She wanted to go back to her quiet life as an insurance agent. She didn’t want to find things anymore.
Shane’s ghost hunting career had resurged, helped along from rumors about the real reason for Nick Gorman and his crew being down on Devil’s Island. He got a new TV contract (with some help from Kristen), and he was in the middle of writing a new book.
As Shane’s career had begun again, Nigel was ending his. He told Kristen that he couldn’t continue debunking cases of the paranormal in good conscious when he knew deep down inside that there might really be ghosts, spirits, demons—whatever you wanted to call them—in the world. There were things in this world that he couldn’t explain. He had been wrong, he had admitted that, and now he would retire. Kristen had suggested that he team up with Shane, but he just wanted to retire to a property he had purchased in Kent nearly twenty years ago.
Kristen understood Nigel’s reluctance to team up with Shane. Even though she had kept in touch with all of them over these last few months, she knew it wasn’t going to last. They were all going to grow apart until they forgot about each other and hopefully forgot about what had happened at the Thornhill Manor … at Devil’s Island.
She sat there at her uncle’s desk, still staring at the phone on top of it, still thinking about calling Shane. She kept in contact with him almost on a daily basis since she was one of the executive producers of his TV show. He was still in the middle of shooting the shows, on location right now. Hopefully the show would be a big success and they had even talked about Shane ending the season with a visit back to the Cranston House. Maybe they could even do a two hour special.
She and Shane had grown closer over the last few months, nothing too serious yet, but there was a bond between them, the kind of bond formed between two people who have faced terror and trauma together. But it was also that terror and trauma that kept them distanced from each other somewhat.
She wanted to call him and talk to him … she had something she really wanted to ask him. Something had happened to her, and she wondered if something similar had happened to him.
After some pain in her teeth, Kristen had visited her dentist a few weeks ago. She’d had her wisdom teeth pulled several years back because they had given her some problems. But now there was pain where her wisdom teeth used to be. Her dentist informed her that her wisdom teeth were growing back.
How? she’d asked.
Her dentist didn’t know. He’d never heard of it happening before. Actually, her teeth seemed to be growing new and stronger enamel, almost like any cavities or weaknesses were healing themselves.
That got Kristen curious enough to set an appointment with her primary doctor for a full checkup.
Everything was fine.
In fact, everything was more than fine. It was as if her body was healing itself in every way … minor things like her eyesight returning back to 20/20, her metabolism returning to teenage levels, all blood tests perfect.
The only thing she could think of was the water that she and Shane had used to wash the dishes on the island. They had only been exposed to it for a few moments, but what if that water had been from the Fountain of Youth below the manor … or at least some of the water was mixed in with that strange water from the underground stream? Was that slight exposure to that water making her young again? Keeping her from aging? Or would she end up like those monsters she’d seen on the island, still alive a hundred years from now like some living mummy?
She shivered at the thought of it as she stared at the phone, still deciding if she was going to call Shane and ask him if he’d noticed anything strange about his body lately.
But instead, she got up and walked away from the desk. If Shane had experienced something, she was sure he would eventually tell her. After all, it seemed like they had plenty of time to discuss it.
All she might have now is time …
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Thank you so much for reading my book! I hope you enjoyed it.
I have a favor to ask of you. If you could take the time to leave a quick review on Amazon, it would mean so much to me and it could help other readers. Being an author is a dream come true for me, and it only happens because of readers like you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mark Lukens has been writing since the second grade when his teacher called his parents in for a conference because the ghost story he’d written had her a little concerned.
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Since then he’s had several stories published and four screenplays optioned by producers in Hollywood. One script is in development to become a film. He’s the author of many bestselling books including: Ancient Enemy, Darkwind: Ancient Enemy 2, Descendants of Magic, The Summoning, Night Terrors, Sightings, The Exorcist’s Apprentice, What Lies Below, Devil’s Island, The Darwin Effect, Ghost Town: a novella, and A Dark Collection: 12 Scary Stories. He’s a proud member of the Horror Writers Association.
He grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. But after many travels and adventures, he settled down near Tampa, Florida with his wonderful wife and son … and a stray cat they adopted.
He loves to hear from readers! You can find him on Facebook at Mark Lukens Books, and on Twitter @marklukensbooks. You can follow him on his blog at www.marklukensbooks.wordpress.com and he can be reached via e-mail at [email protected]
Ancient Enemy … it wants things and you have to give it what it wants.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00FD4SP8M
Twelve horror stories … one for each month of the year.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00JENAGLC
How do you hide from a psychic serial killer? That’s just what Tara must do as the monster who slaughtered her family has found her again.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00M66IU3U
Four film school students investigate a remote cabin where an alien abduction reportedly took place many years ago … but they encounter much more than they ever could’ve imagined.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00VAI31KW
Ryan wakes up in a motel room with a bag of stolen money, bullet hole scars on his chest, and no memory of his past. His only clue is an address in a small Oregon town where all of the horrifying answers are waiting for him.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNEOHKU
After a tragic accident, seventeen year old Danny goes to live with his father who is an exorcist … but their first case together will reveal mind-blowing secrets that will change Danny’s life forever.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00YYF1E5C
Six strangers wake up in a ghost town where they must figure out the rules in a twisted game before it’s too late.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00LEZRF7G
After suffering from debilitating nightmares, Pam goes back to her father’s estate to uncover the horrifying source of those dreams.
www.amazon.com/dp/B0143LADEY
And please check out my newest book … the sequel to Ancient Enemy.
www.amazon.com/dp/B01K42JBGW