Semblance

by Logan Patricks

  “Oh yes brother, your love for Aria was programmed into your little walnut brain. Naturally when I brought Aria Valencia to your birthday party and had her play the piano for you, you immediately gravitated towards her. The desire for the Golden Virgin was too strong to resist. So when it came time to choose your life partner, you defied all logic and reason and you chose Aria. It was an artificial true love at first sight, and it pissed the hell out of everyone.

  “If there’s one thing the mindless sheep in the Midnight Society respect, it’s tradition. They’re afraid of anything new and revolutionary. Your decision to have a commoner join the ranks of our prestigious organization was a massive slap in the face. Everyone was already unimpressed by your utter disregard for the responsibilities of being the Midnight Society’s leader, spending every waking second trying to solve the mystery of mom and dad’s gruesome murder.

  “But don’t worry Shadow, with the way things turned out, you’re no longer burdened with the responsibility of leading a powerful secret society. I am.

  “I know, you’re probably thinking that I must be the greatest sister in the world for taking on this heavy burden of leading all these idiots and assholes, but don’t worry. I’ll do it for your benefit. As of this moment the Midnight Society ceases to exist, and instead is replaced by the Order of the Revenant—named after that beautiful flower I was talking about.

  “Presently the first step of your cleansing should be complete. Everything you own has been stripped away from you. The estate and all your money now belong to me. Your best friend Lincoln—who mistakes my vagina for a heart—should be dead; though I’m sure he’ll surprise me and find a way to survive. It’s the nature of a cockroach.

  “By now, you would have also killed your new love, Aria, and chose to save your loving sister from having her throat slit by…your loving sister. It’s irony at its finest isn’t it?

  “You have nothing left Shadow, nothing. You are now ready to go out into the harsh nature of the jungle alone, to be hunted by the predators. Every single cop in the country will be coming after your ass. After all, you just killed a prominent senator, along with a wealthy Japanese businessman and a devoted black Christian as well—well the prints on the gun from my rigged game said you did. Oh yes Shadow, the game was rigged. There was no way for you to lose, especially since pistols given to Brevin and James were tampered with.

  “Welcome to the beginning of your rebirth Shadow. I anticipate you’ll be searching for the Revenants, and more specifically, me. I can’t wait to see you again brother, however don’t be sad if I have to kill you, because only then can you truly be reborn.”

  I watched in confusion as tears began to stream down Calisto’s face. She truly was a psychopath.

  “Goodbye Shadow, with all my love.”

  The video ended and we stood on the helipad in complete silence, bathed by the morning sun. I could only imagine what was going through Shadow’s head, and what bleak emotions he was feeling.

  As for me, my heart was breaking into a thousand pieces at the revelation that Shadow’s love for me was engineered by Calisto for her twisted little game.

  We were not meant to be; the video made that abundantly clear. My life had been manipulated by Calisto for her personal game and if it weren’t for her brainwashing of Shadow, he would have never given me a second glance.

  “So what now?” Lincoln asked; his voice cracking.

  The tablet fell from Shadow’s hands and smashed onto the ground. He turned to me and was about to say something. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to hear it.

  Sometimes you could read a person’s face and just know that the news wasn’t going to be good.

  “Aria, I don’t-” he began, but I shook my head and cut him off.

  “Whatever you want to say, don’t say it,” I said. “If it will break my heart, please just don’t say it.”

  Shadow paused for a moment, and then nodded. That nod felt like a bullet tearing through me. I wanted him to tell me that he would never break my heart, that the love we shared was real and had nothing to do with Calisto’s sick, twisted games.

  But he didn’t. He nodded.

  “I’m lost Shadow,” Lincoln said. “For the first time in a long time, I have no idea what to do.”

  Shadow turned to him. “I’ll tell you what we’re going to do Lincoln. We’re going to rebuild the Midnight Society,” he said with a fiery resolution. “And then I’m going to find my sister and kill her.”

  Lincoln closed his eyes for a brief moment, and when they opened again, he wore the same determination on his face as Shadow had.

  I had nothing to offer, feeling like I had no place here with them--no place in Shadow’s heart anymore. I turned and began to walk away but it was Lincoln--not Shadow that called my name.

  “It’s safer staying here with us,” he said.

  I looked at Shadow, but he didn’t look at me. His thoughts were elsewhere.

  Memories of the past three weeks flashed like snapshots. Twenty-one short days and the life I knew had been obliterated. I hated Calisto more than the cancer that stole my father away from me.

  Shadow wanted to find his sister and kill her, but he’d have to get in line.

  End

  Final Thoughts

  Thank you.

  A writer without readers is like a sad clown holding a broken umbrella in the rain during a thunderstorm. The fact that you made it to this page means that you’re a reader--not just a one-click book addict (nothing wrong it you are).

  Semblance was a tough one to write because I wrote much of this book on the train ride to work and I struggled to keep nosy readers from staring at my screen while writing the words “nipples” and “erection.”

  If at any point in this book you swooned, blushed, gasped, cringed, cried, locked yourself in the bathroom to read more, and stayed up to the wee hours of the morning finding out how Semblance would end, I did my job as a writer. I graciously ask for you to:

  a) Leave me a wonderful review on Amazon so I get motivated to get book two of the Midnight Society out faster. (Seriously positive reviews are like power ups for me).

  b) Sign up for my EXCLUSIVE GUEST LIST and be the first to hear about new releases and get exclusive sneak previews as well receive some cool swag!

  c) Tell your friends about Semblance so you can speculate what happens in book 2 of the Midnight Society series together. (Reading shouldn’t be a lonely hobby. Save that for writing).

  d) Say hi to me on my blog, twitter, and facebook so I can share with you all the details about the Midnight Society series while I write it, as well as providing you self-depreciating stories about my bizarro life.

  e) Listen to the song Breathless (yes it’s a real song written by myself) on the piano!

  f) Join the Midnight Society facebook page and hang out with some super awesome people. P.S. I stalk it quite often and provide some teasers!

  Dedications and Acknowledgements

  This book is dedicated to the two most beautiful girls in the world. Waking up to you lovely ladies every morning is a joy--despite me having to change poopy diapers for one of you.

  There are many individuals as well who helped shape this book as well as spread the word of its existence. To my lovely beta readers Ms. Gabi Daniels and Ms. Kristin Zika, thank you for all your efforts in shaping this book, pointing out that “checkered shirts” on men aren’t in fashion (ugh there goes my wardrobe), and reassuring me that the direction I went with this book was perfect. You two ladies eased a lot of my fears and gave me the confidence to keep on going.

  To my editor Shawna, who helped me fix a lot of stupid mistakes (such as writhing and screaming instead of writing and screaming--though there was a lot of the latter) as well as pointing out when I crossed the line that sometimes I just can’t see.

  To Danielle Young over at Consuming Worlds for being the first to share the cover of Semblance to the world.

  To my lovely wife who sat on the k
itchen table performing manual labor formatting my book. I love you.

  And finally to my daughter, who just crapped herself. I love you more than you can ever imagine and I will write you that young adult fantasy book very soon, just so you can read something of mine that’s rated PG. I better change your diaper right now before the poop spreads up your back....

  The Midnight Society

  Book Two: Coming Spring 2014

  I closed my eyes for fifteen seconds and listened to the rain splattering against the tin roof of the old abandoned theatre and for a brief moment, it almost sounded like applause coming from the empty seats before me; old ghosts from a past life, worshipping me for the woman I once was.

  However it didn’t take long before the image of my best friend burning alive to slither its way into my memories.

  It killed me--absolutely killed me.

  Lincoln repeatedly told me it wasn’t my fault, but he wasn’t there to know that my failure as a pianist--the only thing I was good at--cost Justin his life.

  The person who was there to share that horrific experience with me has hardly said two words to me since we escaped from the Inferno hotel--a place where we all suffered the wrath of the evil bitch’s twisted mind fuck.

  In the span of a single night, Shadow had undergone a metamorphosis: from being my passionate lover to a silent stranger.

  I felt as welcome as constipation, and I just couldn’t understand why? So what if he was brainwashed into loving me? The love was still real, or at least I thought it was, so how could he throw it all away so easily?

  I wanted to reach out to Shadow and have him tell me why I deserved his ‘get lost’ attitude.

  For fuck’s sake, I went down on him--that at least bought me one sentence from Shadow didn’t it? I deserved to know why he went from loving me to hating me so suddenly.

  “There’s a piano hidden behind some of the junk on the stage Aria.” Lincoln’s warm voice dispersed the dark fog that clouded my thoughts.

  I turned around to see him standing there in a form fitting t-shirt and faded jeans instead of his usual business suit. He smiled at me, that boyish grin of his which tried to tell me everything was fine. However his tired eyes told a different story--he had gone to hell and back.

  Be the first to hear about Book Two of the Midnight Society’s release as well as receive and exclusive sneak preview in the near future by joining Logan’s Exclusive Guest List:

  Join Logan’s Exclusive Guest List Now!

  Also by Logan Patricks

  The Last Sin of Snow White (An Erotic Short Fairytale)

  There’s no such thing as happily ever after, a cruel lesson that Snow White learns after a century of misery. Never one to miss out on an opportunity in tempting a weary soul, Lucifer offers Snow a mysterious gift to ease her emotional suffering. However deals with the Devil often come at a high price, one that Snow might be unwilling to pay.

  Purchase this 30 page erotic short story and join our beloved Snow White in an emotionally damaged fairy tale.

  PURCHASE LAST SIN OF SNOW WHITE ON AMAZON NOW!

  Shadow of Wrath

  In the Arena, you’re either a killer or a victim.

  A homeless boy--starving and desperate--is kidnapped from the city streets and forced to fight in gladiator matches for the pleasures of sick and twisted criminals. Renamed Dog, the boy discovers that in order to survive, he must transform himself into a violent and cold-blooded killer.

  Can Allegra, a slave to the Arena, save Dog before he loses his humanity, his soul, and ultimately his life? Or will she also become a victim to the Arena’s cruel master?

  The Arena turns everyone into sinners.

  Praise for Shadow of Wrath

  “Shadow of Wrath is by far one of the best books I have read this year” - All in One Place

  * * *

  “One of the most evil villains I have EVER read in a book...this book was addictive.”- Novels on the Run. *

  “Mindblowing, disturbing and thrilling! Hunger Games fans beware!” - Books, DIY’s and Randomness. *

  PURCHASE SHADOW OF WRATH ON AMAZON NOW!

  About the Author

  Logan discovered both love and heartbreak at the tender age of seven, when the pretty little blue-eyed girl next door stole his kit-kat bar and shared it with the bad boy from across the street. Devastated, Logan found solace by escaping into the imaginary worlds he forged with his words, creating kingdoms where chivalrous knight always got the princess.

  Twenty three years later, Logan spends his days in a suit and tie, working for the government on matters of network security. However his thoughts never strayed too far from the incendiary nature of love -- the passionate fire that's both scintillating and dangerous. Obsessed with exploring the steamy and mysterious side of human nature, Logan continues to create worlds filled with thrills, mystery, and of course, sex.

  Author's Note:

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via Internet or any other means without permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Published By: Strange Crow Publications

  Copyright © 2013 Logan Patricks

  All rights reserved.