Dark Revelation

by S. E. Myers

  Dark Revelation

  By

  S. E. Myers

  Dark Revelation – © S. E. Myers

  Cover created by Nikki Fortugno

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permissions of the copyright owner of this book.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of this author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  This book is dedicated to my children – Illeana, Gavin, and Kathryn. You are the air that I breathe and an inspiration to my daily life. I love you and thank you for your support.

  Acknowledgements

  This book would not have been possible without the loving and unconditional support of my children, family, and friends.

  I appreciate all the encouragement of my friends and family. I could have never completed this without you. I love you all!

  I would like to thank the following people: Nikki – For creating such an amazing cover. Your creativity and friendship is unending. Cheryl – You are the best friend anyone could ever hope for. Your advice has been invaluable. I love you. My HomEq family – Your support has part of the reason this book is complete. My New Jersey Devils – Need I say more! Brice and Katie – thank you for all of your input and Brice, thank you for your eyes! Mom and Michelle – I love you and miss you every day! Punky and Snoopy – You are my imps!

  Table of Contents

  1 – A tragedy is how it always starts

  2 – Bringing the dead back to life

  3 – In dreams are answers

  4 – A new life… and new beginning?

  5 – Time for a new family

  6 – And now for another introduction

  7 – New year, new school

  8 – All those dirty little secrets

  9 – The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth

  10 – Family history in the making

  11 – Discovering who you really are

  12 – Too late to apologize

  13 - Betrayal

  14 – The death of a twin

  15 – Was it really love?

  16 – It’s a new day, it’s a new you

  17 - Connecting

  18 – What is the truth?

  19 – To find out for one’s self

  20 – The realization of a romance

  21 – To become a tracker

  22 – The journey for lost souls

  23 – Whose fault is it really?

  24 – A sad reunion

  25 – Tom’s Story

  26 – The accident

  27 – Dreams never let you sleep

  28 – The moment when all that didn’t matter disappeared

  29 - Preparations are a witch

  30 – The final battle

  31 – Is this really the end?

  1

  A tragedy is how it always starts

  Her feet pounding on the pavement kept time with the music streaming through her headphones. While her chest burned with each gulping breath, her legs threatened to stop moving, but Ryleigh Simmons didn’t know the meaning of the word quit. Sheer determination flowed through her body and continued to propel her forward. Sweat dripped down her forehead threatening to flood her eyes. Brushing back the droplets and an escaped strand of her ebony hair -- she continued to run.

  This was her daily routine – to get up and run. It helped release the stress that built beneath her quiet exterior. Outwardly, she looked as undisturbed as a secluded pond; however, one stone’s throw could perpetuate an outward ripple that threatened violence. Her father taught her how to release the caged animal inside her through exercise… and running was the way of it.

  Ryleigh had always been a bit of a hot head. From the time she entered social situations with other children, she had a tendency to find trouble. Her overreaction ended up with the other child crying, bleeding, and bruised. Her parents ended up with a concerned phone call. By the time Ryleigh was in third grade, she was made to see a therapist for her outbursts and lack of control or Child Protective Services would have been called. Ryleigh’s father, Tom, knew that the type of therapy offered would do little for his daughter, so, running it was.

  As she ran, he would walk. “It’s for your own good,” he would reassure. At first Ryleigh resisted. She hated it and loathed him. At 8-years old, she would rather play with her dolls than run. As time progressed and she became older, it became a part of her everyday life. Something she couldn’t do without. The more she ran, the calmer she felt, the easier it was to function -- normally. By the time Ryleigh was in 5th grade, her outbursts slowed to a bare trickle as long as she expended the energy that grew from the deep well within her.

  Ryleigh usually woke at five a.m. to run every day. Except today. Today was her seventeenth birthday and she treated herself to an extra hour of sleep. A six a.m. run. She enjoyed the crisp mornings in the New Mexico desert. As the seasons progressed, she witnessed the sun rise in its splendor, changing the colors of the desert to an O’Keeffe painting.

  Prior to living in New Mexico, her family moved around - a lot. Her father’s work moved them often. Promotions, department changes - it didn’t really matter what it was. She also knew that when her mother started baking, it was time to move. Her mother only started to bake when her stress levels peaked. There would be chocolate cakes, cookies, pies for days. Her mother always said that sweets made stress easier. For Ryleigh, running made stress easier. After moving for the umpteenth time in her life to New Mexico, her father promised this would be permanent. It was the last place her family would be moving for a long time.

  Before she knew it, time would fly and she would be ready to head off to college. Ryleigh was looking forward to the coming summer before the start of her senior year.

  This summer her family would vacation in Yosemite. They were planning a two week camping trip. Just the three of them. Ryleigh was excited and her father had begged the time off work specifically to spend with the family. He was almost always gone and usually it was Ryleigh and her mom alone all the time.

  Ryleigh’s mind drifted to what she would do during their two week hiatus. She was definitely looking forward to the campfire S’mores. Rounding the block to her house on Ashford Drive, she saw her father’s car in the driveway.

  She waved to her dad as he erupted into a large smile, “There’s my girl.” Tom Simmons blue eyes shone with excitement. He was proud of the woman his daughter was becoming. Father and daughter looked alike. Raven hair, fair complexion – the only difference between them was their eye color. While his were a bright blue, hers were sea foam green. Ryleigh stopped short of him jogging in place and breathing heavily, “I didn’t…expect you…home so early!” Ryleigh said in between breaths.

  “Yeah, I got an early flight out today. Gotta get ready for our trip tomorrow!” her father said enveloping her sweaty body in a tight hug.

  “Ugh! Dad!” Ryleigh exclaimed pushing him back and smoothing down her clothes. “I am so disgusting right now.” Tom laughed. His laugh was a musical belly laugh that shook his slender body. Ryleigh laughed with him and they w
alked into their house.

  “Honey! I’m home!” Tom announced. Adrianne, Ryleigh’s mother, came out from the kitchen. She was already up trying to figure out the menu for the camping trip.

  “Tom! I am so glad you are home!” Ryleigh’s parents embraced warmly. Ryleigh rolled her eyes and walked upstairs, “I am getting in the shower while you two lovebirds become reacquainted. Yuck.” She could hear soft laughter behind her as she went up the stairs to her room to change.

  In the shower, Ryleigh used the time to think. She didn’t have a lot of friends that she kept in touch with from the places that she lived in before. She didn’t have much of any social life to be honest. She spent most of her time immersed in books, movies, and video games. That was her lifestyle.

  She did have one friend. One friend that she made once she moved New Mexico. Cyrus Davidson. Tall, blonde, lanky, mildly good looking. He was her neighbor and he was her only friend. During the time that they lived next door to each other, which was the last six months, their friendship blossomed into a lifetime bond. She knew that he had romantic intentions toward her, but she didn’t want to ruin the friendship she had with him. Besides, she never had a boyfriend. Ever. Never kissed anyone. She’d never even had a best friend. Not that she could remember. Not for her whole life.

  The streaming hot water was comforting to Ryleigh. Never once had she ever taken anything other than a hot shower. She wasn’t sure why the warmth comforted her so much. She knew that she never wanted to live in a cold climate. The time they lived in Canada was the worst experience of her life. It was so cold she couldn’t move. Her father transferred after only a few months of living there. That’s when they moved to New Mexico and resigned to only living in warm states.

  Done with the shower, Ryleigh threw on her favorite pair of well-worn jeans, black t-shirt, and purple flannel. She quickly ran downstairs to go hang out with Cyrus. He’d just bought a new game and wanted to play co-op. She stopped short when she saw her mom and dad in deep conversation. A funny feeling traveled her spine and she had an inkling they were talking about her. Her mom spotted her and sat up from the couch. “Ryleigh honey, what are you plans for the day?” her mother asked.

  “I’m just going over to Cy’s to hang out. We’re going to play this new game that he picked up at midnight last night that we’ve been waiting for forever.” Her mom nodded, “Okay, just don’t melt your brain!” A familiar phrase Ryleigh heard time and time again while playing video games. Her mother consistently played the concerned parent when Ryleigh became too involved with technology. Of any form. Ryleigh nodded and ran out the back door cutting around the side of the house.

  Cyrus’s house was a refuge away from home. She enjoyed being over there as much as she possibly could. His house was the mirror floor plan of hers including his room. Coming around the front of the house and hopping over the short fence that divided their front yard she noticed him sitting on his front porch.

  “Thought you weren’t going to make it today, Ry,” Cyrus harassed Ryleigh often. “And miss kicking your butt? Yeah, right!” Cyrus called Ryleigh ‘Ry’ and Ryleigh called him ‘Cy’. They found it funny that their nicknames rhymed. The Ry and Cy show. Ryleigh and Cyrus headed into the house. She waved at his mom, Shirley, as they headed up to his room. “Keep that door open!” she called up to them knowing that nothing would ever happen between the two. “I will mom!” Cyrus called down.

  The pair headed into his room and he cracked the door behind him and plopped into the twin bean bags in front of his small entertainment system.

  “I am still jealous of the set up you have here,” Ryleigh mentioned. Her father refused to put a television in her room fearing he would never see his daughter emerge. It was bad enough he allowed her to have her laptop in her room with the amount of time that she spent on it. Her father wanted real interaction with his daughter.

  “Don’t be jealous Ry, it was a buyoff from my mom because of how my dad left,” Cy remarked.

  “I know Cy, I know. I remember.” A short time after Ryleigh moved next door, Cy’s dad, Rodney, disappeared in the middle of the night. It was shocking news when he left his family. There wasn’t any explanation, no note, not even a phone call.

  Ryleigh reached over to comfort her friend. As they embraced, Cyrus’s body stiffened, as if each muscle in his body convulsed at the same time. He then relaxed into her arms. Ryleigh could feel a tingling sensation pulsate over her skin and her heart started to beat faster. She wasn’t sure what to do and attempted to break the hug but Cyrus leaned into her more deeply. Ryleigh jumped up immediately. Cyrus looked at her with his eyes glazed over and a goofy grin.

  “What are you doing?” she asked him. He looked at her blankly for a moment. Regaining his composure as confusion masked his face he asked, “Wha-? What just happened?”

  “I’m- I’m not sure, but maybe you need to get a drink of water or something.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, maybe you’re right.” He agreed standing up slowly. He made his way to the bathroom to get a drink of water giving Ryleigh a moment to think about what happened. Ryleigh was a little nervous and self-conscious. The urgency to leave pressed against her. She didn’t want Cy to think that it was because of him so she restrained herself to stay for a little while. She decided that she would make an excuse to go back home after a while. He was her best friend after all.

  Cy opened the bathroom door, “You know, I’m actually feeling a little sick. Can we play this when you get back? I promise I will wait.”

  Ryleigh was a little hurt and yet a little relieved at the same time, “Yeah, that’s fine. I have to pack anyway.” Ryleigh got up to walk out of the room and Cyrus went to grab her hand. Ryleigh jumped back. Afraid of the contact, she stumbled over the bean bag falling backward landing on the floor. Cyrus just stood there staring at Ryleigh.

  “Are you okay?” he stammered.

  “Mhmm, I’m fine. Just, uh, let me get up.” Ryleigh pushed herself up from the floor avoiding touching Cyrus at all cost. “I promise I’ll call you as soon as I get back.”

  “Sounds good Ry.”

  “Hey, if you do play while I’m gone, don’t spoil it for me, ‘k?”

  “Alright,” he replied meekly, “Take care of yourself. And – Happy Birthday.”

  Ryleigh ran almost panicking from Cyrus’s house to her own. She sped through the door and up the stairs before her parents could ascertain what was going on. Slamming her door she threw herself onto her bed burying her face into her pillow trying to understand what just happened.

  A soft knock on the door was followed by her mother’s concern, “Ryleigh? Is everything okay?” “Yeah mom, I’m fine. It’s just - Cy isn’t feeling so great, so we are going to hang out when we get back from camping.”

  There was a short muffled conversation between her mom and dad behind the door. Ryleigh sat up on the side of her bed and walked to the door pressing her ear into the wood attempting to hear the whispers of her parents curious to know what they might have found out already about her little encounter.

  “We should leave today,” she could hear her mother telling her dad. “It’s happening already.”

  “Alright, let me see what I can do and we’ll go.”

  Ryleigh opened her door fiercely, “Why do we need to leave today? I thought we were going to leave tomorrow?”

  Her parents looked at her as if they were willing the words to come for an explanation. She could see it in their eyes. The words were there to give her a clue but she wasn’t picking it up.

  Her dad was the first to speak, “When we get to the campsite we will talk. There is so much that we need to tell you.” Ryleigh’s confusion was apparent as her facial features told the story. Her bright green eyes flashed with hurt and betrayal. They were always honest with each other and never kept secrets. But it seemed as if her parents were keeping a secret so huge it would take a trip away from civilization for them to finally clue her in. Adrianne reached out to embrace her daug
hter. Ryleigh flinched and turned away from her skulking back inside her room. She thought about slamming the door in her parents face for good measure. Just so they could understand exactly how she was feeling.

  “We are going to leave in a few hours,” her mother advised, “Your dad and I will pack the car. You need to make sure you have everything ready to go. One last count for all items.” Ryleigh contained the scream building inside her and allowed only a single tear to make its escape. She grabbed her mp3 player, jammed the ear buds in her ears, and blasted the comforting melodic tones of her latest crush.

  Ryleigh’s bags were already stacked at the end of her vanity. She resigned herself to go through her bags and repack them once more. Going through her things and listening to her music kept her emotions in check. She used a methodical approach to the situation. She didn’t allow for immature emotions to bubble up. Her father taught her that. If she didn’t control her anger - things could get out of control. So instead, she concentrated on something else. The run that morning helped to ebb the emotional runoff, but she still had to work on suppressing it.

  It took Ryleigh about an hour to continue going through her backpacks. She was bringing two normal sized backpacks and one large bag. “Preparation is in the details” is what her father always said. She had a checklist that she created to double and triple check all items were accounted for. Her family could not be faulted for lack of organization. They moved so many times they developed the habit of checklists to verify everything was where it needed to be and also to ensure things got done the way they needed to be done.

  Ryleigh headed downstairs with her bags and stopped at the bottom. She could hear her parents muffled voices in the garage. She couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling that the conversation was about her.

  The moment Ryleigh entered the garage the conversation stopped. The truck bed was packed with all the camping gear, waiting for the remaining personal items. Family camping was a ritual that they loved. Nature was a second home to her family. It didn’t matter where, not really, they’d even camped in the desert from time to time. But this time, the mountains called to them.