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DARKNESS ECHOES ANTHOLOGY
Book 1: Till Death Do Us Part by L.A. Starkey
Jennifer and Zach have been best friends since birth, but as their senior year approaches, things change drastically. With little time left to reveal her heart before college, Jen plans a night to remember at the old haunted Vandercamp Mansion for Zach's birthday. It's just to be the two of them, and no one was to know, but upon arrival, they realizes that their presence was expected. Their connection is forged as realization of their past is granted. A love that stands outside of time and space will not rest - Til Death Do Us Part.
Book 2: Witch Moth by Kelly Hall
Dominic Dane has endured his sister Dahlia’s evil deeds for decades while the two serve out their hundred year punishment, but when she threatens to use his new-found crush as her Halloween sacrifice, he realizes she’ll never change. Promising Kitty he will stop at nothing to save her and her friends, Dominic is forced to explain his curse, revealing it’s not just Dahlia who must kill to survive.
Book 3: The Coming of the Skin Walker by D.E.L. Connor
When warriors Walking Bear and Nine Fingers rescue amnesia-ridden Lina from the clutches of the immortal Skin Walker they must flee on a harrowing journey where ancient Native American secrets and mysticism unfold, innocence is lost, and the forever bonds of love and friendship are tested.
Book 4: Lantern, by Chess Desalls
Five days before Halloween, all sixteen-year-old Tori has on her mind is vacationing with her family and scoring lots of candy. Her grandmother’s estate, with its Gothic spires and trails that lead out to the woods, holds an unexpected secret: a lantern that lights up for Tori and nobody else. Certain that it’s a ghost or a prank, she investigates further and discovers a mysterious life that shines in the darkness.
Book 5: Cloak of Echoes by CK Dawn
Just as Emma Kincaid came into some disturbing empathic powers, she lost her mother in a car crash. She is also pretty certain she's being followed, maybe even hunted. But, is it the shadowy creatures that haunt her nightmares or the mysterious guy, shrouded in darkness, who just enrolled at Jefferson High?
Book 6: Hallowed Eve by DB Nielsen
Ten years after the sinister disappearance of her father, the turmoil begins again with the stealing of souls … Seventeen-year-old Evee is forced to accept her birthright of dark secrets and death as she inherits the role of Soul Guardian; a role that brings her into the dangerous influence of a coven of witches and the enigmatic, alluring Hunter, Ben, to defeat the rise of dark magick.
Book 1: Till Death Do Us Part
By L.A. Starkey
Til Death Do Us Part
Copyright © 2015 by L.A. Starkey
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and plot are all either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons – living or dead – is purely coincidental.
First Edition.
Editor: Nicole Bailey, Proof Before You Publish
Cover Art: Kellie Dennis at Book Cover by Design
Chapter One
Excitement was in the air. It was finally football season again, which meant Friday night games, cheering my lungs out and trying to avoid the plethora of delicious concession stand treats. It being my senior year just made it all the more exciting.
"Alright girls. We should get a touch down on this next play. Get ready with your cheer." Coach Mills locked eyes with me and nodded.
"Yes, ma'am." Nervousness tore up the inside of my stomach, but I ignored it. I turned my head to the left and right, catching the attention of all the girl's on my squad. "You heard her. Get in position and we'll go on my count."
I glanced up into the stands and my heart skipped a beat. I'd been best friends with Zach Parker since we were in diapers. He never failed to remind me that we'd bathed together a million times as infants. I could usually pass it off with an eye roll or a false gagging session, but not in the last few years.
He winked and I shook my head as if it meant nothing.
But it did. It meant the world.
The stands erupted and I turned briefly to see Jonathan Parks run across the touchdown line. The band kicked off the fight song and I bent my knees slightly, calling out as loudly as I could manage.
"Ready? Okay."
We moved into our touchdown cheer as the stands went ballistic. It was the first game of the season and the Jefferson Jackals were killing it. We had always been a strong team, but with my current boyfriend in the quarterback spot, there was no pulling anything over on us.
Carl was a foot taller than me, a meat-head and a half, but the best looking guy in the school. He'd shown up about half way through our sophomore year and won everyone over with his model-like appearance and award willing smile.
We wrapped up the cheer with a flip-flop from each of us. Mine was the last and I forced a fake smile and shook my pom-poms as my eyes scanned the crowd again.
A yelp left me as someone popped my butt. I jerked around to light into the idiot, but found Carl chuckling as he jogged off.
"Girl, girl, girl... what I wouldn't give for someone that looked like that to pop my backside." Katrina, my best friend wagged her eyebrows at me before following Carl's movements as he got together with his team.
"Good. I'm selling him for a snickers bar and a diet coke."
"Sold." She laughed and turned to look up in the stands. "It's weird this year. Feels like something is missing."
I shrugged and turned back to the stands, unwilling to have idle chat with my closest gal-pal. My parents sat together over to the left of the stands, obviously trying hard to avoid the students section.
Zach's mom and dad sat next to them, his mother still looking sickly and pale. She'd fallen ill sometime during the summer and where I was worried that it was cancer, my mother had come to the conclusion that it was simply depression.
"Hey," a deep voice called to me and I turned to find Zach leaning over the front rail of the bleachers above me.
"Hey yourself, stranger." I smiled as butterflies performed a ballet in my stomach and fluttered up through my chest. "You couldn't call anyone this summer? What the hell?"
Zach had been away since early June on a special summer study abroad program in Spain. I hated Spanish class, so passing up the opportunity was the only responsible thing for me to do. It had been a long summer without him, and finding out that he wasn't going to be back until October was a killer.
No matter how much I wanted to pole vault into the stands and pull him into a tight hug, I'
d never let him know that my feelings had morphed into an unhealthy obsession. I was head cheerleader and expected to date Carl. Plain and simple.
"Right? Did you miss me?" Zach's dark green eyes narrowed a little, making him impossibly handsome. His shaggy brown hair and lean physique left me wanting to fan myself, but my secret would remain just that - a secret.
"Kind of. I had to bait my own hook this summer. It sucked." I shrugged as a smirk pulled at my mouth.
"Meat-head over there didn't bait it for you?" He nodded toward the field.
"Cool girls don't fish," I whispered, lifting my hand as if keeping the intel between us.
"Ah... maybe that's why I never went for the cool ones." He winked and stood to his full height. He had been swimming since we were in elementary school and the sport had done wonders for his once thin, lanky frame.
Heat rose up my chest and coated my neck. "Get out of here before I get into trouble."
"Only if you promise to meet me by the docks tonight after everyone goes to bed." He smiled and I swear the world tilted a little.
"Yeah, whatever. Just bring the fishing poles and I'll get worms."
"Let's just dig them up."
"It's too cold. There won't be..." I stopped as he chuckled. We had more private jokes between us over him pulling a fast one on me than I could fill a book with. How many times had he begged me to dig up worms in the winter to find nothing but a huge whole to bury my pride in?
"I've missed you. You look hot in that uniform, Miss Popular." He winked and turned, jogging back up the stands to join his mother. She didn't respond, but I didn't expect her to. Her depression made her almost appear comatose most days. I'd die if that were my mom and we couldn't pull her out of wherever she'd gone to.
"Who were you talking to?" Katrina moved up beside me and offered me her water bottle.
I took a quick sip of it and glanced up to find Zach gone from his mother's side. "Zach. I guess he's finally back from his trip."
"Hmmm... Well, you know Carl doesn't like you talking about him."
"I don't care what Carl likes." I glanced toward her, wondering when her feelings for my boyfriend were going to completely surface. I needed to just hand him over. He wasn't my type of guy and I couldn't remember when I'd fallen to the social pressure of making him as such.
"Okay. Put your teeth back in your head, silly." She pushed her shoulder into mine and gave me a tight smile. "Let's do some cheering. I feel weird just standing around."
"I agree." I turned to the girls. "Let's do 'bring 'em down'. On my count."
We won the game by twenty-six points. I almost felt bad for the opposing team, but the energy of our group was too high to snuff out the excitement. Carl jogged up to me and wrapped his big arm around my waist, hoisting me into the air.
"Yeah... who's dating the best quarterback in the state of Texas? That's right, pretty little thang. You are!" He bounced me around like a rag doll and I smiled, trying to play the part.
"Put me down, you brute." I pushed at his shoulders and he let me go, causing me to almost stumble backward. He reached out and caught me in time, but his hold wasn't friendly in the slightest.
"Come on, Jen. Let's have some fun tonight. We're all going out to Bells Camp to have a beer and dance a little. You know I hate it when you don't go."
"I don't drink, Carl."
"Yeah, but you dance. Really well." He pulled me close and bent down, brushing his lips over the curve of my shoulder.
"Yes, but you're not happy with just dancing." I pushed at him a little more. My parents would die if they saw him pawing at me from the stands. "My folks are here. Back up a little."
"Come on, baby. I promise to behave if you'll just come with us. You know I'm not willing to cheat on you, but if you leave me to my own devises, who knows what might happen."
"Yeah. I'm not too worried about that. We all make mistakes." I gave him a knowing look, but he missed the irony in my words altogether.
"Jen. I'm not taking no for an answer." His tone darkened.
"Fine. Pick me up at eleven out at the edge of my road. I'm not kidding you about nothing more than a dance, and I'm not drinking. You try anything funny on me and I will kick your ass. Got it?" I mustered up my best mean girl look.
"Yes, baby. I promise. Scouts honor." His lips turned up into a smirk. His dark blond hair was curly and wet from sweat, his blue eyes piercing and smile promising. He was every girl's wildest fantasy, but mine. He was quickly turning into a pain in the butt nightmare. The kind that wouldn't let you get a minute of rest, and yet there was no long-term good to come of it.
"See you then." I moved toward the stands, wanting to find Zach, but not getting very far. Carl caught my hand and pulled me back, wrapping me in a tight hug and pressing his lips to mine before licking at my mouth.
I jerked from him. "Carl. My parents are here."
"Mine too. See you at eleven. Don't be late." He wagged his eyebrows and blew me a kiss before turning and catching up with his friends.
Why was I dating him again? Just the feel of his lips on mine felt like blasphemy.
"Hey, there you are." Katrina stopped beside me. "Are you going to Bells Camp tonight with everyone?"
"Yeah, I guess. I don't want to, but..."
"Oh come on. You've been in a funk all damn summer. Come have fun with us."
"I am. Meat-head is picking me up at eleven."
"Can I sleep over after? My mom would never let me go out there."
"That's because she went when she was a kid, Kat. Nothing good can come out of us going."
"I know! Isn't it exciting?" She gave off a shriek and ran her fingers down the ornate braids her mother had paid a pretty penny for.
"Meet you there?"
"Yes. I'm getting a ride out there with Jonathon Parks."
"Good. He's a decent guy. Let's trade. You let Carl bring you and I'll ride with Jon." I smiled and glanced back at the stands to see Zach walking down beside my dad. I waved and my father and Zach waved back.
"I'm going to ask Zach to come." I turned my attention back to my best friend.
"No."
I half expected her to follow up with the reasons why. "No?"
"Yes, Jen. This is about us. Zach's not a part of us. He hasn't been since we were kids really. You need to let it go." She reached out and rubbed my shoulder.
I forced myself not to jerk back and bite her head off. Zach had been my closest friend for as long as I could remember. Just because he wasn't on the football team didn't mean he didn't belong. He would always belong where I was concerned. There was nothing left to be said. Nodding I turned and jogged toward my folks, hoping to catch another glimpse of him before he parted ways.
No such luck.
I slid my hand into my dad's and smiled up at him. "Hey daddy."
"Pumpkin! Wow, you were amazing out there tonight." He tugged his hand from mine and wrapped an arm around me.
My mother turned and joined us, looping her arm into my free one. "You were beautiful. Not as pretty as me when I was a cheerleader, but you're a close second."
She rolled her eyes, the joke not lost on me. My mother was president of the band. She wouldn't have worn a cheerleader costume if she was paid loads of cash to do it.
"You mom would look hot in a cheerleader outfit." My dad leaned over, wagging his eyebrows.
"Okay, guys. Just no, please." I scanned the parking lot in front of us, looking for Mr. Parker's truck. "Did you guys see Zach? I guess he's back from his trip finally."
"No. I didn't." My mother rubbed my arm and opened the gate to the exit for us.
"Really? He was sitting on the other side of his mother. I swear you're blind, mom. Anyway... he looked good. I missed him like crazy." I released them both and walked into the crowded parking lot. "He looked really good."
Like the best he's ever looked.
Chapter Two
It was almost ten and my parents had said their good-nights and locked the
ir bedroom door. Smoothing down the front of my cream-colored sweater, I realized I was nervous. Not because of having to meet up with Carl in an hour, but getting to see Zach for the hour before. I checked myself in the full length mirror in the bathroom to make sure everything was perfect. Skinny jeans, a nice form-fitting sweater and my long brown hair in wavy strands over my shoulders. My chestnut colored eyes were dull in my opinion, but Zach never failed to complement me on them.
Wearing makeup wasn't an option seeing that Carl would expect it. Pissing him off was too much of a joy in my life not to be antagonistic in any way I could pull off without making it too obvious that I'd tried.
My brown winter boots rode up to the bottom of my knees, and they were by far my favorite thing in my closet. My older brother, Brent had sold his play-station the Christmas before to get them for me. It was a win-win for him. His girlfriend of seven years was tired of trying to contend with the machine. She was thrilled when he sold it and well, my big brother rocked because of the boots on my feet.
I chuckled and tossed my hair behind my shoulder before walking quietly down the stairs to the living-room. I paused at the third stair to the bottom and hopped over it, trying to land on my toes and almost killing myself. I needed to remind my dad again to fix it. If I stepped on that thing, the dead would rise and tell my mother that I was sneaking out. Most people had alarms on the house. We had 'the squeaky stair'. Damn thing told on me all the time my sophomore year. I was older now and able to outsmart it.
I walked to the laundry room, leaning over to scratch kitty, our dog on the back of his little head. My brother named him and still laughed every time he called the dog. He rubbed his face against my boot and whimpered as if wanting to go with me.
"Not tonight, buddy. Soon. I'm going to see Zach. Yeah, you remember him, right? Our favorite boy of all times?"
Darkness Echoes: A Spooky YA Short Story Collection Page 1