by Karl Morgan
Copyright © 2019 by Karl J. Morgan
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Editor: Adele Brinkley
Cover and text design: Sabrina Lueck; images courtesy of Shutterstock
Sacred Life Publishers™
www.sacredlife.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About the Author
Other Books by Karl J. Morgan
Sneak Peek- Chapter 1 from Carl Prescott and the Vengeful Gods
Chapter 1
Carl Prescott woke to the alarm on his smartphone. He turned it off and sat up on the bed. He stood, walked over to the window, and pulled the curtains open. A large school of silvery fish swam across the ocean just outside the secret retreat Aida Whitehall had created on the Continental Shelf off the coast of South Carolina. He remembered his only other visit to this place more than a month ago. She told him if either of them was here, the other would know and could come join them. Carl had been here two days, but remained alone.
He had considered leaving an hour after he arrived, but quickly realized he had nowhere else to go. After a three-week vacation with his parents, both of them had returned to their duties in the CIA. If he went back to the Bertrand Aloysius Thorndike Academic Institution, he would eventually find Aida there. If she had chosen not to be with him, that was an encounter he was not ready to face. Perhaps his friends, Burt and Grace, would be there, but he felt like a third wheel around them. He sighed and walked into the bathroom to prepare for his day.
After he had taken a shower and changed his clothes, he walked into the main room. He sat on the couch, swung his legs up, and stretched out. He thought about the family trip to Disneyworld and the Caribbean cruise they had enjoyed. Now, he longed for his family, but knew they had chosen other paths, as had he. Carl was the Invisible Hand, but at this moment, he was just a lonely boy on the cusp of his fifteenth birthday, a week away. A few tears filled his eyes, and he wiped them away. That brought back the memory of the time when Aida’s soul had taken refuge in his body after being stripped of her own. He smiled and longed for that sense of togetherness. He closed his eyes and tried to suppress the tears. As he was about to lose control of his emotions, he heard a bird chirp. He sat up. Birds chirping a hundred feet under the Atlantic Ocean was not possible. He walked over to the nearest window and pulled the drapes open.
The structure was still on the bottom of the ocean, but now it was surrounded on all sides by dry land. The wall of water was a hundred feet away. A single sparrow sat on the ocean floor looking at him. Carl motioned with his hand, and an opening formed in the wall of the structure. He walked outside and toward the bird, which continued chirping happily. The opening closed behind him. “Denise, is that you?”
The bird chirped, and the sounds resolved into words in Carl’s mind. “Thank you for remembering me. I can tell you are as surprised as I am for our current situation.”
“Why are you here?”
The bird flew up and landed on his shoulder. “I would have thought that was obvious.”
“Did Aida send you?”
“I’m afraid it’s a secret. Please be patient.” The sky darkened above them as hundreds of sea gulls and pelicans flew down the open shaft and began to fly in circles around them.
“Aren’t you going to join them, Denise?”
The bird shook its head. “I’m too small to help them. I’ll just enjoy the ride with you.”
Due to their speed, the birds were a blur of colors around them. Carl’s feet lifted off the ground, and he began to rise through the open shaft. They cleared the surface and rose higher. The open shaft slowly filled with ocean water.
“I’ve never been given a ride, Carl. This is fun.”
“It is pretty cool, Denise. Can I ask you a question on the way?” The sparrow nodded. “The last time I was in a funnel, the birds were gossiping like crazy, and now they’re so quiet. Is something wrong?”
“No, the silence is not surprising for gulls and pelicans. Didn’t I tell you that gulls are introverted about everything but food?”
“Yeah, I remember that now.”
“And I think I mentioned that the owls and pelicans were the smartest of the birds. Well, being shy, the gulls don’t want to say something the pelicans will think is stupid. After all, no one likes to be put down by others.”
A few minutes later, Carl’s feet touched down on the ground. The birds left the funnel and headed away. The sparrow touched its beak to Carl’s cheek, said, “Thanks for the ride home,” and flew away.
Because the sparrow said this was her home, Carl presumed he was back on the island that Aida transformed to look like the island where Cornelius Thorndike lived. When he was here before, he found the dining hall locked. Aida had confessed she had hidden there from him. He walked over to the door, put his hand on the knob, and turned it. He pushed open the door to see Clarisse and Aida Whitehall sitting with a man who looked very familiar.
Aida turned her head and saw him. A big smile filled her face. She rushed over and into his arms. “I missed you so much, Carl.” She kissed his cheeks and lips. “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you at our place.” She took his hand and led him over to the table. As they approached, the man stood and smiled. “Do you remember who this is?”
Carl extended his hand. “You’re Burt’s dad, Bertrand the Ninth, right?”
Rather than shake his hand, the man pulled Carl into his arms and hugged him. “That’s right. Thank you for saving me and my family.”
Carl blushed and looked down. “You’re welcome.” He turned to Aida, “Did you restore him?” She nodded. “That’s fabulous.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you, the headmaster, or Director Winston,” she noted.
“How did he help?” Carl asked.
“We should all sit down,” Bert said.
As he sat, Carl said, “It’s good to see you, Dean Whitehall.”
She smiled. “I’m happy to see you too, Carl. Since I was involved in the process, let me elaborate. In order for Nine to have his life back, we had to do things through official channels. That means we needed a legal order to exhume his body. Given the circumstances, that seemed unlikely; however, the CIA Director and others on that mission in Manila discussed their dreams about how you and Grace rescued them. When it turned out that all the recollections were the same, it was difficult for them to cope. Because all of them recalled you there, Winston reached out to Headmaster Dorchester.
“Unfortunately for them, the headmaster corroborated everything you did. According to Alex, Winston laughed at him. Then, the headmaster asked him to check the status of America’s and NATO’s nuclear arsenal. Of course, many warheads were missing due to the demonic attack on the school. That discovery brought up more buried memories about those events. At that point, we were certain the director was going to see the light and understand these talents are real.”
“Did he?” Carl asked.
She shook her head. “No, he did not. As you know, Those Who Sleep are deliberately oblivious to truths they choose not to believe. However, the headmaster was able to make the deal that led to Nine’s presence here today. The headmaster promised to block those memories for them in exchange for getting the exhumation order approved. Winston told the authorities that CIA secrets had been stolen by foreign actors. That technology enabled them to induce suspended animation in a victim. Their body functions would be slowed to such a level that they appeared dead. Nine was a top secret double-agent, whose foreign handlers discovered his treason. That was why he was buried alive.”
Carl smiled. “Then the Succubus talent was used to hide their memories, right?” Whitehall nodded. “But he didn’t kiss them.”
“No, of course not. He enlisted Barbara Conway for that particular job because my daughter is too young to be French-kissing adult men.” She looked at Nine and nodded. Both stood. “Carl, I know you and Aida have been separated for quite some time, so Nine and I are returning to the school. Classes start again on Monday and I expect you both there, okay?”
“Of course, Dean.”
“Yes, Mom.”
The two adults walked out of the building.
Aida spoke first. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the water house, but things have been hectic. What did you do on your break?”
He reached across the table and held her hands. “I really missed you. My family went on a three-week vacation. We went to Disneyworld and took a cruise. We also rented a beach house in South Carolina for a week. The whole time I was there, I thought about the water house and you. What did you do?”
“Well, the Thorndike reunion was two weeks long. At the end, Bertrand the First left with Manny. Then, my mom and I spent two weeks traveling around Europe, until the headmaster called us back to help with Nine’s resurrection. When we got back to the school, Manny came back with One so he could spend time with his descendant. That was just yesterday. We came here this morning. Mom found Denise and asked her to get some birds for a funnel. I created the opening and moved the birds there and that’s it. So, what do you want to do for fun?”
“Let’s go for a swim.” He stood.
“I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“You don’t need one.”
She blushed. “Don’t be a jerk, Carl. It’s not like you.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t mean it that way. Geez, what kind of animal do you think I am?”
She smirked at him. “Then what did you mean, exactly?”
“I thought we could be dolphins, or maybe blue whales. Yeah, blue whales would be awesome.”
“How do you plan to do that, mister?”
He pointed at her and back at himself. “Invisible hand, remember?” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
Ten minutes later, they stood on the gravel beach. Carl had pulled off his shirt, shoes, and socks. Aida stared at him with her arms crossed. He looked up at her frown. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re just trying to see me naked, admit it.”
He laughed. “Sure, that would be great, but it’s also the furthest thing from my mind.”
“Liar,” she replied and turned her back to him.
He walked around her and stood smiling. He handed her his shirt. “Take this.”
“What do I want that for?”
He turned his back to her. “Wrap it around my eyes like a blindfold. I’ll stand here facing the other way while you get into the water.”
“You’ll just take it off and look at me.”
“No, I won’t. While you take off your things, keep your eyes on me. If I start to turn around, you can just disappear.”
“Do you swear you won’t peek?”
He crossed his heart. “I swear I won’t peek. I have to admit that I will see you naked as a fish though.”
Aida laughed as she tied the shirt around his head. “Okay, now don’t move.” He nodded. She quickly disrobed and ran into the water. When the water reached her neck, she said, “Okay.”
Carl untied the shirt and set it on the beach. He undid his belt and was about to pull down his pants when he heard a squeal. He spun around to see a dolphin just offshore. “Is that you, Aida?” The dolphin nodded, turned, and swam away. He quickly pulled off the rest of his clothes and ran into the water. After a few minutes of frolicking in the water as dolphins, they saw a group of sharks begin to approach. Carl swelled and changed. Soon, both he and Aida had become eighty foot blue whales. They dived down into the inkiness of the ocean, their fins slightly touching.
An hour later, both had become dolphins again as they approached the beach. Carl morphed back into human form and swam toward the shore. When his feet could reach the bottom, he stood up in the neck-deep water. He took a few steps toward the land.
“Wait,” Aida called out. He turned around and she, back in human form, wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. She released him and took two steps backward. “Well, what do you think?”
“You are so beautiful. It’s no wonder I love you so much.” He embraced her again. “I’ll go ahead and get out.”
She held his hand. “Let’s go together. We have no secrets, Carl. My soul was inside you, and you’re deeply embedded in my heart.”
After dressing, they decided to return to the school. It was early Friday evening when they walked into the dining hall. None of the other students paid any attention to them. They went through the service line and then joined Burt and Grace at a table by the windows. As Carl set his tray down, he said, “Hi guys. How are you two?”
“Great!” Burt exclaimed. “I didn’t have any family, and now I have so many. And my dad is back too.”
“I’m glad to see you, Carl,” Grace added. “I was able to spend some time with Mom and Dad. They actually took me to the zoo again.”
Carl sat. “Did the animals follow you around like they did last time?”
“No, Carl. Now that I know better, I just asked them to be more discreet, like maybe to focus on someone other than me. We had a wonderful time.”
Aida sat and took a sip of her iced tea. “I could not agree more with you, Burt. That reunion was so amazing. After it, my mom and I traveled around Europe, which she calls The Continent. So, what are you two up to today?”
Burt smiled. “As you know, our birth mom has moved into the Gratia Dei dormitory for now. In fact, she’s in the same room where Grace and Carl found her school uniforms. She said she needs time to understand her feelings about my dad and uncle. Dad has moved into the sporting lodge, so I’m going there for the weekend to reconnect.”
“I’m staying here,” Grace replied.
“That’s great, Grace,” Aida noted. “Now the three of us can hang out tomorrow and Sunday.” Grace smiled back at her.
Dean Clarisse Whitehall entered the dining room. She saw her daughter and walked over to their table. “I’m surprised you made it home today, sweetheart. I thought you and Carl would want more time.”
“I have to tell you about our day, Mom. Carl and I were blue whales and swam to the bottom of the ocean. It was awesome!”
Whitehall’s eyes showed surprise. “You two never cease to amaze me. I’m going to have dinner with the faculty. I’ll see you after dinner at home.” She walked away and stepped into the faculty dining room.
After dinner, Grace and Burt went to spend time together before he left, and Aida went to her mother’s apartment to discuss the day. Being alone, Carl decided to visit the hidden storage room in the Gratia Dei Hall. When he arrived in that wing, he noticed a doorway had been built into the wall. He walked up to the door and put his hand on the knob. A mechanical voice said, “Carl Prescott, please enter.” He opened the door and stepped inside.
Headmaster Dorchester was standing nearby looking at some books in a bookcase. “Carl, welcome back. How was your break?”
“I
had a great time with my family. Thank you for asking. I noticed you opened up this room.”
Dorchester nodded. “It seemed the right thing to do. As an educational institution, we need to share the history of this place. I’m sure you noticed the lock on the door.”
“It said my name.”
“Yes. Due to the age and condition of some artifacts, I thought it wise to control access. Only one person can enter at a time, and the door must recognize and log in each person. The doorjamb also tracks any items taken from here. Borrowing items for further study is welcome, but we must not lose anything.”
Carl nodded. “Yes, that makes perfect sense.”
“As well, we did remove a few pallets of papers that were left here from prior classes. We considered those personal items and not for general consumption. Of course, we kept everything and have made an archive of all items.” Dorchester returned his attention to the books.
“I understand, Headmaster.” Carl turned and walked away. He found his way back to the chair and footstool.
Barbara Conway was sitting and reading a book. When she noticed his approach, she closed the book and put it on her lap. “Welcome back, Carl.”
“Thanks, Barbie. How are you?”
“Glad to see you. I know how crazy things got, but maybe now you can teach me and my friends some new talents.”
“I’d be happy to try.”
She stood up. “Let me make this easy for you. We’ll trade. I’ll teach you something, and then you teach me something.”
“Okay, what are you going to teach me?” Carl asked.
She picked up the book she had been reading and turned the cover to him. “This book is so amazing. It’s where I read about a talent call Ghost Walking.”
Carl recognized the cover of Gadson’s Talent Checklist. “I didn’t know you could read Latin, Barbie?”
Her eyes widened, and she looked at the book cover. She gasped and dropped it to the floor. “That isn’t possible. I don’t know Latin at all.”
Carl picked up the book and set it onto the footstool. “Don’t worry. There’s another talent in there called the Linguist. If you have it at an advanced level, you can read, write, or speak any language. It’s cool that you can. I have it too.”