“Come with me, son.”
“Mr. James, is everything okay?” Megan started to follow but was cut off.
“Keep out of this…”
This time the rage didn’t build, it just happened. Igniting as soon as they hit the rear parking lot he pulled free of his father’s grip.
“Don’t touch me.”
Spinning, his dad glared at him. “What?” It was as if he didn’t notice the flames. Were they only visible to him?
“I said, leave me alone.”
“Don’t you back-talk me! Your mother is very upset, and you and your sister are…” His words trailed off as if seeing the flames for the first time. He took a few steps back. “What’s going on? Is this some kind of new trick? You think this is funny?”
Israel could feel the darkness fill him, begging to be let out. He wanted to scream at his father, stand up and tell him that it was not okay to abuse his children. But years of fear held it down.
“Issi!” Molly ran up to them and stepped in-between them. “Dad, it was my fault! I convinced him to take me.”
“Stop trying to protect him. He’s a man, and he wants to make his own decisions, so let him.”
Israel put a hand on her shoulder and saw that she was glowing slightly. A few cars’ headlights flickered and a car alarm sounded. “Molly.”
The parking lot was empty and Israel thanked God for small miracles.
“Do you know what you’re doing to your mom? She’s beside herself with worry. How could you two just leave? Sneaking out like little devils...” His voice raised a little and Molly reached out to calm him down. “No, you go sit in the car, Molly. This is between me and Israel.”
“Dad,” Molly pleaded, tears in her eyes.
Lifting his hand he backhanded Molly. Her head snapped to the side and Israel flamed hotter. “You guys have no idea how good you have it! Now get in the car!”
Israel grabbed Molly and turned, pushing her behind him. And then he charged his dad. He hit him in the face as car horns went off and lights flashed. It felt like his mind was going to explode. Voices low and wordless filled his head as he leapt on his dad, who was on his back and cursing.
Israel took him by the collar and gritted his teeth. “Don’t you ever touch her, don’t you look at her, and if you do I’ll burn you in your sleep!”
For the first time Israel saw fear flood his father’s face. It was the look he saw so many times on his own face in the mirror after a run in with his parents.
“You’re the Devil, you’re his spawn… Don’t ever come home, don’t you ever come back, you hear?” His dad was shaking and trying to get free.
Molly pulled him off, grabbed him around the waist, and they shot into the sky. She flew so fast that his eyes watered. The gym and the school grounds shrunk to tiny twinkles of light. They flew for what seemed like only a moment, and then they were standing in the woods.
Molly was crying hard and white energy swarmed around her.
“It’s okay Molly. I’m here.”
Now he was crying, and all the years of pain and fear came crashing in on him. He wanted to run, to see how fast he could go and never look back. But he had Molly to think about, and now his parents knew their secret.
“What are we going to do, Issi? I’m so scared.”
His eyes burned and he sucked in a sob. He had to be strong for her and keep it together.
“We’ll figure it out. We have each other, and we have super cool powers.”
Molly laughed and cried at the same time, wiping snot all over his shoulder. “Yeah, we’ve got that.” She wiped her eyes and looked up at him. “It’ll blow over, he was just angry.”
Israel nodded but knew that this was different. They were officially out on their own, orphans and alone.
“I love you, Issi.” Molly hugged him tighter and he held her close.
“I love you too, sis.”
Look for the next season of The ‘Naturals (Season Two) at your favorite eBook retailer.
Copyright © 2013 by Melody Carlson, Robin Parrish, K.C. Neal, Aaron Patterson
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in the story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental.
StoneHouse Ink 2013
www.StoneHouseInk.net
Boise, Idaho 83713
First eBook Edition 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62482-022-9
Book cover design copyright © 2013 Damonza.com
Published in the United States of America
About the Authors:
Melody Carlson is one of the most prolific novelists of our time. With around 200 books published and sales topping 5 million, Melody writes primarily for women and teens. She’s won numerous honors and awards, including The Rita, Gold Medallion, Carol Award and Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement award; and some of her books are being considered for TV movies. Melody has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. When not writing, Melody likes to travel, bike, camp, garden, and walk her yellow Labrador in the great outdoors.
Robin Parrish wants to take you on a ride.
A wild ride – which is exactly what you’re in for when you pick up one of his books. And he’s adamant that it will never be the same kind of experience twice.
Robin’s stories mix, mingle, and meld various genres together to create thoroughly original suspense/thrillers. His Dominion Trilogy, for example, mashed up superhero action, secret societies, ancient myths, and an apocalyptic setting to create an entirely new take on the classic “hero’s journey.” Offworld mixed science fiction and an end-of-the-world scenario with high-octane action. Nightmare, his 2010 novel, is a spine-tingling examination of the world of the paranormal, paired with can’t-put-it-down mystery. His 2011 novel, Vigilante, is an action-packed story about a soldier who sets out to change the world. In 2012, he released his first ever Young Adult novel, titled Corridor, which is soon to become a trilogy.
Always pushing the envelope, ever on the edge of where modern storytelling is going, Robin Parrish will gladly and unapologetically tell you that he’s an entertainer, a weaver of stories that ignite the mind and delight the heart. Defying labels and refusing pigeonholes, his imagination is fueled by the possibilities of asking “What if…?”, and as anyone who’s read his work knows, he has a very big imagination.
His influences as a novelist range from television and film storytellers like Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams, to masters of the modern myth like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Akin to Philip K. Dick’s search for the meaning of identity, most of what Robin writes about boils down to his own ponderings and examinations of just what this thing we call “existence” is.
Robin is a full time writer. He and his wife Karen and two children live in High Point, NC.
“Robin Parrish is a keen-eyed, passionate pop cultural savant, whose writing is as incisive and insightful as it is entertaining.” - Allan Heinberg, Executive Producer, Grey’s Anatomy
K.C. Neal works in publishing and co-founded StoneHouse University, a resource for writers and authors. In previous iterations of her professional life, she worked as a bench chemist, a lab equipment tester, a biotech researcher, and a medical writer. After several years moving around Oregon and California, she returned to her hometown of Boise, Idaho, where she lives now.
Aaron Patterson is a bestselling thriller writer, and writes young adult on the side. He is also the founder of StoneHouse Ink and the co-founder of StoneHouse Lock and SandBox Ink. When not writing or speaking on subjects like eBooks and the Future of Publishing, he can be found hiking, snowboarding, or t
raveling. He has three children and lives in Boise, Idaho.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Episode Seventeen: HAILEY by K.C. Neal
Episode Eighteen: MARSHALL by Robin Parrish
Episode Nineteen: AVERY by Melody Carlson
Episode Twenty: ISRAEL by Aaron Patterson
Copyright Information
About the Authors
The 'Naturals: Awakening (Episodes 17-20 -- Season 1) (Young Adult Serial) Page 7