Tainted Souls
Page 17
Outside, the horizon swallows the sun.
Inside, Karen lights candles whose dim light chases away the darkness.
Outside, footsteps fall on gravel.
Inside, all three occupants tense up, hearing the footfalls through the broken windows.
Chris rises, moves toward the short hallway leading to the only working door in or out.
The door opens. Someone, or several someone’s—Chris can't tell—steps inside.
Whether friend or foe, Chris has yet to decide. He knows for a fact it's not one of the Tainted—their ability to open doors is severely lacking.
A figure emerges in the doorway.
"Audrey?" Helen asks, eyes trying to focus through the shadows beyond the doorway.
"Mom!" Audrey bursts into the room and throws herself into her mother's arms. They both sink to the floor, tears flooding down their faces.
Chris lets out the breath he'd been holding and glances toward Karen, who stands near the reunited mother and daughter. She too is crying—but she's also smiling, happy.
Chris steps into the doorway and looks down the short hallway toward the exit.
The hallway is empty.
Without turning, he calls out over his shoulder, "Hey, Audrey...where's Zak?"
The End
(of book three)
T.J. Christian
December 27, 2019
I hope you enjoyed Tainted Souls, book three of The Tainted Chronicles. If you enjoyed Tainted Souls, I would like to ask if you would please take a few minutes to visit your favorite online book retailer and leave a review. Like all independent, self-published authors, we depend on word of mouth and reviews to help spread the word about our publications. We also rely on our wonderful followers for editing, content, and plot suggestions. If you’ve found errors within these covers (and I know you probably have), please email me and let me know. I want to strive to make my work the best they can be and I appreciate your participation.
Again, thank you.
T.J. Christian
authorthomaschristian@yahoo.com
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