by K. T. Tomb
“Professor?” Valery whispered his name again, both scared and concerned.
Grindlay, however, could think of nothing but the future, and what the find could mean for him. He couldn’t be sure of the year they had been struck, but he could at least presume that they were ancient, and likely from the time of the Romans, based on the profile on the front of the coins.
Although, Grindlay thought to himself, these coins were produced for years after Constantine converted Rome to Christianity. Still.
He admired the coins; their supple, metallic surface could still be felt, even through the gloves, and it did nothing but excite him.
“Grindlay?” Julie was chiming in now, her voice a bit strained but sounding so far away.
The coins were back in the pouch, but he could feel each individual coin pressing against his hand and he pictured their luster, their brilliance. There was another creak above him, the grinding of boards as they strained against breaking, and then screaming from someone outside of the room. He barely had time to register the sound, the shrillness in the voice, when the moaning and groaning above became a heave, a snap, and a rain of dust fell onto his head, clouding his vision for a moment. He reached up to brush the dust and a loose strand from his forehead while stretching his free hand, the hand that clutched dearly to the pouch, out to the doorway and the waiting kids. He was ready to step a foot through the opening, when the rain of dust became an avalanche, and the boards above came tumbling down onto him, burying him. Crushing his involuntarily twitch and wispy gray hair under the last remnants of the altar flooring above. The only part of him that was left exposed were his gloved fingers still clutching a fistful of leather.
Valery screamed and Julie leaned against Piers in silent horror while he clutched her tightly. Gerald dove into the room alone to pull the professor from the chaos while Robert stood in the doorway, silent for the first time anyone could remember. His face was twisted in horror and disbelief. Sheila had still been searching cabinets, unaware and unconcerned with the professor’s findings, but now she came running at the sound of the floor falling and the screams that had followed. She snatched at broken boards, alongside Gerald, dug through the dirt and grime, but it was already quite apparent that Grindlay was gone.
Curse of the Coins
is available at:
Amazon Kindle * Amazon UK * Amazon AU
About the Author:
K.T. Tomb enjoys traveling the world when not writing adventure thrillers. She lives in Portland, OR. Please find her at:
Please visit her at www.kttomb.com.
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