The Birth of Bane
Page 28
Myra had been the main source of income for them for many years now. Her being a licensed psychologist and her ensuing successful practice had been more than enough to sustain them. They owned a nice home on the slopes of Eagle Rock beneath the 210 freeway. They drove nice cars and, most importantly, they were happy. If Myra didn’t have a problem over her husband’s lofty goals, then why should anyone else? Who’s right was it to judge him, or her? If they were happy, that’s all that mattered. They didn’t have any kids like her and Martin. It had always been just the two of them, so maybe they could afford to live a little more on the cuff than she and Martin could or Elijah and his wife Joyce. Her and her youngest brother had children, Jerry and Myra had dogs.
In addition to all of that, she knew her brother spoiled his wife. He did all the cooking, most of the cleaning, the laundry and made sure when she came home she had nothing to worry about other than rest. How many times had she heard her boast of his care of her?
Too many times, she laughed inwardly.
Besides, who really knows what goes on inside anyone’s marriage other than ones’ own? Marriage is so much like the abyssal ocean with never-ending thermoclines, some warmer than others, some as icy as death itself. If Myra wasn’t ok with it, Valerie was more than sure Jerry would’ve been doing something else by now.
She smiled at the thought of wily sister-in-law, the girl who had swept her brother off his feet when they’d been teenagers, the girl she had grown to love over the years. She must be proud of Jerry too. After all, she’d been there a most of those nights when things were bad, when things had turned violent. Myra had earned her stripes early to gain permanent entrance into their family.
She must be ecstatic over the possibility the book might make them independently wealthy.
…If everything goes well.
Martin stirred in his sleep. She reached out and placed a hand upon his shoulder, a thing she always did when he mumbled or looked like he was about to awaken. Like now, it had always served to calm him, banish whatever had been bothering him.
I had no right to be so mean to my brother at lunch the other day, she thought, a decision made. Tomorrow, I’m going to call him. I’m going to tell him I was wrong. I’m going to tell him the book was awesome, and I’m going to commend him on his bravery. Writing this story took courage – courage I never possessed. I’m going to tell him he got -.
Her thoughts stopped so suddenly she went rigid, shaking the bed, forgetting about Martin, who started in the middle of his slumber.
“Oh my god!” she said loudly, reaching over toward the nightstand, toppling Jerry’s book onto the floor with a hallow thump!
“Wha-what?” muttered Martin, half-awake. His head came up from the pillow he’d been laying on.
Valerie ignored him. She swung her legs about, her bare feet touching the thick carpeting of their bedroom, reaching for her cell phone and the book simultaneously. The awkward move over-balanced her. Though she was able to grab both items, she felt to the floor on her knees. Yet, she cared little.
She swiped at the Gorilla-glass of her smartphone, saying, “Dial, Jerry”, as she frantically searched for the correct page within the book.
On the fifth ring he picked up. “Jesus, Val, is everything ok?” he asked, worried.
In the background, she could hear Myra saying the same thing.
Too distraught to hear what he’d said, let alone answer, she vomited forth, “Jerry! Oh, Jerry! How could you?!?”
There was stunned silence from the other end.
“Jerry! Jerry, are you there? Did you hear me?” She was almost frenzied.
At her side, Martin sat up, a concerned look on his face.
“Valerie, what’s the matter?” Jerry asked flummoxed, annoyed now that she was coming at him for the second time in less than forty-eight hours.
“Jerry, why did you put the actual address in the book?”
“What?” He sounded surprised.
Had he not realized he’d put the real address just about every place in the book? Jesus Christ, it was the title of the first chapter!
“The address, Jeremiah! 1052 Lincoln Drive! You put it in the book! Don’t you remember what she was the last thing she told you right before she began to torment our father? Don’t you remember?!?” She was nearly screaming at him now.
She could only hear what sounded like someone being strangled.
Jerry had remembered, all too well.
“You take good care of that little woman of yours. I’ll be watching…”
“What if she’s still watching, Jerry? What if someone like Dad moves in? Then what, Jerry? What do you think she’ll do!?!”
“What’re you talking about? I didn’t put the address in the book. Do you think I’m that stupid?”
“Jerry, this is not the time for games. The address is stated time and again, throughout the entire book for Christ Sake!” She was close to tears she was so distraught.
It sounded like Jerry was mumbling incoherently through the phone.
Her mind was ablaze. “Do you have a copy of the book?”
More mumbling, then: “W-what?”
“Do you have a copy of the book?!?” she nearly screamed at him.
“Of course.”
“Get it! Look for yourself. The address is everywhere, Jerry!”
Through the phone, she heard her brother fumbling about, rummaging, her sister-in-law’s muffled voice in the background.
In her ear, Jeremiah Favor breathed the only two words he could think of, “Oooh shit…” He trailed off, horrified.
“How could you, Jerry?”
“B-but, I didn’t, sis! I swear I never would‘ve put the actual address in the book. That would be… I don’t know… dangerous…”
“Jesus Christ, Jerry, if you didn’t, then who the fuck did?”
The silence that followed made them both sick to their stomachs.
Like he was seventeen again, Jerry cried. “What have I done?”
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About the Author
Richard Heredia was born in 1969 in the Canal Zone of Panama City, Panama. Having spent the first year of his life there, he has since moved to Los Angeles, California where he lives with his wife and children. Wanting to be a writer at a very young age, he began learning his craft through avid reading, after his mentor suggested he read as much as possible in order to learn from the best. Since that summer day in 1984, he has never stopped.
After a long hiatus, five years ago, he finally decided to sit down and commit himself to his lifelong dream of writing novels. He is the author of the first two volumes of the Saga of the Twelve’s – The Unwanted Winter and Winter’s Fury – and book one of the Shadow Seed Series – The Misbegotten.
The Birth of Bane is his first foray into the supernatural and is based primarily on a series of incidents, notions and feelings from his childhood (which ones exactly, he will never tell).
Aside from reading and writing, he enjoys listening to music, dancing with his babies, camping, fishing and playing the odd video game with his son.
Keep an eye out for the Third Volume of the Saga of the Twelve’s – The Shroud of the Lesser - due out in summer 2015.
Richard has slated Estefan’s Death, Book Two of the Shadow Seed Series, for publication sometime in 2016.
There will also undoubtedly be a sprinkling of the much smaller Bane novels interspersed throughout the coming years. Keep an eye out!
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Hopefully, you been joyed The Birth of Bane as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please visit the following links below and let me know what you think about the first installation of The Bane Series at:
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Thank you so much, precious reader,
Richard M. Heredia
February 2014
in the night. They could be grateful, caring, even convey love when compelled, had enough strength. At first, I was amazed. It was wondr
ous.
Then, he brought the anger and malice in his heart. He brought destruction and death, intent on killing us all.
That was when She rose up. She began to change. Bane was born to defend the helpless from inexhaustible evil.
And, she was ruthless. in the night. They could be grateful, caring, even convey love when compelled, had enough strength. At first, I was amazed. It was wondrous.
Then, he brought the anger and malice in his heart. He brought destruction and death, intent on killing us all.
That was when She rose up. She began to change. Bane was born to defend the helpless from inexhaustible evil.
And, she was ruthless. in the night. They could be grateful, caring, even convey love when compelled, had enough strength. At first, I was amazed. It was wondrous.
Then, he brought the anger and malice in his heart. He brought destruction and death, intent on killing us all.
That was when She rose up. She began to change. Bane was born to defend the helpless from inexhaustible evil.
And, she was ruthless.