THE LEVIATHAN TRIAL
OLIVER MADISON
Copyright © 2021 J. Oliver Madison
Cover Art designed by Jonas Mayes-Steger
All rights reserved.
ISBN- 9798592783654
DEDICATION
To My Beloved Celeste:
Thank you for being the first to read my stories in their early drafts.
To Everyone Else:
Hopscotch down the path of innocence.
And persevere through the trials between life and death.
Just be sure to skip along the way…
CONTENTS
PART I: DENIAL
1TWELVE PERFECT CHILDREN
2NIGHT OF THE LEVIATHAN
3JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER
4THE GAME OF LIFE
5FAMILY FEUD
6TWENTY QUESTIONS
PART II: ANGER
7GUESS WHO
8RED ROVER
PART III: BARGAIN
9FINDERS KEEPERS
10LOSERS WEEPERS
11IT
12I SPY
PART IV: DEPRESSION
13DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE
14SIMON SAYS
15TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
16PHILOSOPHER STONE
17EN PASSANT
PART V: ACCEPTANCE
18HIDE AND SEEK
19JUNGLE GYM
20HOT POTATO
21MARCO POLO
22CHARADES
23TRUTH OR DARE
24OLLY OLLY OXEN FREE
25GAME OVER
26THE FINAL TRIAL: HANGMAN
27FINAL VERDICT
EPILOGUE: JUDGEMENT
PART I
DENIAL
CHAPTER 1
TWELVE PERFECT CHILDREN
Helena ran for dear life.
Breathing through her facemask was irritating enough as it was. The panting only made it worse. She pumped her tiny arms, scampering through the fine cut acre of grass. It was the backyard of Lancaster Manor. In all fairness, her backyard was more of a private perfectly manicured park than anything else. She hid behind an oak tree, crouching in its shadow and clutching the bark of the trunk.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” sang a motherly voice that drew nearer and nearer.
Helena watched as eleven teenagers of various ages ran around hysterically. They laughed and rolled as they dodged one another in a game of hide-and-seek. Ironically enough, the older siblings were enjoying themselves far more than their little brothers and sisters. Normally, the Lancasters would be above something so juvenile, but it was refreshing to live in the moment. It was their first time letting loose from their strict schedules in months. Since most of them spent up to six hours a day studying their schoolwork and participating in various extracurriculars, per their father’s instructions, acting as children was an exhilarating divergence from the norm.
Most of the teens were caught, tagged, and disqualified from the game. However, before the last few could make it free to base, which was a three-tiered fountain, a loud chime signaled it was 6pm. The hum of their home’s intercom reverberated throughout their massive house and was faintly heard from their backyard as well.
They slowed their sprinting and began congregating in a strut. “Okay! Break’s over!” commanded Pearl, the eldest of the children at nineteen years of age. She gathered up her younger siblings, patting each on the back as she directed them into their home. One by one, she counted them off.
She stopped at number ten and furrowed her brow.
“We’re missing Helena,” Pearl informed her younger brother, Levi. “Good grief. That girl will be the death of me…”
As she placed her hands on his shoulders, it was obvious they were not related by blood. Pearl was fair of skin with her dirty blonde hair tied in a bun. Her brother’s complexion, however, was dark and rich and his hair was a sharp fade of charcoal. In actuality, none of the Lancasters shared any connection by blood.
All were adopted.
“You’re her favorite, Levi,” praised Pearl, the self-proclaimed matriarch of the family. “She’ll listen if it’s coming from you. Go round her up. I won’t let us have these fun little breaks away from our studies if we dillydally like this.”
Levi nodded to his oldest sister obediently and searched the yard for his youngest—Helena.
She was climbing over the spiked iron fences that separated their private property from the woods and open road. He sighed as he made his way over to her. She was trying to run away again. It was cute at first, but she cut her leg the week before when she attempted this exact same thing. Helena did not stop scurrying, even as Levi approached her. She kicked and wiggled as he plucked her from the fence. She tried to pull her older brother along, signaling him to follow her and escape.
She was terrified. However, due to her muteness, much of her fear remained trapped in the expression of her large quivering crystal blue eyes.
“Enough of that,” commanded Levi, setting his sister on the ground. Helena drooped her head in defeat as the two walked back to their home in their matching black and emerald attire. He sported a slim custom-made suit and brushed off a few dead leaves that stuck to her swing style dress. “Let’s go inside,” Levi instructed. “If we’re late, Father’s going to kill us.”
Originally purchased as a hotel, Lancaster Manor was renovated into a modern-day castle. At 82,000 square feet, the estate ranked in the top five largest homes in the United States. And that was only the first floor. It was a total of three stories, which included an elevator in each wing.
It was a marvel to behold.
The yards were impressive too. The backyard had a few amenities for the kids—a basketball court, tennis court, and a pool. However, the main attraction was the garden. It was complete with a rainbow array of azaleas, roses, tulips and more. There was a koi pond for meditation. The garden led to a hedge maze that was trimmed each week, even though the residents rarely played in it.
The backyard made up for the shortcomings of the front of the house, which most of the residents considered painfully boring. The front was gated as well, with a long winding road that led to a roundabout parking area shaded by a canopy supported by marble columns. But none of the Lancaster children drove or were allowed to have friends over, so it was a void of wasted space. The only thing on display was the twenty-foot statue in the center of the roundabout.
On a glance, it was a dragon.
However, after staring at it for a minute, most guests had no idea what kind of monstrous creature it was. They had to know the history of the family to understand its significance. It had the face and twisting neck of a snake or lizard, but the snout had long and unruly whiskers. In place of ears, were massive fins that resembled batwings. Each detailed scale was like a plate of armor, nearly the size of a man’s head. This was not an ordinary dragon. It was Leviathan, the demonic beast that transcended multiple religions across the globe, including Christianity, Judaism, and Tanakh.
It was also the emblem of the Lancaster family.
It was a sort of spiritual guardian that had been associated with them for hundreds of years. The Lancasters had such an affinity with the mythological creature that they even wore its symbol around their necks at all times.
In total, the mansion and land within the gated property only ran for 91 million dollars—which was a good deal, considering the location, upgrades, and renovations.
Because the owner of Lancaster Manor treasured his privacy and peace, he chose this location on the outskirts of Blyton City half a century ago. Even for the home of a billionaire, it was colossal. It needed to be. A large family lived here. The Lancasters consisted of thirteen members in total.
Mr. Benedic
t Lancaster and his twelve adopted children.
Each of them had accomplished their own unique feats and was more impressive than the last. The exception was the newly admitted member of the family, Helena. She was brought in from a small town in Norway.
Helena never spoke a word. Not since her parents died. It was a tragedy. Her father beat her mother to death over an uncooked meal. Shortly after, his actions must have sunken in. He poured poison into his coffee and died at the breakfast table the next morning. If it were not for the mercy and compassion of her new father figure, Benedict Lancaster, Helena would still be at the rundown foster home halfway across the globe, surviving on nothing but water, bread, and porridge.
Most of her siblings joked at her expense when she arrived, calling her the ‘ghost girl’ who haunts the halls of Lancaster Manor. There were a few reasons for her nickname. The first was because she was albino with long platinum blond hair, each strand resembling pure silvery beams of starlight. She always had a big blue azalea fastened to her hairpin beside her left ear. She never smiled or frowned. Not that it would matter much, due to the black facemask she constantly wore, concealing everything from her nose down. It was exceedingly difficult for most to get a read on her emotions. Since she was mute, Helena had a way of communicating through her eyes. It was a good thing they were huge. She was not good at interacting with others—except with her brother, Levi. With a single blank stare, Levi could tell whether she wanted a glass of water, help with homework, or to play outside.
At times, she was more pet-like than little sister. Since she could not talk, she would nudge Levi with whatever book she wanted him to read to her. She did this multiple times a week. He never complained. She cuddled closely to his chest and stared in awe at the same colorful pictures of castles and kingdoms. She was always in a wide-eyed trance, just as the first time it was read to her. She was hooked onto his articulate speaking voice. She would gently tug on his sleeve when she was bored, hungry, or wanted an escort around their hotel-sized home. She never bothered the others this way. Occasionally, she would knock twice on one of her other ten brothers’ and sisters’ doors and stare silently until what she wanted became apparent.
“Levi’s at a debate competition. He’ll be back late tonight,” they would say. Or “Check the library. Levi and Blake are playing chess.” Helena would not even nod in response. She would just stand there and blink twice. The next time her siblings looked up, Helena would be gone.
She was a living ghost child if they ever saw one…
However, that was the extent of her simplicity. Like her brothers and sisters, she too had flawless grades. She did not participate in her classroom discussions, but she did answer every test question correctly. She was exceptionally gifted and wrote down all her answers. She was seven, performing at an eighth-grade reading, writing, and math level.
The reason that Benedict Lancaster adopted such a big and diverse family was due to the dynamics of his own upbringing. At ninety years of age, the billionaire had everything he could ever want—money, homes, cars, and notoriety. However, that was not always the case. When he was just a boy of twelve, there was a great fire in his home that wiped out his entire wealthy family. Benedict was the lone survivor and heir to his family’s vast fortune. He talked about it a lot during interviews and in memoirs. He told his story so often that it sounded rehearsed, complete with a single forced tear from his eye at the end every time.
After his family’s demise, he strengthened the empire of his father’s insurance company, learning as much as he could about finances and economics. He educated himself in various areas and purchased other companies. He took risks and started numerous enterprises from the ground up.
Retail.
Oil.
Stock exchange.
He left no business venture untouched.
During interviews, when asked what drove him to reach his pinnacle of success, Benedict would smirk and rub his family’s pendant—the Leviathan emblem. It was a cross with an extra line stretching below the arms. Beneath that, was an infinity symbol at the base. Benedict was not shy about giving thanks to his family’s creed of the Great Leviathan. His principle was that success will only come from great risk, great perseverance, and great sacrifice.
The sacrifice was key.
Because Benedict was infertile, he never had an opportunity to have children of his own. This needed to change. He had a legacy he felt obligated to pass down. He took it upon himself to adopt a daughter, Pearl, at the age of three, raising her as his own.
Then, he adopted a son, Hiroshi, from Kamagasaki, Japan.
Most would have been content with two children. However, billionaire, innovator, and philanthropist, Benedict Lancaster was not ‘most’. Far from it. He did not slow down. Every year or so, he brought in a new orphan from a poverty-stricken part of the world. He gave them the chance of a lifetime. He may not have been directly involved in their growth and development, but he loved each of his children enough to hire them the best mentors and track their progress. It was as if he treated his newly created family as a business. Usually, he would handpick his children’s teachers, trainers, and coaches, and then they would take the reins from there. Honestly, because of his demanding schedule, Benedict was often removed from his children’s lives for months at a time. He toured from state to state, country to country, making appearances, giving ‘life tips’ and ‘get rich quick’ seminars, and attended countless company meetings.
However, every blue moon, Benedict Lancaster would grace his adopted children with his presence. He would evaluate their grades, their appearance, their recent accomplishments, goals, and how they planned on achieving greatness just like him.
“You’ve raised 2 million dollars?!” Benedict asked Eden, one of his twelve, regarding her self-started charity to feed starving children. “Very splendid, my selfless saint! Very splendid!”
“Thank you, father,” Eden curtseyed. “Truth be told, much of the donations came from contributors drawn in by the notoriety of the Lancaster name. Nevertheless, my nonprofit organization, Eden’s Garden, is on track to double in its donations by next year.”
“Simply awe-inspiring!” praised Benedict, closing his eyes and patting his fragile chest over his heart. His secretary silently documented the figures and goals on a clipboard throughout their meeting.
“Please send Levi in next, my selfless saint,” instructed Benedict. When Eden left her father’s office, she closed the door gently and tapped her brother on the shoulder, signaling for him to enter.
His armpits were soaked. Nervously, Levi took a deep breath and exhaled before walking in with his notes.
“4.3 GPA…” read Father Benedict, reviewing his tablet through his thick reading glasses. “Very good. Very good…Quite adequate with the piano now too, I hear. Very good… And it says here you started on your previous goal of establishing the debate club at your school? Tell me of your recent conquests.” Father Benedict grinned through his dentures as he removed his glasses. His smile folded his face into wrinkles, and he held his cane with shaky hands as he met his fifteen-year-old son eye-to-eye.
“Yes…” Levi cleared his throat into a balled fist. He was always on edge when he spoke with his father. He only had a handful of moments to make him proud. “Recently, I won the regional debate tournament for my school’s team. I have also been taking public speaking lessons each Tuesday and Thursday. Starting next week, I plan on interning under your lawyer, Mr. Webster, every Wednesday afternoon to learn new ways to enhance my deliberation techniques.”
Benedict clapped and nodded proudly. “Marvelous, my talented talker. Marvelous.” Benedict wrote something down in his own notebook and then continued with their scheduled meeting. They talked through girls he liked at his school, his diet and exercise routine, and how the morale has been between him and his siblings. “You’ve done an excellent job taking your little sister, Helena, under your wing. She nods and shakes her head when I speak with he
r, but my silent princess of potential still does not talk.” He chuckled and slapped his knee. “Kids these days are so bashful…I’m hoping that you and her speech therapist will continue to work with her.”
“Of course, father.” Levi bowed.
“May you continue to pave your own way, my son…” Father Benedict feebly rose to his feet and clacked his cane to the wooden floor. “In the name of the Great Leviathan…”
Levi and his father both held their matching family pendants that dangled from their necks and pounded their hearts.
They chanted in unison. “Amen!”
Their meeting ended with an awkward hug and then Benedict sent his son on his way to bring in the next sibling for their monthly evaluation.
CHAPTER 2
NIGHT OF THE LEVIATHAN
The final bell signaled the end of the school day for Elysium Preparatory Academy. It was where all the Lancasters attended. Pearl was the first alumni as of last year, and their sister, Zara, was recently the only sibling allowed to be homeschooled due to her unique career field of interest. Elysium was a top tier private academy that housed students from wealthy families ranging from first grade to twelfth. With the exception of Pearl and Zara, all Lancaster children were currently in attendance.
As the final bell rang, a schoolgirl in the sophomore microbiology class approached Levi giddily. She was beyond thrilled to be in his presence. Kitty leaned in towards his desk as she clasped her hands behind her back. “I hear your family’s pretty famous,” she teased, immediately cutting to the chase. She was the daughter of a politician and was new to the school. She had silky dark hair that flowed with each of her steps and a vexing leer that was enhanced by her prominent eyelashes. She wore the standard school uniform of a cobalt blue skirt and vest, along with her own matching French barrette. The new girl was infatuated with the gossip she heard about the Lancasters ever since her first period class. “There’re twelve of you in all, huh? I thought that your parents were just really busy,” she jested with a wink. “But it turns out that you guys are all adopted. You could have your own sitcom. Move over Brady Bunch!” she giggled. Levi listened intently to be polite, but not a single bit of her charm, charisma, or banter landed. He just stared and waited.
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