Shadow Followers, by Kevin Lazarus #FREE Today

My book Shadow Followers is free at Amazon (kindle books) until midnight tonight. Be sure to read it! And if you enjoyed it, please leave me a review. Click HERE for the free download or read the first chapter below.

Also, currently all of my works are in the Amazon lending library FREE for Kindle Select readers. Enjoy!!!

K. Lazarus

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Chapter 1

Jacob, Son of Thunder Born of Lightning

An unearthly rumbling, deep and visceral, followed by an explosive clap that sounded like someone snapping a massive tree in two, pierced Jacob’s tranquil dreams; a rolling thunderous noise so intense that it shook him into consciousness. Jacob literally flung himself over in his bed facing the ceiling–listening carefully. Quietly, with heavy sleepy eyes he surveyed his bedroom–still dark and silent. The distant sound of night crickets singing outside his window was somehow reassuring and peaceful. And he found himself wondering if he had heard anything at all? Perhaps it was nothing more than a bad dream, he thought.

And then–as if in reply–the answer came to him in bright blinding shards of white light. So bright, in fact, he had to cover his eyes with his hands. And then, a massive clap of thunder so intense it nearly shook the entire house.

Jacob sat up straight and then hurried to his bedroom window. He watched with particular fascination as each revelation of light revealed a magnificent storm. Like an invisible beast, ravenous and angry, tossing his grandfather’s farm into disarray.

An explosive gust of wind hammered away at a stack of old boards leaning against the barn. They rattled uncontrollably until they suddenly all toppled to the ground!

Another flash of lightning exploded in the night sky– shooting through the clouds–splitting into fiery veins. To Jacob it was as if they were a thousand fingers reaching in every direction.

The trees around his grandpa’s home bent and swayed in the wind nearly touching the ground. Another flash of lightning and then another! Leaves, exploding in every direction, overwhelmed the night sky with a clutter of green that was spectacularly lit by the erratic flashes of light.

Jacob had never seen anything this amazing before. He had spent most of his life living in the city with his father and mother. And while they had their storms, there was little comparison to this! Another angry outburst of thunder shook the house.

With the unexpected death of his father, Jacob and his mother moved to the other side of the country, almost a world away from everything Jacob understood. To live with his grandfather in a new and completely unfamiliar place–a farming community near a little township called Carthage Falls.

In truth, Jacob knew little about his Grandpa Ezra. So far apart from one another, the best they could do were brief conversations in long distant phone calls. Jacob’s memories and visions of his grandfather were mostly from short greetings followed by moments of small talk, and an old photo of him on his father’s desk.

So–here he was now–in his grandpa’s house. Fate, presenting him with a peculiar twist of life, being a stranger in a strange land; and yet the beginning of something new, and apparently, at this moment, ushering it in with spectacular force!

Jacob felt oddly drawn to the wind and the commotion happening outside–the lighting. He opened his bedroom door and looked down the hallway of his grandfather’s home. It was dark and quiet. He listened intently for any familiar sound. Only the wind rattling the shingles on the roof and the distant sound of thunder resonated amongst the walls. Slowly he ventured into the hallway and crept along quietly so that neither his mother nor his grandpa would hear him. Another flash of lightning and a low rumble of thunder caused him to pause. He was standing right outside his mother’s open bedroom door. He marveled at the fact that she was still sleeping.

As he continued down the hall there was another crashing sound of thunder that shook the house so completely, he wondered if it might collapse. This time he was sure it would wake them, so he stood silently in the dark waiting, listening for them to stir; expecting them at any moment. He was curious, how would they react? Would his mother be afraid? He imagined her wrapping her arms around him, being reassuring and comforting. What would his grandpa do?

He waited, listening. In the dark, it felt like forever. And yet, oddly, they never came. He cautiously continued along the hallway and then crept down the stairs, moving along until he was in the kitchen. The kitchen that was so dark, so unfamiliar and new to him. Yet, it was filled with things; things that made him feel safe; things that he immediately identified with his grandfather.

Jacob hurried to the back door and opened it as quietly as possible. Though, he wasn’t too worried. Neither his mother nor grandfather had heard the storm raging outside. And they hadn’t heard him.

A sudden gust of wind took hold of the door yanking the knob from his hand, forcing the door all the way open. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. It was a warm wind, earthy and fresh, rushing over his arms, tossing his hair in every direction. Once more in erratic bursts, the lighting lit the way, revealing the entire yard. And somehow, in the strange glow from the storm it looked different—-magical; a world which could only be seen between the twilight and the brilliant blinding eruptions of each thunderbolt.

Jacob closed his eyes and raised his arms as he walked out into the turbulent wind. A gathering of leaves rustled around him, bumping into him as if they were alive; lightning igniting bolts of blue light illuminating everything. It was strangely exhilarating. He opened his eyes and ran through the wind to the front of his grandpa’s house where he found himself standing on the brick walkway.

As if the lighting energized him with strength, he could feel a shiver climbing his spine and the hair bristling at the back of his neck. It was at that moment he sensed something. He couldn’t put his finger on it at first, but he felt like there was something or–someone standing behind him!

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