The Monster of Creasy's Hollow (Defenders of the Rift Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

shown them there was always a dark
side to things. And someone had tapped into that darkness yesterday.
There was little doubt of that, according the Chuck. He was the most
knowledgeable of them all, so they didn’t question his
statement. Besides, they had already known that something powerful
had happened.
    Normally the two would have been talking back and forth
this time of the day, either with good natured bantering or
discussing business details. But neither was in the mood for such
things this morning, lost in their concerns about what was happening
around them, and how it might affect them before it was over.
    The phone began ringing, and as Valina moved to answer,
a contractor arrived to pick-up supplies for a job he was working on.
The couple had to put aside their fears for the moment and
concentrate on business.

    *****

    Stacey Douglas worked part-time at the Creasy’s
Hollow library three days per week. She also had a home business
doing sewing and crafting other items for people on order. Her work
was purchased local, and over the internet as well, so she was rarely
bored, and her income supplemented Chuck’s nicely. Together
they had made a good home and life, for themselves and their son.
    Friday was one of Stacey’s days at the library.
She was pushing a cart of recently returned books through the aisles,
placing them back on the shelves for the next borrower. Doing so
wasn’t particularly mentally challenging, so she had plenty of
time to reflect on the previous days events.
    In particular she hadn’t like the tone that the
others had adopted toward her husband. A tone that had bordered on
accusatory when he didn’t have the answers they were looking
for. Chuck wasn’t to blame for what happened anymore than they
were, and to expect him to know exactly who had done something like
that, and why, was ridiculous.
    The group had started when Belinda’s first
husband, Donald Craig, had been killed overseas. Support, healing,
stress-relief, that kind of thing. Over time it had grown into a
small coven, if that was even the right word, that worked for the
betterment of themselves in positive ways. Ways that didn’t
include acts against anyone else. Positive results for positive
actions, that was the motto they lived by.
    Yesterday someone had crossed that line. Stacey was
positive that no one in their group had done it. They simply didn’t
have the power or the knowledge to do so. Chuck might have the
knowledge, or know where to find it, but was not strong enough,
alone, to perform such a ritual. And even if he was, he wouldn’t
do it. He had always been the most insistent of the group that all
actions had to be positive in nature.
    All of that pointed to another group in Creasy’s
Hollow. Or worse, at least to Stacey’s way of thinking, one
very powerful individual. If one person had been able to produce that
kind of energy then it wasn’t just the group that might be at
risk. The entire town might be in danger.
    “ Stacey? Can you come help me for a minute?”
    Broken from her reverie, Stacey moved to assist her
fellow worker, leaving the cart, and her thoughts about who might be
to blame for the summons behind for now.

    *****

    Belinda Craig-Johnson went through her day as usual,
delivering orders of Mary Kay cosmetics and Avon products that had
been ordered the week before. She represented a number of companies
as a salesperson, and made a pretty good salary doing it, though it
did require a lot of driving. She also had a website that sold the
same products that added to her income, but not her work load, since
she simply had the company ship directly to the consumer.
    Today, however, she was driving, her seats filled with
small colorful bags full of products ordered by the women, and a few
men, of Creasy’s Hollow. Part of the service was such delivery.
And it allowed Belinda to get in on all the gossip, which was an
added plus so far as she was concerned.
    Not that she was a busy body or