Heavensgate - Hope (Heavensgate Book 1)

Book summary

Haunted by his past and plagued by a dark alter ego, Jacob finds himself on the edge of sanity at Heavensgate.

In Heavensgate – Hope, Jacob grapples with grief, supernatural forces, and the disturbing presence of his alter ego, Jake. As he fights to free the Keeper of a forbidden book, strange and dangerous forces swirl around him, leading to deadly consequences. Meanwhile, the ominous appearance of a pink Cadillac heightens the tension as Jacob faces terrifying choices.

This psychological thriller explores the dark side of hope, with a chilling blend of suspense and supernatural intrigue.

Excerpt from Heavensgate - Hope (Heavensgate Book 1)

Chapter One

1978

-THE FIRST GOODBYE-

My name is Jacob, but Mom calls me her Wacky Jacky because she says I am her funny little man. I don't feel funny today though, I feel scared.

I am seven and three quarter years old and I am standing in the pouring rain with a lot of people I do not know. Mom always says, 'If you don't know them from Adam, son, don't talk to them.' So I don't. I'm not sure if this is 'stranger danger' like Dad says or not, but I am on red alert.

My horrible new, shiny black, lace-up shoes are slowly sinking in the brown grassy mud. My face is cold, but my hands are all hot and wet from being held by two grown ups that Uncle Jim says are here especially for me. They are the Child Care Ladies and they are both fat. This is yuk, holding hands is sissy.

These stupid socks are new too, they are too big, they are 'you will grow into them' socks. I won't. I will hide them under the bed instead. I don't know why the two fat ladies even bothered to put my feet in these socks, they are long and white like girls' socks and they are slipping down in my shoes.

I am bored with it all, I want to play jump in the puddles instead.

Somebody is snivelling. I don't snivel. I am a big kid now, I'm nearly a man. Uncle Jim told me, while we were riding in the front of the long black car with the big wooden boxes in the back, he said,

'I know you aren't yet eight years old, Jacky, but this means you will have to grow up quick, kid, be a man and be brave and no more playing with fire, not ever, you hear me?'

Poo, his breath smells all smoky.

'I am brave, Uncle Jim, you know I'm brave. I looked at them lying in the boxes in the parlour, didn't I?'

They looked back at me; the twins gave me nasty looks.

I can't wait to grow up and not be bossed around. I like the driver's hat, it's raining what dad calls 'cats and dogs.' The driver man will need his hat today.

Ow, ow, ow. My arms ache. My feet are cold like popsicles in these horrible shoes and I am so bored with the church man. Everyone is looking at him because he's wearing a lady's long black and white frilly dress with a girl's scarf. He has a silly face too, and real big teeth like a donkey and now he's reading a story from a little red book. It's no fun at all, he's telling us about dust and ashes and it's worse than even Miss Turnbull's boring old history class.

I am a good kid, I already waited for him to shut up in church. I said our father's prayer and I even sang about Grace who is amazing, even though I don't know why she is amazing, but I still can't go home.

I have super powers, I can escape.

Faster than a speeding bullet I pull away from the big hands holding mine and take a giant step away from the grown-ups. I am ready, steady to run for it, in a flash I will disappear into the sky like Superman. I wish I was wearing my sneakers. These socks have had it.

I look back to see if they are going to chase me down like the bad guy in cops and robbers, but apart from the fatties who are bothering Uncle Jim they are all staring at the big hole in the ground.

Someone kind has really tried their best to make that dark hole look nice by covering the edges with pretend grass, like the plastic stuff at the mini golf and burger joint, where me and dad go to escape Mom and the babies.

It's not foolin' me.

I run away as fast as I can, oh no, oops, I slipped down in the mud next to a big old stone. My butt hurts, I want my Mom, I won't cry, I won't.

A pretty girl with long silver hair has sneaked up and sat down next to me on the cold squishy ground. She smells of parma violet candy. I ask her if she knows what is so amazing about Grace and she laughs but no sound comes out of her mouth. I don't think she can talk, that's OK. She takes hold of my hand and I don't mind.

Me and the girl just sit quietly in the mud watching the rain fall all around us. She is dry, but I am getting wetter and wetter. The girl points at the sky and I see a magic rainbow. She points at herself, at me, at the rainbow and then she gets a stick and draws a clock and a heart in the mud.

I don't know this game, but I borrow her stick and draw a really big heart next to hers. I put a 'J´ on it for Jacob. The girl has just kissed me on my cheek, I feel silly.

I don't like girls.

Jim has found us. He puts his hands under my armpits and lifts me back up onto my muddy feet. He says,

'Hey, kid, your new socks and shoes are ruined.'

'I don't like them, Uncle Jim.'

'Well then that's a real good job you gone an' done on 'em, Jacky.'

Jim is very tall like a tree. He leans over me and I see a raindrop hanging on the end of his nose. I want to laugh, but I know that this is 'no laughing matter.'

He cups my chin in his big hand; my tummy hurts and I feel upset because he looks so sad. Mom says that Jim has a 'bad chest' so he can't help it that he's coughing in my face. His breath smells of his smokes.

'Come on, Jacky boy, no more scampering off. You have to pay your last respects. It's time to say goodbye to Mom and Dad and your little brother and sister. When you've done that, Uncle Jim will take you to Aunty Mary's house for milk and cookies. I think she has a big ole tyre swing in the yard for good kids like you.'

Jim must be very upset because he is talking posh today. Dad says Jim talks posh when he is cross or upset and on the phone. It makes Dad laugh.

I don't want to upset Uncle Jim. Like Momma always says when I hurt myself falling down, I am her brave injun. So I nod my head and smile at the pretty girl still sat in the mud next to the big stone with the angel on the top. That angel reminds me of the one Dad lifted me up to put on our Christmas tree, but this one is lots bigger and not shiny.

The girl smiles and waves bye to me and I can hear her voice ringing like tiny silver bells jingling in my head. I can smell parma violet candy too.

Jim and me are nearly back at the big hole and the beautiful girl is walking slowly behind us.

In my head she says, 'Jacky, turn around, look.'

I feel so scared. I need to pee. I whisper, 'No, please, I don't want to see, please don't make me look.'

Jim says, 'It's OK, Jacob, really it's OK, kid. Don't be afraid, Uncle Jim is right here.'

So I look back at the girl. I am brave even though I'm real scared too.

She speaks in my head again, 'See you soon, sweetie. I have your heart in my hands.'

She does, she does have it, it's all wet and slippery. It's the heart I drew with a stick in the mud for her and it's in her hands. That's magic. The boy in my head starts to cry.

I want my heart back, get it back please, Jacob, don't leave it with her.

I don't want to leave her, but I have to go. I'm holding Jim's big hand and I let him take me back to the strangers who are shivering under huge, wet, black umbrellas, crowding around the scary hole in the ground.

They are all staring at me. The ladies are crying and saying 'poor mite,' 'poor angel,' 'so sad.' Some of them pat me on my wet head as I squeeze past them. Now me and Jim are next to the donkey face man in the dress, he is dripping wet too. I hope no-one sees that I wet my pants. That boy is getting on my nerves. He gives me headaches. He's whining again,

I want to go home now.

I ignore him.

Jim's daughter, Lori, passes me a white rose, she points at the hole.

A thorn pricks my finger, it makes it bleed. I am brave and I don't yelp. I can see the silver haired girl hiding behind the two fat ladies, she's smiling and nodding at me. So I do what they all want, I drop the sharp flower into the hole.

I feel all empty inside.

Chapter Two

1978

-BEFORE-

I am playing cars on the kitchen table with Sam; they are all lined up in neat rows like at the parking lot in town. He's good at parking is Sam, so long as he has Oreos and milk he's pretty much good all the time. Nancy is a girl so, 'she can't help the silly way she is.' That's what Uncle Jim told me, then he said, 'Don't tell yer Momma.'

I didn't tell her, so now I have my first secret ever. It gives me butterflies in my tummy so I may have to tell her, but then she will promise that she won't say a word to Uncle Jim. She won't tell him that I told her and then she will get some butterflies in her tummy and then it will all be my fault. I don't like secrets.

My pretty Momma is singing along to her silly Doris Day record, Que Sera, again, dancing around me and Sam with our little sister on her hip.

Daddy sneaks up behind me, picks me up under one arm and with Sam in the other he swings us around shouting,

'Change the record, let's have some boogie music for me and my boys.'

Momma puts Nancy down on the floor and picks up another record for the machine.

Daddy sets me and Sam back down on our feet and when the music comes on we all shake our butts at each other laughing and singing his favourite song, 'I'm Your Boogie Man,' real loud.

Dad and me are sliding across the polished kitchen floor in our socks, we are just like the dancing man in Grease.

Mom and the twins have fallen down giggling in a pile on the new lino.

'Again again again.'

'More more more.' They are all shouting and clapping me and Dad, so we do it all again.

I love my Dad. My dad is my bestest friend in the whole wide world, but he has to leave for work so, 'No more dancing today sunshine.'