Justin heard a loud grunt above the ruckus in the field and immediately looked around to locate his friend. Gareth, his two brothers, and three cousins also turned at the sound, and all saw Gareth’s father slump to the ground under the club of one of the poachers. The thief did not need to turn …
Category: The Old Book Series
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 2
Justin stood in his best friend’s kitchen shifting his weight from foot to foot as he watched Matt meticulously lacing his new basketball shoes, precisely adjusting the tension on his foot at every set of eyelets. He’d been at it for five minutes and had only inserted the laces into, and fine-tuned, the first three …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 3
Tuesday morning as they all walked together to the school Justin said, “Hey Ernie, I forgot to ask you something yesterday. Could I borrow those notes I saw you taking? I didn’t think to bring paper and they went over so much, I’m not sure I remember it all.” “No problem,” answered Ernie. “As a …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 4
In Signum Outside his home Justin furiously chopped firewood. He spent his anger toward Kegan, Gareth and his father on the diminishing pile of logs. An hour of this yielded a neat pyramid of pieces, perfectly sized for use in the fireplace or outdoor oven, as well as a sizable stack of kindling. Justin looked …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 5
In Georgetown Wednesday morning it was Ernie who was calling Justin. While he was brushing his teeth he heard the phone ring and his mom pick it up. A moment later she called up the stairs, “Justin, phone for you. It’s Ernie.” Justin quickly spit and wiped his mouth on the inside of his shirt …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 6
In the morning they had nothing. As the three walked to school Justin looked cross, Matt looked glum, and Ernie looked miserable. As they neared the gym their moods intensified but didn’t change. They had talked little, mostly only to establish that none of them had come up with a plan to solve their problem. …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 7
In Signum When Justin awoke the next morning his mind was calm with resolve. After washing and dressing he sat stoically and ate almost twice as many of the corn cakes as he usually did at breakfast. “Whatever is occupying you so has had no effect on your appetite,” his mother commented. He gave her …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 8
In Georgetown The first thing Justin said when they were together Friday morning was, “Well, what happened after we left yesterday? How did your parents act when we were gone?” “Well, thanks to the spin doctor here, I’m not grounded, but who knows what will happen today.” This seemed to satisfy Justin. “Well, I say …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 9
A few hours later found Justin knocking on Ernie’s front door. Ernie’s dad answered the door and Ernie came down into the living room as he was greeting Justin. As the introductions were made Justin couldn’t help noticing that Ernie’s house was different than any he’d ever been in. Instead of paint or wallpaper there …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 10
In Signum Justin and Gareth sat on either side of the family’s table staring silently at each other. Gareth’s father was in the corner on a low stool mending his shoe. Gareth’s mother sat on a chair near the door cleaning and chopping vegetables. After a while the basket at her feet was empty and …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 11
In Georgetown Justin awoke Saturday with the vague feeling that it was not going to be a good day, but he didn’t know why. His mood remained subdued as he climbed out of bed and rummaged through a pile of clothes at the foot of his bed for some jeans. As he stood up to …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 12
Sunday morning Justin sat brooding in the early church service. The minister’s voice was like the drone of a housefly on the edge of his consciousness as he mentally hashed on his problem. Someone right ahead of Justin noisily dropped a couple of songbooks and bent over to pick them up. He was suddenly again …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 13
In The Book The fire had reached its peak a few moments ago and was still strong but obviously burning down now instead of gaining in intensity. The songs too had now moved from jubilant to ever so slightly melancholy, but like the fire, they too retained a comforting familiar warmth. The people around the …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 14
Justin slept again that night in the home of Barker, Tory’s father, as he had since they had met two weeks earlier. Tory’s house like all those around it and in the town was of mud daub construction with a thatched roof, and roughly cut and uncovered windows. The bed they provided him was a …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 15
When he awoke the next morning the sun was already high in a perfect early autumn sky. Skipping breakfast and chiding himself for oversleeping, he hurried toward the fields where he knew the men would be raking hay together all that day. They had never asked or even seemed to expect him to help while …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 16
He awoke the next morning from a dreamless sleep and told his new friend that he had something to do in the nearby town. He really just wanted more time to think, without even the interruption of conversation or concentration on work. He thought walking around among strangers would be as good as being alone. …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 17
Justin slept lightly that night and awoke early the next morning. He walked with Tory and his father to the burned field to meet with the other farmers. When they arrived Breck and his neighbor were discussing what needed to be done. The other farmers could be seen approaching from other directions. When all had …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 18
The sun was high the next day when Justin knocked on Wyatt’s door. There was no answer and no response when he called Wyatt’s name, so Justin sat down against the wall to wait. After about ten minutes an old man came shuffling down the alley and passed Justin without even a sideways glance. He …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 19
The next day was the people’s rest day. Justin was glad for the chance to spend the entire day with Tory. He could wait for just the right moment to talk to him. They spent the early morning fishing in the stream and their catch was lunch. After eating they had stretched out in the …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 20
The next morning the two rose early when the sky was still gray and breakfasted on hard rye bread and boiled eggs purchased from one of the farmers who came into town daily to sell their products. Both had rested well and felt alert and ready for what they had planned. Justin was surprised to …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 21
Wyatt jogged along easily in a straight line to where he knew the other opening of the tunnel to be. When he reached the place he repeated his actions of a few moments earlier, securing another stout rope to the stake by the hole. Then he dropped to his stomach in the thick grass and …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 22
Justin sat for a few seconds staring at the rope in his hands as the gravity of the situation settled on him. He was trapped, waiting for Roth. His armor was gone. He couldn’t climb out and stop Wyatt. Unless he could lasso that stake or a tree he couldn’t climb out at all. But …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 23
As Justin neared the manor he realized that he had never seen it up close before. It wasn’t as large as he’d thought, but more formidable. The wall was higher than it looked from a distance, and the stones had been laid smoothly so as to present a sheer, unclimbable face. The house inside could …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 24
When Justin left Wyatt he was sad but his own heart was not heavy. He hadn’t known such joy in his life, and wondered at it, considering what lay before him. Before he had gone far he stopped and removed the vest, again marveling at the refreshing feel of the blood. He folded it and …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 25
Justin awoke with a slight start and immediately realized that he’d fallen asleep reading the old book. And he’d slept a good while. It was already dark. He looked at the clock, 8:37. He thought back over the story he’d read, or was that a dream he’d had while he was asleep. He sat up …
The Old Book Reopened – Chapter 26
Justin met Matt as usual the next morning to walk to the gym. As Matt came out his door, he said around a mouth full of the biscuit in his hand, “Erie is’t wakin in dis morin.” “Yeah, I know,” said Justin catching a whiff of the biscuit. He could almost feel his mom watching …