The Prologue

Sam Gray finds a mysterious book hidden under the floorboards of his bedroom and quickly learns its secret...

   
                                                   The Prologue





    Seven years had come and gone since the day a mysterious illness claimed the life of Samuel Gray’s mother, Elizabeth. The pain and sadness of that day still linger freely in the foremost part of Samuel’s young mind and all too often does a tear find its way out. However, with his father’s undying love and devotion, he has found it easier to cope with his tragic loss. A father’s love is a great and powerful tool that can mend even the most broken of hearts. Samuel has come to understand this and in return he believes it is his duty to bring happiness to his father’s eyes once more.

    With a large box cradled in his arms, Sam’s father, Jonathan, slowly but surely hobbled his way down the narrow hallway to his bedroom at the end. Stopping halfway down the corridor, he nudged open the already cracked door to his son’s room.
    Samuel was sitting on the end of his twin size hand-me-down bed, slouching over a photograph of his mother that was taken during happier times. He was completely oblivious of the fact that his father was standing in the doorway.

    “I see you’ve already unpacked.” Jonathan said with a subtle hint of sadness in his eyes. He could clearly see that his son was troubled and unhappy.

    “Why did we come back here?” Sam replied, placing the unframed picture in an open cardboard box that sat on the floor at the foot of his bed. The box appeared to be full to the brim with random items of his past, giving it the appearance of a primitive time capsule.

    “You knew it was only a matter of time.” Gently, Jonathan placed the heavy package on the hardwood floor just beside the room’s doorway, releasing a muffled clang of glass and porcelain.

    “I never thought we’d come back” With a lone tear, Samuel glanced over at his father, sniffled, and returned his sights to the floor before him.

    Without a word to be said, Jonathan walked over to young Samuel, kneeled down and placed a loving hand on his son’s cheek.

    “We couldn’t live with your uncle forever,” Jonathan paused with a soft chuckle and ran his fingers through Samuel’s thick brown hair. “The smell was just too unbearable and you know it.”

    A subtle grin began to make its appearance on Sam’s tear damped face followed by a sure but hesitant laugh.

    “I thought I was the only one who noticed,” Samuel looked into his father’s eyes and lunged forward, wrapping his arms around his neck.
   
    “I miss her dad.” Sam whispered, releasing his tight grasp on his father.
   
    “I know you do and so do I.”

    And with those soft words, Jonathan climbed up off the floor and made his way to the bedroom door. Before completely leaving his son’s room he turned his head with a smile.

    “You should get some sleep. Goodnight son.” Jonathan suggested, stepping out of the room and smoothly closing the door behind him.

    The sound of his footsteps began to fade away down the dimly lit hall, followed by the click of a closing door. It was getting late and in the morning he would return to his duties at the office. All was well and it was clear that he was well on his way to moving on. This was a good omen in the eyes of his son Samuel.

    Wiping his face dry with the sleeve of his favorite black t-shirt, Samuel began to recover from his feelings of sorrow. The remnants of tears had dried and feelings of hope had begun to take shape. If his father was able to set aside his emotions and move on than perhaps he should as well.
    With a spurt of confidence, Samuel placed his bare feet on the cold wood that made up his bedroom floor. His hands pressed firmly against his faded brown comforter as he pushed himself off of the bed.
    Taking a single step to the foot end of his bed, Sam stooped down and placed a firm hand on the edge of the box that sat squarely at the end of the bed‘s awkward frame. The photo of his mother rested safely at the top. With one last glance at his mothers fair skinned face he slowly began sliding the open box through the sheets and blankets that draped over the framework like a curtain , but as the cardboard container was nearly engulfed by the steel support and dangling cloth it came to a halt. Something under his bed was preventing it from moving any further.
    Samuel tried again and again to slide the box underneath, but no progress was being made. Frustrated by whatever it was that rested firmly under his bed, Sam crouched lower and slid his arm under the bed. Grazing his hands against the wood he came upon a protruding slab of floorboard.
    Without hesitation, Sam pulled out his arm, rose to his feet, and took hold of the bed’s end. With no trouble at all he quietly slid the bed from against the wall, revealing a small rectangular cut in his floor, an obvious attempt to hide something.
    A look of intrigue quickly replaced the mess of emotions he was undergoing just moments before. Gradually he stepped over to his new found discovery and prepared himself for what could possibly be hiding underneath. Cautiously, Sam pressed his fingers against a jutting portion of the board and began pulling it upward until he could freely slide his fingers underneath it. With a mildly exaggerated gulp of air he gently set the plank aside, allowing the light to reveal to him what had been kept so secretly.

    “What’s this?” He asked himself, carefully taking hold of the spine that held together a thick, leather bound book. Its cover was shrouded with a thick blanket of dust.

    Holding the book flat and steady on his palm, he swept his free hand across the cover, revealing to him a title that had once been hidden behind a mask of dust.

                The Gatekeeper’s Tome

    The words were of the most elegant of lettering and almost forced the reader to press on. Not even a boy as head strong as Sam could resist its voiceless calling. Below its title there was a warning hand-written with a font that was far less extravagant.

                     
            For your eyes only. Great power lies within.


    Samuel’s eyes glowed with an overwhelming curiosity and with no hesitation he pried open the book’s heavy cover. The pages were old and worn with the occasional pieces of parchment torn from their edges. It was made quite clear that this book had been prey to more than its fair share of inquisitive eyes. A litter of incomprehensible words only added to the mystery behind this strange book. However, as perplexing as the words may have been, there were a few written in the center of the first page that Sam was able to make out.


            With my heart true to its intent
            This tome will be my guide
            To a world beyond my own
            I ask thee to take me away
            To a place I do not know

   

    As he read the last word of the last line, a strange blue glow illuminated Sam’s body. The light stayed with him as his body began to rise from the floor. The expression on his face was a balanced mixture of fear and wonder as his body began levitating in the center of his room all the while maintaining his grip on the book. As his body floated freely in midair the light shining from his body began to get brighter and with a final blinding flash of blue light he vanished. His destiny had begun to reveal itself.

   
           


             
   
   

Author's Note

This is just the first draft so be gentle.

Reviews

[scott]

it was awesome