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    The Red Door
    The Red Door
    The Red Door
    Ebook129 pages1 hour

    The Red Door

    By Kimberly Bernardo

    ()

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    About this ebook

    With the death of his parents, Killian Hollins lost his faith. Now, he faces new challenges and a powerful enemy. A door has been opened to a young girl’s dreamscape, one filled with symbols, guides, and a darkness that threatens to swallow the world. Killian finds himself caught between his world and hers, in a race against time to find and free the girl from her own subconscious.

    Ayala Keren locked herself away in an attempt to escape the world and protect her dark past. Fear and despair keep her trapped in isolation. Can she be brave enough to let down her barriers and let Killian in?

    Two young people struggle to keep their faith in a world of heartache and disappointment. Can their faith be restored? Will they surrender to the cross? Or will they succumb to the world and live in anguish?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKimberly Bernardo
    Release dateMay 4, 2018
    ISBN9781370342945
    The Red Door
    Author

    Kimberly Bernardo

    I am a faith based, Christian author from Roseburg, Oregon. I love to read fantasy novels. I had my first poem published in the sixth grade in A Celebration of Young Poets. I have a black cat named Shade, and I listen to heavy metal. Photography is a hobby of mine. For fun, I like to go for nature walks and take photos.

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      Book preview

      The Red Door - Kimberly Bernardo

      Dreamscape Series Book 1

      THE RED DOOR

      Kimberly Bernardo

      Published by Kimberly Bernardo at Smashwords

      Copyright 2018, 2021 Kimberly Bernardo

      All rights reserved.

      ISBN-13: 978-1-983-55952-5

      This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. 

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

      Discover other titles by Kimberly Bernardo

      A Road of Prayer

      A Road of Prayer: Fruit of the Spirit

      Coming Soon:

      A Road of Prayer: Pray to Live

      The Black Door & the Agents of Shade

      Dedicated to my best friend and sister, Kimberly Flagor. Thank you for believing in me and for helping me to believe in myself.

      CONTENTS

      Acknowledgments

      Chapter One: Trials

      Chapter Two: The Wolves’ Welcome

      Chapter Three: Shadow Attack

      Chapter Four: Into the Keep

      Chapter Five: Memories

      Chapter Six: The Forbidden Memory

      Chapter Seven: The Gardener

      Chapter Eight: Doors Between Worlds

      Chapter Nine: Chaos and Cheer

      Chapter Ten: The Final Battle

      References & Symbolism

      Book Two Sneak Peak

      About the Author

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      Special thanks to my parents, friends and family, and to all those who helped influence my first book. Most importantly, thank you, God, for placing these people in my life and opening the doors that led me here.

      CHAPTER ONE

      TRIALS

      Fog rolled across the forest floor as Killian made his way down the winding, faded path. He picked his way through brush and rocks, ducked under overgrown branches, and climbed over fallen trees. Panting he desperately searched for a way out. The only sounds came from his grunts and stumbling footsteps as he tried to navigate the treacherous terrain in the predawn light. 

      He didn’t know how he came to be here, or where he was going; only that he had to find a way out of the forest. There was somewhere he had to be; someone he had to find. The sense of urgency was overwhelming.

      As he neared the edge of the forest, he came to the top of a valley. The morning sun, rising from behind the mountains, cast its light over an expanse of green tundra. Nestled within the idyllic scenery, sat an isolated castle. It’s white, marble-stone façade shining through walls of ivy in the early morning light. He hurried down the embankment, sliding and drifting along the way. He was so close.

      Entering the valley, Killian paused and noticed something wasn’t quite right. It was eerily silent. No people, no animals, not a single wren cried out. Even the wind was silent. There was no other life here, he was completely alone. Fear set in. He wanted to go back but there was only the forest behind him, and who knew how far civilization was?

      From the outside, the castle appeared uninhabited. Passing through the courtyard he paused. Was that movement to his right? Or was it the early morning light playing tricks? 

      Light and shadow dancing, entwining and weaving together, fluctuating between union and battle. The shadows seemed to grow and reach toward Killian. Their greed washed over Killian and terror blossomed from deep within his bones. He ran the rest of the way through the courtyard. 

      Desperately, he tried to outrun the shadows. Up the steps he went and reaching the top, at last, he skidded to a halt and stared in awe. Before him was the largest door he had ever seen painted a blazing, luminous red. 

      As he raised his fist to the door, a tendril of fog curled around his feet and slowly wound its way around an oblivious Killian. Terror filled him once again as he turned, eyes wide, in time to see a tsunami of fog come rushing over the castle wall ready to envelop him. 

      He had never seen it move so fast. Someone had purposely sent it racing toward its target, like a silent, deadly assassin. At the base of the wall, it thickened and permeated the area until he could no longer see. He threw his arm up over his eyes to shield himself from the unseen enemy. 

      Suddenly, the silence of the valley was broken by a raucous cawing and a dull beeping noise that grew louder and louder until it drowned Killian’s thoughts. A sharp sting radiated from the front to the back of his head. He let out a scream and fell to his knees as claws raked over his scalp. The sensation persisted until, the pain being too much to bear, Killian crumbled to the ground unconscious. 

      The fog slowly cleared and revealed a large crow perched atop the castle’s largest tower, head tilted slightly; one beady eye peering curiously at Killian’s motionless body. 

       † † †

      Killian slowly came to in a dully lit room. The pain in his head persisted, and the beeping continued at a constant, steady rate. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked to a soft, steady glow illuminating the doorway and was overcome by a feeling of warmth. A young woman barely visible in the light, clad in a white sundress and a gold chain with a small, gold, water lily pendant around her neck, smiled at him sadly and faded away.

      Killian?

      In a daze, vision starting to clear, Killian looked in the direction of the familiar voice. Sarah? Where am I?

      A young, petite woman with mousy brown hair and large, tear-filled brown eyes threw her arms around his neck as best she could. You’re in the hospital, and you’re awake!

      What happened?

      You don’t remember?, she sat back and took a deep breath. You were in an accident. You-

      Accident? Wait! He tried to sit up, and then immediately fell back as his head began to throb. Raising his hand, he felt the marks on the side of his head, three distinct furrows in his scalp. Tracing each one he frowned at his sister. What happened? I don’t remember any of it.

      You- , Sarah began.

      Was anyone else hurt?

      Nobody else was hurt. Killian, listen. Your-

      Is my bike okay?

      Killian! Please. This isn’t easy to say…

      Just say it.

      Ah! You’re awake. That’s good. A young doctor came through the door smiling at the two of them. My name is Dr. Guryon Christi.

      Walking up to Killian’s bedside, Dr. Christi peered down; his clear, blue eyes meeting Killian’s green-hazel. There was a level of indescribable sadness in those eyes and a steely strength that filled Killian with both joy and dread. He wanted to look away but found that he couldn’t. 

      Mr. Hollins. It’s good to see you awake. You’ve been away for seven days and had a pretty bad concussion.

      Ah. A concussion. Killian thought to himself. That explains the crazy dream and hallucinating the woman in white.

      The latest test results show you’ve healed up nicely, and should be able to go home today. Dr. Christi finished with a knowing smile.

       Killian frowned. Why won’t he stop staring at me? It’s like he can see my deepest, darkest secrets; down into the depths of my soul. It must be the eyes, such a clear blue.

      Finally, breaking his gaze with Killian, Dr. Christi turned his attention to Sarah, and Killian heaved an unintended sigh of relief. Have you told him?

      Shaking her head, she looked down at her feet. No. Not yet.

      Turning slowly back to Killian, he said in a very grave voice, We’ve taken multiple tests to fully assess the situation, and the results show that some damage was done to the lumbar region of your spinal cord during the accident.

      What does that mean? panic filled Killian as he looked to his sister in confusion. She refused to look up.

      Dr. Christi put his hand on Killian’s shoulder. Son, you’ve been paralyzed. You won’t be able to walk.

      But I can feel my legs! He motioned with his hands I know they’re there! 

      He looked down and concentrating hard, tried to move his legs but couldn’t. Just one damn toe, he thought. Just one. Watching the hospital blanket for signs of movement, there was no response. He had no control over the lower half of his body. He stopped numb with dread.

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