Hatasu
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
CHAPTER I: UNDER FIRE
Thursday, 10-31-91, 7:21 P.M. Halloween
Breathtaking You
Exquisite Nose, Stunning Eyes
Her Valentine Mouth Smiles True
Sensitive, Warm, Sensual
Joyful, Sweet, Breathtaking You
Summer Starry Sky Breezes
Living Dreams Giving Laughter
Baseball, Sonnets, And Jesus
Love Happ’ly Ever After
Each Others Favorite Fan
Sharing Our Hearts Hand In Hand
United Family Plan
United Families Stand
A Light-House For Each Other
Fighting Battles Together
Faith, Hope And Loves Endless Bliss
Begun With One Tender Kiss
+ Joe Criss
A hunters moon danced serenely off the shores of Spinner Lake. The silent sway of the trees gave the sensation of lying suspended at the sandy white bottom, gazing up at the stars.
She watched him approach quickly, strides bold and confident. A rush of relief overwhelmed her and she rushed out to meet him. He brushed the hair from her face and gently kissed her eyes.
"Beloved, why are you crying?"
She put her finger over his lips and led him into the cave. She paused to light a crimson candle. In the flickering penumbra the boy noticed her stifled wince. He gently put his hand with hers and they held the light together.
In the murky illumination he could distinguish a roughly circular chamber. Stalactites stabbing down like fangs gave the entrance a dragon's mouth appearance. A stack of books, a sleeping bag and a first aid kit sat neatly organized a few feet away. A framed picture of them at Prom lay on top of the sleeping bag.
He picked up the book on top of the stack: “THE NECRONOMICON.”
"What's going on? No matter what, we’ll make through together. Don't go slippin’ from cave to cavern like a slizard cause you're afraid of the cops. I am with you now. I dare the devil himself to trouble one hair on your beautiful head. Don't sleep out here with the bats. I love you. I ain't never gonna let nothin' bad happen to you ever."
She put his arms around her. "I like this cave best. This is our cave."
"That's nice. But it's still a cave. How are you gonna manage school? Marry me, Grace. My folks love you. I love you."
"But do you trust me?"
"Course I do."
"Prove it."
"Love ain't no dare, Grace. But I got somethin' for you anyways that'll fix everything. It ain't right to give it to you on Halloween though. I ain't stuper-stitious but maybe it'll keep till tomorrow. It’s up to you, my love. Your wish is my command.”
“Tomorrow, my precious love. Or any day but this day.”
“I gave you my word, Grace, and I never go back on my word. What’s wrong with this day?”
“Nothing baby. Please, I don’t want nothin’ else on our day but our day.”
“OK. I’ll keep everything under wraps till tomorrow. Tomorrow is just for us." He kissed her tear stained eyes.
"Please don’t listen to anything Saint Tony says or I’ll give him a real Valentine’s day massacre! Swear to me. Your true blue rock of information and misguided morality compass needs to keep his stigmata mouth to his Justine Martyr self sometimes. "
"I don't love Tony Valentine. I love you. Anyways, I got back late so I went to your house but there was cops all over the place. I figured you'd be here. I'll see Tony at work."
"I didn't do it! You gotta believe me!"
“Do what? I didn’t feel like askin’ fuzzy Johnny Law.” The girl started sobbing
“Come on Grace, you’re the tough chick, bemember?”
“Joey, somethin’ iniquitous got loose and it’s my fault. But I found this book. It ain’t nothin' like I ever read before. Ifn’ it's right, then what that Santero told me is gonna get me kilt."
"If that Santero touches you even by accident, I'll splatter his Wicca-worlock face all over LeLear County!"
She kissed her finger and put it over his lips. "Joey, I done everything wrong. God my O, I know that book is right!"
"What book? "
"Patience, my love. There's no time right now. I'll tell you everything I know later, I promise you. It puts a big gap right in the middle of everything I done. That book changes everything!"
"Tell me this little secret. You workin' for the government or what? And what does a ten-dollar word like iniquitous mean?”
"Evil. Sweet baby it means evil. And as soon as I figure it out I'll tell my beloved all about it. Just let me get out of the bat-cave and on to a computer so I kin do what I gotta do." She bit her lip. Touched his cheek with the back of her trembling hand. "There's somethin' I need you to do for me. Please my love, I never needed you more than right now." She led him to her sleeping bag. They both knelt.
"Swear to me that you'll never leave me alone again. Ever."
"Never ever."
She kissed his hands and he felt her tears. "No matter what happens, no matter what any one says, I love you more desperately than any girl ever loved any boy. I would come back from the grave for you, Joey. I would never hurt you. You are my life. I love you and don't let anyone ever tell you different."
He was speechless. Grace lay back on the cot and painfully drew him to her.
"I love you Joey. Forever and a day."
"Forever and a day." He blew out the light.
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Book Details
About the Book
Bored country girl Grace Felice decides to add some thrills to her life and dives into the world of black magic. Against the advice of her true love, Joe Criss, she all too quickly gets tangled up with some Wicca promising more thrills than she can handle. This initiation into a guaranteed wicked good time cemetery séance exposes her to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh named Hatchetsup Hatasu. Suddenly the dark arts get as real, and as dark, as it gets, as she witnesses the power of life and death. It shakes her up so badly that she decides she's done with black magic and tries to go back to her boring, small-town life. Unfortunately, Hatasu isn't done with her. He sees real potential in Grace and decides to violently show her just how serious he is about her and the consequences of saying no! Meet Grace, a new kind of heroine, battling her way back to "good" from the insidious fringe where she thought she always wanted to be, back to normal, where she never thought she would want so desperately to return. Along the way, she finds out who she really is, who her friends really are, and ultimately the only one who can really save her.
About the Author
CROSS+FIRE FALCONE is the Pastor of CROSS+FIRE DRAGON+SLAYERS, COGIC in Lansing, Michigan. He is also a Christian counselor, a father of two, and a lover of the magnificent seven: baseball, music, swimming, laughter, honesty, fighting the good fight, and of course, love.