Beasts Released (eBook)

A Gabe the Guardian Story

J.D. Stevenson (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2026 | 1. Auflage
128 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3178-2633-8 (ISBN)

Infos

In this third book of the series, Gabe and Jacob travel across the United States in an effort to close all of the inter dimensional rifts created by Octavia. Along their journey, they encounter fierce creatures that have already passed through the rifts and threaten mankind. Gabe and Jacob must close the rifts and battle the creatures in order to capture them and return them to the dimensions from which they came.

'J.D. Stevenson Likes to write all kinds of fictional stuff. Sometimes he co-authors fast-paced psychological thrillers (THE IRON RELIC BOOK I: THE CROSSING, THE IRON RELIC ORIGINS, and THE IRON RELIC BOOK II: REVELATIONS). Sometimes he writes about paranormal horror (THE ORB HUNTER [coming out soon]). Sometimes he writes about inter-dimensional guardians, cryptids and saving humanity (GABE THE GUARDIAN STORIES [two more are coming]). Once, he even wrote a beautifully illustrated talking point e-book for parents to talk to their children (WALTER THE EARTHWORM). He lives near Los Angeles, California.'

Textauszug

Chapter 1

July 1, 1987

The afternoon of July 1, 1987, unfurled over the small town like a well-worn quilt stitched with the laughter of children and the warm scent of freshly cut grass. The rhythmic high-pitched buzzing of the cicadas was all but forgotten now. The sun had just begun to hang low in the sky, casting shadows across cracked sidewalks and faded porches. As the day stretched into a languid afternoon, Chase Reed and Bryan Barns navigated their newfound freedom with ease strengthened through their camaraderie.

Chase stood by the old oak tree near his driveway, fingers absentmindedly running through his short brown hair. At eighteen, he had filled out, muscles developed from endless days spent ridding the town of remaining regents and shadow warriors. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and his grin was infectious—a magnet for adventure. He wore a simple white tank top that clung to his frame, revealing sun-kissed skin peppered with freckles.

“C’mon, Bryan! I want to make it to the library before it closes,” he called, excitement bubbling in his voice.

Bryan emerged from his house, shielding his eyes from the sun. He ran a hand through his blond hair, which caught the light like spun gold. At eighteen, he had matured into a tall young man with kind blue eyes that reflected a warmth and empathy rare in someone so young. He was dressed casually in a faded blue T-shirt and denim shorts—comfortable attire for lazy summer days.

“I never thought I’d be spending my summer in the library. Don’t we have enough information to go and locate Octavia’s other rifts yet?” Bryan raised an eyebrow.

Chase shrugged, feigning innocence. “We need all the information we can get. I want to follow each one of Octavia’s paths. We need to be as thorough as possible so that we don’t miss anything.”

He hopped into the driver’s seat of his light blue 1980 Chevy Chevette and gestured dramatically for Bryan to get into the car with him.

Bryan laughed softly, shaking his head as he stood next to his own car, tapping the hood. Bryan was still in love with his red and black 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1. “I’m driving.”

Chase reluctantly got into Bryan’s car, and they sped down the street together, their laughter mingling with the music blaring out of the Mustang’s cassette player. Chase’s heart raced as they sped toward the library, passing the old Victorian-era houses that gave the downtown area its charm.

“Think we’ll miss this place once we’re gone?” Chase shouted over the rush of wind.

“Not if you keep needing to do more research,” Bryan shot back playfully.

As they reached the library, they parked and walked to the grand curved front doors of the majestic building. The brass door handles glinted under the sunlight. This place held memories and knowledge—the kind that Chase and Bryan needed to prepare themselves for the task of locating and closing Octavia’s rifts.

Chase settled in front of the microfiche scanner while looking at Bryan, who was getting a chair to sit next to him.

“Hey,” Chase whispered suddenly, his voice dropping to something more serious. “Can you ask the research librarian to bring out that roll of film we were looking at last night? I want to finish that reel before we start on a new one.”

Bryan sighed and rolled his eyes before answering; thoughts tumbled through his mind like loose change rattling in a pocket. “It’s so boring,” he admitted finally. “I mean. . . we already know that after George Washington, Octavia’s next human to guard was Auden Doxon. We know that he came to the United States from Scotland. It feels like we’re just spinning our wheels here.”

Chase nodded thoughtfully but then brushed it aside with a wave of his hand. “Yeah, but we need to be prepared. We need to gather as much information as we can so that we don’t get surprised and caught off guard like we did with Octavia. After we close the rifts she opened, we can go back to just being guardians again. No more regents or shadow warriors.”

“Yeah,” Bryan replied quietly. “But it took us almost a whole year to get rid of all of the interdimensional creatures around here. I just think we should have been on our way to New York or Scotland by now.”

Chase rolled his eyes but softened at Bryan’s expression—a mix of concern and determination etched into those youthful features.

“We won’t mess it up.” He took leaned closer to Bryan and clasped him on the shoulder. “We’ve got each other.”

The promise hung between them like heat waves shimmering above asphalt on a sweltering day—unbreakable.

* * *

The research librarian approached with a small cart, a roll of microfiche film balanced atop it. Her silver hair glimmered under the library’s fluorescent lights, and her glasses perched low on her nose, giving her an air of stern efficiency.

“Here you go,” she said, placing the roll next to the microfiche scanner. “Just let me know when you’re finished so I can put this back where it belongs.”

Chase nodded eagerly while Bryan remained silent, his gaze fixed on the scanner as if it were a portal to another time. The librarian adjusted the machine, carefully hooking up the film. The whir of machinery filled the air as she flicked a switch, bringing the device to life.

“Alright, boys,” she said, straightening up and adjusting her glasses. “Happy hunting.”

Once she walked away, Chase leaned closer to Bryan. “Ready?”

Bryan shrugged, biting his lip in thought. “Let’s see what we find.”

Chase pressed the buttons with a practiced hand, advancing through frames of historical images and text that flickered onto the screen. Shadows danced across their faces as they peered into a past that seemed almost tangible.

“Wait,” Chase said suddenly. He hit pause on the scanner. “Go back.”

Bryan frowned but followed Chase’s lead, rewinding until they found the image that had caught Chase’s eye—a grainy black-and-white text in faded ink: “Auden Doxon.”

Chase leaned closer, squinting at the words that unfolded before them. “Look at this,” he whispered.

The obituary detailed Auden Doxon’s life in Denton, Texas—his work as a farmer and community leader after moving to Denton from Oklahoma in 1850—and it concluded with a somber note: He had passed away shortly after a raid of a land agent’s office in 1852.

“Eighteen fifty-two. . .” Bryan echoed, his voice trailing off as he absorbed the date.

“Before the town was really a town yet,” Chase murmured, eyes darting across the lines of text.

Bryan tapped his fingers against the scanner’s edge. “This guy only lived there for two years. He was a farmer.”

Chase’s brows knitted together in concentration. “Life must have been very different back then.”

Bryan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as thoughts swirled in his mind like autumn leaves caught in an eddy.

“We need to figure out where Auden’s property was,” Chase suggested suddenly. “There has to be more here.”

With renewed determination fueling their quest for answers, they both leaned toward the screen once more—the shimmering light illuminating their resolve as they ventured further into history’s tangled web.

* * *

Chase and Bryan leaned over the microfiche scanner, eyes straining as they sifted through the historical fragments of Auden Doxon’s life. The sun dipped lower outside, casting long shadows across the library’s rows of books. They had been at it for hours, poring over faded pages and trying to connect dots that seemed to slip through their fingers like sand.

Bryan rubbed his eyes and sighed. “This should be enough for us to get started,” he said.

Chase grunted in agreement but remained fixated on the screen. “Let’s finish this reel first. Just in case there’s more.”

Just then, the research librarian reappeared, her presence cutting through their concentration like a sudden gust of wind. She tucked a loose strand of silver hair behind her ear and glanced at the clock mounted on the wall.

“Boys,” she said with a tone that brooked no argument. “The library will close soon. I need you to wrap up your research.”

Chase looked up, frustration evident on his face. “We’re almost there!”

“Time and tide wait for no man,” she replied firmly, tapping her watch. “You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

With that, she turned and walked back toward her desk, leaving the two in a cloud of unspent thoughts.

As they continued to scan the film in silence, a soft light flickered beside them. It coalesced into a small figure with red curly hair and vibrant green eyes—Ruth stood there, exuding an air of urgency.

“Ruth?” Chase blinked in surprise as he caught sight of her.

She...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 8.1.2026
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Science Fiction
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3178-2633-8 / 9798317826338