The Inception Trilogy by Easton Livingston (ebook reader for comics .txt) 📕

on the ground, cast aside. Finality invaded his father. He was finishing this with his fists, balled up so tight, the whites of his knuckles shone. Jason wouldn't survive the first hit. Even drunk, he was just too big and strong. The only thing he could think to do was to hold the rock in front of him. He didn't know why. It didn’t even make any sense. But he did it.

Gloomy purple light billowed inside the rock. Jason squeezed it with every ounce of strength he had until it hurt. The rock's jagged edges bore into the palms of his hands. He closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow.

His bowels and bladder gave way.

The rock perplexed his father, who stopped his assault for a moment.

“What the...? No!”

The rock let loose a lavender beam, slicing through the air, colliding with his father’s chest. His father convulsed, eyes rolling back into his head. It appeared as if he tried to say something, but his screams choked inside his throat. All he could manage were fits of coughing and spittle. The beam’s impact became a burgeoning splotch on his chest, murky violet tendrils flowing and infecting his skin, using veins and capillaries for avenues. They climbed up to his face in black filaments, turning his body the same color. It filled every crevice, every opening. His fists curled into arthritic claws, every muscle following suit, seizing, freezing him in place like a granite statue.

Jason stared wide-eyed.

Silence.

His body teetered from side to side before gravity had its way, toppling him to the floor. Jason heard the loud thump of his father hitting the ground and jumped with a start. Opening his eyes, he glimpsed the black figure that was his father. Motionless, soulless, vacant eyes stared at him, his mouth petrified open. Horrified, Jason couldn’t move, sitting paralyzed for eternal minutes before managing to rise to his feet.

The rock shifted between purple, turquoise, and a hint of yellow. Something had transpired. Whatever happened had ended it. No more yelling. No more beatings. The pain he thought he would be in the throes of by that time never came. The house filled with a strange quietness. Not just quiet. Peaceful. Jason didn't know what had happened, he was just glad it did.

He had to change his underwear.

Part V - You've Got Company

Jason admired the CRYSTAL in his hand as he sat at the foot of his bed. His father was still in the same position he was twenty minutes ago. He couldn’t believe it. In one moment, the rock had saved and changed his life forever.

Questions assaulted him once again. Was he going to get in trouble for what happened? Should he tell someone about the rock? Would they take it from him if he did? In his relief, fresh fears threatened his mind. He didn't know what to do.

A soft tapping came from his bedroom door.

“Jason?” a voice said. This voice was nicer. Softer. A girl.

Jason spun towards the door.

“Who's there?”

The rock filled once again with an inky purple.

“My name is Amanda,” the voice said. “Can I come in?”

Jason’s heart thumped in his chest. What would happen when she saw his father?

“No!”

Amanda glimpsed the body on the floor. The head looked encased in gangrene.

“I know you’re scared and confused. I can and want to help you. Will you let me?”

Jason looked down at his father’s body. At that moment, there was a wave a sadness that overtook him, the stone in his hand turning a deep blue.

“Are you going to take me to jail?”

“No honey. I’m not going to take you to jail.”

Jason turned towards the door. A young dark-haired lady stood there. She had big, round, mysterious eyes and a smile that comforted and reassured him. The rock’s colors intermingled with pink though the dark purple was still there only faint. Behind her were two men.

“Don’t come in!”

He held the rock out in front of him as the purple threatened to devour all the pink.

“It’s O.K. Jason. They're my family. This is Sebastian, and this is Tyler. We’re here to help. We want to get you out of here so you don’t get in trouble. Can we do that?”

Jason looked at his father’s body again. He wasn’t sure of anything. The lady seemed nice and if she would make sure he would not get in trouble, then that’s where he wanted to be.

He put on his shoes and grabbed his backpack, depositing A Paladin’s Burden inside. Walking to the door, he stopped in front of Amanda.

“Thank you.”

Throwing his arms around her waist, he embraced her and cried. Amanda looked down, wrapping her arms around him, kissing the top of his head.

“It’ll be okay.”

Moments passed. Jason took his sleeve and wiped the tears from his eyes as Amanda assisted.

“Can we…can we stop somewhere?”

“Where do you want to go, honey? Is there someone in your family you want to go to?”

Jason looked down at the rock, admiring the colors, then back at Amanda, shaking his head.

“No. Can we stop by Frankie’s?”

END OF EPISODE 3

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Invitation

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The Visitor

The Forest

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