#Sci/FiFantasySaturday #Revelation: #TheJourneyTo Seras

The first half of Julie Ayers' junior year could not be going any worse. Balancing life between Earth and Seras is taking its toll on her, and things are about to get a lot worse.

EXCERPT: Revelation The Heart of Seras

Prologue

"Why did that naked man look at me like that?" Julie Ayers thought to herself. At the time Julie was a thirteen-year old girl with vivid, curious, brown eyes the color of honey with flecks of gold, wavy brown hair, and a round face. Her friends would pick on her about how easy her creamy mocha skin easily tanned when kissed by the summer sun.

"I'm so glad we could have one day without cheerleading practice or basketball camps," Julie's mother, Michelle, had said from the front seat of her husband's newest purchase, a royal blue 1976 Chevy Nova.

"Me too," Julie answered. She nudged her older brother, Patrick, with her elbow. He was sitting quietly, listening to music through his earplugs, which annoyed Julie.

She began singing a song from the musical Oklahoma as she watched wave after wave of cornfields that stood up on both sides of the road like a wall of skinny green soldiers. Her mother joined in the show tune serenade.

"Dad!" Julie reprimanded her father when he came to a stop sign and played with the gas pedal just to hear the engine growl, distracting the mother-daughter duet.

"Phil," Julie's mother said, giving a disapproving stare.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," he weakly defended himself with a hint of humor.

Steam rose from the faded asphalt as the family outing continued toward the stone pebbled bridge that crossed over Cedar Creek. Cedar Creek served as the unofficial border to the western side of the town of Sunset, Ohio and wound its way behind the school that also acquired its name.

"Oh my god!" Julie screamed when a bright flash of light sent a crackle into the air directly in front of them, and the image of a naked man appeared out of nowhere on the edge of the bridge less than ten feet from the car.

Her shaken father blasted his horn as he swerved dangerously to avoid hitting the tall unkempt brown-haired man standing exposed on the side of the road. The disoriented stranger paused briefly. Julie's first thought, "Gross!" Then the unwelcomed visitor locked eyes with her, sending a wave of panic through her young body.

"What in the hell was that?" Julie's father shouted and jumped out of the driver seat.

Julie looked out of the passenger window to the tree line adjacent to the creek. The man was gone.

"He must've scrambled into woods," Phillip Ayers said, climbing back into his seat. "Is everyone all right? Julie?"

Julie refocused her attention to her father and nodded in silence. Why did that naked man look at me like that?

"It's okay, honey." Her mother tried to comfort her, reaching back and patting her leg. "He's gone." She turned to her husband. "Phil, we have to call the police."

"Already on it," he said, dialing his cell phone with one hand.

Julie heard her mother say, "Let's go home," through the mental fog enveloping her head. She pulled her knees to her chest and wiped the moisture from her eyes.

~ * ~

"Mom!" Julie yelled later that night after having a hideous dream.

Her mother and father burst into the room. "What's the matter, honey?" Michelle asked.

"I just had a horrible nightmare."

"It's okay, Jules," her father said in a calming manner. "You can tell me all about it."

"I was a monster!"

"A monster?"

"Yes! I was all by myself in this long hallway with torches on the walls. I heard people yelling and screaming outside. I was sweating like crazy, like I had been playing basketball all day. Then I saw a set of stairs, so I walked up to the top. There was a heavyset guy with gold-ish blonde hair. He was wearing a blue robe with green tassels and an embroidered red snake with the head of a lion across the front of his…shirt. Then he lifted up his arms to try to stop me or something."

Julie paused to make sure her dad was still paying attention. He nodded. "Dad, I was huge. I think I was a man. I was tall and had large muscles."

"I thought you said you were a monster?"

"I think I was both."

"Why?"

"I noticed I was holding a sword. It was long and had a smooth black handle. Then I saw my hands. They were hideous. They were large, hairy and it looked like I had claws. I remember thinking, 'These aren't my hands, are they?' "

"Dad, I stabbed him."

"What, why?"

"I don't know why. I couldn't control myself. He started chanting something in a language I didn't understand as I walked closer to him. That's when I saw my reflection. The guy stopped whatever he was doing. I looked into his eyes and saw myself. My eyes were red. I had a protruding mouth like a dog with pointed upper and lower teeth and some kinda rippled bone structure that went from my eyebrows over her temples and behind my ears."

"Julie, that sounds terrible."

"I know. I said to myself, 'No, I'm definitely not a man. I'm not even human.' That's when he said 'It-it is you!' like he was talking right to me."

"Right to you? I don't understand?"

"I mean it seemed like he looked right through the ugly monster and saw me and said it to me."

"That's strange. What did you do?"

"I stabbed him with the sword." Julie burst into tears and buried her head into her father's chest. "Dad, it was horrible."

He patted her head. "You've had quite a day, young lady. Try to get some rest and hopefully you'll forget all about these nightmares."

Author Bio

My name is Joe Evener. I live with my wife of thirty-one years, Bronwen, in Delaware, Ohio. I am the father of two sons, Joey and Jacob, and grandfather of two, Jacob and Jamison. I have been the head coach of the Girls' Track and Field Team at Big Walnut High School in Sunbury, Ohio for twenty years. Besides writing and coaching, I enjoy traveling with family and friends.

I earned my Associate Degree in 2007 and Bachelors Degree in 2009 from The Ohio State University; and my Masters Degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 2011. I am a fifth grade Language Arts and social Studies teacher at Big Walnut Intermediate School.

KEYWORDS

fantasy, medieval, hero, Seras, adventure,

SOCIAL LIINKS

Website URL: (twitter)

Joe Evener, Author (Facebook – to be activated once publishing begins)

Blog URL: http://techinanutshell.blogspot.com/

Twitter : @joe_evener

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Julie Ayers is a normal fifteen year old living in the quiet town of Sunset, Ohio. Her world is turned upside down by the arrival of the school’s new teacher, Marcus Campbell.

Marcus Campbell has a secret. He is a warrior from a medieval dimension searching for the mythical "Heart"-a hero given to the people of Seras to rid their world of impending evil. Marcus’s quest is challenged when he realizes that the "Heart" is the vibrant teenage girl. Now, against his better judgment, he must try convincing Julie to go to his world and begin preparation to face whatever evil lies ahead.

Journey to Seras is the first book in the five part The Heart of Seras fantasy series. It begins the adventures of the two unlikely heroes as they battle the dark forces of Seras.