The Freeman Chronicles preview

Frank Chap 1 A Stranger’s Kiss

Frank Freeman knew his day was going to be bad when he awoke in the middle of the desert. He remembered falling asleep on his Aunt’s couch in the beautiful city of Salisbury Maryland. They had gone to church early that Sunday morning and he was tired.

Frank stood to his feet and brushed the sand out of his curly brown hair. Then he shook his shirt temporarily revealing his finely sculpted abs. Frank’s brown eyes scanned his surroundings to see an eternal blanket of sand. One thing was for certain. This definitely wasn’t Salisbury or the beach for that matter. Perhaps it was the Sahara desert or some part of Arizona. Frank pinched himself to see if he was dreaming and left a red mark on his fair colored skin. To his disappointment he wasn’t. Dunes of sand were scattered around the desert. Some were so high they looked like little mountains. The sun hung in the center of the sky and bombarded Frank with rays of intense heat. The heat felt dry and dead compared to the moist boiling heat of Salisbury.

Frank followed the sun west across the sky. Hot sand filled his shoes and burned his feet. Frank pressed on. Occasionally he stopped to empty his shoes of sand. Hours passed by and Frank’s legs grew heavy. It was if he had one hundred pound weights strapped to them. The sun positioned itself near the western sky. Frank guessed he had about two hours before sun set and then who knows what would happen. His tongue hung out of his mouth and Frank fell to his knees. The sun continued to sap every ounce of his energy. Cups of ice cold water danced around Frank’s head. He reached out for one of them only to find it was a mirage. He cursed the imaginary cups of water and crawled forward. The hot sand stung his hands like angry hornets, but he ignored it and moved slowly across the never ending desert. Squawking could be heard from above. Frank looked up to see a cloud of vultures circling him. Their eyes glowed bright orange and their talons looked powerful enough to tear through bones.

Frank refused to be vulture food. He rose to his feet and a loud roar reverberated through the desert. Fear overtook the vultures and they fled. The ground shook violently and a huge creature emerged from the sand. Frank believed it was an over grown human until he saw its body was made completely of stone. The creature was easily over twenty feet tall and probably weighed several tons. Its arms had muscles that were rock hard and its stomach had a set of perfectly sculpted abs. Blades of freshly cut grass stood on the monster’s head in the place of hair. Frank realized he was staring at a Golem. Though they had just met he could tell their relationship was already on the rocks. Before Frank could think to run the huge creature swung his fist and knocked him one hundred feet through the air where he slammed into a dune of sand.

Frank rubbed his jaw and said, “So that’s where they got the term rocked in the jaw from.”

Frank rolled to the right and missed the Golem’s fist by mere inches. Frank tried to run but the Golem spun around with unrivaled haste and swept him off his feet. Frank’s heart pounded his chest. He spat sand out of his mouth and flipped over in time to see the Golem snatch him up with its monstrous hands. The Golem lifted him high into the air. Frank wiggled and squirmed in an attempt to break loose but it was to no avail for the stone Golem’s grip was solid. Angry yellow eyes peered at Frank and the creature opened its mouth wide and roared. Its breath smelled like garden salad smothered in ranch dressing.

Frank coughed and said, “Ever hear of breath mints?”

The Golem must not have liked Frank’s comments for its grip on Frank grew tighter. He started to feel like an orange in a juicer. Crack was the sound of his ribs breaking. Agonizing pain filled his chest and his vision became blurry. Frank let out a loud cry and his body became encompassed by a blue light. The Golem cried out in pain and dropped Frank. Frank slowly floated towards the ground and his body stopped glowing. A long blue sword appeared in Frank’s right hand. The sword felt lighter than a pen and its blade looked extra sharp.

Fear filled the Golem’s yellow eyes as it said, “Impossible. You’re a Sword Keeper.”

A mini water spout formed around Frank’s sword. Frank swung his sword and the mini water spout flew off it and grew bigger. The water spout swallowed the Golem and shredded its body to a swirling pile of wet sand. Then it dissipated. Frank’s vision faded completely. He collapsed to the ground and lye motionless. His dream of singing a hit single on a stage in New York flashed through his head. This scene changed to when he was a baby first learning to walk and then nothing.

A mysterious voice said, “Why do you cling to life when your very purpose is to die. Fulfill your destiny and rest eternal.”

“I refuse.”

The mysterious voice grew quiet and Frank felt something warm and soft press against his lips. When he opened his eyes he saw the blurry imagine of someone kissing him. His first thought was hopefully it’s not a man. He immediately pushed the person off him.

“What the world is wrong with you?” said Frank as he stood to his feet.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to offend you.” said a sweet voice that melted Frank’s heart.

His sight fully returned and he was nearly blinded by what had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her hazel brown eyes were purer than the finest gold. She looked about sixteen and had hair that came past her shoulders and was evenly cut. She wore a pair of tight yellow shorts that showed off her lovely shape. A white shirt covered her upper body with a name tag attached to it that said Alicia. Frank figured this was her name. He drew closer to her and found that she smelled like fresh strawberries, which was his favorite fruit. The only flaw he could find on her was a gap between her top two front teeth. Frank’s mom always told him that a person with a gap between their teeth was either a liar or a singer. He wasn’t sure if that was true or not.

They studied each other for a while longer before Frank finally said, “So do you kiss every stranger you meet?”

She laughed, “Of course not. Conjurians have healing power in their first kiss. How do your ribs feel?”

Frank was so mesmerized by her beauty that he forgot he had been hurt. He pressed against his chest and felt no pain. The ravenous thirst he had from walking through the desert had also been sated. He wasn’t sure what a Conjurian was or what sort of kiss she gave him, but he wanted to taste her luscious lips once more.

“Wow your kiss worked wonders. What’s a Conjurian?”

“It’d be faster if I showed you.”

Alicia spun around like a ballerina and a red light flowed from her hands. A swirling portal formed in the sky and a creature that looked a lot like the Golem he just fought came out of it. Once the Golem landed safely on the ground the portal vanished. Frank realized Conjurians had the ability to summon mythical creatures. The smell of garden salad smothered in ranch dressing filled Frank’s nose. He peered into the Golem’s yellow eyes and examined its fresh cut grass hair.

“Wait a second. This is the Golem that attacked me earlier.”

“Rocky may look similar but I guarantee he isn’t the same.”

Alicia clapped her hands and the Golem vanished. Frank didn’t believe her. She didn’t make eye contact when she spoke and her eyes blinked rapidly. He was certain it was the same Golem. Frank would have pressed the issue but something in her eyes erased the thought. He drew closer to her and watched her lips glisten in the sun light. They looked so smooth and soft that he had to ask.

“Could I kiss you again?”

Alicia smiled and put her hand on her chin like she was contemplating the idea.

“You could if you’ll agree to marry me.”

Frank laughed but the mysterious girl kept a serious look on her face. When Frank noticed he said, “You’re serious?”

“I’m as serious as a heart attack.”

“Whoa you’re moving way too fast. I don’t even know your full name.”

“My name is Alicia Goodman and you’re Frank Freeman right?”

Frank nodded.

“How do you know my name?”

Alicia hesitated for a moment then said, “Lucky guess.”

Frank laughed, “Yea right.”

“Now let’s talk about our marriage.”

“I’m sorry, but as I said before it’s much too early to talk about that. Why are you in such a rush to get married anyway?”

A look of fear mingled with desperation filled Alicia’s eyes.

“Listen Frank, if we aren’t married within the next three days we shall both be executed.”

“What? Who made that stupid rule?”

“Lord Anmalrew. He is the leader of an organization known as Law. Whatever he says transpires and those that oppose him die.”

Frank paced back and forth. He couldn’t believe some idiot would make a law that forced two people to get married after a single kiss. What country was this anyway?

“Where am I?”

“You’re on the continent of Comasa.”

Frank scratched his head. He had paid attention in school and was certain that there wasn’t a continent named Comasa on Earth. Then it occurred to him. Perhaps he was on another planet. But how was this possible? Was the couch he fell asleep on at his Aunt’s house magic?

Alicia noticed his confusion and said, “Don’t worry I’ll explain everything once we get back to my house.”

Alicia grabbed Frank’s hand and chanted a spell. They rocketed into the sky and vanished.

Chap 2 The power of Law

Teleporting was a unique experience. Frank’s whole body felt as though it had fallen asleep. His vision became blurry and they rocketed through the air. When they finally landed at Alicia’s house Frank toppled over and nearly barfed.

Alicia put her hand on his shoulder and asked, “Are you ok?”

“I’m good.”

Frank could tell Alicia was into him. She leaned towards him when she talked and tried to quickly fix her hair when he looked away from her. Alicia applied a fresh coating of lip gloss to her lips which made them look more enticing. Frank couldn’t shake a gut feeling that told him to stay away from her. For there was more to her than meets the eye.

Frank looked around and saw they were in the living room. Red carpet covered the floor and filled Frank’s nose with the scent of fresh cherries. It was a pleasant smell. In the center of the front wall was a window that was covered in white curtains. Two feet from the window on the right was the front door. To the left of the window was a big screen television that sat on a black stand. The stand looked so finely polished that Frank could see his reflection on it. On the wall across from the big screen T.V. was a leather loveseat. This also happened to be the only piece of furniture in the living room. Either her parents were really poor or they hated furniture. The remaining two walls had no windows and were covered with pictures. There was the last supper, Mona Lisa, and pictures of Alicia’s family. To the left of the love seat was an entrance to a narrow hallway. Frank decided he’d explore that a little later.

Frank walked over to the loveseat and sat down. Tension flooded his body. Alicia walked over to Frank moving her hips from side to side and no matter how hard he tried to look away he couldn’t.

She gave Frank a kiss on the cheek and said, “I’ll be back. I’m going to go freshen up. You can look around if you want.”

She left the room and Frank felt more at ease. While Alicia freshened up he decided to take up her offer to look around. He walked down a narrow hallway and into a room that must have been the study area. Books lined the walls of the room and in the center of the room was a desk with a globe on it. Frank walked over to the globe and examined it. What would have been the Pacific Ocean on a normal globe was a huge continent called Comasa. The Atlantic Ocean was now a place known as Humasa. The Arctic and Indian oceans were also bodies of land called Nomenia and Ruberia. There was even a dotted line on the bottom of the globe in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean with a small caption that said Twelfth continent called Dimeria added recently. Frank figured this twelfth continent had something to do with the recent discovery of the Southern Ocean in his version of the earth.

Once Frank was done exploring the globe he decided to examine some of the books that lined the walls. Only two books caught his Attention. The first was called the Legend of a Sword Keeper. Ever since the Golem had called him one in the desert he had wondered what it was. Frank simply touched the book and he felt a flood of knowledge pour into his brain. According to the book, a Sword Keeper could learn everything within a book in an instant by simply touching it. Frank thought this ability would have really come in handy during school for he could get a head start on book reports. Sword Keepers also had photo graphic memories and could see things from the point of view of other objects. The next book that caught his attention was the History of Aera. Perhaps that was the name of this strange place. He immediately touched it and was nearly overwhelmed with knowledge. He learned about an item called the Accursed Orb that could grant any wish you wanted and had the power to control free will. The Accursed Orb sounded dangerous thought Frank.

He walked out of the study room and decided to take a quick peek in Alicia’s room while she was in the bathroom freshening up. The first thing he noticed about the room was the smell. Picture the smell of dirty socks mingled with strawberries and that’s what it smelled like. Sure enough when he looked inside her room he saw clothes, shoes, dirty socks, and papers scattered everywhere. She must have owned about one hundred pairs of shoes. Flip flops, high heels, and tennis shoes were all over the place including on her bed. In fact when he looked behind her bedroom door there was a rack filled with at least twenty more pairs of shoes. In the center of her bedroom was a queen sized bed. Her blankets and sheets sat on top of it in a pile next to the shoes he mentioned earlier. Alicia’s pillows were on the floor. The walls in her room were pink and covered with posters of Frank. How she got these pictures he did not know. Perhaps she was a big fan of him or some psychotic stalker. Frank took a peek under Alicia’s bed to find more shoes. Alicia must have been addicted to buying shoes. Frank headed back to the living room and sat on the loveseat.

When Alicia finally came out of the bathroom she was looking good. She had on hot pink shorts that looked as tight as the yellow ones she’d just taken off. Her white T-shirt was replaced with a pink one that showed off a little cleavage. She even had a pink pair of shoes to match her outfit. The more he hung around her the more he felt like she was the flirty and fast type that his mom used to warn him about.

“So how do I look?”

Frank smiled and said, “I’ve seen better.”

She walked over to Frank and gave him a playful punch in the arm.

“You’re a meanie.”

They both laughed. The smell of fresh strawberries was stronger than before and entranced Frank’s heart. She sat on his lap then she flung her arms around him. It felt somewhat awkward for someone he just met to do this, but he just went with the flow. Her body was softer than a teddy bear.

“So are you comfortable with me sitting on you like this?”

“I’m fine. Tell the differences between Aera and Earth.”

“Aera is what we call the four floating continents that exist on the Earth. Each one is completely undetectable by normal humans. One of the main differences is that mythical creatures like Golem’s, dragons, and even vampires exist. Magic is also commonplace. The city I live in is called Venice. It’s one of the most beautiful cities on Aera.”

So Aera was essentially a world full of nightmares thought Frank. He looked Alicia in the eyes and asked.

“How do I get back home?”

“There is an airship that can travel between the two worlds. Many people from Earth mistake them for UFOs.”

“Will you take me to one?”

“I could but only if you’d marry me.”

Frank glared at Alicia, “There you go with that marriage talk again.”

“It’s a serious matter. If we don’t address it in three days Law will kill us both. No one can run from Law.”

Frank loved a challenge. He pushed Alicia off his lap and said, “I can.”

“Don’t be a fool. Marriage is the safest option. There are benefits to marrying me.”

“Care to explain.”

“Conjurians can live for up to one hundred thousand years. If you marry me your life expectancy will also increase to this.”

Frank’s eyes nearly popped out his head. That sounded cool. He was almost sold on the idea until he thought who wants to spend that much time with a stranger? Then again if he was married to her for one hundred thousand years they’d probably know each other very well. Still something wasn’t right. He had to know how she got all those pictures of him and why she acted so clingy.

“Sorry but I’m going to have to pass.”

“You’d rather be executed?”

“I’m not getting executed either. So tell Anmalrew to bring on the noise.”

Alicia’s mouth dropped open. She couldn’t believe Frank was turning her down and never had she known anyone crazy enough to defy Law.

She stood to her feet and said, “Don’t call him that. His name is Lord Anmalrew.”

Frank tightened his fist.

“His name will be Lord Honey dew when I’m through with him.”

“You’re insane. Since you want to act so defiant you’ll have to learn the hard way. Follow me.”

Frank followed Alicia out the front door and took in the new scenery. Alicia’s city was a little different from Salisbury. For starters hundreds of people could be seen walking the sidewalks similar to New York. Vendors set up shops on the sidewalks. The smell of hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza filled the air. There were ice cream stands, jewelry shops, and a number of fast food restaurants. Buildings the size of the empire state building were scattered around the city, but they weren’t close like in New York they were more spread apart. This gave the city a more open feel. Another difference was the quality of the air. It was much fresher. This was because a magical barrier was around each of the floating continents that purified the polluted air from the Earth and blocked out harmful U.V. rays. Frank had learned that from The History of Aera book he touched earlier. Thousands of cars moved down the highway at a snail’s pace. People blew their horns angrily and cursed every time the traffic stopped. On the other side of the sidewalk was a moving walkway. This was probably for people who got tired of walking around the massive city. Frank and Alicia stepped onto the moving walkway. Frank felt like he was on a tour bus. The moving walkway guided them through the city in slow motion. Huge paintings could be seen on the side of certain buildings that advertised new movies and video games. A bridge suspended hundreds of feet above them connected one half of the city to the other. On the side of the bridge were railroad tracks where trains could be seen traveling. In the center of the bridge was a highway where cars flowed freely. A chilly September wind swooped through the area and Alicia shivered.

“It’s kind of cool out here.”

“That’s what you get for trying to be cute.”

She lightly rammed into Frank and said, “Shut up.”

A butterfly landed on Alicia’s shirt. She shook her shirt frantically. When it wouldn’t move she let out a scream and Frank laughed. The butterfly flew off her shirt and she jabbed Frank in the arm.

“It’s not funny jerk. I could have died.”

“It was just a butterfly.”

“I’m scared of bugs.”

The sun set before they reached the center of the city. They stepped off the moving walk way to see a huge fountain in the middle of the square. The water changed a different color every five seconds. To the south of the fountain was a movie theater. Its sign was lit with neon pink and blue lights. The movie theater wasn’t the only place that was lit. The whole city seemed to shine with multicolored lights. It reminded him of Vegas. Frank had gone there for vacation with his dad when he was seven. His dad was a movie producer so they always got to go on fun trips. He even got to see Usain Bolt run at the London Olympics. Sadly his father vanished shortly after their trip to Vegas. It was hard to believe it had been a full eight years since his father had went missing. Perhaps one day he’d discovered what happened to him.

Suddenly all traffic halted like someone had pressed the pause button on a remote. Everyone in the square dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. Frank turned to Alicia and saw that she had dropped to her knees as well.

Alicia said in a pleading voice, “Get on your knees now.”

“Get on my knees for what?”

Alicia didn’t answer. She bowed her head. A feeling of hopelessness impregnated the air. A man that stood over six feet tall walked towards Frank. His eyes were fiery red and filled with malice. He was dressed in black armor that had a grey skull engraved on its chest plate. A sword that looked much too heavy for Frank to carry was strapped to his back. The man’s face was storm gray and shriveled like a prune. Confidence radiated off his face and he showed off a sinister smile that revealed a set of rotten teeth.

He glared at Frank and said, “You dare stand in my presence. Kneel!”

His voice was deep and powerful and no matter how much Frank wanted to resist he was powerless before it. Frank dropped to his knees. The man’s laughter sounded like a chorus of screams. Never had Frank met anyone so terrifying. There was no doubt in Frank’s mind that this was Lord Anmalrew the leader of Law. Anmalrew drew closer to Frank and paused. The smell of fresh vomit seeped into his nose.

“Come forth Sally Morris.”

Frank’s heart skipped a beat and his body trembled. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew that whoever he’d just called was in huge trouble. A little girl dressed in a pink dress that couldn’t have been more than nine came forward. Her body shook like a plane in constant turbulence.

She pleaded, “Please spare me Lord Anmalrew. I’ll never chew gum in school again.”

Anmalrew showed off an evil smirk.

“In that regard you are correct. Chewing gum in school is a crime of the vilest sort, a crime that can only be amended through death.”

Anmalrew touched the girl’s face and it changed blue. Then her body crumbled to dust leaving a pink dress behind. A gust of wind blew the dress away. Frank couldn’t believe it. Anmalrew had executed someone for something so petty. He wasn’t going to stand for it. Frank tried to stand to his feet, but it felt as though a hundred ton weighs had him pinned to his knees. How was Anmalrew so powerful? Anmalrew must have noticed this for her drew closer to Frank and placed a hand on his chin. His hand felt like an ice cube. He lifted Frank’s head until their eyes met.

“How admirable, you have the resolve of steel.”

“How can you do this? What gives you the right to kill people for such petty crimes?”

Anmalrew removed his hand from Frank’s chin and laughed as though Frank had just told a joke.

Madness lit up his eyes. He circled around Frank and spoke.

“Do you not know who I am? I am the Law. I make the rules for I am the rules. In the beginning it was disobedience that brought sin into this world. Therefore it can be tolerated in no form. If I had let that little law breaker go others would have felt they could’ve gotten away with similar crimes. All crimes are worthy of death no matter how minute. This is a fate you shall also suffer if you fail to marry Alicia within three days Frank Freeman.”

Frank trembled at the sound of his name. He wasn’t sure how Anmalrew knew it, but he was certain he wasn’t a fan. He wanted to curl up in a ball and hide in a corner, but he couldn’t move. Anmalrew had his body completely immobilized.

“Listen closely.”

Anmalrew’s voice seemed to reverberate through the whole planet.

“From this day forward any person caught holding hands without a license shall be executed. A hand holding license can be purchased at any store for a monthly fee of nineteen ninety nine plus tax. That is all.”

Frank would have protested this as well, but he figured it was pointless. Anmalrew snapped his fingers and vanished leaving a trail of black smoke in his wake. Frank coughed. When the smoke cleared he was able to stand again. Traffic had resumed once more and everybody that had fallen to their knees earlier went about their business.

Alicia looked Frank in the eyes, “Now do you see why I’m so eager to marry you. If we don’t get married we will both die. Nothing can stand up to Law.”

She was right. He didn’t even have the strength to stand in Anmalrew’s presence let alone fight him. Yet Frank was never one to give up. He had to figure out something. There was no way he was getting married in three days.

Frank sighed. “Let’s just head back to your house. I need some time to think.”

“That’s a good idea. I need the rest for the swordsmen cup tomorrow in Mead.”

“What’s the Swordsmen cup?”

“It’s a tournament that is held each year in Mead. The strongest fighters from around the world compete there for a prize of one million dollars.”

“Oh yeah I think I remember reading something about Mead in that book at your house. There is a 6 hour time difference between this city and Mead.”

“You are correct. It’s still day time in Mead right now. Before we go there is something I must buy.”

She walked over to one of the sidewalk vendors and handed him some money. He gave her a small silver square with the words hand holding license engraved on it along with an Expiration date of 10/12/21. Frank laughed at how ridiculous it was to need a license to hold hands. More ridiculous was the fact you had to renew it each month. Alicia placed it in her pocket and then grabbed Frank’s hand. Then they vanished into the night.

The Freeman Chronicles preview

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

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