Burn My Soul Part 1

By Holly Newhouse

Cover Art by Holly Newhouse

Newhouse Publishing

2014

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 by Holly Newhouse

My Journey to Hell and Back:

Surviving a Life of Violence

The Twin Souls: Love for an Eternity

(Twin Souls Series)

The Final Goodbye

(Goodbye Series)

Burn My Soul (Part I)

(Soul Series)

Coming Soon:

Burn My Soul (Part II)

(Soul Series)

Save My Soul

(Soul Series)

Soothe My Soul

(Soul Series)

Guardian of Lost Souls

(Soul Series)

Prophecy Fulfilled

(Twin Souls Series)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, or placed upon any forum for the purpose of getting it for free, or by any means existing now or in the future, in whole or in part, without the express written permission or the author. This further includes fan made copies of this book; they also require express written permission of the author before they are made. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, organizations, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

First Printing:  2014

Newhouse Publishing

P.O. Box 52

Havelock, IA 50546-0052

www.authorhollynewhouse.com

This book is dedicated to my gentle, loving angelic soul mate, Jase.

We lived a lifetime's worth my love

in the short time we had together

here on earth.

I look forward to the day when

God calls me home and I can run

into your loving arms once again

at the Gates of Heaven my love.

From now till then, I will be

loving you.....

Love Me.

In Loving Memory of

Jason Lee Billings

Nov. 14, 1971 ~ Nov. 17, 2012

I would like to personally thank all of the members of my Street Team, who have been wonderful at catching the mistakes in my writing, and in critiquing my work. Once again, another book would not have been completed without my wonderful team who do so much behind the scenes! They more than deserve the recognition for all that they do.

I would also like to thank my children, Nikita, Brady, and Tristan, for all of their tremendous support when it comes to my writing. They never let me give up, and always encourage me to keep trying until I get it right. My sweet angels, you three will always have the first copies of my books.

To my readers, I hope you enjoy this book series as much as I did writing it. Madi, Jinny, Damien, Franklin, Demonicus, Avery, and the others have become very special to me. Their stories will continue in several more books to come in this series.

Thank you for taking the time to read one of my books. If you could please be so kind as to leave a review at one of the following locations: Amazon, Smashwords, Goodreads, or Library Thing when you are finished reading, I will be deeply grateful.

To get updates on upcoming books and excerpts from current books come and visit me on Facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/hollynewhouse

Sincerely,

Author Holly Newhouse

BACK STRAIGHT, arms gracefully swinging back and forth on each side of my hips, I whistle a favorite tune. I've not a care in the world as I head out through the open glass patio doors. Intent on waking Madi from her nap, as she bakes in the tropical heat of the Beverly Hills sun.

The moment I step onto the large round patio, I stop and rest my arms on the large decorative concrete patio railing. Closing my eyes, I breathe in the many different fragrant scents tantalizing my olfactory senses. Slowly, opening my eyes as I take another deep breath, I allow them to feast on the beautifully landscaped and maintained gardens and path below me.

Looking to my left, an arbor with a small bird fountain is surrounded by beautiful rose bushes carefully color coordinated to delight the eyes. The smell is heavenly. On my left, various exotic and tropic flowers surround an exquisitely hand crafted park bench. Behind those, beautiful purple and pink lilac bushes line up like protective soldiers ready for war, as tall palm trees tower over it all. The colossal sentries almost hide the cement border wall.

Gardens that couldn't be more opposite, somehow complement each other perfectly. They're calling to me to just sit down and enjoy... Sighing heavily, my shoulders droop as I head down the pathway through the gardens.

Finally, I see the outdoor pool area, feeling as if I've suddenly walked into a completely different world, right into the tropics. The pool sits majestically in the middle of the area, a king on his throne, is the first thing I see. It's the only one of its kind in our state.

It begins with a real 100 foot high waterfall cascading into a beautiful pool 100 feet long. It's bordered by sand, large rocks, exotic foliage, and exotic flowers.

At the far end of the pool opposite the waterfall, I see a white sandy beach with lounge chairs, where I see Madi sleeping yet again. Behind her and the chairs are four cabanas, each with its own lounge chairs.

I feel trickles of sweat begin at my neck, falling in opposite directions. I feel them traveling down between my shoulder blades, continuing down my lean and long back. Simultaneously I feel a trickle traveling down over my collar bone to pool between my voluptuous breasts under my white sundress.

Shaking my head slowly side to side, my breath leaves in a huff as I carefully continue down the steep path.

She's going to be the poster child for skin cancer by the time she's 35, the way she keeps falling asleep out there. She's already one for anorexia, that's for sure! I think to myself in a huff.

I run my hand slowly down my face from forehead to chin, letting it fall back again to my hip, not able to put off the inevitable any longer.

I walk slowly to Madi's side, when out of nowhere, goosebumps pop up on my tanned flawless skin, my heart speeding up to beat erratically. My palms turn cold and sweaty as they start to tremble. I feel an insane hint of evil in the air. The feeling is strongest around Madi, herself. My head turns slowly as my eyes frantically search back and forth across the visually tropical paradise, yet see nothing out of the ordinary.

I shrug my shoulders.
Just a figment of my imagination.
Bending at the waist, I timidly reach my right hand out and grasp Madi's shoulder only to jerk it back to my chest at lightning speed, my eyes widening, freshly waxed eyebrows shoot to the skies as my mouth falls open. I feel time slowing to a stop all around me.

Madi's skin that should be burning up under the barely there bikini is icy cold to the touch, as if kissed by death's embrace.

Oh God, please tell me Madi's not dead, it'll be all my fault for having left her alone out here. What if her killer's still here? I can feel him watching me, most likely enjoying his handiwork.... No, stop that right now! Focus on Madi now, freak out later!

The feeling of being watched only intensifies, manifesting itself between my shoulder blades. It burns as if someone has set fire to my skin, growing more intense by the second. Irrationally, I want to slap my hands against the burning skin to put it out.

Where are you? I know you're there!
I silently call out to the killer, watching, ever watching.

Again I look around slowly still finding nothing out of the ordinary....
Wait! What the heck is that?
I think the words, but they're stuck in my dry throat as I see what appears to be long hair, black as midnight, flying in mid air above the east border wall before quickly disappearing again.

I feel myself being torn in two as mind and body fight against each other. My body is prepared to give chase after whatever the heck that was, while my mind is screaming to get Madi and myself back inside the mansion, our sanctuary.

I allow my mind dominance, it seems the safest route to keep myself alive until help comes.

I turn quickly back to the still cold form of my sister, reaching out once again with badly shaking, cold and clammy hands. I roll Madi onto her back, afraid of what I'm about to see, and in full Technicolor.

I let out a huge breath, unaware I'd been subconsciously holding it to calm my churning stomach from blowing its contents. I watch with narrowed eyes as my sister's chest rises and falls almost unnoticeably with very shallow and labored breaths.

"Oh Jesus, thank you!" Bursts from my lips as I smile, my face lifted toward the heavens, hands in prayer beneath my chin.

Lowering my arms again, I shake Madi's shoulders with adrenaline fueled force, much more than necessary. I jump back in shock, hands on my chest over my already erratically pounding heart when Madi's eyes open drowsily.

"Wha....What happened?....Where am I?.... Where's Damien?" Madi's eyes widen considerably as she croaks out the words, her voice slow and slurred, her breathing rattles more by the second. She looks so weak and fragile. It's so uncharacteristic for her, that my worry doubles.

"No one's here honey" I say, the worry in my tone, evident even to my own ears.

Madi tries to suck in a full breath for more questions and I head her off with, "No. No more questions, let's get you inside first, it's not safe out here!" My voice quavers, despite my attempt to keep shock and fear out of it.

I reach down and wrap my hands tightly around her thin and fragile looking wrists, pulling with all my strength to get Madi back up on her feet. Then, quickly throw my arms out to catch her unusually weak body as it falls rapidly head first.

Straining muscles I didn't realize I had, I push them beyond their normal boundaries, stopping Madi's forward momentum mere inches before her head slams into the rock border of the pool. I pull even harder to get her back upright again.

I quickly maneuver in front of her, facing away as I wrap her arms around my neck from behind, holding on for dear life. Then, drag her limp body back up the steep path toward the house, praying I don't break her wrists. She feels like she's 80 pounds soaking wet not the 120 pounds she claims to be.

Even with Madi's body covering my back, the burning sensation only intensifies to the point where I cry out in pain. Gritting my teeth together, I mutter to myself, "I don't know how soldiers do this during war. Talk about true heroes."I pick up the pace, afraid I'll never make it to our sanctuary before someone jumps out to finish us off.

As I reach the garden area, I feel both border walls on each side closing in at an alarming pace, while the patio doors keep moving further away, endlessly out of reach.

Heart racing out of my chest, mouth parched as desert sand, and legs trembling from exertion, my body threatens to drop us both to the ground.

"Just a little bit further Madi, just hold on girl." I manage to get the words out through my clenched teeth. The encouraging words are more for me, than for the unconscious limp woman on my back.

Pushing my weak and trembling legs and arms, we make it to the den as I carefully drop Madi down into the recliner.

Only then, do I remember, I left the patio doors wide open. I spin on my heel and take quick strides back down the long hallway. The only sound in the silence is my bare feet slapping against the marble flooring. I push them into a sprint as the unbidden image of the biggest, baddest, serial killer sneaking in, comes to mind.

I fall face first onto the marble flooring not once, but twice, in my haste to slam the doors shut and set the alarm.

Standing out of sight, I slouch back against the wall, my trembling hands resting upon the racing pulse in my knees, as I continue to gasp for breath, trying to pull much needed oxygen into my lungs.

My trembling, heavy feeling legs finally give out under my 115 pound frame and I slide against the wall to the floor to land on my rear end. I stay that way, slumped down, legs sprawling out and head down for a few moments still trying to catch my breath.