DEATH (The Justice Cycle Book 1) by J Kiefer (best classic books to read TXT) 📗

not the voice he remembered, but he knew for certain it originated from him.

“Welcome back,” another voice said. The voice was deep and strong, and even though it did not speak loudly, it shook him.

“Where am I?” he asked the voice. Again, his own voice seemed strange to his ears. Ethereal and wispy.

“You are in the mortal realm,” the voice replied.

“The what?” he asked, shaking his head to try to relieve the confusion he felt.

“Do not worry, the disorientation will pass.”

He tried to raise his hand again and it once again struck the hard surface. He tried his feet and found the same result. Was he in a box? He wished he had some light so he could see where he was. As if something had read his mind, a small light appeared above his head, illuminating his surroundings.

Strangely the sudden explosion of light did not hurt his eyes. Somewhere in his mind, he thought that it should have caused him pain, but it did not. He gazed at the small light and saw that it was a tiny locket. The locket hovered just above his face, shining with pure white light. Wait—he knew this locket.

“Is that better?” the voice asked.

“How did you know I wanted light?” he asked curiously. “I did not ask for it.”

“I heard your desire for it in your mind.”

“You read my mind?” He directed the question to the hovering locket, although he felt foolish talking to jewelry.

“Of course. I can also communicate directly to your mind. How do you think I am talking to you now? As a locket, I have no mouth.”

“Do you have a brain?” he asked, smirking.

He examined his surroundings now that he had light to see with. He was lying down in a small room or possibly a cupboard of some kind. The entirety of the small space was covered in soft white pillowy material and had little room to move.

“Hey—am I in a coffin?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, I am in a coffin or yes, you have a brain?”

“Both,” the voice said blandly, apparently not picking up on the sarcasm. “I am sentient, though I do not exist and think as you do.”

He shrugged off the voice’s attempt at explaining itself. “Locket, why am I in a coffin?”

It was silent as if contemplating how best to respond to the question. “Because you are dead.”

The revelation of his demise sent a shock wave of memories surging through his mind. He grabbed his head with his hands and attempted to curl up in a ball as the images thundered through his mind.

Pictures from his childhood as his family moved from church plant to church plant. His baby sister cooing; pain washed over him at the sight. Pictures of school graduations and sporting events he had played flashed by next, bringing with them feelings of warmth and joy. He saw himself going through the academy and then finally graduating.

Eventually, the memories stopped at the face of a beautiful woman with long brown hair and luminous dark eyes. He knew her face, but her name… It was at the edge of his mind. Finally it hit him.

“Dana!”

He remembered everything now. Remembered how much he loved her and with the remembering came more pain. The pain turned to panic as a picture of his brother flashed before his eyes. He remembered the pain of the knife and not being able to breathe. He had died. Steve had killed him.

“I have to get to her. She is not safe—he will kill her!”

He flailed at the walls of the coffin, like a caged animal his pounding muffled by the pillowed sides.

“Calm yourself,” the voice soothed. “She is safe for the time being.”

“Calm myself?” he spat. “He will kill her. Do you understand? He will find her and torture her in ways I don’t want to think about. I know he will. I may not know why my brother is doing what he is, but one thing I do know is that just like any other murderer, he will not want loose ends, and she is a loose end.”

“Jared. She is safe. He has not harmed her.”

His name washed over him like ice water, Jared froze. He blinked his eyes and grunted. It felt like he was waking from a dream, no, a nightmare. Or was this the nightmare? He could not be certain, but with the mentioning of his name came more memories.

He remembered the darkness. He shuddered at the thought of it and felt for the sides of the coffin in order to prove that he was no longer lost.

“You will not return to the darkness,” the voice said in response to his thoughts. “You need not fear it. It was a place of transition and nothing more.”

Jared went to blow out a long breath but found that he had none to expel. Curious, he reached for his neck and felt for a pulse. Nothing. How could that be?

“Locket, how… am I alive?”

The locket hovered and glowed but did not respond immediately.

“You are not alive, at least not in the biological sense. You exist still because I have chosen you and I will it to be.”

“You what?” Jared asked incredulously.

“I will it.”

Jared’s thoughts raced again as he tried to grasp what this thing was saying to him. “Locket, what are you?”

“I am Tzedakah. I am Justice.”

“Metaphorically speaking, or as in the actual spirit of?” Jared asked. This whole situation was so surreal, and he was having a hard time wrapping his head around it.

“Yes.”

Jared frowned. This was all so impossible, and yet, he remembered dying and he remembered the darkness. He shifted uncomfortably. Not out of physical discomfort, but rather because he was beginning to get antsy. He glared at the locket still hovering above him. His fingers itched to reach out and grasp it. Before the thought had crossed his mind, he had done it. Had he done that on purpose or had something else compelled him?

“We will continue this conversation later. He is here.”

“Who is here?” Jared asked.

“The