The Burton Chronicles: Skillie

By Gordan Graham

"There is an legend among my people, passed down from generation to generation, it has awakened, its name is - Skillie."
When an ancient evil force invades the mountains of East Tennessee, Nick and Claire Burton, two university professors must face a demonic force whose sole purpose is to ultimately bring the spiritual world into our own. Will the demon succeed? The balance hangs by a delicate thread, and the Darkness is getting stronger.
"Have you ever stared into the darkness until you saw it move?"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gordan Graham
• Release date: Jan 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301877409

Gordan Graham

Growing up as a child, I was raised on a farm under the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains, where I found a true love of animals and the great outdoors. Unlike most farms, we had a wide variety of farm animals, from cows, horses and mules, to chickens, turkeys and pigs. One of my favorite past times, when I wasn’t doing chores around the farm, was to go to the woods on our property and cut a large grape vine and swing out over the deep hollows. Living in the small community of Greeneville, TN, I was influenced by the wide range of Historical events as well as the stories of the older folk that I enjoyed to spend time with. It was their stories that made me want to become a writer. One of my favorite television shows growing up was the “Waltons”, not just the stories of John Boy and the rest of his family but at the ending of each episode, by the reading of Earl Hamner in which the series was based on his writing. Not just his calm voice, but also the power of the words he used moved my heart closer to family and friends. After suffering a devastating injury in 1999, my wife and I lost everything we had worked so hard to obtain. It left me with no choice but to retrain for something else because I was unable to do the work I had grown up doing. I graduated from a trade school where I also landed the job as teacher of the Graphic Arts department. I have been very fortunate to spend the last thirteen years as the instructor. After writing several short stories and other uncompleted works I decided it was time to jump into the deep end of the pool and write my first book, “The Burton Chronicles: Skillie”, and after several years of dealing with the fear of releasing the book I finally broke down and made it in print. Book two of the series, “The Burton Chronicles: The Guardians” is almost ready for print and online digital publishing. I would like to thank Smashwords, for their help in making my dreams come true and I hope I will have a successful partnership with them for the foreseeable future. Gordan Elvis Graham

Book preview

Chapter 1

A red-tailed hawk takes flight in the early morning breeze. It is mid May, and the lush, green foliage has returned to the mountains of East Tennessee. The Appalachian Mountain range is the oldest of mountain ranges in North America. Gliding on powerful wings riding the thermals, the red-tailed hawk makes his way toward Lone Pine Gap and to his nesting area. High above the tree line, he headed for the top and slipped into the forest canopy, gracefully dodging back and forth between the hemlocks and the majestic oaks.

He lives close to the top of the ridge near a clearing. From a high perch, he can survey the field that is plentiful with rabbit and quail. Vultures circle high overhead, caught in thermal up-flows.

The mountains are alive with small creatures, feeding and playing in the sunlight, unaware of the predator high overhead. Whitetail deer have moved farther into the undergrowth to bed down for the day and rest after feeding throughout the night.

A field mouse scampers through the open field ducking under long blades of grass. He keeps low to the ground in search of food, but he has caught the attention of the hawk. His keen eye watching for any further movement, he takes to the air, positioning himself in the air current and being careful not to cast his shadow over his prey. Drawing his wings closer to his body, gravity begins to take over and the hawk drops out of the sky. Silently he adjusts his speed and angle of attack. With the ground getting closer and closer he keeps his speed constant and at the very last second, spreading his wings to bring him to a guided stop. Deadly sharp talons close and there is no escape for the mouse. Death comes swiftly, and the hawk surveys his catch. With a powerful thrust of his wings, he lifted back into the air and heads toward an old familiar oak branch, his favorite place to stop and eat his prey.

Coming to rest on the branch about 11 feet from the forest floor at the edge of the field, he takes a last look around to see if there are any dangers at hand before devouring his prey.

As the hawk slowly tears pieces of flesh from the small rodent, he is unaware of the movement behind him. The trunk of the tree is hiding his view and the creature stalking him; it is older and wiser than any of the creatures in the forest are. The hawk is unaware that the creature is standing against the thick laurel, unmoving and a master of camouflage and deception.

Silently the creature moves another step closer. Sliding his bare foot just under the undergrowth, careful not to break any small branches or twigs, he is only eight feet from the oak tree. Still unaware of the movement behind him, the hawk tears another piece of flesh loose and tilts his head skyward. There is a flash of movement from the corner of his eye, but it is too late. The blow is so tremendous that the four-inch limb in which the hawk was resting snapped off like a twig. The great, winged predator becomes the prey.

Chapter 2

Nicholas Burton is a professor of anthropology and his wife Clara is an archeology professor. Both are in their late thirties, working at the University of Tennessee. They met while in their studies at the University of Texas. As fate would have it, both obtained related jobs at the University of Tennessee, which is nestled in the shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is a state known as the half back state. Which means that those from the north who want to retire to better weather move to Florida and when they find it too hot to live there; they move halfway back and settle in Tennessee. The crime rate is one of the lowest in the nation and its people warm and inviting. For the most part, it is a laid-back lifestyle, steeped in family values and just the right mixture of faith. There are more churches located in the rural areas than in any other state.

Having so much in common, they also shared a love of the mountains. Nick, as Clara affectionately called him, grew up in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in the small town of Greeneville, Tennessee. Greeneville was home to the 17th President of the United States, Andrew Johnson. Johnson was vice president to Abraham Lincoln and took his office after John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln. Andrew Johnson was a tailor by trade and had a small shop near Main Street in Greeneville. Prior to his vice presidency with Abraham Lincoln, he was also United States Senator for Greeneville at the time of the secession of the southern states. A little known snippet if information is that Andrew Johnson was the first president to go through the impeachment process, although he was never removed from office. Only by the slimmest of margins – a single vote - was he acquitted.

In his teens, Nick was an accomplished Boy Scout. He was also no stranger to the mountains, camping many times in the Horse Creek and Paint Creek areas. A primitive camper, Nick would hike into the mountains and stay for weeks at a time during his summer vacations, exploring every rock and tree and every deer and animal trail. Taking only a sleeping bag, hunting knife, canteen, some dried foods, and his ever-present journal, he would make observations of the local wildlife. The untamed wilderness was always a destination that Nick looked forward to and spent every free moment waiting for his opportunity to enter its domain.

The Horse Creek Recreation Area is one of the most popular in the Nolichucky/Unaka Ranger District. It offers fishing, swimming, picnicking, and camping. At an elevation of 1,720 feet, the area is nestled between two mountains and known as one of the most beautiful places on earth. Nick would go with the other scouts to the popular swimming hole in the summer months to cool off. The water is clear as crystal and cold as ice.

Only the young at heart could brave the cold water and swim in its clear stream. The streambed lay pebbled with smooth, round stones that have been time worn smooth, making it a safe surface to walk on. His other favorite place is the Paint Creek Corridor that stretches through Paint Creek campgrounds to the French Broad River in Hot Springs North Carolina. Backing the swimming hole at Paint Creek, a cliff rises from the forest floor beckoning young swimmers to jump from its rocky ledges. The pool is deep and inviting to those who are brave enough to make the climb. The rocks are slippery and tricky at best, even for the experienced climbers. The highest platform is often been referred to as The Widow Maker and only the bravest of climbers would jump from its rocky ledge. From its high perch the pool below looked the size of a washtub, causing the jumper to have second thoughts about taking the plunge.

Nick grew to six foot four and 220 pounds. In high school, he played football for the Greeneville Greene Devils, but upon graduating, he did not pursue an athletic role. Rather, he pursued his passion, the study of early American and Appalachian cultures.

Nick did not have to work. He had inherited a small fortune from his parents who died in a tragic car accident when he was attending college. Nick could remember the fateful day when the Dean came to Nick’s history class to break the news. This was shortly before meeting Claire, so Nick faced the tragedy alone. Nick had no other family; his grandparents on both sides of his family had died when he was very young.

Nick’s father was short and overweight and traveled most of the time on business, so he was not around much during Nick’s childhood. However, Nick was close to his mother whom he cherished. She allowed Nick to explore the world around him without much supervision. Nick had grown up fast and the Boy Scouts played a vital role in building his character. The pain of losing his mother ate at his heart for many years, but meeting Claire helped to heal the wounds of loneliness.

Nick often thought how he was born in the wrong century.

I should have been born in the horse and buggy days, He would often tell Claire. No electricity, no phones, Nick would say.

No computers, no running water and no toilet paper, Claire would shoot back.

Yea, but wouldn’t it be fun to get around with only horses as transportation? I sure wouldn’t miss the traffic, Nick would say.

The problem with that is we would have to live two full lives to have traveled and seen as much as we already have, Claire would reply.

You’re right, Nick would answer, not wanting to give Claire the indication that she had won the argument, not that it was an argument at all. Nick and Claire never argued; not only were they husband and wife, they were best friends. They had no one else to share their life with so they were happy just being with each other.

Claire’s parents live in Southern California near the Mexican border. Claire is close to her five sisters and keeping in contact with them is a chore in itself. Once a year the girls get together and spend a week in Imperial Beach, not far from their home where she grew up. While going through school, Claire was the favorite on the women’s basketball team. Being athletic made her popular with all the other students; however, Claire was friends to everyone, not picking out any certain group. Her charismatic attitudes made other students want to be friends and hang out with her. She shared a bedroom with three of the older sisters who had to pitch in to keep Claire’s things picked up and put in their rightful place.

Her participation in sports made Claire so popular with the boys. She was not interested in boyfriends but had many friends that were boys. Claire was very mature for her age in high school. Going to college was a top priority for her, and she did not let anything get in the way of her dreams. Unknown to her, sports would not be a part of her future. Claire was smart, and in college she would excel being top of her class.

Chapter 3

Finishing with the test scores, Nick decided that it was time for one last class before taking off for spring break. Most of the students would be heading for Daytona Beach, Florida for some fun in the sun.

Nick was always meticulous about keeping everything in order. His office was very neat with bookshelves lining three walls and glass windows that viewed the back of the classroom. He kept movie posters on the windows, in strategic places, to give him some privacy without the loss of being able to keep an eye on his class. When giving a test, Nick would often observe from his office in the back of the room.

He looked up from his papers as the students were slowly filing into the classroom. He eyed the clock in his office and made a mental note that he still had a few more minutes before class started. He shuffled through some papers, stacking them neatly on one corner of his desk. Reaching over with one hand, he straightened the penholder and paperclip box his wife had made him for his birthday. A smile crossed his face; he loved Claire, and it was the little things she does that made the difference.

The last of the students were taking their seats and engaging in small talk, which was going back and forth on various subjects. Some of the students were talking on their cell phones while others were connecting to the wi-fi network provided by the college. Most of the students were broken off into groups of three or four. Most were fresh out of high school, ready to experience the college life. Ball games and parties were on most of their minds; however, some of the students who were older attend for professional reasons. These were the students that Nick liked the most, because they were the most motivated to learn. Nick exercised a laid-back approach concerning his students but was rather strict concerning the curriculum. Often he would have to make arrangements students who were on the various ball teams because of the away games. The University of Tennessee has one of the best athletic departments in the nation, with several championships under their belts.

As Nick entered the room, he meandered down the aisle towards the front where a podium awaited him along with a small desk seated to the right side. He stepped around the desk and laid down the paper outlining some material he wanted the students to be working on for the last day before their spring break. The sound of shuffling papers and books filled the room as the bell sounded to begin class.

Nick looked around the room observing most of the students putting away their cell phones, while other students were pulling out their notebooks with pen in hand to take notes.

As Nick looked around the room, he saw two young women still taking on their cell phones. Okay, it’s time to put the cell phones up or turn them off or on vibrate, I don’t want to hear a phone ring in my class, Nick said as he stood at the podium.

Okay everyone, I have some work for those of you who need to make up any failing grades for extra credit. You can come up now and pick up the outlines for the time you guys are off, Nick announced. There was mumbling coming from different sections of the class. Nick did not want to see anyone fail his class, which is why he always offered extra work for those who lagged behind. If any students who had the opportunity did makeup work or turned in an extra essay, then Nick was all too ready to help or give them extra credit.

One of the students, Larry, was about thirty-five years of age. He had a wife and child, and he was going back to school to get his degree. He spoke up. Mr. Burton, can we pick the subject for the essay?

Burton looked up over from his neat pile of papers, Well, as you all know we have been studying the American Indians of the East Tennessee area since the first of the trimester, Nick said as he continued shuffling through the papers making sure he had all the assignments. Nick paused and added, And I would like for you to pick a subject from that era. We’ve covered a lot of material, so if you would like to write about the beliefs or cultures of the local tribes you can find plenty of information on the internet or at the campus library, Nick said as he finally looked up from his papers.

Josh, a twenty year old who was working toward an art major degree, threw up his hand. Nick looked over in his direction, shaking his head in amusement because of the energy this student possessed. He always seemed to be excited by the content and subject of the class, and because of his outgoing character, those around him where infected by his energy as well.

Yes Josh, what is it? Nick asked as he returned to sorting the papers in front of him.

Sir, can we write about the shape shifters? said Josh and he looked around the room for approval from any of the other students. There were several other students who stopped whispering and looked in the direction of Josh and then to Mr. Burton.

Shape shifters, a comment came from the back of the class. Nick turned his attention back to Josh, raising one eyebrow.

Shape shifters, Nick responded.

Medicine men were sometimes said to have been able to change their shape, Larry quickly spoke up without raising his hand. Nick quickly looked in Larry’s direction.

Oh, you want to write about the legend of the shape shifters? Nick said as he looked around the room and could see the reaction spread through the class.

Don’t you find it fascinating, Mr. Burton? Josh spoke up with enthusiasm.

Oh yes, but legends are just legends and nothing else, he said with a little sarcasm in his voice. He was fascinated that the students would be interested in that subject. None of the assignments in front of him contained an outline for shape shifters, so he was hesitant to continue with this subject.

However, there seemed to be a great interest in the subject and it was not above Nick to change his mind. If he could keep the students interested in anthropology then maybe, just maybe, he could make an impact on their lives. He slowly flipped through the assignment sheets, one at a time, trying to make a last minute decision. When he got to the last sheet Nick slowly rapped his knuckles on the stack of papers.

Chapter 4

By this time, the classroom became quiet. Everyone stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on Nick.

Let’s see - where should I begin? Nick said to himself in a whisper. He slowly walked around the front desk and leaned backwards, halfway sitting on his desk.

"Shape shifter, believe it or not, can actually be found in the dictionary. There are references in every culture in human civilization referring to shape - shifting, or, the concept of a human shifting form to an animal form. There are even cave paintings from the earliest human civilizations that refer to this concept.

Even the famed author J.K. Rowling used this concept of human transmogrification in the guise of what she referred to her characters as being animagis or animagus, wherein the character possesses the magic ability to transform into an animal form dictated by the witch or wizard's personality. However, they are not able to choose which form they