Bookkeeper

By Grace Langston

Set in a time of swords and kingdoms, you find Matthew, a man trying to live a life after everything is taken away from him. Fates push Matthew into an unknown village called Frayla, a surreal place filled with virtue and Godly people.

Words of d

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amz Pro Hub
• Release date: Mar 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088109885

Book preview

BOOKKEEPER

BOOKKEEPER

Book One of The Metanoia Saga

G. W. Langston

Copyright ©2023 G. W. Langston

All Rights Reserved

Dedicated to my mom and dad,

with whom I’d be nowhere without.

Prologue

What is past is prologue

~William Shakespeare

Time is a precious, precious thing. Time passes away so rapidly without any awareness. While people have empty thoughts, time continues on. The sun keeps rising and falling, rising, and falling. Time is one of the many things that people would never get control of. It moves on without our consent. You can step away from a place just for a moment, and it will continue on without you. It defines the length of our lives and the memories within it. And when lives are snatched away, the time, the ticking seconds of their life will reach its ultimate and deafening end.

Helen ponders this thought while she stands in her kitchen. She knows that the youth of her children can be gone in the blink of an eye.

Helen watches her two children eat their bowls of porridge. Danielle, her first born and her daughter, is four years old. Andrew, her youngest and her son, is two and a half years old. Danielle eats her porridge like a normal, little lady, but Andrew shoves every spoonful too fast into his mouth. Per routine, he had already dropped some onto his shirt. Helen can’t help but giggle at him. She loves her little family, and she is excited to have another one on its way. She rests her hand on her tummy, where a small baby bump is finally starting to form. Danielle wants a girl. Andrew wants a boy. She and her husband don’t care which, but they have already picked the names if it is to be a boy or a girl. Keane and Amity, respectively.

These are the good times in life. Helen feels no sadness, frustration, or tiredness with her waking days. She is grateful and just has this overall joy with every precious moment with her kids and her husband. She is twenty-six now. She had properly met her husband when she was only seventeen years old, but she had really known of him all her life. They grew up in the same town, went to the same classroom, but they always seemed to pass each other, never truly noticed each other. She had a crush on him for what seemed forever, but being so young, she never thought that they would marry. Thankfully, fate proved her wrong. She married when she was twenty. Her husband proudly built this home for them from the ground up.

She hears heavy footsteps coming from the hall. She watches as her husband comes from it and smiles as he sees her. As he comes over to her and they share a kiss, he greets, Morning, my love.

Morning, she replies with the sweetest smile.

He looks at Danielle and Andrew finishing up their breakfast. And morning to you two munchkins. Had a good breakfast?

Yes, Daddy, Danielle says after her last bite of food.

Mm hmm, Andrew says with a shake of his head through chewing his last bite.

Say yes sir, Andrew, Helen tells him.

Yes sir, Andrew readdresses.

Mommy never disappoints in making good meals, does she? He smiles again at his wife, undeniably in love with her. What’s planned for today? her husband asks.

Wiping her hands with a cloth, Helen says, The kids are gonna help me do some cleaning around the house. Then they can have a little play time outside, she pauses in thought, Then we can all have lunch together? She looks at her husband with hopeful eyes.

No work today, I’m all yours.

Wonderful, she says with delight. Then I could go to the market too, if you could watch the children.

Of course.

You both go wash up, Helen says. Her two kids jump out of their chairs and race to the washing room.

She turns to her husband and straightens his collar. Every full day we can spend as a family is always nice.

If I didn’t have to work dawn to dusk to provide for us, I would spend every second with you, he puts his arms around her.

She looks up into his eyes with a longing look. She smiles. I love you.

I love you too, he responds.

They hear a knocking on the door that makes them turn their heads. Matthew, its Bert, a voice says loudly. Can I come in?

Bert is a good family friend. He and Matthew have known each other since they were kids.

Sure thing, Bert, Matthew hollers back.

Helen watches as Bert comes in. He is instantly recognizable with his combed back, black hair and freckled face. Matthew has brown hair like the dark earth. Helen tried to get him to comb his hair back, but Matthew likes it a little more disheveled though it was kempt. They both share brown eyes, though Matthew’s is more hazel. They are both strongly built.

Bert is closer to our family more than anyone else in town. He is always so polite and is so humorous. The kids love him. Helen sees him as an uncle to them. Morning Bert, she says.

Morning Milady, he says with a fancy bow.

Whatcha up to? Never see you up this early in the morning, she remarks.

Ah yes, he says standing back up from his bow. Matthew, can you come here for a sec. He holds a serious look on his face though he tries to hide it.

One moment, Matthew says to Helen. Helen nods her head. She watches Matthew go to Bert. They sort of huddle together, and Helen tries to hear what they are saying, but their talk is too hushed, so she just waits. After a brief time of conversing, Bert heads out and Matthew walks back to Helen.

What is the matter? Helen asks.

He looks at her. There was an accident at Mount Warner. They’re gathering some men to go help. He asked if I could go. There’s no wonder why they’d asked Matthew.

You should go.

Helen, they’ll be fine without me. They have plenty of men. I want to spend the day with you, he holds Helen’s hands.

It’s an emergency Matthew, and they do need you. You lead them. I know you want to go help, that’s what you do. Always lending that helping hand… she says in a quiet, thoughtful tone, I love you for it.

Helen… he says with sad eyes.

There are plenty of days and time ahead for us to spend time together and as a family. One day away will not ruin us. She squeezes his hands. I’ll miss you of course and the children will too, but we all know that you’ll always come home.

I’ll be back by morning, he says leaning his forehead against hers. He closes his eyes. Helen closes her eyes also and breathes him in.

We’ll be waiting with warm hugs coming your way.

He kisses her fondly.

I’ll pack you some food, you should say bye to the children, Helen says after the kiss.

Alright, he heads for the children’s rooms to say his goodbyes.

When you marry a good man, you can’t keep him all to yourself, Helen thinks. She loves him so much. She doesn’t know where she’d be without him. It is hard to have to say goodbye to him every morning. Even harder to let him go on the days that are supposed to be just him and his family. But Helen understands that he needs to serve the greater good. Matthew loves to help people. She can see that that is the purpose God has for Matthew. To help people. To save people even.

As Matthew leaves with Bert, she stands on their porch, watching their figures walk away. Before he leaves the immediate premises, he turns around. I’ll bring some daffodils on the way home, he hollers out with a smile. Helen’s favorite flower. I love you! he shouts out louder. She can’t help but laugh at his outburst of affection that all the neighbors are sure to hear.

She shouts, I love you! back. Helen doesn’t really care anymore if the neighbors think they are crazy. Maybe they are. Crazy in love. Matthew blows one last kiss and continues on his trek.

***

Helen and her little children are asleep in their home under the most beautiful night sky. It is a peaceful night like any other. No sounds to be heard other than the chirping of crickets and the wind rustling leaves. No troubles in the town, no troubles within their hearts.

She goes to sleep, feeling content about a promised tomorrow, where her husband would come home in the morning. But was it promised?

Something rustles her sleep and shakes her from her dreams. Something is off. Tendrils of darkness grasp Helen’s consciousness and awaken her with alarming energy.

As she opens her eyes, the smell and sight of smoke welcome her. Without any second thought she runs towards her children’s room. Slamming the door open, she sees Danielle and Andrew in their beds getting startled awake by the door. Helen notices the flames outside their window.

Come here now! she tells them, with her hands reaching out. They obey without any question. They hurry out of their beds and go towards Helen. She grasps their hands in hers. They notice the smoke and the smell of burning.

Ma, what’s going on? Danielle asks.

I don’t know, we just need to get out of here.

They run through the hallway into the bigger space of their house where the kitchen, living room, and entrance are. Where has this fire come from? Helen wonders in her frantic mind. Flames already spout out each window. She hears the ceiling above her groan and crackle, but she tries to ignore it. An overwhelming warmth and smoke seem to have already filled the house. She hears her children cough. She has to get them out.

She runs towards the door with them, ignoring their panicked questions. She pulls the door open and yells in surprise to the bewildered, crazy looking men pointing weapons at her. One man smiles menacingly with rotting teeth. What in the world was going on? She backs away immediately and pushes her children behind her. She is helpless and waits to see if they will come inside after her.

They don’t. They holler ugly words at them and threaten them with their weapons. They don’t want them to leave the house.

A loud crash is heard behind Helen and her children. She turns to see part of the ceiling collapse, blocking off the hallway to the backside of the house. More of the ceiling falls at rapid pace around them. Helen runs with her children towards the window to her right, even with flames coming out of it. She can’t think of any other way out with the front door blocked off with men intending to hurt them. She has to do everything she can to save them, even if it means throwing them through a window where they may get burns. As they approach the window, she sees more men waiting out there with gnarly faces. One of them reaches their sword through the window and knicks Helen on her arm before she can register their presence. She runs back to the only other window, the only other possible exit, but before she gets there, she can see the faces already waiting.

She stops in her tracks. She frantically looks around.

Where is the escape? They are now blocked off into one room by the continuing collapsing roof, the relentless fire, and the ruthless looking guys waiting just outside.

There is no way out. Helen’s heart freezes with terror and disbelief. She doesn’t know what to do. Is she just to stay here and accept this horrific fate for her children? Her eyes move around frantically. How can she accept that this is it?

She looks down at her children. They hold onto her with steel grips, their eyes crying, leaving stains down their ash covered cheeks. Andrew is screaming and crying out loud with fear. Danielle and her petite body are shaking, while her voice is mute with fear, but she coughs with the consuming smoke.

The adrenaline of it all had kept her from feeling fear or sadness. It has worn off now.

Helen feels a piercing pain through her heart. As a mother, it is your only job and desire to protect your children and comfort them. It is excruciating - not being able to protect them and to watch them feel this pain. She feels powerless. As her mind seeks for some kind of ground, she realizes that while she can’t save her children from this doomed end, the thing that she can do now is to be their mother… and comfort them.

Danielle, Andrew, she says aloud with the chaos among them. They look up at her with heart-wrenching eyes. It’ll be alright, she says with shaking lips. She crouches down and gets them to crouch down with her. Shut your eyes, don’t look to the fire. She puts her arms around them both and hugs them towards her body.  Everything will be okay, keep your faces tucked in towards me. They hug her and dig their faces into her body. Andrew is no longer screaming. Danielle no longer shakes. They keep their faces hidden and pressed against their mother’s body. Helen holds them as close as she can. It’ll be okay, she says with a fragile voice. She rubs their backs with her hands as she starts to hum a familiar tune to them.

The roof continues collapsing as the fire relentlessly rages on. Smoke swirls and dances around the air in this deathly routine. It slowly fills the room and consumes the breathable air. It slowly encases the small family with no conceivable escape. The wooden furniture, the tiny toys, the numerous belongings in the house burn and disintegrate into insignificant, unrecognizable ash. Blazing fire holds its piercing sword with colors of molten red and flickering orange above the mother and her three children.

Helen shuts her eyes, humming a tune that she would hum to her children when they could not sleep. They will go to sleep now with it. She clings to her children desperately as the flames consume them.

Their lives are snatched away. And the time, the ticking seconds of their lives, reaches its ultimate and deafening end.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter I: Misery

Chapter II: Little One

Chapter III: Daffodils

Chapter IV: Where Do We Go From Here?

Chapter V: The Lone Apple

Chapter VI: Frayla

Chapter VII: Destiny and Whatnot

Chapter VIII: The Consuming Darkness

Chapter IX: Thump Thump

Chapter X: Not So Sacred

Chapter XI: Tanner

Chapter XII: Shots Fired

Chapter XIII: The Depths

Chapter XIV: Are We Okay?

Chapter XV: It Is Written

Chapter XVI: Beauty Sleep

Chapter XVII: Crumbling

Chapter XVIII: Temptation

Chapter XIX: Melting Sky

Chapter XX: Nearing

Chapter XXI: It Is Done

Chapter XXII: Adventure

Acknowledgements

About The Author

Chapter I: Misery

No man is rich enough to buy back his past. ~Oscar Wilde

They are so real. I must be able to touch them. Their soft rosy cheeks and little hands with those little fingers. I can almost feel them holding my too tough hands. Their little bodies with hearts untouched by the cruelties of this world. I can see them smile with their little mouths.

I see the most beautiful woman in the distance. Her beauty and soul radiate. She’s right there. I can sense her. I can feel her. Maybe, I can go to her and hold her close. Maybe, I don’t ever have to let her go. Maybe… just maybe.

The two small bodies run towards the woman. I hear a faraway sound of laughing and giggling. I watch them reach the woman. They all turn their backs and start walking away. No.

Don’t walk away. Don’t leave me. I watch their bodies be enveloped in shadows as my feet are planted in this dark abyss. I can do nothing. Nothing. This is misery.

***

I open my eyes to the scratched up, decaying wood ceiling. If I could survive without sleep, I would not sleep. Sleeping used to mean something different. A rest, a calming splendor I used to enjoy. The occasional dreams sleep now brings taunt my heart and leave suffering stings.

I slowly get up from my creaky bed with aching muscles. I look around at my place. A run-down shack made of dark colored wood, made maybe forty years ago. Age and nature eat away at it.

One scrawny, wrought iron bed frame with a thin, stained mattress sits in the middle of this maybe eight by eight shack. A thick, wool blanket is the only other thing that accompanies the mattress. I don’t want the luxury and softness of a pillow. Got a semi-large dresser in that one corner. It sits there, holding my clothes, necessities, and my few and bare remembrances of my life. This is my place, nothing luxurious or pretty. Nothing more than what I deserve or what I want.

I shift around and sit up on the side of my bed, my two bare feet touching the cold, chilling floor. The end of summer has brought chiller mornings. Clenching my hands together, I look down and let out a slow breath. I am tired.

I don’t know what to do with my days. This sorrow in my mind and body stays with me throughout every hour. My only hope is that it will get easier, but right now, the losses ache throughout my body, and I see long distances to go. What is a man when every person that gave him all the purpose and love in the world is taken away? No man that will be truly happy.

I grab the first shirt and trousers I see in my dresser. The dresser I mean. It isn’t mine; someone gave it to me. As are these clothes and bed and shack. It’s a sad thing when most the things a man has, he can’t call his own. I head out the door to the lake close by.

Even with my never-ending grief, I still try to have the dignity to wash and clothe myself and look alright. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t care to do any of it. I did it for my wife. She’d still want me to have the decency to get up and get dressed. She always made sure I looked nice, always made sure I washed up and washed my hands before every meal. Straightened me up before I let a foot out the door she did. She said it was always important to present your best self to the world. I don’t think I’ll ever reach my best self with what I have lost now, but I will try to look it for her.

The sound of crunching leaves and twigs pairs itself with every step I make. I used to walk out of my old home with the sounds of busyness and chattering of the town. Now, I walk out of my place with sounds of nature and annoying songbirds. I am starting to get used to the birds. Their sounds used to be taunting and a never-ending chatter filling my ears. Reminded me of some people in town. Now I