Intertwined – Preface
PREFACE
“Mary, Mary, can you hear me? Mary?” he gasped, trying to catch his breath after a mad chase through the woods.
Her blank sapphire blue eyes caught a glimpse of his mysterious maple-colored ones before they rolled back into her head. She had lost consciousness again.
“Mary, you are going to be okay,” the dark stranger said as he leaned over and whispered in her newly pierced ear. “You are going to be okay.” He clutched her drenched, quivering small frame against his. He could feel the life-giving air enter and leave her lungs and breathed a sigh of relief. “Nice to meet you, Mary. My name is Josiah.” He spoke gently, as if his words would break her delicate exterior. He brushed his leathery charcoal hands through her wet sandy blond hair, letting the drips splash onto her soaking wet University of Mississippi t-shirt that clung to her eleven-year-old skinny body. “Mary is a very pretty name for a very pretty girl,” he said innocently.
Her eyes shot open with a twinge of fear. The limpness in her arms and legs fled as she raised her chest up with fight or flight instinct. “No, stop!” She tried to scream, but only a gurgling groan escaped her thin colorless lips. Please don’t hurt me, she thought as she flashed back to Dateline specials of child predators that her parents had made her watch. “Please.”
“Child, it’s okay,” Josiah said as he attempted to reassure her. “Mary, you don’t have to be afraid.”
Wiggling and squirming in panic-stricken anxiety, Mary tried to get away from the older man’s tight grip, but she was too weak. He continued to hold her tightly. “It’s okay, Mary. I’m not going to hurt you. The ambulance is on its way.”
“The what?” she whispered, looking down and noticing her wet clothes. Turning her head slowly in a circle, she found herself in a familiar location. She looked up and saw a ceiling of clouds overhead with some treetops not too far away.
Josiah slightly released his grip, but not enough to let go. He wanted her to feel safe, not caged like a wild animal. “I’ve got you.”
She looked up into his eyes and stared intently as he returned the favor, looking into hers. They watched each other in silence for a couple of minutes, as if to reintroduce themselves, scratching the first frightening introduction from their memory. There was something different about his eyes, she thought. There was an immediate connection that transcended understanding. She didn’t know anything about him, yet in the same breath, she felt like she knew him better than anyone else. His eyes held the wisdom of age with a few wrinkles laced around the edges; yet they were soft and unobtrusive.
Her arms began to feel light as she sunk deeper into his lap, leaning her dizzy head on his muscular shoulder. In an instant, all the fright left her, followed by a feeling of warm peace radiating around her cool body. She closed her eyes. “Thank you…Josiah.”
Josiah’s smile stretched across his face as he began to slowly rock. He wasn’t sure what to do, but he did know the power in a touch, his touch. He loosened his hold and allowed his hands to rub up and down her bony back. “You’re going to be okay, Mary,” he kept repeating as if trying to convince himself of that notion. “You’re going to be just fine.”
He stared up into the heavens and started humming softly. The rhythm of the river tides lapping onto the rocky shore fit perfectly into his hymn. Tearfully, he bowed his head and watched as she took a few deep breaths before closing his eyes and muttering a heartfelt prayer. He still wore his smile that had remarkably grown brighter. The silence was broken by the sound of sirens in the distance, while he scanned the landscape suspiciously looking for the person who caused this near-death event. He knew that person wasn’t far away. He knew for certain that he was being watched.
“He’s not ready for you yet, Mary. He has something in store for you.”
If you enjoyed the beginning of my latest book, Intertwined, you can continue reading to find out the secrets that await within the pages.
What readers are saying about Intertwined
Loved the book!
It kept me interested the whole time I was reading it and I never lost interest!!!
Love that it was somewhat mysterious and gripping yet not too complicated to follow!!!
It was very twisty which I appreciated. I didn’t see several things coming until I read it.
I enjoyed the mystery of the story and could see it throughout the pages. This is a well written ‘journey of life’ that gives the reader a chance to relax and enjoy the journey while still giving a taste of mystery.
Excellent still describes this novel, but the genre has changed. Eric messaged me that others had described this book as a mystery or a family saga. I don’t argue with either, but I choose to say “Christian fiction a la early Frank Peretti.” Mr Suddoth weaves a many-faceted, many-layered story but does so magnificently. The reader never loses track as the narrative skips back and forth. INTERTWINED may well refer to his ability to keep the story going and the reader never getting lost.
This book is one of Eric’s best books yet. It draws you in and makes you want to keep reading. His descriptions are reminiscent of F. Scott Fitzgerald! I highly recommend this book. Great summer reading!
