3,500 BC
WAECCAN WAS OLD—unnaturally so, some said. He slept an old man’s fitful sleep, riddled with disconnected dreams, muddled with distant memories. But tonight it is not his dreams that disturb him, but something real—something alive, something close.
Waeccan snapped awake, lurched upright, called out into the darkness. “Who’s there? Father? Is it you?”
No answer.
Waeccan shivered. What had woken him? What had he heard? He shook his head to rouse himself, dispel the confusion of waking. It didn’t help. He was drained, couldn’t think properly, hadn’t been able to for days—not since…
His father’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “No, my son. Don’t think of that. Don’t let fear steal your thoughts.”
“No, Father.” But he had heard something. Something nearby. Whispering or rustling, like someone wading through dead leaves.
“Hold your breath, Waeccan, listen.”
Silence. If he could hear it again, he could identify it. An animal perhaps; the pounce of a night hunter, the scrabbling of its prey. He’d often heard these sounds on nights as still as this. So why was he so afraid?
The answer pushed itself to the front of Waeccan’s weary mind—it was him; the stranger, the intruder, the sinister interloper who’d slipped secretly into Waeccan’s world. It was no use denying it. Waeccan shuddered. Who was the intruder, and why had he come to torment him? Waeccan did not know, but one thing he had discovered—the intruder was inhumanly stealthy. He could easily have crept close, could even have stolen into his hut as he slept. Waeccan rubbed his eyes, scanned anxiously for any sign of trespass. Moonlight shone through the hut’s doorway, threw mischievous shadows onto the stone walls. There was nothing out of place. But that proved nothing, gave no comfort. What should he do?
“Father? Father, I…”
“Shh, Waeccan. Listen again. Close your eyes. Focus your senses, as I taught you. Listen.”
Waeccan tried. Despite his fear he closed his eyes, let his breathing slow and allowed the ambience of his familiar world to wash over him, flow through him. There was nothing. All was as it should be. Waeccan opened his eyes. Whatever had woken him was no longer nearby. Or so he hoped.
Title: Trespass
Author: Mikey Campling
Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy
Three stories, separated by five thousand years, united by one deadly secret:
Somewhere, sometime, the stone is waiting.
Trespass combines gritty, edgy modern-day action with a thrilling adventure across time. Discovered over 5,000 years ago, the Darkeningstone affects everyone who finds it.
Jake was too smart to believe the rumours about Scaderstone Pit, but now he’s in more danger than he could ever have imagined.
In 1939, as World War II looms, the lives of two men will be changed forever.
Over 5,000 years ago, a hermit will keep the stone a secret. But someone is watching him – someone with murder in his heart.
When it finds you, what will you see when you look into The Darkeningstone?
Author Bio
Mikey grew up in North Yorkshire, but he refuses to be classified according to Northern stereotypes, which is just the sort of bloody-minded attitude you’d expect from a Yorkshireman. During his first day at school, he discovered the wondrous world that is The Book Corner, and he has never really left it.
He now lives in Devon, on the edge of the wilds of Dartmoor, with his wife, two children, and a black Labrador called Lottie who will only bark when she’s asleep. And lots and lots of books.
You can find out more on Mikey’s website: mikeycampling.com
You can also get two free books, free audio stories and free artwork by joining his mailing list at: mikeycampling.com/giveaway
Links
http://mikeycampling.com/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1HasOec
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trespass-mikey-campling/1121808825?ean=9781620157268