Title: The Society: Proof (Book 1)
The Society: Conspiracy (Book 2)
Author: Aaron Crabill
Series: The Society
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Adventure
Publisher: Self Published
Edition/Formats Available In: E~Book & Print
Release Date: Jan 28 2011
Synopsis
Keely Allison has spent years trying to prove that her home town of Pembleton Arizona is haunted. She’s let her grades slip, upset her mother by avoiding anything remotely close to the normal high school experience, and utterly ignored a love life. She’s the leader of two person paranormal society, along with her polar opposite Tad Buckley. Tad’s an honors student, the apple of his folks’ eyes and totally in love with Keely (he has been for years and he really, really, really thinks this will be the year he finally tells her just that). When Sean Cage moves to town everyone’s life gets thrown into a violent upheaval. He joins the society, challenges their methods, becomes the first crush of Keely’s life, and forces Tad into a put up or shut up position with his feelings for Keely. As the three find their paranormal and romantic lives suddenly in fast forward, they too find the already well documented spookiness of Pembleton Arizona doing the same. Sean finds sleep nearly impossible as he’s taunted by a monstrous black mass at the foot of his bed. Tad is forced to choose between sneaking out the back door like the rest of the honors kids or going out the front and potentially facing hazing at the hands of a demon possessed jock-bully. As for Keely she just may find the proof she’s always wanted so badly to find, the question is will she believe it when it’s standing right in front of her?
The Society: Proof
Release Date: February 15 2013
Synopsis
The second incredible chapter in The Society cycle finds the team growing. Keely, Sean, and Tad are joined by their formerly demon possessed enemy Randy Adams. They’ve gone public with their findings and have become celebrities in their hometown and around the world thanks to their popular website. But this new level of attention has drawn the attention of the mysterious and powerful group of global powers they were warned never to cross. This deadly conspiracy of men has begun to move against them from the shadows in ways they never could have anticipated. A new supernatural threat has arisen with a personal vendetta against them and plans to tear them apart from the inside. Things have never been better for the kids in the society. Things have never been more deadly either.
The Society: Conspiracy
Review
Proof - I love reading about the paranormal and this book was just what I needed to get a new taste of paranormal encounters. A thrilling ride with Keely, Tad and newcomer Sean kept me on the edge of my seat. Turning the pages just to find out what the three person society would face next.
I disliked the uncle from the beginning, he just rubbed me the wrong way. As for Keely, Tad and Sean, I enjoyed every minute of the time I spent with them reading this book. I wanted so much for them to get the proof they needed to show the town of Pembleton, Arizona that their society was for real and just what the town needs.
I enjoyed the twists and turns, the plot and the surprising ending. I couldn't wait to pick up Conspiracy and had the chance to as soon as I finished Proof.
Conspiracy - There is no doubt about it, this book was an awesome second to a nice first. With more twists and turns, the three in the society become four. They go global with their website causing a stir in the town. Digging a bit deeper into the characters lives, as well as the a bit of drama on the surface. There is so much more to the town than the society is even aware of. Dangers that they can't always put their finger on.
I would recommend these books to anyone interested in a little paranormal activity or those that hunt themselves.
Author Bio
Aaron Crabill is a talented writer and Superman fanatic. You should see his toy collection it's ridiculous. He's got two wonderful sons and a wife who's way out of his league and very understanding when it comes to ridiculous toy collections. He currently lives in Kansas...and he's not too fond of that.
Author Media Links
Click Read More to read an Excerpt from The Society Proof & Conspiracy...
EXCERPT FROM PROOF
The week went by pretty much like any other week for Sean and Keely and Tad. They were anxious about their hunt. Tad didn’t see much of the other two as he was in his AP classes and because he and Nate hung out almost every day after school that week, not because Tad was dodging them but because he was enjoying spending some time with Nate. Sean and Keely were keeping it all strictly professional and spent most of their time together talking about the hunt they had coming up.
And while they were having a good week, things were not so good for Randy Adams. He was sleeping more than twelve hours a day. He’d had two more ugly confrontations with his father. Both of which saw his father backing down to him. Normally Randy might have enjoyed that kind of thing, but the fact that he felt totally out of control of himself while it was happening scared him.
He was hot, physically warm all the time. He sweated through his clothes at school and couldn’t seem to stop it. He thought about going to see a doctor, but was too scared to find out that there might be something wrong with him, even though he was completely convinced there already was. Randy felt it was better to just assume it might get better. So he covered his body in antiperspirant to try and keep dry, but nothing worked. His hair lay matted down on his fore head rather than the butch spike he used to keep.
He’d lose track of time once in a while, forget where he was for a period of time, and find himself in some place completely different than before. He was scared to the point that he was becoming paranoid and violent. He’d missed football practice all week. When his coach came to talk to him he’d lifted him off the ground by the neck with one hand and pinned him against the wall. The coach was so jealous in protecting his reputation that he didn’t even think about turning Randy in.
He’d tried to avoid Tad, and Sean, and Keely…at least when he knew what he was doing. He was afraid that those three nerds would know what was wrong with him. That they would be able to look at him, and see it, and then they’d tell him what he already knew that he was totally, completely, incurably screwed.
On Friday morning Randy was having one of his moments. He was sitting in a desk in the back of Tosh’s class sweating profusely. He stayed in the back of the room with his head down. Neither Sean nor Keely had even tried speaking to him after what happened at the house and there was no way he was speaking to them.
He felt hot and he felt his head roll back seemingly under its own power. He found himself staring at Keely, staring a hole right in the back of her head. He couldn’t break his stare no matter how hard he tried. His hand was clenching a pencil and moving on its own too. He was drawing something maybe writing something, symbols images but not words, not words anyone could understand at least not anyone in that class room.
He felt his eyes roll back into his head, but somehow he was still able to see. And what he saw was Keely turning to look at him. She made an odd face, a face not so much disgusted, as concerned.
“You ok there Randy?” she asked looking him right in the eye.
At that moment Randy wanted to break down. He wanted to admit it. He wanted to just say, “No. I’m not OK. Something’s wrong with me and has been since last week. I feel like there’s something inside my mind with me and it’s screwing my whole body up, and I’m sweating all the time, and my dad is scared of me, and I’m scared of me too. Can’t you help me? Can’t you please help me?!?” But none of that came out of his mouth.
Something did come out of him, but it wasn’t words. It didn’t even sound like Randy. It sounded like something else entirely. He opened his mouth and made a loud high pitched sucking sound kind of like a yawn. Everyone in class snapped to look at him. Tosh even rose up from her cross legged seated position on her desk.
Then Randy started to say something in that same high pitched inward breathing style, but it wasn’t English.
Some of the class laughed. Most sat there extremely uncomfortable as Randy Adams sat in his desk with his eyes rolled back into his head leaving only white where his brown irises should have been and spoke in a horrifying tone in a language that sounded like a record being played backward. Randy then rose to his feet and started walking toward Keely. Even though his eyes were rolled back in his head he still managed to make it right to her.
Randy could see Keely as clear as day despite the fact he was actually looking at the inside of his own eye socket. He saw his hand reach out and grab her by the wrist. He saw her expression change from concern to annoyance, to pain. He wasn’t doing any of this…but he was doing all of this. Tears started to pour from his white eyes.
Tosh rushed in, barking at Randy to let go. He kept hearing the strange sounds coming from his mouth. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He felt his body being jerked around. He felt almost happy to see Sean Cage throwing a punch at him. He hoped it would snap him out of whatever was happening to him.
But that punch didn’t hit its mark. He would not let go of Keely. As Sean pulled him around he’d pulled Keely around with him tipping her desk over and sending her to the floor. He still held tight to her wrist. Sean’s punch landed right inside the palm of Randy’s other hand.
Randy felt his fingers clutch around Sean’s fist and squeeze. He felt Sean’s knuckles pop as he did so. Sean’s expression was shock, and even though it actually passed his mind at that moment, he really should be enjoying this, he was more scared than ever. He saw Sean’s face violently fly toward him as he landed a head butt right in the new guy’s grill sending the kid who’d embarrassed him so many times down in a heap to the floor.
Tosh ran out the door and started screaming for security. Randy felt himself turn back to Keely who was trying at this point to bite his hand in a desperate attempt to get him to let her go. She thrashed and tried to kick at him but Randy couldn’t really feel any of it. He could feel his jaw moving. He could hear his words starting to make sense.
“Do not think you can defy him,” he heard himself say. “It is my onus to protect him. I will destroy you all.”
Randy suddenly felt pain. He hadn’t when Keely kicked and bit him, he hadn’t felt pain when his head smashed into Sean’s, but now he did. And as he felt that pain he saw particles of wood, and what were clearly chair legs fly past him and crash to the floor. He spun to see Sean holding a broken chair in his hands. The other kids in the class had backed to the walls.
Randy felt himself laugh a laugh that was not his own. He started to move toward Sean but felt himself pulled around. Randy was relieved to see Tom Folks, the school’s security officer standing there. That relief faded fast as he saw the back of his own hand smack Folks in the face and send him crashing back into Tosh’s desk. He found himself turning back to Sean. He had let go of Keely after the impact of the chair. Keely had gotten out of his immediate sphere of influence, but Sean true to form wasn’t backing down.
Randy started to move toward him knowing that he was about to do something horrible to Sean whether he wanted to or not, but before he was able to do anything he felt an incredible pain like a thousand bee stings nail him from behind. He felt the taser that Officer Folks carried on him land right in the base of his neck and he felt big time pain. He also felt whatever it was that had been controlling him suddenly vanish.
He hit the floor with a wave of abatement passing through him.
Randy was so happy to be back in control of himself that he put up no struggle at all while Folks put plastic cuffs on him and pulled him to his feet. He was smiling and on the verge of happy laughter as he was shoved out of the room.
Sean checked on Keely. She told him she was fine. Tosh said she wanted to speak to both of them after class.
Randy was told he was going to be taken to the police station. He couldn’t care less. He couldn’t feel that thing in his mind not even in the recesses. He was himself. He was himself. He was so happy to himself that he didn’t care about what was going to happen to him next.
He looked up at himself in the rear view mirror of the police cruiser.
He saw himself smile.
He looked at his eyes.
He saw red.
And fear filled every inch of his body.
EXCERPT FROM CONSPIRACY
Wendy had to get permission from her folks before she could join the society at Mrs. Dillon’s house. She was shocked at how fast her parents went for it. She spent a half a moment wondering if they had similar hopes to her making more friends and branching out a little this year too.
The Dillon house was too far out of town for a bike ride this late at night, so they had all piled into Randy’s hatchback Mustang. The car was loud and smelled like exhaust. Sean had no problem pointing that fact out as frequently as he could. Randy said he barely noticed anymore. Tad mused that the part of Randy’s brain that registered scents may have been killed off by the fumes.
Keely was trying to make sure that Wendy was OK with this. “I really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Keely said unable to move much more than her mouth to speak packed three across on the tiny backseat. “Honestly we always thought mediums and psychics were kind of…well…frauds. Shoes on the other foot now though.”
“You think it will work?” Wendy asked looking out the tiny triangular window beside her. “Do you think Abigail will show up?”
“I don’t know,” Keely said trying to sound sympathetic but still be heard over the rumbling car. “I sure hope so. I want to know if she was involved. I think it might help if you are there.”
Wendy just nodded her head and kept looking out the window. Tad sat silently on the other side of Keely and watched and listened to their conversation. He didn’t want anything to happen that was going to be any more traumatic to Wendy than what had already happened over the last two days. He was having a tough time wrapping his mind around everything, from the demon, to Elise’s videos, to the fact that they were now headed to Mrs. Dillon’s house to take part in a séance. He couldn’t imagine how someone who’d just become initiated into all of this could possibly be taking it.
He turned and looked out his tiny triangular window. Keely turned her head and looked at him. This was getting to be torture. For the last six months Tad had felt so far away. They’d been as close as two young people could be for years but now sometimes, most of the time, she felt like she didn’t know who he was. She turned and looked at Wendy. The thought passed through her mind that she was the one who’d taken her best friend from her. That thought passed quickly followed by a sense of shame at the fact that that was patently false.
Randy pulled into Mrs. Dillon’s driveway and she was already outside waiting for them. Sean felt his stomach tighten. The last time he and Mrs. Dillon had spoken face to face she was pretty upset with him. She’d been nice on the phone but all the same he felt nervous getting out of the car to see her in person.
“Oh my goodness,” Mrs. Dillon said smiling ear to ear, “there are more of you.”
“There sure are,” Keely said smiling for a heartbeat before being grabbed by Mrs. Dillon and hugged like a bear.
“Who are these two young men?” Mrs. Dillon asked squaring up on Tad and Randy. She put her fists on her hips and puffed up her chest. “Two big strapping young men to be sure.”
“I’m Tad,” Tad offered a hand. “I was in on the investigation here a while back. I just didn’t get the chance to meet with you back then.”
“Well I’m glad you get to meet me now, and you big fellah?” She looked up at Randy.
“Randy Addams ma’am,” he said extending his hand.
She looked at him for just a fraction of a second before taking his hand. That fraction of a second was long enough for Randy to know that she’d felt something off about him. He wondered if she knew just how off he’d been only a few short months ago.
“Who is this young lady,” she asked moving to Wendy. “You are just a doll.”
“Thanks,” Wendy blushed hard. “I’m Wendy Tucker.”
“I think I know your parents,” She smiled and shook hands with her. Finally she stepped over to Sean. “I know this one all right.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. Sean instantly felt shame. “I um,” Sean said running his hand through his hair.
Mrs. Dillon grabbed him and hugged him. She squeezed him tight like a bear in a trap. She pulled his head down and whispered in his ear, “They’ve come again. New ones.”
Sean pulled back and saw the absolute joy on her face. He felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. “I’m so glad about that,” he said and meant it.
“Well come on its dark out here,” she said waving her hands to get them hustling in behind her. “I was so happy when you called me. I was on the internets today and I heard some really nasty things. Saw them too. I was thinking about you kids.”
“Don’t believe it,” Keely said following her through the tiny house. “That’s why we’re here you know. We think there’s someone out there that may want to talk to us.”
“That’s what Sean said,” Mrs. Dillon spoke as they entered a tiny room with a very large table in it. She walked to the head of it and took a seat. Behind her was a huge odd looking black and red painting.
“We’re really sorry to bother you this late at night,” Tad said trying not to give into a yawn.
“This is important dear,” Mrs. Dillon flattened out a wrinkle in the table cloth.
“Is Mr. Dillon home?” Keely asked taking one of the seats that Mrs. Dillon was flamboyantly guiding them to with her hands.
“Charles is at a Doctor Who convention in Las Vegas,” she answered patting Keely on the hand. “So nice of you to ask.”
“So how does this work” Randy asked squeezing his big frame into position at the large table in the tiny room. “You just like…dial up the ghost and they have to come. You summon the individual and they just, like, have to be here?”
“They have to want to be here,” Mrs. Dillon answered her voice almost stern. “I can call out to them, but ultimately it’s up to the spirit. Do you have something this young woman is connected to? That would help.”
“We have Wendy,” Tad put a hand on her shoulder. “She’s been in communication with the spirit from the start of all this.”
“But,” Wendy started, “if she was in on this thing…if she was working with Elise…if she was out to hurt you guys…she may not want to show up.”
“That may be dear,” Mrs. Dillon’s voice was tender. “But she may also want to explain herself to you. She may care about you.”
Wendy nodded her head genuinely hoping that was true.
“Do we really have to hold hands and all that?” Randy asked sounding nonplussed.
“Yes you do,” Mrs. Dillon’s voice was firm again. “It’s about faith. You have to believe this will work or it won’t. I want everyone to close their eyes. I want everyone to focus on this young woman’s name. I want everyone to think about just her first name now. Just think Abigail.”
They could all feel an electricity in the air. Mrs. Dillon’s voice was raised in pitch and excitement, “Don’t open your eyes yet. Keep focused…think of her full name now, Abigail Bridges.”
There was suddenly a slight breeze in the room. The curtains rustled, and everyone felt a chill. Mrs. Dillon reminded them all to keep their eyes closed, to stay focused. They could hear the sound of a calendar falling off a wall and crashing to the ground. The electricity was causing Keely and Wendy’s hair to rise.
“OK,” Randy said his voice betraying his excitement, “this is awesome.”
“Focus,” Mrs. Dillon chastised.
“Wendy is that you?” the voice came from the center of the room just above the table.
“Abigail?” Wendy asked back keeping her eyes closed. “Are you here?”
“Open your eyes girl,” Mrs. Dillon said opening hers.
When she opened her eyes Wendy didn’t see what she expected to. She didn’t see Abigail standing there as she’d seen her before. Instead what she saw was a twisting loop of green electricity moving through a field of what looked like sparkling gold dust.
Sean, Keely, Tad, and Randy instantly recognized the sight before them. It was raw spirit energy. Mrs. Dillon seemed to be at peace with what she was seeing as well. This was clearly not the first time she’d seen something like this.
“Just for the record,” Keely asked staring at the electricity in the air and kicking herself for not bringing any equipment along, “you are Abigail Bridges?”
“Yes,” the voice came from the air around the twisting green and gold.
“Why do you look like that?” Wendy asked biting back fear.
“I’m sorry,” The voice sounded sincere and slowly the image of Abigail Bridges began to appear in the air forming out of and seemingly replacing the electricity that had been there seconds ago. “It’s hard to do this.”
Wendy grabbed for Tad’s hand under the table. Tad let her take hold. Her grip betrayed her fear. Tad looked at her. She was in awe of what she was seeing.
“Why did you do it Abigail?” Sean asked trying not to sound as mad as he felt.
“I had to,” Abigail had taken on as full a form as she appeared able. Her face showed some tension like she was trying to hold on. Her body appeared to be standing in the center of the table only her upper half was visible cut off exactly at the height of the table.
“I don’t understand,” Randy didn’t seem to care how mad he came across. “You had to? You don’t even know any of us. No offense but you died before most of us could talk.”
“I can’t talk about this,” Abigail looked frightened. “It isn’t safe. The only reason I am here is to tell Wendy that I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I had to.”
“Why did you have to?” Wendy asked. “You know what you did right? You used me and you made it so I hurt my friends. This whole thing, it ruined the society.”
“I know,” Abigail appeared grief stricken. “I had to…I…she made me.”
“Elise?” Sean asked.
“Elise?” Abigail seemed confused. “She’s not called Elise.”
“What do you call her?” Sean fired right back.
“I can’t say,” Abigail’s lip curled. “You don’t know her anyway.”
“You call her Dardis?” Randy asked leaning forward. “You don’t know anything about Elise Andrews do you?”
Abigail suddenly jerked, her head began to shoot back and forth looking about the room. “You said her name,” her voice was utter horror.
“Young man, what did you say?” Mrs. Dillon’s face betrayed growing nerves.
“Do you feel that?” Keely asked looking at her arms and watching goose bumps form. “It’s cold.”
“What’s going on here?” The words only left Mrs. Dillon’s lips before the sound of light bulbs popping came from outside the room.
The tiny explosions of glass got louder and they seemed to be heading toward them at a rapid rate. Lights were going off all around the house, and darkness was closing in from all sides.
“Oh no,” Abigail said in a child’s voice.
Randy shot to his feet just before the lights went out.
Abigail’s pained voice, “She’s here.”
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