The Forsaken (The Chosen Series Book 2), Patricia Bell [e textbook reader .txt] 📗

The Forsaken

The Chosen Series Book 2

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Patricia Bell

Copyright © 2020 by Patricia Bell Original copyright 2018 with the same title.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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The Forsaken is a work of fiction. All Characters and incidents are from the author’s imagination. Any similarities to real people, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

The Forsaken

Chapter 1 ― Abigail

Chapter 2 ― Luna

Chapter 3 ―Daniel

Chapter 4 ― Rachel

Chapter 5 ― Malachi

Chapter 6 ― Abigail

Chapter 7 ― Luna

Chapter 8 ― Daniel

Chapter 9 ― Rachel

Chapter 10 ― Malachi

Chapter 11 ― Abigail

Chapter 12 ― Luna

Chapter 13 ― Daniel

Chapter 14 ― Rachel

Chapter 15 ― Malachi

Chapter 16 ― Abigail

Chapter 17 ― Luna

Chapter 18 ― Daniel

Chapter 19 ― Rachel

Chapter 20 ― Malachi

Chapter 21 ― Abigail

Chapter 22 ― Luna

Chapter 23 ― Daniel

Chapter 24 ― Rachel

Chapter 25 ― Malachi

Chapter 26 ― Abigail

Chapter 27 ― Luna

Chapter 28 ― Daniel

Chapter 29 ― Rachel

Chapter 30 ― Malachi

Chapter 31 ― Abigail

Chapter 32 ― Luna

Chapter 33 ― Daniel

Chapter 34 ― Rachel

Chapter 35 ― Malachi

Chapter 36 ― Abigail

Chapter 37 ― Luna

Chapter 38 ― Daniel

Chapter 39 ― Rachel

Chapter 40 ― Malachi

Chapter 41 ― Abigail

Chapter 42 ― Luna

Chapter 43 ― Daniel

Chapter 44 ― Rachel

Chapter 45 ― Malachi

All books by Patricia Bell

The Surrogate – A Stand-alone Book

Canyon Rock Suspense Series

A Light in the Darkness

An Eye for An Eye

The Chosen Suspense Series

The Chosen

The Forsaken

The Sacrifice

Karina’s Journey Series

From House to Home

From Good to Bad

From Lies to Truth

Girl Unbroken

Karina Boxed Set

The Elysian Chronicles – A Portal Fantasy

Saffire

Elusion

Discord

THANK YOU TO MY LORD and Savior. The One who heals the brokenhearted. And to my husband, Cliff, who is my greatest earthly inspiration. Thanks to the sweet friends and beta readers who inspire me to keep writing: Kristen Overholt Iten, C.S Johnson, Cindy Hamilton, and Shoba Sadler. And to my dad who reads everything I write, and lovingly points out my flaws. Also, a special thank you to Lisa DeBartolomao for her wonderful editing skills and for putting up with me even when she disagrees.

Chapter 1 ― Abigail

“Do you really believe they have — died?” Abigail whispered to Tabitha as they sat at the last quilting table of their assigned work building. “All three of them?”

“That is what the elders have spoken,” Tabitha mumbled, her eyes on her quilt.

“And Rachel? Do you think she could have survived? Jacob promised he would come back for me when he found her.”

Tabitha sighed and set her quilt down on the table. “He cannot come back for you if he is dead, can he?”

“I shall not believe it. Not until I see for myself.” Abigail pulled the threaded needle through her own blanket using a quick-stitch to bring together the two fabrics with the soft layer of batting in between.

“You did see it for yourself.” Tabitha sighed. “We all did. Do not tell me you do not remember.”

She did. They had all seen the truck storm through the front gates. And only a few moments later they heard the crash, saw the smoke. Each of them had witnessed the servants of the devil come into their community with their sirens blaring and lights flashing. They trembled at the sight of the big red fire trucks that came to put out the fire at the Smithfield barn. The fire that Abigail had started. A shiver ran through her at the thought of what she had done. And it had all been for nothing. They were dead. All of them. At least that was what the elders had told them.

“But how do we know for sure? What if they are lying to us? What if they lived? How do we know what those policemen really said? Maybe they—”

“Theeeey—” Tabitha drew the word out for emphasis. “Are the servants of the devil. You know as well as I do that one look at them, and they could steal your soul. Prophet Daniel is the only one allowed to speak with them. And he would not lie to us.” The end of her statement came out more of a question than a statement.

“Do you really believe that?” Abigail didn’t. She’d gotten a glimpse of them as they passed through. They did not have forked tongues or red glowing eyes. Maybe their clothing was a bit strange but other than that they looked like regular people.

Even the devil can disguise himself as an angel of light. Elder Aaron had given that sermon just after the accident. That’s when he’d referred to a demon possession that had crept into the community and sought to destroy it. Once again, he hadn’t said the name out loud, but the people of the community knew he was speaking of Rebecca.

The devil is a liar. He will stop at nothing to tempt us into sin.

Goosebumps lined Tabitha's arms. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe they were all dead. She just couldn’t be sure.

“And what about Rachel? She could have made it to safety.”

“Abigail,” Tabitha spoke her name with exhaustion. “We have been over this a million times. There is no way Rachel could have survived out there in the hot desert.” Tabitha continued to sew a straight stitch around the quilt. “It was over a hundred degrees that day and with no water—”

“And that does not bother you?” Angry, Abigail put her needle down and stared at Tabitha. “That a girl was thrown out into the sweltering heat to die?”

Tabitha looked away. “Yes, it does,” she whispered. “But there is nothing I can do about it, so I choose not to dwell on it. You would do better to forget about it, too.”

“I cannot. I shall never forget. I miss my sister. What if there is a chance she is still alive?”

For the first time, Tabitha set down her quilt and looked into Abigail’s eyes.