The Story (The Arlin Trilogy Book 1) by Ondrea Keigh

Author:Ondrea Keigh [Keigh, Ondrea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyonsword Publishing
Published: 2023-08-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

I took a deep breath and stared at the wall across from me. I could feel Solace staring at me, waiting for my response, but I didn’t know what to say. I had heard bits and pieces of the story before, but never the whole thing. It was an interesting story, but I had no reason to believe it was true. Solace clearly believed it, but how could I? It seemed preposterous to believe that the Beast of the Woods could grant a wish or that it could save anyone from the Great Beasts that had attacked our town for as long as I could remember.

“Ben?” Solace said, pulling me from my thoughts.

“I understand the element of forgiveness in this story gives you hope. But how does this story help save people from certain doom?” I asked as I turned to look at her.

“What do you mean? Were you not listening? The Beast was put there so we could ask it for help if the darkness ever got too strong for us to handle! It can grant us what we need to overcome the Great Beasts of the Southern Mountains!”

“So far, we have survived without its help,” I said simply.

“Yeah, we have, but what about the people we lost? The people who die in droves every time one of those Great Beasts of the Southern Mountains rears its ugly head—what about them?” she pleaded.

I nodded. “But according to your story, you and your family were the only people who could get into the Woods without dying, and now you can’t even do that because the Beast must come to you. So, even if it were true, the story and the Beast of the Woods are useless,” I said. “And if it is the Beast that is so important, then why do you need to protect the story?”

Solace crossed her legs and sat up straight. She paused, swaying slightly as if dizzy, but then shook her head and leaned forward. “You don’t believe me now? Imagine how much harder it would be for you, or anyone, to believe me if there were no story that had lasted for thousands of years, being passed down from generation to generation. If I just sat here and told you that the Beast of the Woods could save us all, you wouldn’t even still be here.” She explained, “It might be the information that people hear, but it is the story that people listen to.”

I thought about that for a moment. She wasn’t wrong. But I still had no reason to believe her story.

Before I could say anything, Solace threw her hands up in the air. “You still don’t believe me!” She took in a deep breath and looked down at her hands for a moment before turning her gaze back to me. “Ben, whether you believe me or not does not make this story false.”

I nodded. “And you believing it is real doesn’t make it true,” I said simply.

Solace stared at me in

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