Free The Suicide Forest (The River Book 5) by Michael Richan

said, still walking round the room behind Steven, looking at objects. “An
ethical foundation is important. I want those people to get their books back
without feeling as through we’ve pawed through them. They should feel that their
family secrets are safe.”
    Steven turned to leave the room. “Bathroom break – I’ll be
back in a minute,” he said as he walked to the door and down the hallway to the
bathroom located by the kitchen.
    When he returned, Roy was holding a planchette similar to the
one Judith had used. “I think I’ve found it,” Roy said. “It’s not exactly the
same, but it’s close.” He handed it to Steven.
    Steven examined the planchette. This one was wider than
Judith’s, and heavier. The glass inside the center circle was darker. There
were markings around the opening that were strange. Steven entered the River
and held the glass over his hand. The double diamond marking reappeared, but
this time it was more vivid. Steven felt a fear rising in his stomach, as
though he was looking at something truly horrible. He wanted to keep examining
himself with the glass, but the feeling overpowered him and he lowered it.
    “What’s wrong?” Roy asked.
    “Take a look,” Steven said. “Tell me what you see.”
    Roy took the planchette back from Steven and placed it over
Steven’s left hand. He entered the River and looked through the glass.
    “Well I’ll be,” Roy said. “No wonder you wanted to know more
about it.” Roy pulled the glass back and examined more of Steven. “Seems to be
just on the hands, but you should check yourself out and see if there’s more
under your clothes.”
    Roy turned the glass on himself, looking at the tops of his
hands and the parts of his body that weren’t clothed. “Nothing,” he said. “Only
you.”
    “How did you feel,” Steven asked Roy, “when you saw the
markings on my hands?”
    “What do you mean?” Roy asked.
    “Look at them again,” Steven said, holding up his hand. Roy
held the planchette over Steven’s hand and looked through the glass again.
    “What am I looking for?” Roy asked.
    “Not what you’re looking for, how you feel,” Steven said.
    “I don’t feel anything,” Roy said.
    “No sense of dread?” Steven asked.
    “No,” Roy said. “Why? Is that what you felt?”
    “Not when I looked through Judith’s glass,” Steven said.
“Only with this one.”
    “Interesting,” Roy said. “This glass might be different, able
to convey a sense of the reaction evil creatures get when they see your mark.”
    “But you don’t feel it,” Steven said. “Only me. Why? I’m
evil?”
    “Don’t be stupid,” Roy said. “Of course you’re not evil.”
    “They why can I feel it, and you can’t?” Steven asked.
    “I don’t know,” Roy said. “Maybe because you’re marked, and
the glass doesn’t differentiate between evil and marked. We don’t know for
sure. But I know you’re not evil.”
    “How do these markings occur, exactly?” Steven asked. “Were
they inherited?”
    “As far as I know, none of my ancestors had markings,” Roy
said.
    “Mom’s side of the family maybe?” Steven asked.
    “It would have to be latent!” Roy said. “Your mother hated
the gift, insisted I never use it around her.”
    “Maybe she hated it in the way James Unser hated it,” Steven
said. “Because she was familiar with it.”
    “Don’t know,” Roy said. “We never talked about it.”
    “Do you think she knew about these markings?” Steven asked.
    “I doubt it,” Roy said. “With her, it was always Jesus,
Jesus, Jesus.”
    “Maybe that’s why all the churching,” Steven said. “She knew
I was marked.”
    “Pure speculation,” Roy said.
    “I could try to contact her,” Steven said.
    Roy dropped his head and sighed. “Please, don’t,” he said.
    “Why not?” Steven asked.
    “Because I’m asking you not to,” Roy said. “You want me to
respect the relationship with your son by not talking to him about