Free Hell Released (Hell Happened Book 3) by Terry Stenzelbarton, Jordan Stenzelbarton Page B

experienced.
    The wind chimes moved lightly in the soft wind, sounding like a far distant ringing from heaven. CJ thought the sound might be the gates of heaven opening up just for him.
    CJ walked over to the chimes and watched them move in the wind. He stared at them and wondered why such beauty should only be heard by him. He wished others could hear the clear tones of music and their gentle harmony with the wind. The chimes fascinated him and for minutes or hours, he didn’t know which, the music entranced CJ.
    Then the wind died and no touching of the chimes by CJ could induce the music he wanted to hear. CJ fell to his knees and cried. He pounded on the banister along the front of the house and demanded that someone cause the wind to blow so he could hear the music again.
    No one answered.
    He stumbled back over to the picnic table. He was laughing heartily. Something about the weeds in the lawn was hilarious to him. The way they didn’t move and how tall they were compared to the grass they were choking out.
    He sat down at the table and lit up the last pre-rolled joint. He took three long hits from it before it got too hot for him to hold. He burned his forefinger by refusing to drop the last bit of it. It hurt but he laughed until he dropped it.
    A pang in his stomach told him he was hungry. Jack kept snack food in his shop so CJ opened the door. It was near dark inside, but the windows high on the walls let in enough light for CJ to see. Jack’s office in the shop was filled with blueprints and paperwork. Behind the desk was a small bookcase where CJ knew Jack kept his stash of cookies and snack foods.
    He tore open the first bag of chips, laughing uproariously when they flew all over the place. He grabbed a second bag and opened them and ate them by the handful. There were a dozen or so fudge brownies which CJ ate next. He was thirsty and it took him several minutes to find the water cooler. He tipped his head and lifted the handle, letting the cool water drain into his mouth.
    It tasted wonderful and he drank until he was full.
    The silence inside the hollow emptiness began to bother CJ. His mind started making up noises and CJ ran from the building. He had to get outside so his laughing could be heard by the world. Even if there was no one left but himself, CJ believed the world needed to hear him laugh at all the hell that had befallen him.
    Back in the yard, CJ spread his arms. Closed his eyes and tilted his head skyward. The warmth of the sun warmed his face and dried the water that had dripped onto his pajama top.
    CJ started to spin, allowing the sun to fall on his face, then move left to right across his closed eyes. He spun as fast as he could until he started feeling too dizzy to stand.
    He knew at that moment with perfect clarity that he was high. His mind was being affected by the weed and he didn’t care. Since the first person who had died in his family, CJ hadn’t felt this released from the stress. He felt free and he didn’t want to lose the feeling. He wanted to feel this euphoria forever and live right here on his friend’s lawn.
    The ground beneath his feet shook. CJ recognized it as a small tremor like the dozens he’d felt before here in California.
    The ground shook for a few seconds then stopped and CJ laughed out loud. Screaming at the top of his lungs he shouted to the heavens while lying on the ground. “Is that all you got?” he belted out.
    The ground shook again, this time stronger and longer.
    “That was barely a four point oh, you sissy bastard!” he hollered up and then laughed again. “I shake more when I’m banging some chick.”
    The ground lurched.
    CJ was thrown by the strength to the movement.
    The ground heaved and tossed CJ. The sound CJ hadn’t noticed before was deafening. It sounded like the effects movie producers used for big avalanches. The ground shaking knocked the house from its foundation and the plant building wobbled and creaked.
    CJ watched the