P.W. Stone and the Missing Kingdoms

Chapter 1

THE GATE

Sometimes, the stars and planets do align.

Before the sun set in mid-January 2017, our stone white 2012 Jeep Cherokee left the busy Oregon interstate, cruised through Salem's quiet suburbs of Willamette Valley and into wine country. Ever since we had crossed the California-Oregon state line, I gazed tirelessly at the rolling hills and clusters of trees, craving the first sight of Peaceful Falls Manor. A fresh start awaited me in the garden paradise of our ancestors.

As Mom and I neared Uncle William's estate, the vehicle screeched to a stop.

She stared out the window.

"You alright?" I asked. "Mom. Are you okay?"

"How could somebody do something like this?" She sighed. "Defile Chimikiti."

A lump rose in my throat at what had become of the dense perimeter outlining my uncle's land. When the mist-covered window lowered, a chilling, earthy carnage filled my nostrils.

Layers of thick clouds snaked across the mangled battlefield, carrying an odor of overturned dirt, severed roots, and snapped limbs oozing sap.

"It makes you wonder what we've missed," she said.

Massive chunks of the forest had vanished—hundreds of bulldozed trees, ripped from the earth, lay broken in piles.

My heart ached for the dying woods once so full of life. The sacred meeting place of the ancient tribes sat in ruins.

Mom craned her neck and peered out my window. "Oh, Penelope, someone is after your inheritance. Whatever are we going to do to stop this?"

After a moment, the blood drained from Mom's face. She leaned back against the seat, her eyes glazed. "I want to throw up."

A bright-colored billboard down the road gleamed through the fog and advertised what my mom and Uncle William dreaded for years. "Chimikiti Casino coming soon near you. The paradise where families come to play."

She placed her hand over her chest and muttered words I didn't understand. "No wonder my brother is fighting for his life."

We stayed on the narrow road leading to the manor. The silver-gray mist that followed us all day from San Francisco clung to the trees surrounding my uncle's estate.

Once we approached the entrance, Mom lowered her window and pushed the entry call button. We waited. No answer.

After driving more than twelve hours, we'd made it to our new home, but we sat on the wrong side of the fence.

She punched the button again and again. "Please, please pick up." Nothing.

I squirmed in my seat. "They're expecting us, right?"

Mom stared ahead. "Well...not exactly."

A wave of heat rushed up my neck and into my cheeks. "What do you mean, Mother?"

"I have to talk to my brother face to face."

"But Mom, we packed everything we own and moved out of our house."

"You and I have every right to be here. And just as much as my brother and his family. Grandpap said it in his will."

The sky dimmed, and the forest shadows grew. My heart raced as my eyes darted toward the woods on both sides. A solid vapor eerily seeped through the trees. I usually wouldn't have been so freaked, but nightfall closed in.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and lowered the window. "Are there any lights out here?" I tried to survey the area, but the thick mist made it impossible.

Mom tapped her smartwatch. "I don't remember any, just trees."