Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith - Book Tour + Giveaway

The Urban Boys Series, Book 1

Young Adult Action-Adventure, Young Adult Thriller, Urban Fantasy, Mystery/ Thriller

Date Published: 9-15-2021

Publisher: Two Petals Publishing

 

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory superpowers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, will the boys be able to defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late?

Excerpt

 

Prologue
AN ALLURING MIDNIGHT seeped through the  preserve, where huge, wavy leaves danced  beneath the moonlight. The setting was suited for a late night encounter between two friends. But  almost immediately, their conversation went awry. “Everything’s alright, I guess.” Ross Dawson weighed his words. His eyes roamed away from his friend. “But  you’ve changed.”
An imposing Joaquin Grayson grabbed Ross’s arm,  squeezing it to the point of pain. “You don’t think I’m  capable of leading us in the right direction, do you? We  can’t stay here going nowhere. I chose you to go with  me. We need to stick together!”
His long nails dug into Ross’s skin, the piercing, half moon impressions nearly bursting through. His flaming hand absorbed Ross’s fear, the constricted flow of blood  beating against his palm. Ross bore the numbness of his arm. “Look at you. It’s  like I don’t even know you anymore!” “We’ve been doing fine for almost a year.” A blush wine color flooded Joaquin’s cheeks. “Why do you want  to cut out now?”
For the first time, Ross trusted himself to speak up, to  question the mounting dissension clouding their  friendship. “Man! Why do you need so much power?”
He remembered when a youthful adventure had first  brought them to these forbidden woods. A place with tales of strange happenings, mysterious noises, and  unsolved disappearances… or so it was said.
During that youthful adventure, they’d all changed.  Then, he’d changed. And somehow, the misunderstood,  glowing energy that had dripped from the huge leaves  awakened a solo ambition fueled by wrought emotions.
Regardless, the two friends stood firm in the dark  night.
Joaquin breathed deeply. As a result of Ross’s questions, and while wondering what would happen to  Ross’s gift, he set his intention. He let go of Ross’s arm  and ran his fingers through his long, thick hair. 
He stilled his lean, muscular frame, restraining the rising tension in his body, hiding any indication of his  next move. Still clutching his hair, Joaquin closed his  eyes, listening for Ross’s movements. He knew he would  not be able to turn back. It’s on me. I’m the only one who  can build a new way of life.
And in the absence of even a hint of an exchange,  Joaquin spun around and lunged at Ross. He grabbed  him by the throat, knocking him down.
With brittle leaves and debris thrust upward, the two  were enveloped in a dark, hazy hell as they engaged in a  violent struggle for what seemed like an eternity.  Ross flared up. “Get the hell off of me!”
Joaquin persisted. “What are you going to do, Ross?  Where are you going to go?”
Ross scrambled to his feet, fighting back with a blow to Joaquin’s head, followed by several body punches.  Joaquin stumbled and fell, giving Ross those precious few seconds required for his escape.
Fueled by a rush of pulsating adrenaline, Ross ran  frantically, stretching his quivering legs. His rich brown  skin tightened as he pounded through the forest. He  tried to ignore his thunderous heartbeat while scanning the pathways, searching for possible escape routes.
With his baseball cap lost to the wind, his short, curly  hair had exposed to the open air. Ross grasped the  moment, one littered with deep panic and a singular  appreciation for survival.
This turn of events stemmed from countless episodes  in which Joaquin, only nineteen yet extremely  demanding, had tried to control those around him.
The violent exchange was the smoky glow at the end  of a dark tunnel, and they had ventured across the  breaking point inside this lush landscape.
At the same moment, on the other side of the  preserve, Della Sato and Juson Yamada examined the  stars on this warm summer night. Although disturbing  tales had contributed to the mystery of the forest for generations, it offered privacy unavailable in their everyday lives.
Juson stood beneath trees adorned with apple-green  moss. “I know we’re not supposed to be in here, but look  at this place.”
“I heard people got lost in here and they never came  out,” Della said, pulling back. “Do you think that’s true?”  “No way,” Juson convinced himself, unsure of the  validity of the tale. “If someone gets hungry enough,  they’ll find their way out.”
“Our neighbor said there were weird noises coming  out of here one night,” Della recalled, as she clutched her  purse.
“That’s not true. It looks safe in here.” Juson took her  by the hand. “Maybe their TV was up too loud. C’mon.” Della grasped Juson’s bicep as she began to move her  feet. Tiny lights greeted the couple. They set foot in the  forest, walking and talking, looking for the perfect place  to nestle. It was quiet, peaceful, and visually unlike what  they had imagined.
With his feet tearing across the forest floor, Ross’s vision blurred, and he became lost in the darkness.  Surrounded by a blackness offering no hope, layers of  greenery swallowed him, slowing him down. But when  the sharpness returned, a kaleidoscope of hues filled his  eyes, and he tore through the brush.
Joaquin’s labored breathing grew louder with each  passing moment. He pressed his hands into the earth,  feeling for the warmth of Ross’s steps. He lifted his hands  into the air, distinguishing wind patterns offering clues  as to Ross’s direction, validated by swaying leaves in the  trees. Powerful nerve receptors in his fingertips quivered  with the weight of his desires.
Forging ahead, he caught up with Ross.
He slammed Ross to the ground, wrapping his arm  tightly around his neck. Joaquin’s long hair whipped and  swung, practically covering them both, stinging Ross’s sensitive eyes.
Ross struggled against Joaquin’s grip but was unable  to break free. He finally managed to drive an elbow into  Joaquin’s ribs.
Joaquin gasped for air, loosening his hold long enough  for Ross to wrench away and stagger to his feet. They  exchanged a flurry of punches, jabs, and kicks, setting  the bruising process in motion.
Despite fatigue setting in, Ross found the strength to circle behind Joaquin. He landed a ferocious blow to  Joaquin’s back, knocking him down yet again.
Catching his breath, Ross resumed his search for a  way out of the preserve. His eyes cut across the landscape sharply.
But Joaquin took only moments to compose himself,  his face returning to its expressionless state. His pursuit  of Ross had resumed, and with furious determination.
Beneath the glow of the moonlight, the appeal of the  curvaceous foliage mesmerized Della and Juson.  Resting among fallen leaves deeper inside the  preserve, Juson looked into Della’s almond eyes and  stroked her hair. “We’ll be married someday. It’s in the  cards, you know. I really love you.”
Della smiled softly. “I love you, too.”
“You’re smart, beautiful… creative.” Juson caressed Della’s slender waist. “I’m pretty sure all the guys are  jealous of me right about now.”
Della brushed Juson’s face with her fingers. “Well,  look who’s talking… the handsome prince.” “We could make a nice home here and raise some  kids.” Juson tried to maintain a serious expression.
“We’ll have one to wash dishes and one to clean the  house.”
“Oh, really?” Della wrapped her leg around Juson.  “Well, that means you’ll be mowing the yard, mister.” His solid, athletic frame meshed with her delicate  figure. Hidden behind a massive leaf, their passion  spilled over. They drew in close and kissed with animated  fervor, but the sickening sounds of a brawl interrupted. “What the heck was that?” Juson whispered.  Trying to determine the direction of the commotion,  he pressed his hand over Della’s mouth. The look in his eyes signaled the need for silence. They peeked out briefly and saw the brutal fight.
Della began to shake. Shocked at the sight, she looked  for an exit in the thick brush. Sensing she might dart  away, Juson held her close.
As the fight continued, Joaquin landed multiple blows  on Ross’s head and took a few in return. He charged  forward, pushing Ross into a tree where a low,  protruding branch punctured his torso.
“Aargh!” Ross grasped the wound, screaming. His torn shirt absorbed the blood spilling out of the gash. Branches cracked and fell around them, one whipping  the leaf covering Della and Juson, but it quickly snapped  back into place.
Ross stumbled over a branch and fell, landing just  inches from Della and Juson, his body pressing against the leaf sheltering the two.
Fear silenced Della’s panicked desire to cry out, as  Juson protected her with his body. Joaquin pounced on Ross, striking him in the face. He wrapped his hands tightly around Ross’s neck, pressing  his full weight into the evil act.
Ross’s contorted face began to relax.
Saliva dripped from Joaquin’s mouth as he squeezed  tighter.
Ross’s legs stopped twitching.
Joaquin waited for the end to arrive. The forest fell  silent apart from his strained breathing.
It was over.
Joaquin collapsed beside the body.
Ross’s empty, wide-open eyes expressed the sheer  horror of his fate.
Exhausted, Joaquin stayed there for a few minutes  while the forest absorbed the intentional, malicious act.  Pained moans escaped him as he stood rubbing his eyes, which were suddenly burning.
Unable to see clearly, he stumbled out of the forest, going anywhere the night would take him. His eyes  burned a furious, deep red. He would remain in an  agonized condition for three long days.
Terrified, Della and Juson guessed at what had just happened. Afraid to move, they had no choice but to  show more patience than they had thought possible in  their lifetimes. The scared couple clung to each other,  wondering what new horror awaited them.
The minutes seemed like hours, but they remained  still, even as a bright light swept through the preserve.  The light was sharp, electric against the blanket of  darkness. It brought with it a clicking noise, which drove  its way into their ears with a musical rhythm.
As the light zoomed in closer to Ross, it pounced  against the leaf covering the two, then went dark as the  clicks faded.
As the night progressed, Della and Juson found the  courage to make their move. In disbelief, they ran home,  holding a frightening secret in their hearts. A secret of  murder, committed under a striking, glowing moonlight  on the most fateful night of their young lives.

 

About the Author

K.N. Smith, winner of the "Best of" in the category of "Outstanding Young Adult Novel" at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. Her lyrical flair sweeps across pages that twist and grind through action-adventure and urban fantasy in edge-of-your-seat narratives. K.N. has over twenty-five years' experience in communications and creative design as an award-winning consultant. She inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits. Visit K.N. Smith at www.knsmith.com.

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