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The Bellkeeper's Daughter (A Ghost Story of Oscarville)/The Apprentice Witness (A Black Wall Street Story.)
by Makadonia Studios
Two stories. Two communities. One unbreakable truth.
In The Bell Keeper's Daughter, Maya discovers a drowned town beneath Lake Lanier and must confront the vengeful ghost of a girl whose family was erased. In The Apprentice's Witness, Michael bears witness to the rise and fall of Black Wall Street—and buries the truth so it can never be forgotten. Based on true history, this collection is a powerful exploration of racial injustice, resilience, and the enduring power of memory.
"They came with fire and hate. They came to erase us. But we are still here. And the truth will not stay buried."
Two unforgettable stories. Two communities destroyed. One legacy that refuses to die.
Makadonia Short Stories Vol. 1 brings together two powerful novellas based on true events in American history—haunting tales of racial violence, ghostly justice, and the resilience of those who refused to be forgotten.
In The Bell Keeper's Daughter:
Maya Williams came to Lake Lanier for a summer getaway, unaware that beneath the sparkling water lies the drowned town of Oscarville—a once-thriving Black community violently erased in 1912 and flooded in 1956, its graves left untouched. When Maya hears a mysterious bell ringing from the depths, she discovers she is the descendant of two ghost children who drowned in the flood, ringing their church bell for help that never came. Now, the vengeful spirit of Naomi Williams has abducted Maya's friends and demands justice. Maya must uncover a 1912 land deed that makes her the legal owner of the lake's territory—and confront a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.
In The Apprentice's Witness:
In 1905, O.W. Gurley—a man born into slavery—purchased forty acres of Tulsa land and built Greenwood, the community known as Black Wall Street. Through the eyes of Michael, Gurley's young apprentice, we watch the dream rise: over a hundred Black-owned businesses, churches, schools, and a thriving population of 9,000. Then comes May 31, 1921. A white mob descends. The police deputize the mob. The National Guard disarms Black residents. Over thirty-five square blocks are burned—homes, churches, everything. Michael hides beneath a desk, witnesses the destruction, and in his final hours, writes it all down, burying the proof in a safe, hoping that one day, someone will find it.
Decades later, a young boy digging in his Tulsa backyard uncovers that safe.
Based on the true history of Oscarville, Georgia, and the Tulsa Race Massacre, Makadonia Short Stories Vol. 1 is a gripping collection that explores themes of historical erasure, racial injustice, family legacy, and the power of bearing witness. With haunting atmospheres, unforgettable characters, and emotional depth, these stories will keep you turning pages late into the night—and make you think twice about what lies beneath the surface.
"The water remembers. The bell still rings. And the dead are not at rest."
“"I couldn't put it down. Makadonia Short Stories Vol. 1 is a page-turner that pulls you in and never lets go. The Bell Keeper's Daughter is terrifying, heartbreaking, and beautiful—a ghost story that actually matters."”
“"A gut-wrenching, powerful read. The Apprentice's Witness made me cry, made me angry, and made me grateful that someone finally told this story. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand America's history of racial violence and resilience."”
“"A chilling, emotional, and necessary read. The Bell Keeper's Daughter is the kind of story that lingers in your bones. The Apprentice's Witness is a powerful testament to resilience. Together, they form a collection that is both harrowing and hopeful. Makadonia Short Stories Vol. 1 deserves a place on every bookshelf." "Makadonia Short Stories Vol. 1 is a stunning achievement. These stories are heartbreaking and beautiful, terrifying and inspiring. They are a reminder that the past is never truly past—and that the dead will always find a way to speak." "A masterpiece. I was completely absorbed from the first page to the last. The Bell Keeper's Daughter is a ghost story like no other, and The Apprentice's Witness is a powerful, gut-wrenching testimony to resilience. This collection will stay with me for a very long time."”
One of Atlanta's Greatest Artist.
Inspired by Stan Lee to create a character and story that will come to real life.
(The Life Story of Luther Colombus Powell Sr.)
They said he would never amount to anything. They said the land wasn't for his kind. But L.C. Powell had a fire in his heart that refused to be extinguished.
Born in 1896 to a former slave, L.C. learns early that freedom is a heavy burden—one that requires strength, determination, and an unbreakable will. When his mother dies, seven-year-old L.C. becomes the man of the house, raising his sisters alone while dreaming of something greater: land of his own. Something that fire couldn't burn down.
Through poverty, racism, and relentless hardship, L.C. builds a kingdom from the red clay of Temple, Georgia. He finds love in Annie Mae Mitchell, a woman whose faith matches his fire. Together, they raise eleven children and build a farm that becomes the heart of their community.
But the greatest legacy isn't always the one you build—sometimes it's the one you leave behind.
When L.C.'s grandson James promises his dying grandmother he'll return to settle the farm, he has no idea what awaits him. Betrayal, family secrets, and a battle for inheritance threaten to tear apart everything L.C. built.
In the soil's memory, the promise lives on.
An epic family saga for readers who loved "The Color Purple" and "Roots."
"One king can live in the castle. But the soil remembers the one who healed it."
(THE JAMES SUMLIN STORY)
ONE KING CAN LIVE IN THE CASTLE. BUT THE SOIL REMEMBERS THE ONE WHO HEALS IT.
In 1948, three-year-old James Sumlin arrived at his grandparents' Georgia farm with nothing but the clothes on his back and a father's gift for reason. Raised on the red clay of Temple, he learned two things: how to survive, and how to keep a promise.
At sixteen, James walked away from the farm and into the dangerous streets of Atlanta, where he became Foots—a legend in the underground world of gambling and hustle. He built an empire. He lost it all. He loved, lost, and loved again. But the promise his grandmother made him swear—to return, to stay, to build something that would last—never left him.
After losing his wife, his city empire, and nearly his soul, James returns to Temple to rebuild from the soil. He becomes the Soil King—a man who understands that the only legacy worth leaving is the one rooted in family, community, and the covenant between the land and its people.
As his son Terrance comes of age and ventures into the world—only to return broken by loss—James must teach him the game he spent a lifetime learning. The unwritten book of survival. The mathematics of chance. The art of the long game.
When James passes, Terrance inherits more than the deed to the Center, the Quilt his great-grandmother stitched, and a letter his father never had the words to write. He inherits the promise: to remember where he came from, to honor those who came before, and to ensure that the legacy endures for generations.
"One king can live in the castle. But the soil remembers the one who healed it. And the one who remembers is the one who survives."
(The Education of the Mack)
In 1970s Chicago, a hungry young man named Terone is taken under the wing of the legendary pimp Sweet James Jones, who teaches him the brutal philosophy of the game—but when a rival threatens everything he's built, Terone must choose between becoming a monster or finding his way out of the golden cage.
(Book: The Freeman Brothers)
Two brothers. One cabin. Four plantations. A bear.
In the slave-holding South, two free-born brothers—one dark, one pale—run a secret sanctuary called the Midnight Hotel. By day they fix broken things. By night they shelter the broken. And a bear guards the caves.
(A Black Wall Street Story)
In The Apprentice's Witness:
In 1905, O.W. Gurley—a man born into slavery—purchased forty acres of Tulsa land and built Greenwood, the community known as Black Wall Street. Through the eyes of Michael, Gurley's young apprentice, we watch the dream rise: over a hundred Black-owned businesses, churches, schools, and a thriving population of 9,000. Then comes May 31, 1921. A white mob descends. The police deputize the mob. The National Guard disarms Black residents. Over thirty-five square blocks are burned—homes, churches, everything. Michael hides beneath a desk, witnesses the destruction, and in his final hours, writes it all down, burying the proof in a safe, hoping that one day, someone will find it.
Decades later, a young boy digging in his Tulsa backyard uncovers that safe.