Wednesday, November 27, 2019

THE FINAL DARKNESS – PART ONE PREVIEW


I know it seems to be taking forever for this last book in the series to get published, but I am waiting for some comments from my beta readers before I put it into your hands. As a Thanksgiving treat, I have decided to give you a portion of Part One from the novel.

 

THE VALLEY
-101 Hours 11 Minutes



DIANE


The rays from the feeble sun trying to pierce the thick gray cloud cover are the only indication dawn has broken. As I look out at the valley floor and the surrounding mountains, I see only a fine white ash broken by an occasional boulder. The residue of the horde of ‘Them’ and their human allies came at me like a flood. None of these enemies of the Light are left anywhere within a thousand-mile radius of me.
‘They’ knew who and what I am and still ‘They’ chose to attack. I should say, IT chose to attack. Perhaps IT believes, since IT is fully in this world, ITS tools have the strength, or His warriors have been weakened? I find it hard to believe IT is not far beyond wishful thinking.
While IT has broken through in many places, ITS two main thrusts are in the Atacama desert in northern Chile and deep within the depths of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Those two places, lacking in all life now, are the weakest points of entry onto our plane.
The Lord’s wrath has killed everything that once lived in the sea and heat from the radiant energy coming through the cloud cover has ensured nothing lives in any desert. What mankind once thought would bring a new ice age, has done quite the opposite. Few realized with solar energy beating against a thick black covering over the Earth, the energy had to go somewhere. Perhaps if the clouds had been white, it would have been reflected back into space, but the dark gray dust was, instead, a perfect conductor for the force. All the energy converted into heat and radiated onto this poor planet. The loss of life is staggering. Ideal conditions for IT to reenter our world and take up where it left off so long ago.
Before I join the others, there is something important I must do. While it would be a simple matter for me to simply appear wherever I need to, as the laws of physics for this level of existence don’t necessarily apply to my kind, the time is not yet for me to reveal myself to certain individuals. There are still choices to be made.
Time to fashion a pack and a staff from the essence of myself and begin the long walk out of the valley.



THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD
-97 Hours 4 Minutes

JACOB

I’m cold. I know that sounds odd considering the intense heat of the desert below us, but for some reason this high up, there is a cold wind. I’m not a meteorologist, and I have no explanation for it; I know the others feel it too. Eli has suggested we each start a fire as we are spread out across this range called Jebel Musa. It’s funny, I always thought the mountain on which Moses received his instructions from God was a single peak stuck in the middle of the Sinai desert. I’m sure the Lord has His reasons for not giving anyone the exact location. As for the fires, I don’t see what harm it can do? It isn’t as though we are trying to hide from our enemies.
This place should be incredibly defensible. The only total overland route is through Israel in the North. Every other access forces our enemy to cross some body of water. It is possible ‘They’ will use boats but that will take time. I think ‘They’ will try to attack on foot much like ‘They’ did at our valley. Still, ‘They’ aren’t the main enemy we have to think about.
IT isn’t going to be slowed by any type of terrain. While we are all aware of the main points of breakthrough, there are hundreds or thousands of smaller ones, many in the very desert this mountain resides. In fact, I think we’re all a little surprised IT hasn’t attacked us directly already.
Right now, the only other thing I feel is sad. The colors of our world have faded. The gold-that-surrounds-me is washed out, pale in comparison to what it once was. Where once the very air was alive with vibrant blues and greens, now there is nothing, or traces of black and gray. My companions stand out like brilliant beacons of gold and blue against a dark, cold background.
We, all of mankind, once thought we would do this to ourselves. How little we understood the world and its true nature. Yet, all we had to do was read; it’s been in front of us for almost two thousand years. The book of Revelation told us this would happen, and we ignored it or thought we could somehow prevent it or stave it off. What is it Galatians says? “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” We sowed the seeds of our own destruction by being so vain as to believe we could stop what was coming and by not seeing those we put in power were working against us.
I have doubts too. My abilities have always depended on being able to manipulate the life-forces of our world. Those forces are so diminished I can’t help but worry I might not be much use in the fight ahead of us. That isn’t to say life no longer exists; such a case wouldn’t serve ITS purposes at all. IT feeds on fear and hopelessness. No, the problem I face is, where once our planet overflowed with living things, from microbes to whales, numbers too vast for me to comprehend, now all life combined is a few hundred thousand, a million at most.
The oceans, lakes, rivers and all other bodies of water are dead. The land masses are primarily sterile deserts. What little plant life remains are lichens and molds. The heat and poison water killed off most animal life long before they could starve to death. Those few humans that have survived are living on canned and dried goods, some have even turned to less civilized means.
Once before I was able to call upon life from beyond our own planet to help, but I’m not sure I will be able to do such again. The dust clouds that cover us are so thick I doubt anything will be able to safely pass through.


TA’AM


“Brother, are you there?”
“Hello, sister, where are you? Your thoughts seem to be unordered.”
Again, with the insults!
“My thoughts are as ordered as yours, Protector!”
“Yes, little one, but I have become as mad as you.”
“Are you still with the family of the one called Jacob, or have you managed to find others of the People?”
“Both. I have as many of the People as I could find and have gathered them here with these humans. They are close, but outside as both our types find the other annoying.”
“I am far from you. Much further away than I have ever been and still in the same time.”
“What do you wish me to do with this data?”
I have been associating with my own species too long and have too long been away from my People. I grind my teeth a little that my oversized brother really doesn’t care where I am since we can communicate clearly with each other. Still…
“It may become necessary for you to send some of the People here to help in the battle ahead.”
“Or, you have taken up the habit of conveying emotion-laden information with no real purpose and are embarrassed to say so.”
INFURIATING! Ignore him, ignore him, ignore him.
“I am sending you as clear a picture of this place as I can. Perhaps it will be sufficient. If not, let me know and I will open a PATHWAY when the time comes.”
“Continually stating the obvious is becoming tedious. Contact me when it becomes necessary.”
I love you, too!
Why do the others complain of the cold? The forest where I was raised would get much colder than this. That place is gone now, likely nothing more than another burned-out patch of ground or sand. I miss the color green. Is there any green left in the world?
I can smell/taste the fear, frustration, and confusion from the others. All except the old man, Eli. He is anxious, almost as if he is anticipating the coming battle. The silent woman, Laya, fears what is coming. Her dog hasn’t left her side since I’ve met them. Jacob is frustrated by something I can’t define. The only thing I am getting from the two girls, the ones who look like twins but say they aren’t, is confusion. It’s as if they don’t know where they are or what is real from second to second.
My own emotions range from anger to worry. I want a chance to finally take on IT, the monster that has caused so much pain in my life. I fear we few are not going to be anywhere near enough to make a difference. I know the stories from the first time IT was in our world, and I have no doubt IT has learned from the experience.
The ‘twins’ told us IT has made numerous breakthroughs. While the bulk of IT is still some distance from us, part of IT is much closer. I think we can expect an attack at any time. How and in what form the assault will be is a question none of us can answer.
IT isn’t an animal driven by primal urges. IT is a thinking being, massively larger and older than any of us can begin to imagine. I know the ‘twins’ have faced IT in recent times, but I have seen IT during ITS first incursion into our world. I’ve tried to convey the fear and depression IT brings out in people, but until you’ve experienced it, I doubt there is any way to fully understand.
What I don’t doubt is IT has a plan, and we will be the focus of at least one facet of that plan. IT doesn’t only want us dead; IT wants us to feel the full effect of ITs power before we die, IT wants to consume that which makes us unique individuals.
While the Earth is in pretty bad shape now, IT will eventually leave it utterly sterile. IT will use the few living inhabitants left for a time, but when these pass the way of all flesh, there will be nothing alive left anywhere on our sphere. The problem we have right now is, knowing this feeds our feelings of terror and despair and that makes IT stronger.
I can focus on my anger, the rage I feel toward IT for the murder of my family and the People. That is more than enough to keep the other emotions out. But what about the others?
I just wish there were a little bit of green left, I miss the color green.

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I hope you enjoyed this small taste of what is coming. Have a great  Thanksgiving!

KM



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