Post by starkindler201 on Apr 26, 2006 10:23:07 GMT -5
I posted the intro on here a while ago, but at that time I had no clue where I was going with this book. I now have all 3 books outlined and alot of writing done on the first. Let me know what you think! Also... I apologize in advance for the formatting errors. It took out my "thought italices" so if there is a confusing line by itself it is meant to be a thought. Ciao!
The Dreamer Trilogy:
Echoes of Eternity
By
Nathan Poorbaugh
Intro:
In a dream a minute can seem like hours, an hour like days, and days... well... lets just say you will begin to blur the line between the 2 realities you are now faced with. When a man dreams he is trapped within the prison of his own mind; a slave to whatever, or
whoever, drives him. How can you escape from yourself? How can you fight when the enemy is your own mind? How will you know what is real? I was faced with all these questions one cool October day... and the answers would forever change my life. My name is James Mitchell... and this is how it began.
Prologue:
He was running, an irrational fear in an unseen attacker driving his path. It did not matter where he ran, nothing mattered here, except escape. Through the blinding panic shrouding his eyes he could scarcely discern what surrounded him. It fluctuated and shimmered like the morning sun on an oily sea. One moment appearing farther than anyone could run, the next stealing his very breath. He could not see his pursuer… he never could. He just knew, without reason, that it was there; following him, taunting him… hunting him. Wherever the wanderer went it was there, and wasn’t there. The colors and shapes surrounding him shifted into images familiar and foreign, though in this state it was hard to discern the difference. Shadows began to close in around the wanderer, they always did… didn’t they? No… the shadows were a blinding light greater than a thousand stars burning him to his core, threatening to engulf him with their hateful glare. As they drew closer the shadows became as black as the wanderer’s own darkest desire. Slowly they merged around him, closed in… and swallowed him whole.
********************************************************************
He awoke with a start, eyes frantically searching his surroundings. After 3 sweeps of the room he realized that there were no supernatural phantoms or shimmering pools of living liquid. He was home, in his bed, alone. Then, just as he finally released the breath he had held since he awoke, he saw a shadow begin to move through the room. It fluctuated in size as it came closer and closer to the dreamer. His eyes fixated on the shadow as his mind began searching for ways to escape. But the shadow blocked his only means of exit, short of a 3 story fall from a closed and locked window. Closer and closer the shadow crept, growing in size as the dreamer watched, and waited. Then, just as it seemed that it was over for the dreamer, the shadow made a strange but familiar noise. The shadow then leapt up on his bed, curled up at his feet, and began to purr. “Zippo…” the dreamer said as he picked up the cat and lovingly stroked it’s fur. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” Reason began to form once more in the dreamer’s mind as the near fatal fright from a household feline began to fade. This was not his dream world… he was not trapped or being hunted by any otherworldly phantasms or lights that became darkness. The entire affair seemed completely ludicrous to any mind short of a rubber room. But it seemed so real… ah well. He had to focus on this world now. Not some foreign figment of a troubled mind.
*******************************************************************
The man walked deliberately, as if every step carried him towards his goal rather than the mundane meeting he now went to attend. What fools they were, actually allowing these ignorant bastards to remain alive. But he knew better, he knew what they had done to his people, his family. He knew what they were capable of. Behind those smiling faces and utopian proverbs lay something deeper, a snake, waiting and willing to strike at any moment wherever it is given slightest cause. Those who were not venomous serpents were nothing more than puppets, unable to stand on their own 2 feet without strings of “faith” holding them up. They clung to it and hid behind it. They were a plague… a vermin that like any other disease carrying rodent must be quickly and firmly crushed under one’s heel. The thought once more began to rise in the man’s head… and he smiled. Soon enough… they all would know, and there is nothing the fools, vermin or their idiot “God” could do to save them now.
Chapter One:
2 PM. A Denver Cafe.
The dreamer sat and stared out the diner window absentmindedly, his mind hundreds of miles away. Normally he wasn’t the daydreaming type but his recent experiences caused him to wonder what it was he really saw. Is that an oak tree he is looking at outside his window, or is it something deeper. Could there be something different, something more to this world than what we could see, touch or hear? Or could it be that the dreamer was merely losing what was left of his already fragile mind?
This is insane. I must be losing my mind.
This is a world governed by reason and science, not vague intuition or superstition.
How could I change my entire world, for these.... dreams?
He shook his head and his mind began to drift as his eyes landed on an object flying closer and closer to him. For a moment he stiffened, but soon the soft shape of a dove began to form. He watched as the bird came closer and landed on the windowsill and began to peck at little pieces of bread.
This is real. It can be touched, heard and seen.
“James”.
His eyes bolted to the bird.
Did that bird just... talk to me?
I MUST be losing it.
What's next, Zippo reciting Shakespearian sonnets?
“James?”
No… I definitely heard it this time.
But what about…
“James!”. His eyes moved to the person sitting opposite him. He must have been so deep in thought he forgotten all about Sarah. “Hello? Anyone home?” Sarah asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “There must be something special outside that window to draw your attention like that. What’s out there?”. The dreamer slowly looked towards her and answered, “I don’t know."
I just don't know.
***************************************************************************************************************************
It was dark, the sun blotted out by a rising mist that grew ever closer. The only sound filling the air a distant and incessant clicking. The man’s first instinct was to turn and run, but he had been here before. He knew what to expect, but that did not calm his rising fear.
I have to see the Seer again, without him we are lost.
It had been 3 years since he had first ventured into this shadow world. His first experience had left him so shaken that he had nearly lost his mind. But throughout the years he had learned to keep his sanity in this place… but the fear was a constant. The mist was now close enough to touch if he so desired. He braced himself for what he knew would happen to him once the mist took him, and he shuddered.
Savor the fear, relish it, use it.
Slowly and ever so gently the mist touched his skin. The feeling at first was cool and actually quite pleasant, but soon the pain came. A burning, blinding pain that ravaged him wherever the mist touched him. The skin the mist touched blistered and began to flake away. Deliberately, and with more than a little effort, the man stepped fully into the mist. He opened his mouth as his face contorted in a silent scream, he wasn’t ready for this… he never was. The darkness surrounding him was complete, as if the light within withered and died as the man soon would. He would have to speak quickly if he would survive this time. “SEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!” he half-wailed in the voice of one long dead, “gahh.... come to me!”. Then, before his face, two red eyes began to shine, and a low guttural laugh began to reverberate through the mist. It shook the man and began to strip away the small thread of sanity he still held.
Why am I here!?!? What can this possibly bring to me?
Staring into those red eyes seemed like staring into the eyes of the abyss themselves. Cold and merciless.
"Hello Jack... we have some work to do."
And everything went black.
******************************************************************
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see soon enough" Sarah replied with a wink.
They had been driving for hours, or that is wrong, SHE had been driving for hours. He was just along for the ride.
Whats wrong with me... I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts!
" Something wrong baby?"
I LOVE her... don't I?
"Baby?"
But what if...
"James!"
The dreamer snapped away from his thoughts.
"You were doing it again to me! I hope it's me you've been thinking about." she said with another seductive wink.
"Of course dear... I'm sorry. I don't know has been going on with me lately, I haven't been able to focus on anything lately. Not you, not my work.... nothing."
"Well soon enough I will fix that" she said with a smile as she looked back to the road.
The dreamer looked outside the window once more, his eyes searching for some confirmation of what he had seen, all the while avoiding the eyes of the girl sitting next to him.
For some reason she didn't appeal to him anymore... maybe he was going insane.
***************************************************
An hour or so later they pulled up in front of the Ridgehorn Motel. The green paint was flaked and faded, the doors were rusted and weathered. They walked under the neon "Vacancy" sign into the office to get a room. Sarah rang the bell as she pulled him closer to her. About a minute later a greasy grizzled old man walked up to the counter.
"Yeah?" He said with more than a little irritation. "Y'all need something?"
"We'd like a room please," Sarah answered as she looked at James.
The man sniffed loudly "Fine" he tossed the key at them. "That'll be $20"
James dug into his pocket and left the money on the desk then let Sarah lead him out of the office. He walked slowly down the blackened cement sidewalk until they reached the room.
"6A, thats it baby." Sarah said as she opened the door and pulled him inside.
The interior was dark and musty, and James could not quite place the scent of it. It was a cross between mud, fertilizer, cigarette smoke and other various unknown substances. The bed linens were old and worn but Sarah didn't seem to notice as she sat down on the bed. With a wink she beckoned him to her.
"I'll make you forget about everything baby..." she said as she smiled.
The dreamer slowly made his way to the bed, and let her pull him down into a deep troubled sleep.
*******************************************************
James awoke in a cold sweat, his eyes quickly scanning the room. It had happened again.
What is wrong with me!?!? I dream of the impossible then try to find it in reality.
But it felt so real...
He looked down at Sarah sleeping soundly beside him.
This is real.
But what if...
No! Such things just don't happen!
But it seemed so real...
James... snap out of it! THIS is what is real! SARAH is real!
He slowly shook his head and looked out the window trying to calm the shaking in his right hand.
Everything seems safe enough now...
A shadow flashed behind the window.
What was that!?!?
Just a car passing by...
Without lights?
I just couldn't see them...
But what if...?
"ENOUGH!".
Sarah stirred beside him. "Whats wrong baby?"
"Just a nightmare... go back to sleep" he said as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Slowly Sarah drifted back to sleep. The sight of her sleeping both calmed and troubled the dreamer.
She sleeps so peacefully... what is wrong with me?
The dreamer sat on the bed for several more minutes before he realized this would drive him crazy. Since sleep was no longer an option for tonight he decided to try to pass the time in a less tormenting fashion. James rose out of the bed, being careful not to wake the once more sleeping Sarah. He walked over to the desk and began to search through the drawers.
Where is that paper... ah, there we go.
He pulled out a small pad of paper and a pen and sat down at the desk. He placed the pen to the paper, but no words came to him.
This is ludicrous... you are a writer man! Write!
Slowly the pen formed a word.
"'The'? Not much of a start is it..."
Just write whatever comes to mind, that normally works for you.
And the dreamer began to write. The words at first came slowly, but began to build and build. Finally the man's pen was moving at such a rate that it wasn't long before the page was full. But when we began to look at it, he noticed he had written nothing but gibberish.
Until...
Wait... whats this?
Interspersed among the nonsense were some words that stood out.
"......... running...... escape..... shadows moving..... run..... voice.... darkness... child.... come to me."
The dreamer dropped his pen with a soft thud and leaned back in his chair. Slowly he looked back at his writing and shook his head.
" What is happening to me...."
Chapter Two:
0300, Syrian Desert, Operation Angel's Hand
It was dark, the only firelight coming from the camp they would soon engage. They had staked out the terrorists for 4 hours already, waiting for most of them to fall asleep. The government had contracted their organization to exterminate these threats to the free world, these threats who now had a warhead aimed directly at Tel Aviv. Rachel rotated her neck, cracking it in a few places.
Vermin such as these need to die, they are nothing more than a plague who feed on the fear of good people.
She checked her MP4, it was ready, and so was she.
It wont be long now.
She slung the rifle over her shoulder.
Won't need this.
She picked up her sidearm and screwed on the silencer, then checked her combat knife to her side.
Cloak and dagger, we have to kill them off before they know we are here, or Tel Aviv is ash.
She took a deep breath and scanned the camp again. They were close enough to hear the conversation that the guards were having, but she did not understand the language. Her group had been chosen to take out the guards and kill anyone who got in the way of their bomb disposal unit. She reached into her pack and pulled out her night vision goggles. As quietly as possible she put the goggles in place and snapped them on.
Two.... three guards by the wall. Look like Russian AKs. dang it, those are loud. No telling how many those tents hold. Better make sure to take them out.
They were the hand of justice in this fallen world. The lone beacon of light ready to do whatever was necessary to save the world from those who would seek to destroy it. Rachel unbuckled her knife and held it in her hand.
Piece of cake.
A red light began to shine to the left of her, flashing 3 times.
Two... three. Thats the signal.
The unholstered her pistol and took aim down the sight, aiming at the head of the guard on the far left, waiting for the signal to fire.
The light flashed again, this time answered by a flare from the barrel of 3 pistols.
Three guards went down, each with a bullet through his skull.
|Then as one they advanced, Red 1 took the tents to the right, and her squad Red 2 took the tent to the left. They would meet back at the warhead. She crept swiftly to the side of the first tent, removed her knife from its buckle, and expertly cut an opening large enough for her to walk through. There were two Arabs in here, one on a bed to her right and one directly in front of her. She glided to the man to the right of her and readied her knife. In one smooth motion she grabbed his mouth and rammed the blade down through his right lung and into his diaphragm. A muted grunt was all that came out before he quietly drowned in his own blood. The soldier to her left stirred in his bed, in one smooth motion she flipped the knife in her hand into the man's skull. She walked over to the man and removed the knife, wiping it on the man's clothes. Then, pistol in her left hand and knife in her right she proceeded to the next tent. A man was standing outside of the tent looking groggy; without another thought she put a bullet through his skull. The only sound to mark his passing a muted shot. She stepped quickly and picked him up under the arms, and dragged him inside the tent. A man was sitting at the desk reading what appeared to be the Qu'ran, she stepped quietly over and stood behind him. Quick as a snake her hands went to the man's chin and the back of his head. With a twist and a snap he dropped.| (This section will be MAJORLY expanded and changed. It is a placeholder)
So far so good.
She turned to her left and walked to the tent flap, extinguishing the candle on her way. She reached the flap and carefully stuck her head outside, looking to her left and to her right.
Looks clear.
Careful and quietly she crept out of the tent. She turned to her right and froze. There was a guard standing no more than 5 feet in front of her, rifle at the ready.
dang it! Do I have time to get a shot off?
She began to raise her gun as the Arab took aim. A shot fired. Rachel watched as the side of the Arab's head exploded outward and he dropped to the ground.
Who fired!?
She looked to her left and saw Joe, a member of Red 1 coming out of a tent. She flashed him a sign to tell him she was okay. Then as one they moved forward towards the warhead.
They had walked 10 paces when the man beside her dropped to a crouch, signaling for her to do the same; within an instant she was prone.
He motioned to her front left and she saw 3 guards standing around a missile.
Thats the target.
She unstrapped her rifle and screwed on the silencer as the man beside her did the same, then she sighted down the scope.
3 guards... this should be interesting.
She lowered her gun and signaled that she would take the two to the left. The man beside her nodded. She lifted the scope to her eye as she set the gun to burst fire.
Time once more began to slow as she took aim at the second guard's skull right above the ear. Her breathing shallowed and the scope found it's mark.
Protect us.
And she fired. 2 of the 3 rounds went directly to the guard's brain dropping him instantly. Almost immediately the guard to his left dropped with a round in his chest. The remaining guard only had enough time to let out a stuttered shout before he joined his 2 friends on the ground, never again to rise.
She raised a hand to her radio and clicked it on.
"This is Red 2, position clear. I repeat, position clear. Bring up the BD unit."
Then she looked towards the man lying next to her.
"We did it."
Three hours had passed since the skirmish, dawn was starting to break. The intensity of the previous night seemed to fade as the sky turned between shades from royal blue to gold, that is, everywhere but in Rachel's head.
How could I have been so foolish!?!? I am a member of Angel's Hand and I let some untrained..... gah. How could I let him get the drop on me?
She shook her head slowly as she ran her fingers through her hair.
The camp around her was buzzing with excitement, the newer recruits regaling about their own personal accomplishments. In all there had been 3 superficial injuries for the squad, 2 self inflicted by untrained hands being given combat knives.
Rachel looked over at Alex, a new recruit now sporting a bandage around his hand. By his intensity and wild gestures it would seem he had defeated the enemy single handedly, but all he had really done is slice his palm open while making a fast attempt to pick up his fallen knife. She chuckled and shook her head.
Why must we bring in such detriments, they are more harm than good!
She shrugged it off and went back to checking her gear. In the last few hours she had field stripped and cleaned her rifle 3 times, as if one small indiscretion would end her life on her next mission. Though it could. Her hand went to her side and withdrew her combat knife.
What a mess...
The blood from the last night's skirmish had crusted onto the blade and parts of the handle. Rachel reached behind her and pulled out her canteen. She unscrewed the cap and slowly poured it over the blade while wiping it with a cloth. The blood began to dissolve and flow down, soaking the ground at her feet. As she wiped it she noticed someone walking her way. She placed the knife hack in it's buckle and stood up to greet the person coming her way.
“Hey Rach, you okay? You sure that bastard didn't get you anywhere?”
“I'm fine thanks.” she said as she turned back to her gear.
“You sure? I could call the medics over here to check you over if you wa...”
“YES!” She snapped at him, immediately regretting it. “I'm sure... sorry.”
She turned back to her gear once again, looking for an excuse to hide the redness appearing in her face.
“Fine.” Joe said abruptly as he turned on his heel and started to walk away.
“Joe! Wait...” Rachel called back to him, “Thanks for saving my butt out there. I really owe you.”
He flashed her a smile.
“My pleasure. Just don't make me do it again.” He said with a wink.
Rachel once again turned away, for her cheeks were now glowing a deeper shade of crimson. Then slowly... she looked over her shoulder at the man now walking away from her before returning once more to her gear.
6 AM, The Ridgeback Motel, Colorado.
The dawn had just started to rise, bringing hope back into the dreamer. The revelations of last night began to feel much more distant, as if from another life. James looked back at Sarah.
Still asleep.
The walked quietly to the door, and stepped out. All at once his spirits began to lift and he was enveloped by the songs of 100 birds singing in chorus. The dreamer took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.
This is real, real and wonderful.
He noticed a small path heading into the woods to his left.
I have a couple hours before Sarah wakes up... might as well go exploring.
So he set off in that direction. When he had reached the trail he placed his hand on the nearest oak, as if making sure it would not fade under his touch. Then he shook his head at the thought with a chuckle.
Of course it is still there, this isn't a dream.
Then he set out into the forest. The trees around him seemed to buzz with life, from the sound of the morning robin's call to the rustle through the trees. There was a soothing element to this forest, the antonym of last night's paranoia.
It's like night and day...
Just as he thought that, he began to hear a rustling behind him. Without a thought he ducked behind a large oak to his right, sliding down onto his haunches waiting and praying that he was safe. The sound came closer and closer, and with every step the dreamer's heart seemed to lodge even further into his throat. Then the noise stopped.
Is it gone!?
He was about to peek his head around the tree when...
“Why... hello there! Looking for something son?”
The dreamer's heart seemed to do the mambo as he looked up to where the voice came from. A middle aged man stood above him, smiling with a sparkle in his eyes.
“What are you doing down there? Don't tell me you were hiding from me.” the man said with a chuckle and a wink.
Immediately the dreamer felt like a lunatic, he had no reason to assume that something evil had been following him.
“Sorry sir,” James said with a chuckle “I thought you were something else.”
“Well no sense staying down there son, I promise I don't bite” The man said with another wink as he reached his hand down to help James up.
“Thanks.” the dreamer said as he brushed himself off.
“So whats your name son?... you do have a name right?”
“James.”
“Ahh, a good strong name. You can call me Thomas.” he said as he tipped his hat.
“May I ask where you came from... Thomas?”
“Well I pastor a church down yonder, and I find I always find the greatest inspirations in the early morning forest. It's like walking through a gift of God to mankind, it helps me understand some of the other gifts better.” He said with another wink.
“Oh, you're a reverend?” James asked with a slight tone he immediately regretted.
Thomas didn't seem to notice “That I am son, just as my daddy before me. I shepherd the Baptist church right down the road from here.” He said as he gestured to the south. “You should come out sometime, after every service Mrs. Johnson brings some homemade brownies that are to die for.” Thomas smiled.
“I'm sorry sir, I guess I never put much stock in religion and all that. It seems to me that everything we need to know is right here in front of us, not in some book or unknown dimension.”
Thomas looked into James' eyes with a look that both reassured and intimidated the dreamer. “I would tend to agree with you son, everything we do need is right before our eyes. But we have to choose to look first.” He said as he tapped the dreamer's temple with his forefinger.
James watched as Thomas reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card.
“Well if you ever do change your mind, the doors are open to you.” Thomas said as he straightened his hat and began to walk away. James looked at the card in his hand as he heard Thomas call back to him.
“After all, we would all like to have what we experience explained.”
James' eyes jerked back up to the man.
Did I just hear right?
Then Thomas gave a knowing grin, winked, and walked away.
The Dreamer Trilogy:
Echoes of Eternity
By
Nathan Poorbaugh
Intro:
In a dream a minute can seem like hours, an hour like days, and days... well... lets just say you will begin to blur the line between the 2 realities you are now faced with. When a man dreams he is trapped within the prison of his own mind; a slave to whatever, or
whoever, drives him. How can you escape from yourself? How can you fight when the enemy is your own mind? How will you know what is real? I was faced with all these questions one cool October day... and the answers would forever change my life. My name is James Mitchell... and this is how it began.
Prologue:
He was running, an irrational fear in an unseen attacker driving his path. It did not matter where he ran, nothing mattered here, except escape. Through the blinding panic shrouding his eyes he could scarcely discern what surrounded him. It fluctuated and shimmered like the morning sun on an oily sea. One moment appearing farther than anyone could run, the next stealing his very breath. He could not see his pursuer… he never could. He just knew, without reason, that it was there; following him, taunting him… hunting him. Wherever the wanderer went it was there, and wasn’t there. The colors and shapes surrounding him shifted into images familiar and foreign, though in this state it was hard to discern the difference. Shadows began to close in around the wanderer, they always did… didn’t they? No… the shadows were a blinding light greater than a thousand stars burning him to his core, threatening to engulf him with their hateful glare. As they drew closer the shadows became as black as the wanderer’s own darkest desire. Slowly they merged around him, closed in… and swallowed him whole.
********************************************************************
He awoke with a start, eyes frantically searching his surroundings. After 3 sweeps of the room he realized that there were no supernatural phantoms or shimmering pools of living liquid. He was home, in his bed, alone. Then, just as he finally released the breath he had held since he awoke, he saw a shadow begin to move through the room. It fluctuated in size as it came closer and closer to the dreamer. His eyes fixated on the shadow as his mind began searching for ways to escape. But the shadow blocked his only means of exit, short of a 3 story fall from a closed and locked window. Closer and closer the shadow crept, growing in size as the dreamer watched, and waited. Then, just as it seemed that it was over for the dreamer, the shadow made a strange but familiar noise. The shadow then leapt up on his bed, curled up at his feet, and began to purr. “Zippo…” the dreamer said as he picked up the cat and lovingly stroked it’s fur. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” Reason began to form once more in the dreamer’s mind as the near fatal fright from a household feline began to fade. This was not his dream world… he was not trapped or being hunted by any otherworldly phantasms or lights that became darkness. The entire affair seemed completely ludicrous to any mind short of a rubber room. But it seemed so real… ah well. He had to focus on this world now. Not some foreign figment of a troubled mind.
*******************************************************************
The man walked deliberately, as if every step carried him towards his goal rather than the mundane meeting he now went to attend. What fools they were, actually allowing these ignorant bastards to remain alive. But he knew better, he knew what they had done to his people, his family. He knew what they were capable of. Behind those smiling faces and utopian proverbs lay something deeper, a snake, waiting and willing to strike at any moment wherever it is given slightest cause. Those who were not venomous serpents were nothing more than puppets, unable to stand on their own 2 feet without strings of “faith” holding them up. They clung to it and hid behind it. They were a plague… a vermin that like any other disease carrying rodent must be quickly and firmly crushed under one’s heel. The thought once more began to rise in the man’s head… and he smiled. Soon enough… they all would know, and there is nothing the fools, vermin or their idiot “God” could do to save them now.
Chapter One:
2 PM. A Denver Cafe.
The dreamer sat and stared out the diner window absentmindedly, his mind hundreds of miles away. Normally he wasn’t the daydreaming type but his recent experiences caused him to wonder what it was he really saw. Is that an oak tree he is looking at outside his window, or is it something deeper. Could there be something different, something more to this world than what we could see, touch or hear? Or could it be that the dreamer was merely losing what was left of his already fragile mind?
This is insane. I must be losing my mind.
This is a world governed by reason and science, not vague intuition or superstition.
How could I change my entire world, for these.... dreams?
He shook his head and his mind began to drift as his eyes landed on an object flying closer and closer to him. For a moment he stiffened, but soon the soft shape of a dove began to form. He watched as the bird came closer and landed on the windowsill and began to peck at little pieces of bread.
This is real. It can be touched, heard and seen.
“James”.
His eyes bolted to the bird.
Did that bird just... talk to me?
I MUST be losing it.
What's next, Zippo reciting Shakespearian sonnets?
“James?”
No… I definitely heard it this time.
But what about…
“James!”. His eyes moved to the person sitting opposite him. He must have been so deep in thought he forgotten all about Sarah. “Hello? Anyone home?” Sarah asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “There must be something special outside that window to draw your attention like that. What’s out there?”. The dreamer slowly looked towards her and answered, “I don’t know."
I just don't know.
***************************************************************************************************************************
It was dark, the sun blotted out by a rising mist that grew ever closer. The only sound filling the air a distant and incessant clicking. The man’s first instinct was to turn and run, but he had been here before. He knew what to expect, but that did not calm his rising fear.
I have to see the Seer again, without him we are lost.
It had been 3 years since he had first ventured into this shadow world. His first experience had left him so shaken that he had nearly lost his mind. But throughout the years he had learned to keep his sanity in this place… but the fear was a constant. The mist was now close enough to touch if he so desired. He braced himself for what he knew would happen to him once the mist took him, and he shuddered.
Savor the fear, relish it, use it.
Slowly and ever so gently the mist touched his skin. The feeling at first was cool and actually quite pleasant, but soon the pain came. A burning, blinding pain that ravaged him wherever the mist touched him. The skin the mist touched blistered and began to flake away. Deliberately, and with more than a little effort, the man stepped fully into the mist. He opened his mouth as his face contorted in a silent scream, he wasn’t ready for this… he never was. The darkness surrounding him was complete, as if the light within withered and died as the man soon would. He would have to speak quickly if he would survive this time. “SEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!” he half-wailed in the voice of one long dead, “gahh.... come to me!”. Then, before his face, two red eyes began to shine, and a low guttural laugh began to reverberate through the mist. It shook the man and began to strip away the small thread of sanity he still held.
Why am I here!?!? What can this possibly bring to me?
Staring into those red eyes seemed like staring into the eyes of the abyss themselves. Cold and merciless.
"Hello Jack... we have some work to do."
And everything went black.
******************************************************************
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see soon enough" Sarah replied with a wink.
They had been driving for hours, or that is wrong, SHE had been driving for hours. He was just along for the ride.
Whats wrong with me... I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts!
" Something wrong baby?"
I LOVE her... don't I?
"Baby?"
But what if...
"James!"
The dreamer snapped away from his thoughts.
"You were doing it again to me! I hope it's me you've been thinking about." she said with another seductive wink.
"Of course dear... I'm sorry. I don't know has been going on with me lately, I haven't been able to focus on anything lately. Not you, not my work.... nothing."
"Well soon enough I will fix that" she said with a smile as she looked back to the road.
The dreamer looked outside the window once more, his eyes searching for some confirmation of what he had seen, all the while avoiding the eyes of the girl sitting next to him.
For some reason she didn't appeal to him anymore... maybe he was going insane.
***************************************************
An hour or so later they pulled up in front of the Ridgehorn Motel. The green paint was flaked and faded, the doors were rusted and weathered. They walked under the neon "Vacancy" sign into the office to get a room. Sarah rang the bell as she pulled him closer to her. About a minute later a greasy grizzled old man walked up to the counter.
"Yeah?" He said with more than a little irritation. "Y'all need something?"
"We'd like a room please," Sarah answered as she looked at James.
The man sniffed loudly "Fine" he tossed the key at them. "That'll be $20"
James dug into his pocket and left the money on the desk then let Sarah lead him out of the office. He walked slowly down the blackened cement sidewalk until they reached the room.
"6A, thats it baby." Sarah said as she opened the door and pulled him inside.
The interior was dark and musty, and James could not quite place the scent of it. It was a cross between mud, fertilizer, cigarette smoke and other various unknown substances. The bed linens were old and worn but Sarah didn't seem to notice as she sat down on the bed. With a wink she beckoned him to her.
"I'll make you forget about everything baby..." she said as she smiled.
The dreamer slowly made his way to the bed, and let her pull him down into a deep troubled sleep.
*******************************************************
James awoke in a cold sweat, his eyes quickly scanning the room. It had happened again.
What is wrong with me!?!? I dream of the impossible then try to find it in reality.
But it felt so real...
He looked down at Sarah sleeping soundly beside him.
This is real.
But what if...
No! Such things just don't happen!
But it seemed so real...
James... snap out of it! THIS is what is real! SARAH is real!
He slowly shook his head and looked out the window trying to calm the shaking in his right hand.
Everything seems safe enough now...
A shadow flashed behind the window.
What was that!?!?
Just a car passing by...
Without lights?
I just couldn't see them...
But what if...?
"ENOUGH!".
Sarah stirred beside him. "Whats wrong baby?"
"Just a nightmare... go back to sleep" he said as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Slowly Sarah drifted back to sleep. The sight of her sleeping both calmed and troubled the dreamer.
She sleeps so peacefully... what is wrong with me?
The dreamer sat on the bed for several more minutes before he realized this would drive him crazy. Since sleep was no longer an option for tonight he decided to try to pass the time in a less tormenting fashion. James rose out of the bed, being careful not to wake the once more sleeping Sarah. He walked over to the desk and began to search through the drawers.
Where is that paper... ah, there we go.
He pulled out a small pad of paper and a pen and sat down at the desk. He placed the pen to the paper, but no words came to him.
This is ludicrous... you are a writer man! Write!
Slowly the pen formed a word.
"'The'? Not much of a start is it..."
Just write whatever comes to mind, that normally works for you.
And the dreamer began to write. The words at first came slowly, but began to build and build. Finally the man's pen was moving at such a rate that it wasn't long before the page was full. But when we began to look at it, he noticed he had written nothing but gibberish.
Until...
Wait... whats this?
Interspersed among the nonsense were some words that stood out.
"......... running...... escape..... shadows moving..... run..... voice.... darkness... child.... come to me."
The dreamer dropped his pen with a soft thud and leaned back in his chair. Slowly he looked back at his writing and shook his head.
" What is happening to me...."
Chapter Two:
0300, Syrian Desert, Operation Angel's Hand
It was dark, the only firelight coming from the camp they would soon engage. They had staked out the terrorists for 4 hours already, waiting for most of them to fall asleep. The government had contracted their organization to exterminate these threats to the free world, these threats who now had a warhead aimed directly at Tel Aviv. Rachel rotated her neck, cracking it in a few places.
Vermin such as these need to die, they are nothing more than a plague who feed on the fear of good people.
She checked her MP4, it was ready, and so was she.
It wont be long now.
She slung the rifle over her shoulder.
Won't need this.
She picked up her sidearm and screwed on the silencer, then checked her combat knife to her side.
Cloak and dagger, we have to kill them off before they know we are here, or Tel Aviv is ash.
She took a deep breath and scanned the camp again. They were close enough to hear the conversation that the guards were having, but she did not understand the language. Her group had been chosen to take out the guards and kill anyone who got in the way of their bomb disposal unit. She reached into her pack and pulled out her night vision goggles. As quietly as possible she put the goggles in place and snapped them on.
Two.... three guards by the wall. Look like Russian AKs. dang it, those are loud. No telling how many those tents hold. Better make sure to take them out.
They were the hand of justice in this fallen world. The lone beacon of light ready to do whatever was necessary to save the world from those who would seek to destroy it. Rachel unbuckled her knife and held it in her hand.
Piece of cake.
A red light began to shine to the left of her, flashing 3 times.
Two... three. Thats the signal.
The unholstered her pistol and took aim down the sight, aiming at the head of the guard on the far left, waiting for the signal to fire.
The light flashed again, this time answered by a flare from the barrel of 3 pistols.
Three guards went down, each with a bullet through his skull.
|Then as one they advanced, Red 1 took the tents to the right, and her squad Red 2 took the tent to the left. They would meet back at the warhead. She crept swiftly to the side of the first tent, removed her knife from its buckle, and expertly cut an opening large enough for her to walk through. There were two Arabs in here, one on a bed to her right and one directly in front of her. She glided to the man to the right of her and readied her knife. In one smooth motion she grabbed his mouth and rammed the blade down through his right lung and into his diaphragm. A muted grunt was all that came out before he quietly drowned in his own blood. The soldier to her left stirred in his bed, in one smooth motion she flipped the knife in her hand into the man's skull. She walked over to the man and removed the knife, wiping it on the man's clothes. Then, pistol in her left hand and knife in her right she proceeded to the next tent. A man was standing outside of the tent looking groggy; without another thought she put a bullet through his skull. The only sound to mark his passing a muted shot. She stepped quickly and picked him up under the arms, and dragged him inside the tent. A man was sitting at the desk reading what appeared to be the Qu'ran, she stepped quietly over and stood behind him. Quick as a snake her hands went to the man's chin and the back of his head. With a twist and a snap he dropped.| (This section will be MAJORLY expanded and changed. It is a placeholder)
So far so good.
She turned to her left and walked to the tent flap, extinguishing the candle on her way. She reached the flap and carefully stuck her head outside, looking to her left and to her right.
Looks clear.
Careful and quietly she crept out of the tent. She turned to her right and froze. There was a guard standing no more than 5 feet in front of her, rifle at the ready.
dang it! Do I have time to get a shot off?
She began to raise her gun as the Arab took aim. A shot fired. Rachel watched as the side of the Arab's head exploded outward and he dropped to the ground.
Who fired!?
She looked to her left and saw Joe, a member of Red 1 coming out of a tent. She flashed him a sign to tell him she was okay. Then as one they moved forward towards the warhead.
They had walked 10 paces when the man beside her dropped to a crouch, signaling for her to do the same; within an instant she was prone.
He motioned to her front left and she saw 3 guards standing around a missile.
Thats the target.
She unstrapped her rifle and screwed on the silencer as the man beside her did the same, then she sighted down the scope.
3 guards... this should be interesting.
She lowered her gun and signaled that she would take the two to the left. The man beside her nodded. She lifted the scope to her eye as she set the gun to burst fire.
Time once more began to slow as she took aim at the second guard's skull right above the ear. Her breathing shallowed and the scope found it's mark.
Protect us.
And she fired. 2 of the 3 rounds went directly to the guard's brain dropping him instantly. Almost immediately the guard to his left dropped with a round in his chest. The remaining guard only had enough time to let out a stuttered shout before he joined his 2 friends on the ground, never again to rise.
She raised a hand to her radio and clicked it on.
"This is Red 2, position clear. I repeat, position clear. Bring up the BD unit."
Then she looked towards the man lying next to her.
"We did it."
Three hours had passed since the skirmish, dawn was starting to break. The intensity of the previous night seemed to fade as the sky turned between shades from royal blue to gold, that is, everywhere but in Rachel's head.
How could I have been so foolish!?!? I am a member of Angel's Hand and I let some untrained..... gah. How could I let him get the drop on me?
She shook her head slowly as she ran her fingers through her hair.
The camp around her was buzzing with excitement, the newer recruits regaling about their own personal accomplishments. In all there had been 3 superficial injuries for the squad, 2 self inflicted by untrained hands being given combat knives.
Rachel looked over at Alex, a new recruit now sporting a bandage around his hand. By his intensity and wild gestures it would seem he had defeated the enemy single handedly, but all he had really done is slice his palm open while making a fast attempt to pick up his fallen knife. She chuckled and shook her head.
Why must we bring in such detriments, they are more harm than good!
She shrugged it off and went back to checking her gear. In the last few hours she had field stripped and cleaned her rifle 3 times, as if one small indiscretion would end her life on her next mission. Though it could. Her hand went to her side and withdrew her combat knife.
What a mess...
The blood from the last night's skirmish had crusted onto the blade and parts of the handle. Rachel reached behind her and pulled out her canteen. She unscrewed the cap and slowly poured it over the blade while wiping it with a cloth. The blood began to dissolve and flow down, soaking the ground at her feet. As she wiped it she noticed someone walking her way. She placed the knife hack in it's buckle and stood up to greet the person coming her way.
“Hey Rach, you okay? You sure that bastard didn't get you anywhere?”
“I'm fine thanks.” she said as she turned back to her gear.
“You sure? I could call the medics over here to check you over if you wa...”
“YES!” She snapped at him, immediately regretting it. “I'm sure... sorry.”
She turned back to her gear once again, looking for an excuse to hide the redness appearing in her face.
“Fine.” Joe said abruptly as he turned on his heel and started to walk away.
“Joe! Wait...” Rachel called back to him, “Thanks for saving my butt out there. I really owe you.”
He flashed her a smile.
“My pleasure. Just don't make me do it again.” He said with a wink.
Rachel once again turned away, for her cheeks were now glowing a deeper shade of crimson. Then slowly... she looked over her shoulder at the man now walking away from her before returning once more to her gear.
6 AM, The Ridgeback Motel, Colorado.
The dawn had just started to rise, bringing hope back into the dreamer. The revelations of last night began to feel much more distant, as if from another life. James looked back at Sarah.
Still asleep.
The walked quietly to the door, and stepped out. All at once his spirits began to lift and he was enveloped by the songs of 100 birds singing in chorus. The dreamer took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.
This is real, real and wonderful.
He noticed a small path heading into the woods to his left.
I have a couple hours before Sarah wakes up... might as well go exploring.
So he set off in that direction. When he had reached the trail he placed his hand on the nearest oak, as if making sure it would not fade under his touch. Then he shook his head at the thought with a chuckle.
Of course it is still there, this isn't a dream.
Then he set out into the forest. The trees around him seemed to buzz with life, from the sound of the morning robin's call to the rustle through the trees. There was a soothing element to this forest, the antonym of last night's paranoia.
It's like night and day...
Just as he thought that, he began to hear a rustling behind him. Without a thought he ducked behind a large oak to his right, sliding down onto his haunches waiting and praying that he was safe. The sound came closer and closer, and with every step the dreamer's heart seemed to lodge even further into his throat. Then the noise stopped.
Is it gone!?
He was about to peek his head around the tree when...
“Why... hello there! Looking for something son?”
The dreamer's heart seemed to do the mambo as he looked up to where the voice came from. A middle aged man stood above him, smiling with a sparkle in his eyes.
“What are you doing down there? Don't tell me you were hiding from me.” the man said with a chuckle and a wink.
Immediately the dreamer felt like a lunatic, he had no reason to assume that something evil had been following him.
“Sorry sir,” James said with a chuckle “I thought you were something else.”
“Well no sense staying down there son, I promise I don't bite” The man said with another wink as he reached his hand down to help James up.
“Thanks.” the dreamer said as he brushed himself off.
“So whats your name son?... you do have a name right?”
“James.”
“Ahh, a good strong name. You can call me Thomas.” he said as he tipped his hat.
“May I ask where you came from... Thomas?”
“Well I pastor a church down yonder, and I find I always find the greatest inspirations in the early morning forest. It's like walking through a gift of God to mankind, it helps me understand some of the other gifts better.” He said with another wink.
“Oh, you're a reverend?” James asked with a slight tone he immediately regretted.
Thomas didn't seem to notice “That I am son, just as my daddy before me. I shepherd the Baptist church right down the road from here.” He said as he gestured to the south. “You should come out sometime, after every service Mrs. Johnson brings some homemade brownies that are to die for.” Thomas smiled.
“I'm sorry sir, I guess I never put much stock in religion and all that. It seems to me that everything we need to know is right here in front of us, not in some book or unknown dimension.”
Thomas looked into James' eyes with a look that both reassured and intimidated the dreamer. “I would tend to agree with you son, everything we do need is right before our eyes. But we have to choose to look first.” He said as he tapped the dreamer's temple with his forefinger.
James watched as Thomas reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card.
“Well if you ever do change your mind, the doors are open to you.” Thomas said as he straightened his hat and began to walk away. James looked at the card in his hand as he heard Thomas call back to him.
“After all, we would all like to have what we experience explained.”
James' eyes jerked back up to the man.
Did I just hear right?
Then Thomas gave a knowing grin, winked, and walked away.