Resurrection (22 page)

Chapter 52

The next day they rode away from the city. The air was thick and hot and finding shade was almost impossible. They were running low on water and the horses were showing signs of fatigue.

The heat on the desert floor was becoming almost unbearable and there was not the slightest breeze. It was then they came upon a vast canyon littered with thousands of human skeletons.

As they made their way down to the canyon floor none of the three spoke a word they just sat on their horses surveying the remains in shock at the vastness of this tragedy. Ethan realized there was no way around this boneyard so he had decided to cross through it.

The bones crunched under the horse’s hooves as they passed through and since there was no way to avoid the remains they didn’t try. As the sun started to set they still had not made their way across.

“Looks like we’ll have to stop here for the night, I’m not going to take a chance ending up with a lame horse trying to get across in the dark,” Ethan said.

“This place really gives me the creeps,” Aaron said.

They found a fairly clear spot and tied the horses and tried to get as comfortable as possible.

“What do you think happened here?” Andrew said with an obvious note of nervousness in his voice

“I’m not sure,” Ethan said. “Maybe they were trying to flee from the fires but it looks as if they all died at the same time.”

“What caused this fire Ethan? I have to say that I didn’t believe any of this this but now, seeing all of this and being here,” Aaron said.

“The dead one’s had risen from their graves and they had almost wiped out mankind and the fires were caused by weapons that human beings tried to use in an attempt to rid the world of the living dead. These weapons were so terrible that they burnt the Earth and the Forbidden Places became vast wastelands and the cities melted from the heat.

“I read about these weapons in a book given to me years ago by someone whose grandfather lived during this time. The weapons were called nuclear bombs and they left behind a poison which killed men long after the visible fires had gone out. It looks to me as if these people all died trying to escape before the fires came and when the weapon was exploded the blast killed them all at once.”

“What makes you so certain about the timing of their deaths?” Andrew said.

“Look at them, almost all of them are lying with the skulls facing the west and the feet toward east which would mean the blast came from the east and traveled to the west knocking them all down.”

“I thought all writings from the past were destroyed after the calling.”

“Most were but a few were hidden away. The Advisors only want the people to know the truth that they put out so the stories of the past are told in fable form but this is the truth right here; you‘re looking at it.

“Mankind in the past did not live like we do now they were much more powerful. They used to zip around in vehicles on great highways; like the one we saw earlier on the road. Those things we saw scattered along the road were called automobiles and they moved at great speeds; they could have traveled the route we have taken in less than a day.”

“Why do the Advisors want to keep the truth about the past from us?” Andrew said.

“Because the past is considered dangerous and diseased and they are trying to prevent a repeat of the tragedies. Trying to prevent a repeat of the plague of the last century and that is how they believe they can accomplish that by sending us back to a time long before but it will never last.”

Chapter 53

Blood Moon

They ran. Men, women, children, the old and the young, parents carrying children; they ran. They ran from their homes and out into the streets in a great stampede of humanity. Automobiles blocked the roads and byways of the city and the only way to escape the coming disaster was to run.

As the sun began to wane in the evening sky the Wasters emerged from hiding in the dark places of the city and fell upon the panicked throngs and hundreds of people were trampled underfoot by the mindless runners.

From above, from a dispassionate god’s view the city looked like an anthill, a massive swarm of humanity searching for a place to hide; a place to survive. The arteries of the city became swollen to overflowing with people flooding past the immobile autos parked on the freeways some falling to their deaths after being pushed over the guardrails.

Wasters flowed in among the crowd and held huge eating orgies as the horrified and terrorized runners tried their best to get past without becoming a meal. People passed out of the suburbs and out into the grassland beyond. They poured into the pastures and valleys and canyons and riverbeds.

Screams went up from the throng as exhaust trails were spotted in the sky. Colored brightly orange by the setting sun they formed gently arcing trajectories behind the terrible machines which carried them aloft.

The flowing of the arterial human blood cells on the interstates stopped as the roads became blocked by mountains of fallen individuals and by Wasters who were now attacking on every street and road in the city.

Then, several bright flashes emanated from the detonating warheads and the world these people had known came to a fiery end. For a moment in the multiple ground zeroes around the city x–rays revealed the ribs and tibias and fibulas and skulls of the human bodies caught in the initial stage of the blast. And then the families, the mothers and fathers and grandparents and sisters and cousins and lovers and friends and strangers were vaporized, their atoms sent careening by the discharge into the ether.

The ones who had made it out into the grassland could not escape the shockwave and they too were laid low. Thousands upon thousands of individuals laid out with their heads facing the evening’s fading sun.

Ethan didn’t know what had awakened him; maybe it was the dream or maybe it was just that he had slept long enough, whatever the cause he was awake now. He looked out over the valley floor at the bones scattered across the landscape.

They glowed in the bright moonlight which made the scene before him all the more bizarre. He sat up and tried to imagine what it had been like for these people, what had their lives been like and what were they thinking when their time ended.

He imagined this mass of humanity with all the belongings they could carry, families with children, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles all involved in a mass exodus from their homes trying to escape before it was too late only to ultimately realize that that too late had arrived before they had even left their homes.

He put out his hand and picked up one of the skulls lying nearby and examined it. He picked up another and held the two of them up together, could these two have been in a relationship or perhaps they were spouses. Maybe these were the skulls of two women or two men who didn’t even know one another but were merely brought to this place as a result of circumstance dying at the exact same moment side by side, strangers or lovers now lying together in a valley full of dehydrated bones.

It was then that he noticed that the skulls were not a glowing white in the light of the full moon but more a ruddy color. He turned and looked up at the sky and then he saw it; the moon had turned the color of blood, it was the sign.

“Andrew, Aaron wake up it’s the sign like I told you; it’s all coming true just like the Elder said. It’s happening just as predicted by the Angel.”

The twins rolled over and gazed up at the crimson tinted orb suspended in the stygian heavens.

“Okay what now?” Aaron said.

“Now we wait.”

Chapter 54

“Don’t look but we’re being watched,” Ethan whispered to the twins.

“Where?” The twins said in unison.

“Over my left shoulder.”

Aaron and Andrew raised their eyes just enough to see a man on a horse standing on a hill overlooking the valley. He was dressed all in black and mounted atop a muscular, fiery red stallion.

“How long has he been there?”

“Not sure but he was there when the sun came up this morning.”

“He doesn’t seem too concerned about whether we see him or not.”

“Don’t look now but he’s gone.” Andrew said.

Ethan turned and the horse and rider had vanished. The brothers walked toward the middle of the valley floor and looked around but there was no sign of the man or his horse.

“Over here gentlemen,” a voice said from behind.

The brothers spun around and saw the man in their camp between them and their horses and weapons.

“Who are you?” Ethan yelled.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing Señor.”

The man had a shotgun lying across one arm. He wore a black hat with a silver band around it, silver spurs on his black boots and a cigar clenched tightly between his teeth.

“We’ve come from the south, from the forests, I am Ethan and these are my brothers Aaron and Andrew.”

“And why are you here in this canyon among all these bones?” The man said in a thick Mexican accent

“We’ve traveled here to meet a man, to ask him to help us.”

“Come closer that I may see you better,” he said.

The brothers looked at one another before doing as they were told.

“Stop right there that’s close enough. You should never leave your weapons and horses unattended in this land, there are Lazerites around.”

“You caught us off guard.”

“Did I? Put your hands up and move into camp.”

The brothers did as they were told once again and the man checked each one for weapons.

“Let me see it,” He said.

“See what?” Ethan said.

“Let’s not play games Señor I really don’t have time for that; let me see it.”

Okay,” Ethan said motioning toward his saddle bag.

“Easy Señor, I hope for your sake you don’t try nothing.”

“Ethan carefully reached into the leather bag and pulled out the object still wrapped in the red sash and handed it to the man.

“No one else is supposed to look at that, if you are not him then leave it covered,” Ethan said.

The man snorted and then un-wrapped the object. The brothers craned to see it but he kept it from their sight. The man ran a gloved hand over it and then let out a laugh and quickly wrapped it back in the sash.

“I’ll be hanging on to this the rest of the way I hope you don’t object though it won’t matter if you do,” he said.

“Are you him?” Ethan asked a second time.

“Gather your things for we have a long ride and the Lazarites know we are here.”

“Who are these Lazarites you speak of and why should we follow you?” Aaron said

The man turned and mounted his horse and rode out into the canyon a few steps and looked around the rim. His horse sniffed the breeze and snorted loudly and then he spurred the animal into a run and rode off down the ravine.

“Well now you did it Aaron,” Ethan shouted. “We need him now get ready and let’s ride.”

The brothers quickly gathered their belongings and saddled their horses and rode off in the direction the man had gone. They followed his tracks until they turned to the right and disappeared into the canyon wall.

“What the hell is going on here?” Aaron sputtered.

Ethan got off of his horse and walked up to the canyon wall and studied the tracks and then ran a hand over the rocks.

Then from behind they heard a voice.

“Now no more questions Señores,” the man said. “You follow me from now on or you turn back and go home.”

They rode without stopping for two days with not a word passing between them. The sun was merciless and beat down on the men and burned into their very souls. The man stopped and motioned for the brothers to catch up with him.

“When I give the word I want you to ride as fast as you can to those rocks over there,” he said.

“Okay,” Ethan said. “What do you see?”

The man sat quietly scanning the horizon and then waved his and yelled.

“No time for that now; go!”

The brothers spurred their horses and took off at a full gallop with the man leading the way. They made it to the rocks and found a hiding spot and dismounted then led their horses into a small crevice and waited.

They heard a low thundering sound and the ground under their feet shook. The thundering got louder and it became apparent that it was the sound of many horses. The sound became louder and louder until they could no longer hear their own voices.

“What is it?” Ethan yelled above the din.

“Lazarites,” the man said. “They found us.”

Then the din ceased. They could hear from their position the sound of men and horses coming from outside. Ethan turned to the man to ask him what they should do but he was not there.

“He’s gone?” Andrew exclaimed.

Ethan moved further back into the rock which opened up into a small cave. At the back he could see a shaft of sunlight. He made his way to the light which was coming through a hole in the rocks above. He climbed up on his horse and carefully poked his head through.

The man was standing on top of a tall rock opposite Ethan’s position. Ethan looked down and saw the horde. They were huge men—if one could indeed call them that—who rode atop giant horses, their faces resembled that of an animal much like a lion or bear and great dogs milled about around the horses feet.

“Lazarite!” The man bellowed.

The horde turned in unison and uttered a collective groan. One of the Lazarites rode out toward the rocks on which the man stood.

“Warlock!” he said, his voice sounding as much like an animal’s growl as it did that of a human. “What are you doing in the Wastelands?”

“Just passing through, so nice to see you again Galen; the sight of your face never gets old.”

Galen snorted and raised his immense fist and shook it at the Warlock. “I smell humans Warlock, are you trying to sneak fresh meat across my Wasteland?”

“Now Galen you know me better than that I would never attempt to put something over on you.”

Galen turned to his men. “Pull the rocks down and bring the humans to me!” He bellowed.

“Galen!” the Warlock yelled. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret later.”

When Galen turned and faced the Warlock again he was no longer on the cliff above him but was now in the canyon.

“Grab him and tear him apart,” Galen growled.

The Warlock waved his hand and a great fire erupted between him and the Lazarites. The heat of this fire was so great it drove them back into the canyon. The Warlock waved his hand again and the rocks of the canyon began to shake and they too erupted in flames. The flames surrounded the Lazarites and began to close in on them.

The rocks bled and the blood flowed into the valley floor. The fluid caught fire and trails of blood and fire streamed onto the hooves of the Lazarites horses. The horses and riders caught fire and the horses panicked and threw their riders to the ground and bolted through the walls of flame.

The Lazarite army fell into disarray and some attempted to climb up the walls in a panic to escape the inferno others simply waited for the flames to consume them. Galen tried to rally his soldiers but it was too late; their terror was too great.

Galen made a dash through the flames and as he did he encountered a tower of flaming rocks blocking his way. Flames swirled and writhed among the crevices and cracks of the stones and then the tower came crashing down on him. He put his arms up just as his horse fell and the rocks covered him.

Then, the flames were gone. The still panicked Lazarites screamed and rolled in the dirt trying to extinguish them before realizing that the inferno was no more. Galen opened his eyes and saw that there was no tower of flaming rocks. He stood and looked himself over and saw he was not harmed then caught his horse and rode back to his men.

“Gather yourselves,” he said. Look around there is no fire; it was a diversion so the Warlock could escape with the humans.”“We don’t dare stop again, the Lazarites will not be fooled a second time, they will not hesitate to kill us and make a feast of our bodies if they find us again. They especially like the eyes, they say the eyes of young men are the best part,” Warlock said cackling out loud.

“Anything you say just so you get us to him quickly I fear they will find our people before we can return and fight them.” Ethan said.

“The worst is yet to come, the dead lie between us and our destination and we will have to fight our way across their land.”

“I thought the dead had been destroyed,” Aaron said.

“No, they still exist and they are still very dangerous and now the sunlight is no hindrance to them. The Lazerites and the Dead are mortal enemies even though they share the same blood. But don’t think they won’t come together when it suits their shared interest; human flesh”

They raced across the Wasteland for three days finally arriving at a small range of mountains. They made their way through a pass and in two days they were overlooking a valley on the other side.

“There it is gentlemen, El Valle de los Muerto; The Valley of the Dead. This is the last refuge of what were once known as the Wasters and there are lots of them here. Once we make it, if we make it across the one that you seek is on the other side,” Warlock said.

“If we make it across, didn’t you cross it to find us?”

“I have never crossed the valley Señor and would not be doing so today if not for the Red Angel.”

“The Red Angel, do you know her?” Andrew said.

“She came to me in a dream one night. She told me I would find you when the moon turned to blood.

“She told me your people were in trouble as the southern band of the Lazarites, the Lazarines were close to finding them. She told me to bring you to him whose name in Spanish is El Arquero.”

“Okay Warlock so how do we get across this Valley of the Dead? Why don’t you just pull something from that bag of magic tricks of yours get us to the other side?” Aaron said sarcastically.

“Señor you don’t understand I have no magic only the ability to play upon one’s fears. I can place a vision in their mind and it will come to life for them.”

Suddenly a large rattlesnake struck from out of a pile of rocks at Aaron’s feet. It struck the side of his boot and he quickly jumped out of the way. More snakes began to slither out of the rocks surrounding the men and soon the ground around them was a mass of writhing serpents.

The brothers clambered up on tall rocks but the snakes followed and soon there was nowhere to go but to jump over the cliff into the valley but the basin floor was several hundred feet below and to do so would mean certain death.

The serpents coiled around Aaron’s boots and slithered around his legs and began to climb up his torso and arms. He fell to the ground and let out a blood curdling scream and began tearing the snakes from off of his body. Then the snakes were gone but the brothers continued their screaming and writhing on the ground for a time before realizing.

“That is how it works my friends, just images but no magic. There were no snakes just as there was no fire with the Lazerites,” Warlock said.

“You could have killed us, we could have jumped from the cliff,” Ethan shouted.

“I would have had nothing to do with your death it would have been your choice to jump, I merely provided and image what you choose to do is of your own will. The Wasters have no fears to play upon so we will have to run or fight; I would rather run.”