BroccoliRiceTofu on Nostr: THE REUNION OF DARKNESS Chapter XII. It was near 11:00 a.m. and confusion continued ...
THE REUNION OF DARKNESS
Chapter XII.
It was near 11:00 a.m. and confusion continued to grow. While outside people began to cough and the air seemed off, and a weird smell began to brew. Individuals starting to scream randomly in the streets. There was a video going viral online, where a man was convulsing and began to twist and contort. Other videos showed people having apparitions and yelling out strange things, while others were in trance-like state.
Children were starting to wander and having what seemed to look like stigmata. Those that were choking on the air, now began to bleed from the eyes. The bleeding was so painfully strong, that people were biting on their fingers, belts, or even on their tongues or cheeks to deal with it. Some looked as if they were going insane. It seemed like half the population were dealing with these issues because at least the other half was still actively sharing on the Flow.
It wasn't until 1:00 p.m. that day that lava seemed to fall out of the sky. During the earthquake a large hole opened up in the Earth's crust. The gravitational differences with the moon being so close, caused the outer layer of the Earth to shift in appearance. Compasses began spinning, and the magnetic field weakened. Dark plumes of lava and smoke made the air more dense. Now everything was covered in ashes, and the air became impossible to breathe without covering your face.
It was around 3:00 p.m. when the Flow started sharing posts of the faithful as they were locking down and boarding up their homes. The prophecy that stated ‘only blessed beeswax candles could be lit seems to be coming true.’ The lack of oxygen in the air was caused by the ever growing dense ash and smoke. Even electronics began to fail and dim.
Buckley and his family were headed out, they were going to make the trek to his best friend, Chesty’s house. For years his best friend had been preparing for the worst, and Buckley knew if they could just make it there, even if the worst was to come, at least they would be in good company.
On the drive, roads were blocked everywhere. People were fighting over gas, and siphoning fuel out of the cars that were stopped. Others set up shop on the side of the road and traded gas for food.
At that moment, Buckley had a realization; all the tragedy he had witnessed over the years, had actually been preparing him to protect his family now. His wife yelled at him to pay attention as they continued to drive south. Buckley squeezed a rosary between his hand and the steering wheel.
On I-25, a semi was turned over and blocked the right lane. Cars were parked all around the truck, as they ransacked the trailer for anything of value. The slow moving traffic was only sliding through in a space large enough for 1 car at a time. As they slowly rolled between the cars, the kids hid down on the floor between the seats. People knocked on the windows and tried to look inside to see if there was anything inside. Buckley held his 9mm firmly against his thigh, so it would be in clear view of those trying to peer inside.
Buckley tried to call Chesty to let him know they were on the way, but phones were still not working. The drive was taking longer than they had anticipated. The headlights barely produced any light, and the ash that covered the roads was mixing with the rain and turning into a thick sludge. As the tires spun, they headed up the ramp and continued until finally they got off the highway. Luckily, the car was still in 1 piece, and the ‘bug-out’ bags in the trunk were still intact.
The road up ahead was desolate. It was getting into the later hours of the day, and what little light was still relevant from the sun was now dissipating over the Rockies. As they continued to drive, visibility was nearly gone. The only way to judge the direction was to focus on the few homes that had candlelight and keep straight. As the homes passed, you could only see a glimmer of candlelight between fence posts. Buckley tried to keep equi-distant between the left and right sides of the road.
Boom, pow, crash; suddenly the car jumps and slides into the sidewalk. Buckley stepped outside to check the tires, thinking he ran into the median on the street. When Buckley looks down, he sees tire spikes. He quickly grabs his gun and looks around to see if there was anyone present. They hurry and clear out of the car, making sure the vehicle was to their back as their eyes adjusted to the dimming sky.
Feeling trapped, and given they can’t see very far, they figured someone would’ve heard the noise and be after them; or at least any goods in the car. The family packs up all the items they had because they were still a few miles away from Chesty’s house. They decided they were going to need to get there by foot. Buckley tried to call Chesty again; it rings once then goes off-line. He hands his wife an AR, he puts on two backpacks one in the front and one in the back, so his wife can attend to the kids. There is a golf course up ahead, a little bit away from the houses; and Buckley thought if they start to head that way it would be easier to spot any threats. They start heading down the street.
They get a few blocks down the street until they start to see a few random bodies. The stench of the vomit & blood stained the air. The smell was so strong, it bled through their face coverings. As they continued, their pace slowed down. They had to step between the bodies as they checked to make sure they were not moving. Every once and a while a breath could be heard, and the family paused to ensure they avoided any threats coming at them. The bodies, in some cases, looked as if they shapeshifted. The convulsions people were having had misshapen their spines, and their body shape was off. Many had bones, like their scapulas, tear out of their back.
FInally, they get into the open green of the course. One child grabs the rake, and holds it like a bat, as they continue forward. Up ahead, there is a small snack shack with a bathroom . Buckley breaks in to get some supplies and any packaged food & drinks they can find. Behind the counter, there were not many items still there. A few beers, a couple sodas, and some really old cookies. Packing these up, around back suddenly a rack holding some chips fell over. Hiding by behind the counter, Buckley peers over. It was just a dirty old cat that must have been hiding out from the cold. He finds a bottle opener with a knife, puts it in his pocket and heads out.
XII.
It was near 11:00 a.m. and confusion continued to grow. While outside people began to cough and the air seemed off, and a weird smell began to brew. Individuals starting to scream randomly in the streets. There was a video going viral online, where a man was convulsing and began to twist and contort. Other videos showed people having apparitions and yelling out strange things, while others were in trance-like state.
Children were starting to wander and having what seemed to look like stigmata. Those that were choking on the air, now began to bleed from the eyes. The bleeding was so painfully strong, that people were biting on their fingers, belts, or even on their tongues or cheeks to deal with it. Some looked as if they were going insane. It seemed like half the population were dealing with these issues because at least the other half was still actively sharing on the Flow.
It wasn't until 1:00 p.m. that day that lava seemed to fall out of the sky. During the earthquake a large hole opened up in the Earth's crust. The gravitational differences with the moon being so close, caused the outer layer of the Earth to shift in appearance. Compasses began spinning, and the magnetic field weakened. Dark plumes of lava and smoke made the air more dense. Now everything was covered in ashes, and the air became impossible to breathe without covering your face.
It was around 3:00 p.m. when the Flow started sharing posts of the faithful as they were locking down and boarding up their homes. The prophecy that stated ‘only blessed beeswax candles could be lit seems to be coming true.’ The lack of oxygen in the air was caused by the ever growing dense ash and smoke. Even electronics began to fail and dim.
Buckley and his family were headed out, they were going to make the trek to his best friend, Chesty’s house. For years his best friend had been preparing for the worst, and Buckley knew if they could just make it there, even if the worst was to come, at least they would be in good company.
On the drive, roads were blocked everywhere. People were fighting over gas, and siphoning fuel out of the cars that were stopped. Others set up shop on the side of the road and traded gas for food.
At that moment, Buckley had a realization; all the tragedy he had witnessed over the years, had actually been preparing him to protect his family now. His wife yelled at him to pay attention as they continued to drive south. Buckley squeezed a rosary between his hand and the steering wheel.
On I-25, a semi was turned over and blocked the right lane. Cars were parked all around the truck, as they ransacked the trailer for anything of value. The slow moving traffic was only sliding through in a space large enough for 1 car at a time. As they slowly rolled between the cars, the kids hid down on the floor between the seats. People knocked on the windows and tried to look inside to see if there was anything inside. Buckley held his 9mm firmly against his thigh, so it would be in clear view of those trying to peer inside.
Buckley tried to call Chesty to let him know they were on the way, but phones were still not working. The drive was taking longer than they had anticipated. The headlights barely produced any light, and the ash that covered the roads was mixing with the rain and turning into a thick sludge. As the tires spun, they headed up the ramp and continued until finally they got off the highway. Luckily, the car was still in 1 piece, and the ‘bug-out’ bags in the trunk were still intact.
The road up ahead was desolate. It was getting into the later hours of the day, and what little light was still relevant from the sun was now dissipating over the Rockies. As they continued to drive, visibility was nearly gone. The only way to judge the direction was to focus on the few homes that had candlelight and keep straight. As the homes passed, you could only see a glimmer of candlelight between fence posts. Buckley tried to keep equi-distant between the left and right sides of the road.
Boom, pow, crash; suddenly the car jumps and slides into the sidewalk. Buckley stepped outside to check the tires, thinking he ran into the median on the street. When Buckley looks down, he sees tire spikes. He quickly grabs his gun and looks around to see if there was anyone present. They hurry and clear out of the car, making sure the vehicle was to their back as their eyes adjusted to the dimming sky.
Feeling trapped, and given they can’t see very far, they figured someone would’ve heard the noise and be after them; or at least any goods in the car. The family packs up all the items they had because they were still a few miles away from Chesty’s house. They decided they were going to need to get there by foot. Buckley tried to call Chesty again; it rings once then goes off-line. He hands his wife an AR, he puts on two backpacks one in the front and one in the back, so his wife can attend to the kids. There is a golf course up ahead, a little bit away from the houses; and Buckley thought if they start to head that way it would be easier to spot any threats. They start heading down the street.
They get a few blocks down the street until they start to see a few random bodies. The stench of the vomit & blood stained the air. The smell was so strong, it bled through their face coverings. As they continued, their pace slowed down. They had to step between the bodies as they checked to make sure they were not moving. Every once and a while a breath could be heard, and the family paused to ensure they avoided any threats coming at them. The bodies, in some cases, looked as if they shapeshifted. The convulsions people were having had misshapen their spines, and their body shape was off. Many had bones, like their scapulas, tear out of their back.
FInally, they get into the open green of the course. One child grabs the rake, and holds it like a bat, as they continue forward. Up ahead, there is a small snack shack with a bathroom . Buckley breaks in to get some supplies and any packaged food & drinks they can find. Behind the counter, there were not many items still there. A few beers, a couple sodas, and some really old cookies. Packing these up, around back suddenly a rack holding some chips fell over. Hiding by behind the counter, Buckley peers over. It was just a dirty old cat that must have been hiding out from the cold. He finds a bottle opener with a knife, puts it in his pocket and heads out.
Chapter XII.
It was near 11:00 a.m. and confusion continued to grow. While outside people began to cough and the air seemed off, and a weird smell began to brew. Individuals starting to scream randomly in the streets. There was a video going viral online, where a man was convulsing and began to twist and contort. Other videos showed people having apparitions and yelling out strange things, while others were in trance-like state.
Children were starting to wander and having what seemed to look like stigmata. Those that were choking on the air, now began to bleed from the eyes. The bleeding was so painfully strong, that people were biting on their fingers, belts, or even on their tongues or cheeks to deal with it. Some looked as if they were going insane. It seemed like half the population were dealing with these issues because at least the other half was still actively sharing on the Flow.
It wasn't until 1:00 p.m. that day that lava seemed to fall out of the sky. During the earthquake a large hole opened up in the Earth's crust. The gravitational differences with the moon being so close, caused the outer layer of the Earth to shift in appearance. Compasses began spinning, and the magnetic field weakened. Dark plumes of lava and smoke made the air more dense. Now everything was covered in ashes, and the air became impossible to breathe without covering your face.
It was around 3:00 p.m. when the Flow started sharing posts of the faithful as they were locking down and boarding up their homes. The prophecy that stated ‘only blessed beeswax candles could be lit seems to be coming true.’ The lack of oxygen in the air was caused by the ever growing dense ash and smoke. Even electronics began to fail and dim.
Buckley and his family were headed out, they were going to make the trek to his best friend, Chesty’s house. For years his best friend had been preparing for the worst, and Buckley knew if they could just make it there, even if the worst was to come, at least they would be in good company.
On the drive, roads were blocked everywhere. People were fighting over gas, and siphoning fuel out of the cars that were stopped. Others set up shop on the side of the road and traded gas for food.
At that moment, Buckley had a realization; all the tragedy he had witnessed over the years, had actually been preparing him to protect his family now. His wife yelled at him to pay attention as they continued to drive south. Buckley squeezed a rosary between his hand and the steering wheel.
On I-25, a semi was turned over and blocked the right lane. Cars were parked all around the truck, as they ransacked the trailer for anything of value. The slow moving traffic was only sliding through in a space large enough for 1 car at a time. As they slowly rolled between the cars, the kids hid down on the floor between the seats. People knocked on the windows and tried to look inside to see if there was anything inside. Buckley held his 9mm firmly against his thigh, so it would be in clear view of those trying to peer inside.
Buckley tried to call Chesty to let him know they were on the way, but phones were still not working. The drive was taking longer than they had anticipated. The headlights barely produced any light, and the ash that covered the roads was mixing with the rain and turning into a thick sludge. As the tires spun, they headed up the ramp and continued until finally they got off the highway. Luckily, the car was still in 1 piece, and the ‘bug-out’ bags in the trunk were still intact.
The road up ahead was desolate. It was getting into the later hours of the day, and what little light was still relevant from the sun was now dissipating over the Rockies. As they continued to drive, visibility was nearly gone. The only way to judge the direction was to focus on the few homes that had candlelight and keep straight. As the homes passed, you could only see a glimmer of candlelight between fence posts. Buckley tried to keep equi-distant between the left and right sides of the road.
Boom, pow, crash; suddenly the car jumps and slides into the sidewalk. Buckley stepped outside to check the tires, thinking he ran into the median on the street. When Buckley looks down, he sees tire spikes. He quickly grabs his gun and looks around to see if there was anyone present. They hurry and clear out of the car, making sure the vehicle was to their back as their eyes adjusted to the dimming sky.
Feeling trapped, and given they can’t see very far, they figured someone would’ve heard the noise and be after them; or at least any goods in the car. The family packs up all the items they had because they were still a few miles away from Chesty’s house. They decided they were going to need to get there by foot. Buckley tried to call Chesty again; it rings once then goes off-line. He hands his wife an AR, he puts on two backpacks one in the front and one in the back, so his wife can attend to the kids. There is a golf course up ahead, a little bit away from the houses; and Buckley thought if they start to head that way it would be easier to spot any threats. They start heading down the street.
They get a few blocks down the street until they start to see a few random bodies. The stench of the vomit & blood stained the air. The smell was so strong, it bled through their face coverings. As they continued, their pace slowed down. They had to step between the bodies as they checked to make sure they were not moving. Every once and a while a breath could be heard, and the family paused to ensure they avoided any threats coming at them. The bodies, in some cases, looked as if they shapeshifted. The convulsions people were having had misshapen their spines, and their body shape was off. Many had bones, like their scapulas, tear out of their back.
FInally, they get into the open green of the course. One child grabs the rake, and holds it like a bat, as they continue forward. Up ahead, there is a small snack shack with a bathroom . Buckley breaks in to get some supplies and any packaged food & drinks they can find. Behind the counter, there were not many items still there. A few beers, a couple sodas, and some really old cookies. Packing these up, around back suddenly a rack holding some chips fell over. Hiding by behind the counter, Buckley peers over. It was just a dirty old cat that must have been hiding out from the cold. He finds a bottle opener with a knife, puts it in his pocket and heads out.
XII.
It was near 11:00 a.m. and confusion continued to grow. While outside people began to cough and the air seemed off, and a weird smell began to brew. Individuals starting to scream randomly in the streets. There was a video going viral online, where a man was convulsing and began to twist and contort. Other videos showed people having apparitions and yelling out strange things, while others were in trance-like state.
Children were starting to wander and having what seemed to look like stigmata. Those that were choking on the air, now began to bleed from the eyes. The bleeding was so painfully strong, that people were biting on their fingers, belts, or even on their tongues or cheeks to deal with it. Some looked as if they were going insane. It seemed like half the population were dealing with these issues because at least the other half was still actively sharing on the Flow.
It wasn't until 1:00 p.m. that day that lava seemed to fall out of the sky. During the earthquake a large hole opened up in the Earth's crust. The gravitational differences with the moon being so close, caused the outer layer of the Earth to shift in appearance. Compasses began spinning, and the magnetic field weakened. Dark plumes of lava and smoke made the air more dense. Now everything was covered in ashes, and the air became impossible to breathe without covering your face.
It was around 3:00 p.m. when the Flow started sharing posts of the faithful as they were locking down and boarding up their homes. The prophecy that stated ‘only blessed beeswax candles could be lit seems to be coming true.’ The lack of oxygen in the air was caused by the ever growing dense ash and smoke. Even electronics began to fail and dim.
Buckley and his family were headed out, they were going to make the trek to his best friend, Chesty’s house. For years his best friend had been preparing for the worst, and Buckley knew if they could just make it there, even if the worst was to come, at least they would be in good company.
On the drive, roads were blocked everywhere. People were fighting over gas, and siphoning fuel out of the cars that were stopped. Others set up shop on the side of the road and traded gas for food.
At that moment, Buckley had a realization; all the tragedy he had witnessed over the years, had actually been preparing him to protect his family now. His wife yelled at him to pay attention as they continued to drive south. Buckley squeezed a rosary between his hand and the steering wheel.
On I-25, a semi was turned over and blocked the right lane. Cars were parked all around the truck, as they ransacked the trailer for anything of value. The slow moving traffic was only sliding through in a space large enough for 1 car at a time. As they slowly rolled between the cars, the kids hid down on the floor between the seats. People knocked on the windows and tried to look inside to see if there was anything inside. Buckley held his 9mm firmly against his thigh, so it would be in clear view of those trying to peer inside.
Buckley tried to call Chesty to let him know they were on the way, but phones were still not working. The drive was taking longer than they had anticipated. The headlights barely produced any light, and the ash that covered the roads was mixing with the rain and turning into a thick sludge. As the tires spun, they headed up the ramp and continued until finally they got off the highway. Luckily, the car was still in 1 piece, and the ‘bug-out’ bags in the trunk were still intact.
The road up ahead was desolate. It was getting into the later hours of the day, and what little light was still relevant from the sun was now dissipating over the Rockies. As they continued to drive, visibility was nearly gone. The only way to judge the direction was to focus on the few homes that had candlelight and keep straight. As the homes passed, you could only see a glimmer of candlelight between fence posts. Buckley tried to keep equi-distant between the left and right sides of the road.
Boom, pow, crash; suddenly the car jumps and slides into the sidewalk. Buckley stepped outside to check the tires, thinking he ran into the median on the street. When Buckley looks down, he sees tire spikes. He quickly grabs his gun and looks around to see if there was anyone present. They hurry and clear out of the car, making sure the vehicle was to their back as their eyes adjusted to the dimming sky.
Feeling trapped, and given they can’t see very far, they figured someone would’ve heard the noise and be after them; or at least any goods in the car. The family packs up all the items they had because they were still a few miles away from Chesty’s house. They decided they were going to need to get there by foot. Buckley tried to call Chesty again; it rings once then goes off-line. He hands his wife an AR, he puts on two backpacks one in the front and one in the back, so his wife can attend to the kids. There is a golf course up ahead, a little bit away from the houses; and Buckley thought if they start to head that way it would be easier to spot any threats. They start heading down the street.
They get a few blocks down the street until they start to see a few random bodies. The stench of the vomit & blood stained the air. The smell was so strong, it bled through their face coverings. As they continued, their pace slowed down. They had to step between the bodies as they checked to make sure they were not moving. Every once and a while a breath could be heard, and the family paused to ensure they avoided any threats coming at them. The bodies, in some cases, looked as if they shapeshifted. The convulsions people were having had misshapen their spines, and their body shape was off. Many had bones, like their scapulas, tear out of their back.
FInally, they get into the open green of the course. One child grabs the rake, and holds it like a bat, as they continue forward. Up ahead, there is a small snack shack with a bathroom . Buckley breaks in to get some supplies and any packaged food & drinks they can find. Behind the counter, there were not many items still there. A few beers, a couple sodas, and some really old cookies. Packing these up, around back suddenly a rack holding some chips fell over. Hiding by behind the counter, Buckley peers over. It was just a dirty old cat that must have been hiding out from the cold. He finds a bottle opener with a knife, puts it in his pocket and heads out.