John came to in a dark fleshy room like the one he woke up in. The water was gone and he was seemingly alone. Then he heard someone’s muffled breathing, as if they were trying to stay quiet. “Is someone there?” The lack of a response was concerning and he backed up to the wall…
Darkshield: John’s Arc 3: Chapter 4
John’s heart beat wildly in his chest as he stared down at the thing lying on the asphalt. Sweat dripped down his face that wasn’t coming from the hot sun. “Is it alive?” His father waved idly at his mother who was standing behind John. “It’s dead Mildred. Probably as soon as I hit it.”…
Darkshield: John’s Arc 3: Chapter 3
Both Nel and Sasha kept their distance as John looked around the new room they were in. It was an office space of some kind with rows of desks and filing cabinets lining the walls. Glancing down at a desk he saw a memo and he quickly scanned the meaningless document, desperately suppressing the rage…
Darkshield: John’s Arc 3: Chapter 2
It was an annoying trek back to the door they’d come through. The ruined shelves, crates, and random items made it slow going. Several times John thought he was going to sink into the pile and be eviscerated by the broken shrapnel. “So what’s the game plan,” asked John as they went. “I actually…” Nel…
Darkshield: John’s Arc 3: Chapter 1
John’s breathing was ragged as he ran down the corridor. His knee wobbled forcing him to slump against the wall. Part of him wanted to desperately rest, to just lean against that cool metal and let his body recover. Yet the thundering footfalls and snarling behind him was a warning that he could not rest….
Chapter 10 – Epilogue
A tall man crouched next to a writhing corpse. The body was once a man in nothing but his underwear. The top half of his head was flowered open and some dark mass was moving around inside the shoulders, struggling to get out. There was something hypnotic about the wriggling and shaking that allowed him…
Darkshield: John’s Arc 2: Chapter 9
“He’s so cute!” John smiled as Salem poked her fingers through the chain-link fence. A small Beagle on the other side eagerly licked her hand, tail wagging. “Not a very good guard dog.” “He’s too cute to be a guard dog,” she murmured through duck lips before making kissy noises. The dog responded with a…
Darkshield: John’s Arc 2: Chapter 8
“Ow.” Salem jerked her hands back with a hiss. “What happened?” John turned his head so his right cheek was resting on the mattress and looked at her in his peripheral. “Your knee jammed into my ribs.” Salem adjusted her leg out of the way as she straddled his back. “Is that better?” “Yeah.” She…
Darkshield: John’s Arc 2: Chapter 7
The corridors filled with bursts of light as the group of men stalking their way down the hall began firing in the direction of the screaming. Nel who was sitting off to John’s right started cussing up a storm as she shook her head violently, rubbed her eyes with one hand, and started shooting her…
Darkshield: John’s Arc 2: Chapter 6
The yelling around John was muffled and distant as if there was cotton in his ears. He knew he should be paying attention, but his attention was focused entirely on the thick cluster of red dots centered on his chest. Each second that passed seemed both eternal and instantaneous. Sweat formed on his brow and…