“Yeah, we got to know each other when I helped Hoot during his recovery. Nothing like feeding a hungry bird it’s favorite food to get him to warm up to you. Bertha found the other eagle on the ground while she was searching for stray snatchers. All we can figure is that it got hurt during the battle somehow. It didn’t take long for Slasher to take notice.”
He chuckled. “Nature does have its ways.” When he peered into her eyes, heat flashed across her body. She stood staring at him and hoping he knew how much she loved him.
As if he read her mind, he put his arm around her and squeezed. “Come on, the sun should be dipping behind Erik soon.”
A few minutes later, she and Zo cleared a small hill west of Ukkiville. Caru gasped. “Blazes, look at the sky. It’s amazing!”
The gigantic orange orb slowly descended beyond the peaks of Erik the Red. To the west, billowy clouds cast soft hues of pink as those to the north faded to a lavender glow, like the flowers around the Lake of Dreams after the snows melted.
While scanning the jagged mountainside, a tormented thought knifed her soul. What if those snatchers do come back?
She shut her eyes and shoved back, burying the horrid notion deep in the recesses of her mind. They wouldn’t dare!
Slowly opening her lids, she watched as the sun cooled to blood-red and drifted halfway behind the summit. The lingering reflections off the south-facing cliffs sparkled like diamonds against the crystals embedded in the rocky bluffs.
Drawing a deep breath, Caru slowly released it and put her arm around Zo while resting her head on his shoulder. “Did you ever imagine anything so beautiful?”
His piercing eyes penetrated hers as they stared at each other for a moment. He smiled and whispered. “I am now.”
Lowering his head closer, he kissed her ever so gently. She melted into his muscled arms as she pressed harder and tasted his sweet lips.
During their long embrace, Caru opened one eye and peeked at the sun. The last sliver of the crimson ball slowly slipped behind Erik’s crest and disappeared.
THE END
Thank you for reading The New World: Crimson Winter.
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There is More!
To discover what happens to your favorite characters many years later, visit:
https://www.andyskrzynski.com/character-life-endeavors.html
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I thank my wife, Bonnie, who read my manuscript over and over again till her eyes blurred. Not once did she push back as she willingly accepted different renditions of each chapter, time and time again. Additionally, this adventure would certainly not be as exciting without the inspiration of our rambunctious granddaughter, Hoot.
Because of the help of many beta readers, who volunteered to read and provide feedback for my book series, the tale within this novel is much improved from what I could have accomplished without their edits, comments, and recommendations. In addition to the great help of the beta readers, I want to point out a few who went the extra mile and spent numerous dedicated hours of reading and providing excellent suggestions throughout the completion of the manuscript. These exceptional helpers include my sister, Vickie, and my good friend, Shirley Lambert. A heartfelt thanks to all of the wonderful beta readers who extended their hands, hearts, and minds to help me!
Last, but certainly not least, my writing improved tremendously over the past three years because of the help of two writer’s groups: Red River Writers in Mt. Pleasant, Texas and The Whyte Dove in Quitman, Texas. The Read & Critique sessions of each were immensely beneficial.
God bless you all!
The New World: A Step Backward
Preview of the First Book of the Series
CHAPTER ONE
Farewell to the Old World
Easter Sunday, 2019
A blaring alarm reverberated through Tyler Luca's ears, jolting him from his peaceful slumber. His heart pounded like a booming drum while he scrambled to his feet and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. The large, blue numbers flashed 1:47 am. Shaking his head to orient himself, Tyler realized what was happening. This is it!
The nerve-wracking shrill continued from two large, oak-encased speakers in his make-shift office. Triggered by a coded message from his former college friend, Cassie, who worked at the Pentagon, the alert was a warning that Internet chatter by Iran, Russia, and China had spiked like never before. This meant only one thing to Tyler and his two closest friends. What they had feared for months — a concerted global strike against the Western world — would soon be at hand.
Slight but wiry, the young man grabbed a fistful of clothes and started dressing on the fly, as he sprinted to his computer. While tying his shoes, he read the decoded messages streaming across the screen: "Attack imminent! Leave NOW!"
Tyler's chest tightened, knowing Cassie's ominous and final advisory left little time to react. His dear friend in D.C. had only the remotest chance of surviving, and he'd likely never see her again. Get out of there, Cassie! A fist-sized knot in his gut swelled and churned.
Clenching his teeth, he snatched his phone from a blue, glass bowl and called the number atop his contact list. It rang six times. Come on, Jacob — answer the phone! Finally, the scratchy voice of his buddy broke through. "Is that you, Tyler?"
"Yes — we have to go — NOW! Meet me where we store the truck in 15 minutes!"
An Hour Later
Still angered by Cassie's looming fate, Tyler squeezed the shift stick and slammed through the gears of the red 18-wheeler kept just for this occasion. The engine of the old, weathered rig roared. Rumbling along Interstate 94 near Madison, Wisconsin, he and Jacob traveled west.
While the bright glow of the cab's headlights bounced along the expressway, Tyler turned to his friend. "Just as we expected — a Christian holiday." Easter was one of a few critical dates circled on his calendar as a potential day for an attack.
Mesmerized by the road's white center lines, Tyler ticked through his mental list of items in the rig as it hurtled down the highway: food and other essentials, pipes, solar panels, small-sized windmills, and five prototypes of an invention he and Jacob created.
A bluish-green flash from the rear-view mirrors blinded Tyler, causing him to swerve to the shoulder. Blinking and squinting to erase the intense glare imprinted on his retina, he reached for his pal's hand. "That must have been Chicago! We've got to get away from here fast!" If they hit Chicago, that means New York, D.C., and the other strategic spots are nuked as well.
He continued the hasty retreat westerly on I-94 through Minneapolis to Fargo, then turned north on I-29. Barreling through Grand Forks toward Canada, he drove the fastest speed possible with the load behind him.
Given the attacks that were surely underway across the United States and Canada, his mind raced. It's only a matter of time before the electrical grid and communications get knocked out. We can't afford any delays!
Saying little to his partner, Tyler drove on as a constant blur of vehicle lights streamed by from the other side of the interstate. Tormented visions of the devastation unfolding across the country he loved invaded his thoughts. Tyler shook his head, whipping his long, jet-black hair to and fro as a scorching burn torched his heart. Now is not the time to think about this!
He focused his attention on their destination: a valley of forests and lakes northwest of the Riding Mountain National Park, a relatively safe distance from Winnipeg. I sure hope they didn't hit that area.
CHAPTER TWO
The New World
56 Years Later on August 5, 8:30 am
On a summer day in 2075, a chorus of songbirds awakened the settlement of Ukkiville, nestled in a resource-rich valley northwest of an area previously known as the Riding Mountain National Pa
rk. Under a sprawling oak tree, three inseparable friends, Thoruk, Mercivil, and Stormulka, carried out their daily stretching routine. As usual, Mercivil's creamy white polar bear, Fluf, accompanied her loving master.
The trio, who had declared themselves blood siblings in their teens with a vow to protect the townspeople, regularly exercised and sparred to keep their muscles and reflexes tuned for battle. With an unrelenting bond formed from numerous journeys and skirmishes, Mercivil and Stormulka staunchly supported Thoruk. The honorable, young man was entrusted as the leader of their community when his father, Odinuk, was assassinated four years earlier.
Their favorite gathering spot to train lay just outside the village walls, constructed of pine logs to protect 80 cabins from menacing marauders. Ukkiville had survived several attacks by its most detested enemy, the Skalags, for many years after the Old World collapsed during the World Annihilation Period of 2019 to 2025. Like the rest of Earth's remaining inhabitants, settlers of the surrounding area suffered through 50 years of transformation following that time.
Relying on basic amenities typical of the pioneering days of the 1800s, Ukkiville's families lived like many primitive communities dotting territories across the globe. Most of them had no electricity, retrieved water from wells, used candles or lamps for light, and visited outhouses when nature called. Such was life in the "New World" — an existence spiked with occasional danger and peculiar challenges but accepted with pride by most villagers.
On this particular day, while the morning's shadows melted under the glow of the yellow-gold sun, the trio and their four-legged guardian prepared for a jog to the Lake of Dreams, southeast of Ukkiville.
Leaning forward against the trunk of the shade tree, Thoruk arched his back. "Blazes, my muscles feel stiff."
Mercivil, a local school teacher, relished any opportunity to poke at her buddies. "That's funny because I don't remember you taking so long to limber up before you reached the ripe old age of 26."
Thoruk shook his head. "Speaking of getting older, didn't we just attend your birthday party a month ago?"
She peered at him with her deep sky-blue eyes. "Yea, but I'm a couple years younger than you two. It only takes me a few minutes to loosen up — unlike you old men."
Putting both hands on his hips, Stormulka squinted his dark amber eyes. "Hey Princess, don't include me with him. I don't turn 26 until October."
Thoruk rubbed his wavy, bronze-red hair. "Alright, let's change the subject. We're lucky today; the temperature's pretty cool for August. Let's run further and enjoy this weather while we can. I'm sure it's going to get a lot hotter."
"Sounds great to me, but Mercy might have trouble keeping up." Stormulka, whose playful antagonism and mischievous nature were rarely suppressed, winked then spun toward Mercivil.
Her nostrils flared, and before he squared around, she punched him so hard he almost tripped over a fallen branch. "I'm not the one who trails wherever we go."
She mocked him with a sassy tone. "Oh Stormy, I sure hope you don't choke on my dust when you cross the finish line." Her hair, the color of honey, shimmered when she pivoted toward Thoruk. "He may not even be that close. We'll probably have to send a search party to find him."
Thoruk badgered him further. "It won't be hard. All they'll have to do is listen for his whimpering."
Stormulka grunted as he bent over to tighten the laces of the thick-soled moccasins he wore for jogging. "Yea, we'll see who's waiting on who in the end." Lumbering over, Fluf goosed him with her nose, almost knocking him over. After regaining his balance, he wheeled toward Mercivil, shaking his head. "Dearie, I've seen what you can do with animals. I know you can control her better than that. Your ball of fur gooses me every time we meet."
She laughed. "What makes you believe Fluf isn't doing exactly what I want her to do, Stormy boy? You know how it is — she knows what I'm thinking." She twirled gracefully and flipped her long ponytail in his direction.
Stormulka grinned. "Just because Powderpuff thinks it strange that your friends don't always circle and sniff each other's behinds doesn't mean she needs to go around nosing mine all the time."
Jerking her head in his direction, Fluf growled.
Thoruk chuckled. "You better stop messing with her or she may eat you for breakfast. Come on, let's get going."
Pulling up his saggy, sheepskin shorts, Stormulka took off down a worn trail they used for a shortcut to the lake.
Within a few seconds, Thoruk zoomed by him with Mercivil and Fluf trotting behind them. Thoruk slowed to a medium pace and deeply inhaled a long drag of air through his nose. I love the smell of pines.
His eyes darted back and forth as they passed a cluster of high weeds along the path. Something twisted and slithered through the ferns, causing him to careen from the rustling leaves. An icy shudder shot across his body. Shivers, I hate snakes!
After regaining his stride, he glanced toward the sky. He whizzed by the swaying pines, enjoying the billowy, white clouds against the morning's light blue haze.
Soon they were jogging down a steep hill, passing beneath a lush canopy of ash, poplar, and birch trees as they neared a trickling brook. Thoruk savored the soothing aura, enhanced by the chirping of birds swooping from one tree to another.
A few minutes later, a plump cotton-tail scampered across their trail, weaving and dodging as if being chased by a wolf seeking a snack. Spooked by the bunny's frantic retreat, a huge stag snorted and bolted into the thicket.
Sliding across the leaf-strewn gravel, Thoruk and his running buddies skidded to a halt. His broad, rock-hard chest expanded as he sucked a quick breath. Whew, so much for a peaceful jaunt.
Stormulka's eyes widened as he turned to his friends. "That was a gigantic buck. I'll be back to check out this area when I need venison."
Mercivil snickered. "You'll have to get the beast before I do."
After continuing their jog for a while longer, they neared the opening overlooking the Lake of Dreams. Thoruk pointed to a weeping willow on the shore. "Let's go sit over there."
Mercivil kept running in the direction of the tree. "Okay, but not for too long. I still want to run some more before it gets too hot."
As they approached, Thoruk looked at her. "It just occurred to me. I can't remember where you got Fluf — you've been together for so long."
"My grandfather — bless his soul — brought her back from an Arctic expedition as a gift. He found her wandering the frozen land alone. You know the lake on my place — how cold it is all the time. The near-icy water is filled by an aquifer supplied by the runoff near the Arctic Ocean. Grandpa thought she'd be fine around such a habitat. He was right. Fluf loves Arctic Bear Lake and spends most of her free time cooling off in its water."
When they reached the willow's shade, they slumped to the ground, but Stormulka scrambled to his feet. "Blazes, I can't believe it. I just sat on something warm and wet. I hope that wasn't some animal's pee!"
Like his friends, forever joking to relieve the daily stresses of their primitive lifestyle, Thoruk smirked. "Might be. A doe and her fawn ran off into those trees when we came over the hill."
"Well, Stormy dear, people are going to wonder if you have a problem with that yellow spot on your shorts."
"What spot?" He rotated in a circle trying to see what she meant but couldn't find a thing.
She rolled her eyes. "You are a fool, dancing around after nothing at all like a cat chasing its tail. We should get moving so you can dry your panties. Let's go to the other side of the lake. We haven't been there in a while."
Thoruk rose. "I was just getting comfortable. Come on, Storm. You need to air out your britches. We don't want you developing a rash."
"Ha, ha, Your Majesty. I'm going to stay ahead of you guys. Just follow the yellow spot and hold your nose." He whacked Thoruk in the shoulder as he dashed by. "Keep up, Oh Great One."
Thoruk helped Mercivil to her feet so they could catch up with their soggy-bottomed friend. She gesture
d to where Ukkiville kept a community boat for the villagers' use. "Let's head to the dock."
Halfway around, she surveyed the park area as it became visible in the distance. "I love water hyacinth — their purple blooms are gorgeous this time of year. There's a huge cluster floating over there."
"They may be pretty, but that stuff can overtake a lake. I've seen it consume a small lake by the base of that peak." Stormulka motioned to the distant mountain range behind the north side of the lake. "You can't even get a kayak through the vegetation any more. It's a fisherman's nightmare if it gets out of hand."
"You're such a killjoy." She waved him away.
Thoruk extended his strides. "Pick up the pace, we're almost there."
After reaching their destination, he looked at his buddies, panting heavily. "That must have been a four-mile jog. I need some air."
Mercivil ambled out onto the dock and began waving her arms about her head. "Whoa, the flies are horrible over here." She took a closer look at the big patch of hyacinth about 40 feet from the dock. "Shivers!" She placed both hands over her mouth, then pointed. "Hurry! Look!" A body, drenched in blood, floated near the cluster of flowers.
CHAPTER THREE
Lurking in the Lake of Dreams
August 5, 2075 at 9:42 am
Thoruk sprinted to Mercivil's side to untie the worn, chalky-white boat, tethered to the dock. He looked back at his friends. "Come on, let's see if we can help — he may be drowning!"
Mercivil glanced at her pet. "Fluf — stay!"
Hopping in first, Thoruk seized the oars. "Be careful getting in." The small vessel wobbled as water from its bottom soaked his moccasins. "Here we go." He rowed toward the victim who was floating face down.
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