Darkness Falls:
Rise of the Fallen
Book 1
Martin W. Francis
Copyright © 2015 by Martin W. Francis
Cover design & cover photo © 2015 by Martin W. Francis. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or electronic or mechanical means – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews – without written permission from its publisher or author.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition, 2015
Copyright © 2015 Dark Storm Press
All rights reserved.
Dark Storm Press
2108 57th St
Lubbock, TX 79412
www.darkstormpress.com
To my dearest beautiful wife Nicole,
If ever there is an apocalypse of the undead I promise to protect you to the best of my ability. I would risk my life for you every single day to keep you safe. If it is completely beyond my control that you are somehow bitten or infected by other means….. I promise to put a bullet between your eyes the second you turn into one of the Fallen. I would hope that you would do the same for me.
Love,
Martin
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Rising:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Chapter 2 The Fallen
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Chapter 3 Beyond the Darkness
1
2
3
Chapter 4 Where the Road May Lead
1
2
3
4
5
Introduction
The downfall of the civilization was not due to war or a meteor from space as many had predicted it would come about. The end did come swiftly for most with a scythe of death bringing change that few could imagine in their worst nightmares. Every day normal lives throughout the world were stripped of their hopes, dreams, and last breathes. Millions of dead in the streets from a plague that spread like wildfire.
The exact details of how it all began are a bit sketchy. From what has been pieced together from various individuals and written records there is a high likelihood it began on a military base somewhere in White Sands, New Mexico. Even though no proof has come to my hands personally, everyone seems to have the same theory. It is believed to have been some kind of chemical or biological warfare testing facility experimenting on something that went drastically wrong. The aftermath of the plague changed everything and brought with it a new evil.
On the dreadful evening it all began many saw an explosion feeling the earth shake under their feet for hundreds of miles. It was followed by a massive billowing plume cloud that suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the sky. The first impression from footage aired on the news was that terrorists must have set off a nuclear bomb.
The billowing smoke rose into the sky around dusk. The wind was blowing pretty strong that day according to the meteorologists, but the real problem was the numerous fluffy white clouds which apparently absorbed something on a molecular level from that smoke. The once blue sky and pretty white fluffy clouds almost immediate both became an ashy grey in color. An ominous storm appeared swelling in size in mere seconds becoming something that humankind has never seen before. The sky became dark with a slight amber glow emanating within the now large clouds. Hundreds of lightning strikes (pinkish in color) suddenly lit up the sky striking multiple times in the same place as the storm cell continued to grow in size. Those watching from towns and cities that the storm now enveloped in its several hundred mile span were expecting a torrential downpour any moment. Some even had the sudden thought it would likely pour acid rain or something a thousand times worse. A panic arose in the streets for those not sheltered. Many began to run for cars or a roof to duck underneath. Several gazing up at the sky dumbfounded found themselves knocked down and trampled. The sky became suddenly bright as large chunks of hail began to downpour like miniature comets. This hail appeared to be made of a pinkish ice and fire at the same time. Everything that the hail came in contact with burst into pink flames, including the people still in the streets. Roofs lit up as the fire not just thrived but absorbed energy from whatever it burned. The consuming fire were impossible to extinguish as many tried. The fire became innate a few minutes after contact seemingly starved of whatever it required to burn endlessly. Turned out those that were the safest were in vehicles or enclosures made of metal or stone which the hail simply deflected off leaving only a small ding here and there. The fire did not have the capacity to set those materials ablaze like it did absolutely everything else.
An hour passed before the hail came to an end. The electricity, phone lines, cell towers, and all other forms of power or communication were completely unusable in what seemed like a dead zone since the beginning of the storm. Only handfuls of the many populations that were onslaught by the storm remained alive after that first hour. The amber glow in the sky changed to a pale blue glow surrounding the ashy sky and clouds. Those still among the living thought the storm would finally subside now leaving them with a lifelong fear of bad weather. A light rain began to fall retaining some of that pale blue glow from the sky. Rather than remain a liquid creating a torrential flood, once the drops made contact with anything solid they evaporated seeming to vanish before the eye.
Within minutes of the downpour those in vehicles or house with openings to the outside air began to notice a sweet odor. The smell was very similar to that of antifreeze. Only a few hundred had the instant thought to cover their noses and mouths with cloth or something to filter the air was filtered. The once oxygen rich air became intoxicatingly hard to resist and deadly. Whatever it was that many continued to breathe in took control of a part of their brain. It shut down normal thought processes and control. Within seconds they started convulsing. Then when they seemed all but dead (and their hearts completely stopped) their brains found a way to run without blood any longer pumping (electrical currents firing on a massive scale in that air made them somehow capable of movement). They were no longer themselves or with any rational thought. The moment they opened their now slightly glowing pale blue eyes, they were filled with a violent rage and hunger. To be clear, not a hunger for vegetable, fruit, or to gnaw on just anything. They had a hunger for blood and flesh. The recently dead in the streets were also afflicted in a similar manner only they seemed slower in movement. At first many attacked others that were also infected out of blind rage. Then they somehow became oddly aware that they shared a similar bond regardless of their blood thirst. Even though many were now missing limbs ripped from their bodies or had massive wounds, they no longer attacked others that were infected. The blood oozing from their bodies became coagulated in seconds. Family, friends, and loved ones saw those they thought deceased moved about as if by invisible strings that some demonic puppeteer pulled.
The infected focused their attention on attacking those uninfected. Only around forty individuals were swift enough to completely incapacitate the infected with a weapon or were simply alone keeping themselves hidden at the time. Only half of those survivors escaped when they made an attempt to flee. The
twenty that did safely escape were met by military personnel who had quickly erected massive borders and checkpoints around the area. They were quarantined to make sure they had not been somehow exposed. There was only one individual who actually found a way to evade military confinement. To this very day he does not like to speak of that day the Fallen rose to walk among us. It was from him that I later personally heard the actual details of what happened the day it all began.
The media coverage that night told the public that a nuclear reactor had exploded at a specific location (which was about a hundred miles from the actual explosion). The government stated the area was under complete quarantine. Supposedly it would be a matter of time with the right gear before the exact details could be determined to the cause. They were also unsure at this time what effects it would have on the population in nearby areas until an inspection was made. The media repeated for about a week that if any survivors were found they would need to be examined for exposure, given medical attention if necessary, and moved to a safe area supplied with all necessities for this type of national disaster. Anyone that knew someone in the area should contact FEMA to see if they were among the list of survivors there might be.
Anyone who knows how the government or media works are more than aware that most of the major stories given to the public in national disasters or crime usually contain only minor facts while holding back the full scope of the details. This is especially true when the government is lacking in its duties to fulfill their jobs (leaving the local and state emergency responders to do all the work). They both have become experts at being persuasive when the occasion arises. They know how to reassure the people there is no need to worry until they have no other choice.
Conspiracy theories of what may have actually occurred spread like wildfire on the internet, through text messages, and phone conversations. The government monitoring all of these and other forms of communications were unprepared for the growing civil unrest and overall disapproval. The President was advised to give a speech in an attempt to calm the people. They suggested he assured the citizens while advising them to stay calm in this time of great despair. If that did not work he was advised that he should dispatch an immediate detachment of all military personnel to the largest cities to quell civil unrest including disarmament, curfews, or whatever means necessary.
The President gave his speech early the next morning taking over every aired channel through the government’s National Emergency Broadcast System. All forms of media encompassed the President’s speech supporting his leadership in a great time of need.
Within the week riots began and civilians voiced their opinions loudly to the government through many various ways. When the government dispatched military to the major cities to set things back in order all hell broke loose. Many citizens who had felt pushed around or controlled for near a quarter century joined the voices of the masses in civil unrest. The military became incapable of handling millions of angry citizens. Eventually, a crowd was actually fired on and among those that died there was a young child of only twelve years old. Some of the military laid down their weapons or changed sides after this happened. They knew their own families could be in similar predicaments. Others because they had a moral dilemma of firing on children who now joined the crowds in great numbers out of respect for the one who had been killed. Fighting eventually broke out amongst the military itself in certain areas. Citizens joined the fray attacking those in the military who directed their guns on the crowds. They used every means possible with an unbending ferocity. They brought their own guns and other weapons outnumbering the military in numbers and firepower. The military that still refused to back down were swarmed in a matter of days. In almost every place the military faced the public they were completely overcome losing every last soldier among the dead or injured. Unmanned drones and other technological advanced means were the government’s next attempt using the military to disperse the citizens and quell the problem. These were quickly overcome by hackers and highly intelligent citizens with vast resources at their disposal. A new resistance formed openly challenging the government growing into numbers in the millions. Any who wore a military uniform or were a known political member of the federal government were deemed enemies of the people. High members of the government (including the White House) decided it was in their best interest to leave the United States in its current state to seek assistance and military power from foreign allies.
The media was quick to change their alliances and misinformation in the off chance the public should direct their attention on them next (which in some cases it still did). The media put out the word that the top officials had abandoned the White House and broadcasted the sad stories of citizens who had lost their lives.
The military that had been guarding the large quarantined area of the initial incident while not partaking in the civil war chose to disperse into the night. They returned to their families secretly stashing away their uniforms like discarded trash. A few of those military officers unknowingly had become infected while dealing with attacks of the Fallen. The man in charge of the quarantine site who was an avid lifer in the military for over thirty years finally broke down mentally from the responsibility, the desertion, and the downfall of the government. Being the last man at the facility which housed the survivors he decided to take his own life. Before he put a bullet in his own temple he shot every one of the civilians regardless of the fact that they had shown no signs of infection.
Nothing stopping the infected except unmanned fences and barricades the undead made their way out gradually over time. The term Fallen would soon hold several meanings. The most common meaning would be used for those who were overcome by other Fallen or from the plague that would bring a great rise in their numbers.
Chapter 1
Rising
-1-
I sometimes reminisce of the days before it all began. There are many things I really miss with a passion like family and friends, a hot shower, going out to a restaurant for a nice meal, or watching a movie in a theatre with the overpriced large bucket of popcorn covered in endless butter.
I suppose I should begin by introducing myself. My name is Ryan Pendleton, friends and close family call me Rye for short. I am of Irish and German decent, have dark brown hair, blue eyes, and am athletically in shape. I have a decent size family consisting of two sisters and a brother (Leah, Stacy, and Vance). Both of our parents passed away a few years ago in a car accident with a college student texting while driving. They were hit head-on doing about seventy miles an hour on an overpass. My siblings and I grew up in a large two story house in Smyer, Texas. Our parents worked hard to make sure none of us were ever wanting or in need. I was the second oldest after Leah. We all attended college getting degrees at a young age except for Stacy who had little or no desire in school. She was always more focused on her appearance, boys, and money. They say there is always one in every family at least who is the exception to the rest. Stacy always had a knack for finding trouble or creating it.
We eventually moved out and did our own things. I found employment in a law firm quickly becoming a partner and joint owner. However just to be clear let me say that my day job and who I was when not at work were complete opposites. I was known to get in some trouble myself (not like Stacy), but always knew how to take care of myself usually talking my way out of trouble with the law. I attended as many concerts, clubs, and parties I could in my younger days. Those eventually got tiresome so I learned to hunt, skydive, scuba dive with sharks, or anything that I found exhilarating with a little danger. At the same time I did make it a point to absorb any kind of knowledge I possible could. I was an avid book reader, a collector of historic memorabilia and antiques, and was an upstanding pillar of the community known for giving speeches about rights and justice. I wined and dined in expensive restaurants some nights. Others I could be found eating foods many have never heard of in the middle of nowhere.
My first house (excluding the ca
bin in Ruidoso, New Mexico I used for vacations a week or two out of the year) I bought was a quaint million dollars in Lubbock, Texas on three acres of land surrounded by a ten foot iron fence and lots of trees. The house itself was one that many said they could easily get lost wandering around inside. It was only two stories tall, but massive in size. As you can imagine there was always quite a lot of staff helping to keep things in order and running smoothly especially when I hosted parties.
Now just to emphasize, I was not born with money or left a great inheritance. Yes, the law firm I started off at and eventually completely owned paid a great deal of money. However, where this wet behind the ears lawyer of twenty-six made enough money to buy his first and extremely extravagant property was definitely not from currency tendered by legal matters, discovered in a sunken treasure chest while scuba diving, or from a magical leprechaun during my many visits to Ireland. In my spare time when not working long shifts with clients, I put to use another skill I learned in college. I developed and got a website fully running that quickly became a world sensation. Next thing I knew offers were pouring in to buy it. I eventually settled on two hundred million dollars while attempting not to laugh during the selling proceedings. I hired my law firm to handle the transfer making them quite a bit of money in the process. That alone became a good incentive for them to sell the law firm to me for a decent price not long after while my joint partners retired comfortably.
I saw no way I could spend all that money by myself in my lifetime since I was not a particularly greedy unscrupulous human. I bought all my siblings nice new houses, new cars, and spoiled my nieces and nephews that seemed to have become as numerous as branches on a tree (in truth there were only seven total). I dated a few women who like Stacy were interested only in wealth and not so much in an actual relationship. Eventually through trial and error I met Carmen while on vacation in California.
Darkness Falls (Book 1): Rise of the Fallen Page 1