Taking little time to dress, he put on a plain collared shirt with a blue sweater and his best jeans paired with worn leather loafers. Looking in a wavy full length mirror he felt he looked clean, put together, and respectable. Randall couldn’t afford a car. With the exception of work, he walked everywhere. It kept him fit and healthy and he had theorized that a lot of humanities issues came from rushing around all the time. He had reasoned that back when men had to contemplate the long journey, they were more resolute and sure of their decisions. Nowadays when you simply had to drive three minutes to get a double bacon cheeseburger, it didn’t leave you a moment to consider if you were even hungry.
Randall had a lot of theories.
His phone rang for the fifth time that morning. The screen flashed angrily, demanding his immediate response. With a calm, contented smile, he ignored the call. Cleaning vomit and blood off the hospital floors was honorable work as far as work was concerned, but he’d been called for a higher purpose. He was meant to see the growing epidemic directly. How better to guide the chosen?
So he set along his journey, playing the dreamscape over and over in his head, analyzing every aspect of it for symbolism and meaning. He had been preaching on the mount, his followers appearing from the dark forest to listen to his message. They were coming and he had to be ready.
Randall reached his destination nearly an hour later. It was a tiny house, one level with a broken down porch wrapped around the front half and side. As he stepped up to the door the floor boards creaked underfoot and Dale, the German Sheppard, barked inside. Knowing Stack would come to the door on high alert, Randall shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up and down the quiet street.
The wooden door swung open and Randall turned to see Stack, a tanned, stout man looking half asleep, thankfully, unarmed. The pair had known each other for years. It occurred to Randall that his old buddy was looking more Pudge than Stack. He made a mental note to say something later, assuming he was interested in joining the cause. No space for dead weight in the coming days.
“Ray man, what are you doing here? It’s early.”
“The sun has risen and so have you,” Randall replied.
The odd response received an equally confused reaction, but he was too hungover to come up with something witty. Rubbing his face with his left hand, Stack swung the screen door out with his right, inviting Randall in. Dale trotted over and sniffed at Randall in a friendly manner, knowing and trusting him as a frequent visitor.
“Fine, so to what do I owe this early morning pleasure then?” Stack had been sleeping on his worn down couch in just a pair of boxer shorts. A desk fan rattled in the corner, one blade missing.
“I’ve had a vision,” said Randall, choosing not to sit.
Stack was busy fighting his dog for a position on the couch and failing miserably. “Sorry man, what did you say? You stupid mutt, get down!” he shouted as he gave the dog a smack.
“I said, I’ve had a vision and you’re coming with me,” Randall replied as he perched on the arm of a dirty old armchair. “Get dressed. It’s time.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? Where are we going? Why are you talkin’ like that?” A skeptical look crossed Stack’s face. “You been smokin’ crack?”
With a dismissive sigh Randall said, “I have no use for substances like that anymore. I have seen the light and I must tell the world. It is my calling, Stack, and you’re going to help me.”
Stack snorted and took a long drag from a warm, flat beer next to the sofa. “No use for substances, huh? So who was that the other night ripping bong hits between shots?” He laughed heartily at his own joke, rolling onto his side. Randall remained motionless and didn’t respond. “Fine, fine. What’s this vision then? And knock it off with that holier-than-thou shit.”
Randall’s tanned skin cracked as he smiled broadly. “But that’s the whole point.”
For the next hour Randall proceeded to explain to Stack in very simple English that he had been chosen to tell the world what he had seen. He knew the answer to people’s suffering and had been picked to spread it. He described the vision in detail, featuring himself as the hero and savior. It was his mission now to get people to follow his word so they would be saved. As he spoke, he let the preacher-speak drop and shift into a more casual tone.
Know your audience, he reminded himself.
He knew Stack and lots of people like him. Their outer shells might look different, but at the very core, most people were followers. He could tell he’d swayed him with his passionate rhetoric. Even if he couldn’t decide if Randall was talking bullshit or believed in what he was saying, it didn’t matter. Randall was leading and Stack felt the urge to follow. For once he’d been invited into the beginning of a huge movement, offered a position of authority and importance without having to work for it. Randall knew there’s no greater aphrodisiac for the common man.
Still sitting in his underwear, Stack rubbed his face with both palms and snorted. “Right, well then. Shit. What do we do first?”
“Things are going to move quickly. Once that ball starts rolling, ain’t nothing in this world gonna be able to stop it.”
Author’s Note
While this was just the first 20,000 words of the Stasis serial, I hope it gave you a taste of what’s to come. The second installment will come out Feb 9th and then the third on Feb 16th, each about the same length.
I have at least seven full novels planned out in this serial… and lemme tell you, it gets crazy! (Crazy good, if I can brag for a second). I love writing in twists, turns, and stuffing the story with tons of misdirections. If you think you know where this is going, you’re probably wrong ;)
I’m publishing this way because it forces me to work quickly, to not dwell on pointless details, and it gets it out in front of the people who want to read it most! I’m really hoping to do cool stuff with this serial, lots of innovative, interactive fun things. So you don’t have to scroll to the front of the book, here’s all that info again:
I need your help!
Please let me know if this story grabbed your attention enough to want to read on! My contact information is below. Send me an email, send me a message with one of the following numbers:
1 - Hell yes, gimme more!
2 - Eh, I wouldn’t mind reading further…
3 - Not for me, thanks anyway!
That’s it. If you get in touch with your feedback, I’ll send you the next installments for free when they’re ready, just because you’re such an awesome person. Obviously if you hated it, you get nothing. But if you hated it, getting nothing is a gift in itself, so you’re welcome.
Finally, THANK YOU so much for reading! There’s an unbelievable amount of choice out there and I’m humbled and happy you chose my work. Thank you.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Stasis Part 1.1 Beta
Author's note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Author's Note
Stasis (Book 1.1): Beta Page 7