by R A Baxter
“That had me worried,” Skeets said. “I don’t think I’ll breathe easy until we get off this mountain.”
“This is pointless,” Jack said. “You’re telling me heroic tales about my future, yet the entire Intershroud is looking for me. I’m putting everyone in danger. I should just turn myself in and let the rest of you go home.”
“I don’t have a home anymore,” Katie said.
“I go where Katie goes,” Clara said.
“Dude,” Taylor said. “We’re with you until we figure out what to do about Intershroud.”
“But that’s just it,” Jack said. “There isn’t anything we can do.”
“I know one thing,” Katie said. “We can find my mom. I realize now that she’s been hiding from Intershroud all this time. If anyone can help us, it’ll be her.”
“I need to talk to my mom, too,” Clara said. “She’s probably worried sick about me.”
“We can’t contact her,” Jack said. “We can’t go home or use phones or credit cards. They’ll be listening for us and watching our homes. We’re not safe anywhere, not even in our dreams.”
“Maybe we can find a way for all of you to dream where I dream,” Clara said. “Everyone is nice there.”
“No way,” Taylor said. “It’s not natural to dream that way, Clara. It seems like someone is controlling you. If anything, we need to help you escape those dreams.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jack said. “We aren’t skilled enough to hide from Lynch and Murdock in our dreams. I’m dead tired right now, but I’m terrified to even doze off.”
Jack searched his pocket for his lighter, then shook his head when he remembered it wasn’t there. Instead, he found the folded newspaper he’d retrieved from Farley’s wastebasket in the research facility. He pulled it from his pocket and brought it close to his eyes.
“The Essential Expositor,” Jack said. “This is it!” He waved the scrap of paper in front of Taylor. “Todd Price. This guy’s standing up to them. He attacks Intershroud in public with this newsletter. He must be distributing it from somewhere.”
“Maybe he can help us find my mom,” Katie said. “You see Jack, your dream power doesn’t just work in Essentia. Your mind’s always working to put things right.”
Jack leaned his head against the van doors. He found his grandmother smiling wide and staring in turn at him, Taylor, Clara, and Katie.
“What are you smiling about?” Jack leaned back and closed his eyes.
“I have never been so happy,” she said. “I searched whole life for a hero in my family to fulfill the prophecy. The white cloud said he would lead three companions to defeat the Dark Mind. The pieces finally have fallen into place.” She started to laugh.
Taylor rolled his eyes and shook his head. Katie grinned, and Clara laughed.
“When I was a child, I worried I’d forget the prophecy, so I made it into a song. You, too, must learn it, Pak Jaegi. I’ll sing it for you.”
Jack shook his head and folded his arms. His grandmother broke into a song that awakened a memory deep inside him:
A Demon to lead him,
A Trickster to guide,
A Senex to strengthen,
A Hero provide.
They fire upon her,
With fire they bind,
From fire they blind her,
Defeat the Dark Mind.
I’m pleased to acknowledge everyone who supported and encouraged me in the long road to bringing about this book. I especially have to thank my good friends James Wymore and John Peterson whose inspirational ideas helped build the foundation upon which this work was created, and whose encouragement kept me moving forward through thick and thin. I also express my deepest gratitude to my wife and children who endured many a night sleeping soundly while I stayed up way past my bedtime writing, rewriting, rewriting rewrites, rewriting rewritten rewrites, and basically doing a lot of tapping on that “accept changes” button.
I am highly indebted to Jason King, Holli Anderson, and other friends and staff at Immortal Works, to Ashley Literski for the excellent artwork, and to the army of editors assigned to this book, for all their time, patience, efforts, insights, and guidance that enabled me to bring this book to its highest potential.
R.A. Baxter has always appreciated the arts, nature, religion, philosophy, and all the mysteries this world has to offer. He grew up loving animals, gradually grew interested in all aspects of religion, history, and science, and finally sought to ease his curiosity of the writings of the many authors of the past. His interests led him to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing, a Science of Architecture degree, and a Master of Architecture degree. As an Architectural Specifier, R.A. Baxter spends much of his time manipulating words and instructing builders as to the best way to construct a coherent building. He would rather, however, spend his time with his wonderful wife and children, or lose himself in the imaginary worlds available to those who enjoy reading and creative writing. He and his longsuffering family live in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Bountiful Utah. If you have any comments, questions, or highly-overstated praise for R.A. Baxter, contact him at https://rabaxterauthor.wordpress.com/.