Half Dead World: Book One from the Apocalypse Tales by Adrienne Hargrove (little readers txt) 📗

turn and stare into the rainy night, and then I see it, a darkness that is like the inside of a cave moving toward us. There is nothing visible in that space, the moon glinted rain is missing, it’s just complete darkness. “I see it.”

I look over to him, his arms are crossed over his broad chest and his feet are shoulder with apart.

“That is what we must avoid.”

I nod my head instinctually understanding. Just looking at the slow creeping darkness fills me with anxiety and fear.

He points to the roadway on the left. “Look closely, what do you see?”

I stare seeing nothing. I am about to tell him so.

“Try to relax.”

“Just how does a dead person relax or concentrate for that matter?” I asked exasperated.

“Quite the same way you did before you died.” He says with a grin.

I roll my eyes and when they come back to center, I see it, I turn to him amazed.

“There is a trail of light going down the highway. Is it always there?”

“No which is why we must hurry to follow it.”

He starts off walking at a quick pace. “Make sure you stay with me. Whatever you do, don’t wander off.” I hurry to catch up with him when I get close, I reach out my hand to grab his arm as I say, “Hold on.” But the rest of my sentence dies away as my hand moves through his body. My hand and his arm disappear, for a split second and I see the most beautiful color I have ever seen. It is so astonishing I feel my eyes sting with tears. “What the…”

I look up at him and he gives me an impatient look. “We need to hurry.”

I quickly try to hide my sudden emotional state with my best scowl and focus on my frustration. I mean, anybody in my position would have questions. Geez, I did just die! As if reading my thoughts, he says. “I know you have a lot of questions, but it is urgent we stay on course with the light. However, as a compromise while we walk you may ask one question, once I have answered it, we will need to run. “I can only ask one question?”

“For now, later, when we are safe, I will do my best to answer your other questions.”

I think quickly as we walk and settle on the most pertinent at the moment. “Is the light leading us to heaven?”

“No.”

“Then where is the light leading us?”

“Away from the dark, that is two questions, now we must run. Do not worry, you will not tire.”

I growl with frustration at the situation, I do not like the idea of following a stranger into the unknown. But he is the only way I’m going to get any answers, so I run to keep up with Brutus. We run in silence for a while. I can’t really tell how much time has passed, but I know the area and we have run about five miles, and he’s right I am not tired or winded. It is effortless to move. I mumble to myself. “It must be a perk of being dead.”

Lucius looks over at me. “What was that?”

“I was just thinking not getting tired must be a perk of being dead.”

“Yes and no, it is necessary because we must always be vigilant to stay with the light. At the same time, it also means that we are never at rest.”

“Well since it is effortless to run, I don’t see why you can’t start answering my questions now instead of waiting until we get to wherever we are going.”

“Mainly because conversation is a distraction and, as I said, we need to be vigilant, also the things you wish to discuss deserve undivided attention.”

“Just one more question, please?”

He sighs loudly, which I take to mean, ask away. “What happened when I tried to touch your arm, what were the colors?”

He answers in the same way he has answered all my questions so far, matter of fact and without deliberation. “We are souls outside the body. We cannot touch or feel the physical world. But every soul has its own unique aura, like a personality manifested in a color that is all its own. When souls collide, the visual perception of the body disappears, as the auras combine and create a unique and completely unearthly color.”

“Unearthly?”

“The color you saw, have you ever seen it before?”

I shake my head. “No, I wouldn’t even know how to describe it. It was…amazing.”

He smiles just barely. “I think I need to see that.”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t see it before, now, you have me curious.”

He reaches over to my shoulder and just for a second, I see the color again before he snatches his hand back. His eyebrows shoot up to his forehead like he is surprised, then his features quickly return to his inscrutable mask. “It’s probably best if we don’t touch in front of other souls.”

“Why, is there something bad about the color?”

“No, there is nothing wrong with the color.”

“Then why, I think it’s beautiful?”

“Because it is beautiful is the exact reason why.”

“Look, Romulus, that doesn’t make any sense?”

“Romulus?”

“You know, Romulus, from roman mythology, the founder of Rome.”

“Yes, I am aware of Romulus. He supposedly murdered his twin brother. It is not a friendly comparison. Why would you call me Romulus?”

I point my hands towards his attire. “Really, is it that big of a mystery? I have a little game going in my head to see how many pseudonyms I can come up with for you. That may be the last I can think of.”

“What are the others?”

I recognize the tactic he is employing to change the subject, but I play along anyway. “Well, let’s see there’s