Curtain Fall: Second Edition, Disaster, Preparedness, Survival, Awakening (The Gatekeeper Book 1) (44 page)

He watched and waited as the ash approached like a rolling rain shower, falling first in the distance, and then slowly making its way toward him like a curtain. As the ash fell, it engulfed the landscape in
a mist-like shroud. John saw the first particles of ash fall to the ground before him, the outer edge of the storm reached him at last.

From under the cover of the front patio, John was lost in the entire scene. Unlike approaching rain, the ash fell with hardly a sound. Only by listening carefully could John hear the sound of ash landing on the leaves of the trees in front of his house. But the sound was like low static, a soft hiss, or white noise. It was a peaceful sound despite its ominous effect on the air. Where the rain would leave the air smelling clean and fresh, the ash left it smelling dry and sour, like an old attic or dusty barn.

When the ash began to accumulate on the walkway, John stood and stretched out his arm. He let the ash fall first on the back of his hand, and then in his palm. He pulled his hand in and examined it by the light of his phone. The gray ash was fine, like baby powder, and smudged under pressure of his pinched fingers.

In the fading light, a light that was now more green than gray, John returned to the bench to watch the ash fall. He would wake Jenna, but he wanted more time to take it all in. His nose tickled and John released a loud and hearty sneeze.
“The ash will not b be healthy to breathe,”
he thought, as he pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose.

John stood and entered the house. He turned off the HVAC to prevent the spread of ash through the house, and headed to the bedroom to wake Jenna. After seeing how fine the ash was, he knew it would be hard to keep it out of the house. He also knew he’d have to go out in the ash, at least to operate the generator, so that meant he’d need to build a clean room.

A clean room was the only possible way to prevent the ash from entering the house, but where to build it was the question. To answer that question he needed Jenna’s feedback, but the laundry room was looking like the best possible option. It was small and stood between the kitchen and the mudroom. John also knew he had to move quickly and cover all the downstairs windows. The plywood covers would not keep the ash out, and that meant Adam was next on the wakeup list.

John rocked Jenna lightly and said, “Honey, wake up. I want to show you something.”

“What? What is it?” asked Jenna, groggily.

“The ash is falling.”

“Already?” asked Jenna, as she sat up with surprise.

John nodded and said, “It started a little while ago, and it looks like it’s gonna keep falling for a while.”

Jenna grabbed her robe and followed John to the front patio. She stood looking out into the ash for a moment and finally sat on the bench. John joined her and remained silent as she continued to process the implications of the falling ash. Finally, after several minutes, she said, “So you were right after all.”

“Can I tell you about what I saw last night?” asked John.

“Another dream?” asked Jenna.

“I think it was more like a night vision,” replied John, and he proceeded to share his latest spiritual experience with Jenna. She listened quietly, and never once interrupted with questions. But the lack of interruptions actually concerned John. He desperately wanted Jenna to be interested, to support him, and he was worried she was emotionally slipping away from him. “Are you alright?” he asked when she stayed silent.

“That’s a lot to take in . . . and I’m tired. But honestly, I don’t know what to make of all this,” she said, as she stood and walked to the edge of the patio.

John watched as Jenna squatted and scooped up a handful of ash in her palm. She stood and briefly examined the contents of her hand before dumping the ash to the ground. After briskly rubbing her hands together, she wiped them on the front of her robe. John saw the gray streaks, like chalk dust, stain the front of her bathrobe. There was something about the image, the scene of her holding the ash, and the streaks of it on her robe, that was forever burned into John’s memory.

She turned and asked, “What do we do now?”

John was grateful she didn’t sound panicked or even remotely stressed about the ash. For him, the ash represented validation; proof that he wasn’t going crazy, that everything he saw in his dreams, and everything he did in response to them, was actually coming to pass. That didn’t bring him joy, but it did bring him confidence. For the first time in his life he had tangible evidence that his dreams actually meant something.

But that also meant everything else he was shown was also true. The destruction of the three cities, all the lives lost, and at least a third of the country destroyed by earthquakes and buried in ash. Everything was going to change, everything had changed, and together they stood on the threshold.
“The door was open and the green light was on,”
thought John.
“It was time to jump.”

John looked at Jenna and said, “We’ll do what we’ve prepared to do . . . we’ll survive.”

AUTHOR’S ENDNOTE

F
ollow the continuation of John’s survival story in “Lamp Black,” book two of the Gatekeeper Series, as he and his family brace for the impact of coming change. Though his rural neighborhood seems relatively quiet as people hole-up for ash fall, John’s life is anything but. He finds himself drawn into the lives of a neighborhood family that’s in desperate need of his skilled intervention.

John’s spiritual experiences also intensify as he’s likewise drawn into several defining moments of spiritual growth that serve to prepare him for his future work. The opposition he witnesses, and the purifying process he undergoes, serves to elevate him to new levels of spiritual understanding and ability.

You will also enjoy the introduction of Pete, John’s friend, as he travels north, deeper into the ash, to link up with John. The three-hundred mile journey, once thought boring and routine, becomes a battle ground of emotions and terror as Pete and Bonnie pass through countless obstacles along their way to meet their friends.

If you enjoyed Curtain Fall, then you’ll also enjoy Lamp Black, which is a continuation of the three-day daily a account of preparedness and survival in a world ravaged by a post-apocalyptic natural disaster. For your enjoyment, I’ve included a small excerpt from Lamp Black at the end of this book.

Sincerely,

KC

(EXCERPT FROM LAMP BLACK, BOOK TWO, THE GATEKEEPER SERIES)

J
ohn was tired of using flashlights and candles to light his way. He really wanted to go out to the shop and fire up the generator, but he needed to set up a clean room first. His plan for interior lighting was to string up LED Christmas lights, but he didn’t want to track ash into the house in the process.

He looked at the hall clock and was surprised at how fast the time was passing. John grabbed the step-ladder and was passing through the kitchen to the laundry room when several loud booms echoed in the entryway. He quickly leaned the ladder against a wall and returned to the entryway just as Abby was reaching out to open the front door.

John yelled, “Abby, stop! Don’t open the door, baby.”

Jenna and Adam emerged from the kitchen, curious about what prompted John to raise his voice at Abby, but he ignored them and remained focused on Abby. “I’ll get the door,” he added. “It’s OK, sweetie.”

Abby looked more startled than upset, but she obeyed and stepped away from the door as three more loud booms echoed through the entryway. “Jenna, please take Abby to the kitchen. I don’t know who’s at the door, but I can feel the threat.”

Jenna nodded and returned to the kitchen with Abby. John turned to Adam and said, “Go to the powder room and stand ready with the shotgun, but don’t do anything until I say. Got it?” Adam nodded and slipped behind the powder room door.

Three more loud booms echoed through the entryway and it was now annoying John. The front door was solid oak, which meant it took a very heavy hand to make such a racket, so John knew the guy was big, impatient, and rude.

Rudeness in people was something that totally annoyed John, and he generally reacted in kind, but he was also cautious. He reached for the pistol at the small of his back and realized it wasn’t on him, but he knew where it was.

John entered the den and quickly opened a drawer to access the small desk gun safe. He entered the code, withdrew the handgun, checked the load with a half-pull of the pistol’s slide, and slid it into the waistband of his pants.

Four more loud booms reverberated through the entryway and John yelled, “Just a minute!” with rising anger. He thought he heard a reply, but couldn’t understand it through the door, so he looked through the peep hole. Everything was dark, and since he knew ash wasn’t covering the peephole, John figured the rude man was probably holding his thumb over the cover.

John turned to see Adam peering at him through a crack in the powder room door and he waved him forward. “Yes, dad?” asked Adam, when he came forward carrying the shotgun. John was pleased to see he kept it pointed in a safe direction. Muzzle discipline was something John had to work very hard on with Adam.

“Go upstairs and see if you can see who’s at the door, or if anyone else is standing around out front. Go quick,” instructed John in an urgent whisper, “and return and report.”

Adam nodded and climbed the stairs in a flash. John turned his attention back to the front door and yelled, “Step away from the door and let me see your hands!”

It was difficult to see clearly without a patio light, and John realized he’d have to do something about that for the future. John yelled through the door, “Illuminate yourself . . . do you have a flashlight?”

Something shifted in the darkness and John could vaguely make out the profile of a large man. And it looked to John as if he was holding his hands up in front of his chest high, but he couldn’t exactly tell in the limited visibility.

John heard Adam descend the stairs and he turned to acknowledge by asking, “What’d you see?”

“Not much, dad. It’s really dark out there, but I don’t think there’s anyone else in the yard. I couldn’t see the patio,” finished Adam.

“OK. Thanks. Now resume your post in the bathroom and wait for my orders,” said John, as he turned Adam around by the shoulders and gently pushed him toward the powder room. John drew his pistol, and while keeping the gun hidden behind the door, he reached out and unlocked the deadbolt with his left hand. He cracked the door just enough to see the man more clearly. The stranger immediately began to approach the door and John yelled, “Hold it right there!”

“Look, I’m sorry to bother you,” said the ash coated man, “but I need your help.” He was large in stature. A short, thick, dark beard extended at least two inches from his chin, but the visor of his ball cap hid the rest of his face in shadows. John didn’t recognize anything about his appearance. And though he didn’t know everyone in the neighborhood, he was certain he would have recognized the man if he lived nearby.

The man was a stranger, but the feelings of threat he emitted were very strong, as if he reeked of sewage or some other offensive odor. Still, John was both confident and curious, and he asked the stranger from behind the door, “What can I do for you?”

The man began to approach again, but more slowly this time. His hands were open and exposed, and John figured he was either law enforcement, former military, or had been treated with suspicion and arrested before. He was too familiar with the, “I’m defenseless,” sign to have no experience with apprehension.

“Keep your hands to your front and lift your shirt,” commanded John. The man did as instructed and John added, “Now turn around . . . slowly!”

John scanned the stranger with a flashlight, moving the beam over his body as he turned slowly around in place on the patio. When the stranger faced away from John, the man said, “Look man, I just want to talk.”

John ignored him and continued to visually inspect him for signs of a hidden weapon. When he finished, John said, “Do as I say or I’ll shut the door and you can be on your way!”

The man, now facing John, said, “I just need your help. I’m Darrel, from down the street.”