The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 99

“What?” Connor asked.

John Paul Lincoln looked at Connor, his eyes cold and devoid of emotion.

“I ordered Jericho to kill Pinstripe,” Lincoln said. “Shadow Leader is next. Better stay out of my way, unless you want to be number three.”

When Jericho started marching forward, Pinstripe’s men opened fire. Every bullet proved useless as it hit Jericho’s chest and fell to the floor.

Quickly, Connor ran in between Pinstripe and Jericho.

“You can’t do this, Jericho!” Connor pleaded. “Pinstripe may be a terrible person, but you can’t just kill him.”

“You’re wasting your time trying to reason with him,” Lincoln said. “He’s no longer aware of what he’s doing. He answers to me now.”

“Then I’ll have to deal with you,” Connor said.

When Jericho was only a few feet away, Connor held up his hands and said,

“Please. I don’t want to fight you.”

“You won’t,” Lincoln smirked. “For him, it’ll just be swatting away an insect.”

Once Jericho reached Connor, he stopped for a moment.

“Move him out of your way,” Lincoln ordered.

Jericho hesitated.

“I said move him! Now!” Lincoln shouted.

For a moment, Jericho’s eyes winced before he backhanded Connor.

The force of Jericho’s hand caused ripples across Connor’s skin that ran over and around his chest like waves chasing around the lake. Connor looked at Jericho with deep sorrow and said,

“I’m sorry.”

Then he loosed a blast of kinetic force from his hands. The shock wave cleared the room and sent Jericho flying backwards through the wall.

“You saved me!” Pinstripe said, placing a gloved hand on Connor’s shoulder.

Connor slapped away the hand and growled,

“Don’t touch me, creep. I didn’t do it for you. And you’re not saved yet.”

Connor saw that Jericho was already getting up.

“Come on,” Connor said.

“Where are we going?” Pinstripe asked.

“Out the window,” Connor said, grabbing Pinstripe by the arm.

“We’re fifty stories up!” Pinstripe exclaimed.

“So you’d better hold on,” Connor warned. “I’m not sure if this will work.”

Despite Pinstripe’s protests, Connor held him in a bear hug and jumped through the window. In midair, he turned himself so that his back faced the street.

Suddenly they slammed into the pavement at one hundred twenty miles an hour.

Pinstripe lay still for a moment then got to his feet.

“I’m okay,” he said.

“I’m not,” Connor answered.

Connor lay very still, his arms and legs frozen in place.

“What’s wrong with you?” Pinstripe asked.

“Feels like one big muscle cramp,” Connor explained.

Connor struggled to hold back the energy he had absorbed from landing. Innocent people and the Shaman’s mindless puppets were all around him. There was no good direction to release the energy.

Fifty floors up, Jericho leapt out of the window and began plummeting towards them.

“That’ll do,” Connor said.

Connor held back for a moment longer until Jericho was almost on top of them then he released all his stored energy straight in Jericho’s direction.

The force not only threw Jericho high into the air but it also shattered windows.

Watching from high up in Pinstripe’s office, an angry vengeful John Paul Lincoln stepped back from the shattered glass.

“What now?” Pinstripe asked.

“Why ask me? You’re the crime boss,” Connor said as he struggled to stand.

“I’ve never had to fight off a titan like Jericho. Usually he’s here to arrest me, not rip me in half,” Pinstripe said.

“Well I just woke up from a coma a few hours ago. I’m still catching up,” Connor said.

Suddenly from out of a nearby storm drain, long hands of shadow lashed out and grabbed Pinstripe. As he fought with all his strength, the hands dragged him into the darkness of the storm drain.

Connor watched in shock.

“What just happened?” he asked.

“I took that mewling little rodent far from here,” a voice said.

Connor whipped around to see Shadow Leader.

“Why would you protect him?” Connor asked.

“I may not like Pinstripe, but I’m not about to refuse a champion of the gods,” Shadow Leader said.

“Who?” Connor asked confused.

Just then Elizabeth flew in carrying Nathan Nichols.

“Will you stop calling him that?” Elizabeth complained. “He’s already cocky enough.”

Nathan walked over to Connor and said,

“We’re here to help.”

“Thanks,” Connor said. “What’s the plan?”

Nathan turned to Shadow Leader and said,

“I need you to summon an army to keep the civilians back. Then go after the Shaman.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Shadow Leader said.

“No killing,” Nathan added.

“Rats!” Shadow leader replied.

Nathan turned to Connor and said,

“You and I will keep Jericho from hurting anyone.”

“Why can’t I do that?” Elizabeth asked.

“Because I need you to do something else. The timeline has changed, and if we don’t fix it, Burnt Hill will be wiped off the map,” Nathan explained.

“How do we fix it?” Elizabeth asked.

“By stopping Jericho. For that, I need you to go and get some help,” Nathan said.

“Who can I get? Jericho’s the strongest hero Crescent Bay has!”

“Start by telling Edison Poole what’s going on. Then head to Bluebell Hospital and find a patient named Victor Vine,” Nathan instructed.

“What do I do then?” Elizabeth asked.

“Bring Vine back here,” Nathan said.

At once, Elizabeth spread her wings and shot up into the air.

Just as she disappeared, the ground began to rumble and the pavement crack.

Connor looked around nervously.

“Is he back?” he asked.

“Not yet,” Nathan said.

“Then what is that?” Connor asked.

Nathan pointed to Shadow Leader and said,

“Back up.”

Shadow Leader’s skin grew pale and his eyes white as he held out his hands. All around them, wave after wave of the dead crawled out of the ground, driving back the Shaman’s followers.

Looking around at the newly formed army, Shadow Leader ordered,

“Keep them back, but do not harm them.”

Then he looked at Nathan and Connor as he stepped into shadow.

“Is he on our side?” Connor asked.

“Not really,” Nathan replied.

“Now what?” Connor asked.

In answer to his question, Jericho landed on the street just in front of them. His fists were clenched and his eyes blank.

“Now we survive,” Nathan said.

“For how long?” Connor asked.

“For as long as we can,” Nathan answered.

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 98

While the sun slowly slipped below the horizon, Nathan and Elizabeth waited at the edge of town by an old gas station long since shut down. As Nathan leaned back on the motorcycle sissy bar and closed his eyes to rest, Elizabeth nervously paced back and forth across the pavement.

Mildew covered the exterior walls of the old building as grass pushed up through cracks in the concrete blocks. The letters of the station’s name had long since faded, leaving behind idway Ga to mark a once thriving gas station on the desolate highway.

“Why are we waiting here?” Elizabeth asked, finally breaking the silence.

Without opening his weary eyes, Nathan answered,

“We’re waiting for Shadow Leader.”

“He knows to meet us here?” Elizabeth asked.

“He comes out mostly at night usually in a place that’s quiet and out of the way,” Nathan explained.

“Not to disagree, but why this place? There could be other quiet out of the way places he might choose. These aren’t the only shadows in the area,” Elizabeth argued.

“You’re right. They’re not,” Nathan said. “But these are the ones he will choose. We only need wait.”

Elizabeth began to pace again as the day turned into night.

After a few laps like a caged animal, she paused and said,

“Nathan, you’re freaking me out. I just found out that something was supposed to happen to me but didn’t, and before I can wrap my head around that, you tell me we might have to fight Jericho.”

“How can you just sit there sleeping?” she added.

“I’m not sleeping,” Nathan said. “I’m trying to calm down.”

“I was wondering how you could sleep in that position,” Elizabeth said.

She stepped away then turned back

“Why are you trying to calm down? I figured you’d be used to this kind of thing by now.”

“Have you ever done something you knew was the right thing to do but afterwards realized you may have saved one life but doomed a thousand others?” Nathan asked.

Elizabeth stared at Nathan trying to understand.

“Is this about the night we met?” she asked. “What happened to me?”

“Accept the thing to which fate binds you,” Julian Taylor said, emerging from the shadows.

“And love the people to whom fate connects you. But do so with all your heart.”

“Oh, it’s you,” Elizabeth said with a scowl.

Taylor raised his hands,

“I apologize for my earlier actions. The Prophet and I have made our peace. It is not my place to interfere with the champion of an elder god,” Taylor said.

“What are you talking about?” Elizabeth asked.

“The Prophet did not come here by cosmic coincidence. He was chosen by one of the elder gods. Chosen to right something that is wrong,” Taylor said.

“Is he serious?” Elizabeth asked Nathan.

Nathan opened his eyes and looked at Taylor.

“We are working on a peace treaty between you and Pinstripe,” Nathan said.

“I will not rest until he is removed from power,” Taylor admitted.

“You may have to put your feud on hold for the moment,” Nathan said.

Taylor gave Nathan a confused look before asking,

“Why? What is happening?”

“At this moment, nothing,” Nathan said.

“But?” Taylor asked.

“But if things go our way, we’ll have to fight Jericho,” Nathan said.

“And if they do not go our way?” Taylor asked.

“We will watch all of Burnt Hill destroyed in a matter of moments,” Nathan said.

Taylor considered this before asking,

“You do not like to sugar coat things, do you?”

“I’m worried that was the sugar coated version,” Elizabeth said.

Nathan looked up and met Elizabeth’s eyes.

“What are you not telling me?” she asked.

Suddenly Nathan turned his gaze toward the city.

“What is it?” Taylor asked.

“It’s beginning,” Nathan sighed.

* * *

Jericho and Conner rode the slow elevator up ten floors to the penthouse where Pinstripe waited.

Glancing over at Connor’s old gray t-shirt and faded jeans, Jericho said,

“Not to complain, but you do realize you may be a hero after this. I figured you might wear something a little dressier. Don’t get me wrong. I never went for the super suit look. Just surprised is all.”

“I’ve been in a coma,” Connor reminded him. “These are all that fit.”

Jericho laughed and said,

“Fair enough.”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened at Pinstripe’s suite with its outstanding panoramic view.

Pinstripe stood in front of a large window looking out over the city streets below.

“This city was originally founded by men and women who burned people like me alive,” he said as Jericho and Connor stepped off the elevator.

“The name Burnt Hill comes from the hill where they burned metas alive. The ones they could catch anyway.”

“The city was embroiled in chaos. Two-bit mobsters fighting for control of a few simple streets. Their war spilled blood and chased away the good people whose hard work kept this place alive and the lights on.”

Pinstripe turned to face Jericho and Connor.

“I may not remember who I was before the night I died,” he said, “but I awoke with a purpose. I knew it was my place to bring order to the chaos.”

“Peace achieved through force isn’t really peace,” Jericho disagreed.

“Run this place however you want. As long as you follow the laws and the people are happy, I don’t care what story you tell yourself,” Connor said.

“So I am just to roll over and submit to a mutt who constantly nips at my heels?” Pinstripe asked.

“He only wants peace. He wants people to be able to walk the streets without fear,” Jericho said.

“They have that now,” Pinstripe said. “They are free to walk the streets and go about their daily lives without fear.”

“As long as they follow your laws and don’t speak out against the powers that be, they have nothing to fear,” Jericho said.

“Dictators always see themselves as the best choice for the people,” Connor said.

Pinstripe looked annoyed by the remark.

“You’re calling me a dictator?” he asked.

“No one is calling anyone anything,” Jericho said. “We just want to reach a cease fire.”

“I do not allow anyone to come into my house and insult me,” Pinstripe said as he walked towards them.

“Come on now,” Jericho said. “Let’s remain calm.”

“I am done with peace. I have tried to calm the storm. Perhaps now is the proper time to show them why they should fear me,” Pinstripe said growing angrier.

Suddenly the elevator doors opened and John Paul Lincoln stepped out, flanked by four men.

“What are you doing here?” Pinstripe asked.

“The people have decided they no longer wish to have you in charge,” Lincoln said.

“The people do not get to choose who runs the casinos. Their choice is only for the city government and other elected positions,” Pinstripe pointed out.

Lincoln stood perfectly still as though he were waiting for something.

Suddenly a sound came from outside, rising up from the streets as it grew louder.

“What is that noise?” Pinstripe asked.

“Perhaps you should open a window and see for yourself,” Lincoln suggested.

“Open the windows!” Pinstripe ordered his men.

One of the men walked over to a large window facing the street and slowly opened it.

The sound grew louder as the streets filled with the voices of people chanting,

“Leave! Leave! Leave!”

Pinstripe walked over to the window and looked out. As far as he could see, angry people flooded the streets, chanting the same word as they raised their right fists.

“What is this?” Pinstripe asked.

“The people are no longer afraid of you,” Lincoln explained.

“You think this scares me?” Pinstripe asked.

“Stop!” Lincoln said.

Instantly, the crowd grew silent and froze in place. The sudden lack of sound was unnerving.

“It should frighten you,” Lincoln pointed out. “This city no longer answers to you.”

“You think you can stop me?” Pinstripe asked.

Lincoln smiled and answered,

“I don’t have to.”

He paused a moment then said,

“Jericho.”

Jericho stood up straight and stiffened.

“Kill him!” Lincoln ordered.

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 97

Nathan stood in the hospital parking lot enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face as a cool breeze blew past. The wail of sirens in the distance filled the air and announced to all newcomers that Burnt Hill was under siege. Jericho and Connor, upstairs apologizing to hospital staff for the damaged wall, had found the Chief Executive Officer to be more than gracious.

“We are well insured,” he had said. “You don’t run a hospital in Crescent Bay without insurance.”

Nathan breathed deeply, trying to calm his nerves. He struggled against a sudden uncontrollable fear of what was coming. Even if the timeline ran correctly, he had no idea what changes had been made because of his interference.

As he closed his eyes, he felt Elizabeth approaching.

“Nathan, are you okay?” she asked.

“Not really. No,” he answered.

She walked around in front of him and took his hands.

“Look at me,” she said.

Nathan didn’t want to look in her eyes. He couldn’t shake the image of her death scene, the death he had prevented when he first arrived in Starfall. If he wasn’t careful, he would confess what he had done.

“Stop hiding things from me,” she said.

She squeezed his hands and insisted,

“Open your eyes!”

Nathan slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. Her eyes were filled with love, fear and concern all at once.

“You take so much on yourself,” she said. “Please let me help you.”

Nathan felt his eyes filling with tears.

“Nathan, what is it?” she asked with worry in her voice.

Nathan searched for the right words.

“There’s just so much that has happened,” he said. “Most of it is good.”

“But?” she asked.

“There’s something out there. Something that threatens to destroy everything,” Nathan warned.

“A creature or a person?” she asked.

“Neither. It’s the weight of decisions made,” he said. “The consequences of those decisions.”

“What decisions?” Elizabeth asked.

Nathan didn’t answer.

“You’re still hiding things from me,” she complained. “I can’t help if I don’t know what I’m fighting.”

“Where I’m from, there’s an author named Robert Louis Stevenson. He once said, ‘Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.’ Whether or not my intentions were noble, I’m afraid the consequences of my actions will catch up to me and rip away everything I have,” Nathan confessed.

“What do you mean everything you have?” Elizabeth asked. “Do you mean literally or figuratively?”

“I mean everything I hold dear,” Nathan said looking into her eyes.

Elizabeth grew quiet and stared at him for a moment.

“Is something going to happen to me?” she asked.

“Something already did,” Nathan said.

“What do you mean?” Elizabeth asked. “Was it before or after we met?”

Nathan was about to answer when Jericho walked up.

“Hey, guys,” he greeted.

“Connor Floyd has agreed to help us with Pinstripe and Shadow Leader,” he said.

“I spoke with Cassandra, and she agrees we should try and end this war peacefully. While Connor and I go talk with Pinstripe, why don’t you two speak to Shadow Leader?”

“I don’t know,” Elizabeth said hesitantly.

“That’s fine,” Nathan said.

Elizabeth was surprised by Nathan’s sudden agreement.

“Awesome,” Jericho said. “Before we go, Connor wants to head home and change clothes. Cassandra will try and keep the peace while we work on a peace treaty.”

Jericho smiled and after a pause added,

“All right. See ya.”

Jericho hurried off leaving Nathan and Elizabeth alone.

“Shouldn’t we keep an eye on him?” Elizabeth asked.

“If everything goes according to plan, we won’t need to. If the timeline is messed up, we won’t be able to do anything to stop him just yet.”

“Stop him?” Elizabeth asked.

She looked in the direction Jericho had left.

“By stop him you mean the Shaman, right?” she asked.

“Yes,” Nathan said with hesitancy.

Elizabeth studied Nathan for a moment.

“Ever since we started working together, I developed this little twitch in the back of my mind. I can almost tell when things are about to get really bad,” she said.

“Right now, I’m getting a major twitch. I’m almost afraid to ask this.”

Again she looked in the direction Jericho had left.

“We’re going to have to fight him, aren’t we?”

“If everything goes according to plan,” Nathan said, “yes.”

“And if it doesn’t go according to plan?” she asked.

Nathan sighed heavily then answered,

“Yes.”

Elizabeth considered Nathan’s words then asked,

“What’s the difference?”

“Either way, we’ll have to fight him,” Nathan said.

“But?” Elizabeth pressed.

“But in one version, hundreds of thousands of people may die,” Nathan said, “and I don’t know why.”

Elizabeth stared at him speechless.

After a moment of nothing but the sound of the wind and distant sirens, Elizabeth said,

“I’m beginning to regret asking you to share.”

* * *

Pinstripe sat at his office desk staring out the large window as people in the street below moved about their business, trying to scratch out a living.

“The Shadows,” he fumed. “Always trying to take what is rightfully mine!”

His personal assistant stood by the desk nervously waiting.

“Sir,” he said.

“What?” Pinstripe barked.

“The two men are here,” he said.

“Good!” Pinstripe said. “Show them in.”

The doors to his office opened, and the two men who had joined him at the hospital walked in. With multiple broken bones, both men struggled to stand. Pinstripe knew they should be in the hospital, but right now he was only concerned with answers to his questions.

Slowly he walked over and stood in front of the men.

“That was unpleasant,” Pinstripe said.

“We’re sorry, sir,” one man said.

Pinstripe held up a hand to quiet them.

“I’m no more interested in your excuses than I am your names.”

Pinstripe removed his sunglasses and wiped them clean. Then he slipped them back on and walked over to the window.

“You were hired for one reason,” he said, “and you failed. Jericho picked me up and tossed me through the wall like a child throwing away a broken toy.”

“You were to keep that from happening. As a result, I have been damaged. Granted the damage is not permanent, but my suit was ruined and for that, someone has to pay,” Pinstripe said.

He turned back to the two men and added,

“Don’t worry. I won’t dock your pay or hurt you. You’ve been through enough.”

As he placed his hands on each man, he added,

“In fact I plan on taking away your pain.”

The men opened their mouths to scream but found they could make no sound. Instantly, their bodies turned gray, shriveled, and fell to the floor in a pile of dust.

Pinstripe brushed off his hands and said,

“Get someone to clean this up.”

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 96

John Paul Lincoln slipped then caught himself as he hurried down the stairs three at a time. He exploded out of the hospital door and ran into the parking lot. Suffering from a mild panic attack, when the sun and fresh air hit his face he began to calm down.

Back in Connor Floyd’s hospital room, when he wished for someone to throw out Pinstripe and his men, Lincoln had felt a rush of power like an electric jolt run through his body a moment before Jericho tossed them out the hole in the wall.

Lincoln rested his hands on his knees, bent over, and breathed deeply as he tried to calm his nerves.

“Did it happen because they wanted to or because I ordered them to?” he wondered.

“Freeze!” someone shouted nearby.

Lincoln hurried in the direction of the voice. A trembling hospital security guard was pointing a gun at a man lying prone on the ground.

The man had a cut on his lip, and the guard was swiping at his bloody nose.

“Are you two okay?” Lincoln asked.

“No!” the man on the ground growled. “I came here to see my daughter, and this maniac clocked me.”

“Don’t lie!” the security guard snapped. “You work for Pinstripe! I’ve seen you before!”

“Please,” Lincoln said. “Everyone calm down.”

Lincoln bent down and reached for the man’s leg.

“What are you doing?” the man asked, trying to move away.

“It’s okay,” Lincoln said.

Lincoln gently rested his hand on the man’s leg, and in a moment the man’s cut lip was healed.

“How did you do that?” he asked.

“You’re that healer,” the security guard said. “I seen you on the news. You’re that Shaman.”

Lincoln smiled as he stood and placed a hand on the guard’s shoulder then watched as the guard’s broken nose healed.

“Thank you,” the security guard said. “Now call the police while I keep an eye on this one.”

Lincoln decided to try something.

“Stop!” he ordered.

Instantly he felt the same jolt of electricity as both men froze.

He looked down at the man on the ground and said,

“Stand up and give me your name.”

The man stood, not bothering to brush himself off, and said,

“Norris.”

“Why are you here, Norris?” Lincoln asked.

“I’m supposed to follow Jericho and the Prophet. Make sure they don’t go to Shadow Leader.”

Then Lincoln turned to the security guard and asked,

“What is your name?”

“Boone,” the guard answered.

Lincoln decided to test the limits of his control.

“Boone, give your gun to Norris.”

Boone handed over his gun.

Lincoln stared at the two men for a moment then looked around to see if anyone was watching.

“Norris?” Lincoln said.

“Yes, sir,” Norris answered.

Lincoln considered his next words carefully then said,

“Shoot yourself in the shoulder.”

With no hesitation, Norris pressed the gun to his left shoulder and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out as the bullet tore through Norris’ shoulder.

Norris stood perfectly still as blood poured from the wound.

“Norris, give the gun back to Boone and lie down.”

Norris did exactly as he was told.

Once Norris was on the ground and Boone had the gun, Lincoln said,

“Boone, this man tried to grab your gun, so you shot him in self-defense. Now. . . .”

Lincoln trailed off, uncertain how far he wanted to go with this. Once he decided, he pointed to Norris and ordered,

“Boone, kill him.”

Without a thought, Boone shot Norris once through the head.

Lincoln could not believe it had actually worked. Now he needed to wake up Boone. When he thought about just how to do it, he remembered a hypnotist’s act at his seventh birthday party. After making the guests do silly things, he would snap them out of their trance.

“Wake up!” Lincoln commanded.

Boone snapped out of the trance with a look of confusion. When he saw the gun in his hand and Norris lying dead, he panicked.

“What happened?” he asked. “What did I do?”

“I saw everything,” Lincoln said. “This man works for Pinstripe. When you tried to arrest him, he reached for your gun. You shot him in self-defense.”

Still confused, Boone said,

“I don’t remember any of that.”

“Boone,” Lincoln said.

Boone looked into Lincoln’s eyes.

“That is exactly what happened,” Lincoln said. “You clearly remember it happening that way.”

Boone stared blankly for a moment then recognition washed over his eyes.

“That is what happened,” he said. “This guy almost broke my nose in the process.”

Lincoln watched in fascination. Boone’s mind was creating false memories and connecting them to old ones.

Lincoln couldn’t help but smile as he thought,

“A man is dead. Sure. But he was a criminal, and more importantly, now I have a way to end this war once and for all.”

* * *

Victor Vine sat peacefully on a couch in the rec room watching a kids’ show as he struggled to deal with the trouble he had experienced earlier that day. He longed to be discharged from Bluebell Mental Hospital, but if his nightmares persisted, he knew the doctor would not sign a release.

The piercing sound of a horn jerked him out of his thoughts. Victor looked up at the television screen and saw a clown with startling red hair and big shoes wearing a Captain Bonkers chain mascot as he tossed confetti at the audience of screaming kids. Victor laid his head back and let his mind drift. Slowly, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

He had not been asleep long when the sound of gunfire woke him. He jumped up off the couch and hurried over to the window. Outside he saw that a crowd was rioting as they swarmed over the police and hospital staff like ants attacking an intruder.

“What’s going on?” Victor asked, turning away from the window.

When he looked around, the room was empty.

“Where is everyone?” he yelled.

“They’re gone,” a voice said. The voice sounded familiar, like his own.

“Where did they go?” Victor asked.

“They’re all gone. Destroyed,” the voice said.

“Who are you?” Victor asked.

“I’m the voice in your head. The voice you stopped listening to long ago.”

“Why is everyone gone?” Victor asked.

“Because of him,” the voice said. “He changed everything. Altered the past and now the future is growing worse by the second.”

“Why am I the one seeing this?” Victor asked. “Why not someone else?”

“Because you are connected to him,” the voice said. “Correct his mistake and save the future.”

“Connected to who?” Victor yelled.

When the voice didn’t answer, Victor yelled again,

“Who?”

Suddenly the wall collapsed and the crowd outside rushed in, rage filling their empty eyes.

Victor snapped awake. He was still in the rec room, asleep on the couch. When he looked up, he saw that the clown show was just ending.

He got to his feet and walked over to the window. Everything was quiet, peaceful.

He sighed with relief but couldn’t forget what he had seen. Or heard.

“Correct his mistake and save the future,” he repeated.

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 95

Nathan watched as Connor Floyd sat up then worked his legs over to the edge of the bed. Caroline tried to hide her fear as her husband struggled to stand. While the nurse encouraged Connor, Elizabeth readied herself to grab him should he fall.

Seeing the concern on Caroline’s face, Connor reassured her,

“I’m okay. Really.”

“Honey, please let them help. If for no other reason than to make me feel better,” Caroline pleaded.

“I really am feeling better,” Connor said. “Honestly. I think I feel better than I did before.”

“It’s the change in your DNA,” Nathan said. “You’re going to feel more energetic and stronger than you’re used to.”

“Make sure you learn how to control your new abilities,” he added, staring at the door.

Elizabeth could see that something was bothering Nathan. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, the door opened.

Jericho walked through followed by a stranger. Something about the man reminded Elizabeth of a cult leader. When she looked at Nathan, she saw that he was pale.

“Everyone okay?” Jericho asked.

“I’m fine,” Connor said, “but no one believes me.”

“Are you injured?” the stranger asked.

“Not anymore,” Connor said.

“Jericho,” Elizabeth asked nervously,” who is this?”

The man smiled and extended his hand.

“John Paul Lincoln.”

Elizabeth didn’t take his hand but said,

“Pleasure.”

“I’ve heard of you,” Caroline said. “They call you the Shaman.”

Lincoln looked embarrassed.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “I don’t know why they call me that. It’s just ever since this gang war started, I’ve been using my powers to heal people and keep the body count low.”

“Powers?” Elizabeth asked.

“I’m a healer,” Lincoln explained.

“He healed the cut I had on my head,” Jericho said.

Growing increasingly uncomfortable around the stranger, Elizabeth looked over at Nathan. Without saying a word, he shook his head no.

“How many people have you helped?” Caroline asked.

Lincoln considered for a moment then said,

“A hundred.”

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.

“Maybe a hundred and fifty thousand.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. She knew his answer was bad but didn’t know why.

“That’s so noble of you,” Caroline said.

“Very honorable,” Connor added.

“I just hate to see this place ravaged by a battle between egos. Two people can’t settle their differences, so they fight each other like animals and the innocent get caught in the middle,” Lincoln said.

“We can help,” Jericho offered.

“I spoke with Shadow Leader,” Nathan said. “He just wants Pinstripe taken down and arrested. He doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“He should step back and try for a less hostile approach,” Caroline suggested. “His people have been harassing me just as much as Pinstripe’s men.”

“Violence is not the answer,” Lincoln said. “We must find a way of peace.”

“I could not agree more,” Pinstripe said, entering the room with two men flanking him.

Everyone stared at Pinstripe. His skin was pale white, and he was dressed in his trademarked pinstripe suit with sunglasses that covered his ice blue eyes.

“All I ever wanted was to become a successful businessman. Now I’m the head of my own casino. I own several nightclubs, and some street rat is trying to take over my property.”

Pinstripe took off his sunglasses and looked about the room with his strange eyes.

“A lot of familiar faces in here,” he said.

But when he saw Connor, he added,

“And a few new faces.”

“What do you want?” Jericho asked.

“I come in peace,” Pinstripe said, raising his hands.

“I’m surprised you even know what that word means,” Elizabeth insulted.

“I just want to talk,” Pinstripe explained.

“Then talk,” Jericho replied.

“I agree with you,” Pinstripe said. “This war is hurting more than it is helping. I just want it to be over.”

What do you propose?” Jericho asked.

“A simple team up,” Pinstripe said.

“You help me stop the Shadows, and in return I’ll help rebuild whatever has been destroyed,” Pinstripe said.

“Instead of stopping them through violence, why not try and peacefully work out your differences?” Lincoln proposed.

Pinstripe slowly walked over to Lincoln and studied him for a moment.

“I’ve seen you around,” Pinstripe said. “Always helping but never getting involved.”

“I don’t like violence,” Lincoln said as he flinched and backed away.

“That’s because you’re no good at it,” Pinstripe said. “Since the day I returned from the dead, I have been stronger and more powerful than ever.”

As he turned and shrugged, he added,

“At least I think I am. I don’t really remember much about myself before the day I died.”

Looking over at Nathan, he said,

“But I’ll bet you know. I’ve heard of you. The strange visitor who showed up one day and changed everything. Criminals are running scared, second guessing everything they do. It’s tough to get away with anything when there’s a guy who knows everything.”

Returning to his men, he asked,

“What’s it like being a god?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Nathan answered.

Pinstripe smiled and said,

“It’s an amazing feeling.”

“You’re not a god,” Nathan corrected, “and yes, I know who you were before you died.”

Pinstripe shrugged and returned,

“Doesn’t matter now. I’m better than I ever could have been.”

He slipped his sunglasses back on and asked,

“So will you help me stop Shadow leader?”

Jericho clenched his fist and asserted,

“I’ll stop this gang war, but I’m not taking sides.”

Pinstripe sighed and said,

“If you’re not with me then you’re against me.”

Frustrated, Lincoln demanded,

“I wish someone would just throw you and your men out.”

Instantly, Jericho’s eyes flashed yellow and he reached out to grab Pinstripe by the neck. Lifting him in the air, he tossed him through the hole in the wall. Before Pinstripe’s men could react, Jericho seized each of them and threw them out, right behind their boss.

A moment after the men disappeared through the hole, Jericho looked around confused.

“What happened?”

Startled by Jericho’s behavior, Lincoln excused himself and fled from the room.

“Why did you do that, Jericho?” Caroline asked.

“Do what?” Jericho asked. “What did I do?”

“You threw Pinstripe and his two guards through the hole in the wall,” Caroline explained.

Elizabeth stepped up close to Nathan and whispered,

“This is because of him, isn’t it?”

Nathan nodded.

“And let me guess. Things are going to get uglier before they get better.”

Again Nathan nodded.

“Terrific!” Elizabeth whispered.

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 94

As he looked around, Jericho’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What in the world was that?” he asked.

“One of Pinstripe’s men. Connor Floyd’s handiwork,” Nathan said.

“Wait a minute. Isn’t he in a coma,” Jericho asked.

“Apparently not anymore,” Elizabeth answered.

“We need to get up to Floyd’s room,” Nathan said.

“First, let me deal with Pinstripes’ men. I’ll meet you up there,” Jericho said.

Two steps and Jericho leapt off the ground, flying in a high arch before landing on the other side of the hospital.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Nathan and flew straight up to the hole in the third floor hospital wall.

Wearing a hospital gown, Connor Floyd sat up in bed. His hair and beard had been neatly cut and maintained by his wife Caroline.

She looked both scared and elated that Connor was awake, but Connor was confused about what was happening.

“Who are you two?” he asked Elizabeth and Nathan. “What’s going on?”

“It’s okay, honey,” Caroline tried to assure him. “They’re here to help. This is the Prophet and. . .”

Caroline looked at Elizabeth and apologized,

“I’m so sorry. I forgot your name.”

Elizabeth smiled and said,

“Don’t worry about it. You’ve been through a lot.”

She turned to Connor and extended her hand.

“Elizabeth Hayes.”

“And I’m Nathan Nichols,” Nathan said.

“You’re the Prophet?” Connor asked.

“I can see the possible future,” Nathan said, “so yes.”

“Can you explain to me what’s happening?” Connor asked.

“Everyone is born with a special gene. Some are dormant while others are active,” Nathan explained. “This gene allows people to do extraordinary things.”

“The meta gene,” Connor said.

“That’s one name for it,” Nathan said.

“I wasn’t born with abilities,” Connor said, “so what just happened?”

“Your coma, combined with the power outage, put your system in shock and forced your body to fend for itself, triggering the meta gene,” Nathan explained.

“So I have super abilities now?” Connor asked. “Just like that?”

“You’ll need to learn to control them, but yes,” Nathan said.

“Any idea what powers I have?” Connor asked.

“Your body can adsorb kinetic energy. Anything that hits you, whether it’s a fist, a bullet or a truck, will lose its kinetic energy the moment it touches you,” Nathan explained.

“When that guy hit me, my chest felt tight, like someone was sitting on it. Then I felt something else, kind of like a sneeze. The next thing I know, the guy’s gone and there’s a six-foot hole in the wall,” Connor said.

“Your body will absorb only so much before the energy will release. Over time, you’ll learn to focus it, to channel each strike into a blow that can be used on your opponent.”

“This is a lot to process,” Connor said.

“How do you think I feel,” Elizabeth laughed.

Pointing to her wings she added,

“These started growing when I was eight.”

“I heard of a guy who can’t look at anybody because his eyes will kill them,” Caroline said.

“Great,” Connor said. “I’m a part of monsters and killers now.”

“Not all of them are evil,” Nathan said.

“You could always use your abilities for good,” Elizabeth suggested.

In frustration, Connor said,

“I just want my life the way it was.”

“I’m afraid there’s no going back,” Nathan said.

When Connor started to protest, Caroline stopped him.

“Honey, I’m just happy you’re awake. Let’s focus on that.”

Connor looked at Caroline and his face softened.

“You’re right.”

Then he smiled at Nathan.

“I’m sorry. I should just be happy I’m alive.”

“Everything is going to be better now,” Caroline said.

Nathan kept his expression neutral. He knew better. Connor’s life was never going to be the same.

* * *

Jericho landed on the opposite side of the hospital from Connor’s room. When his feet hit the concrete, the pavement cracked. Looking down at the damage, he apologized even though no one was around to hear him.

When he turned, he spotted the emergency room.

“If any entrance needs to be cleared, it’s that one.”

With a steady stride, he headed for the emergency room doors. Just as he expected, two armed men were standing guard.

As Jericho approached, one of the men said,

“Sorry, sir. No one is allowed in or out of the hospital until Shadow Leader’s siege of Burnt Hill has been ended.”

Jericho decided he’d try diplomacy first.

“But I need to get inside,” he said.

“Sorry. This is for your safety and the safety of the patrons, doctors, and medical staff inside,” the man said.

“Please?” Jericho asked.

One of the guards grew frustrated and marched up to Jericho. Placing a forceful hand on his chest, he said,

“Pinstripe’s orders. Now for your own safety, leave!”

Jericho looked at the man’s hand then looked up and met his eyes.

“Well I did ask nicely,” Jericho said.

When Jericho grabbed the guard’s hand and squeezed, the man screamed in pain as he heard his bones breaking. Then Jericho grabbed his shirt and threw him into the parking lot.

The second guard looked at Jericho in disbelief.

Jericho met his eyes and asked,

“Now can I enter?”

His mouth agape, the man dropped his gun and ran off.

Jericho turned and said,

“He didn’t even say goodbye.”

When he looked over at the man he had thrown, Jericho saw that he was lying very still.

“Oh no,” Jericho said, hurrying over.

He checked the man’s pulse and was relieved when he found that he was alive.

“I’m so sorry,” Jericho said.

Jericho knew better than to move someone who was injured. He had made that mistake before and was chewed out by an EMT.

“Wait right here,” Jericho said.

When he turned toward the emergency room entrance, he suddenly stopped. Standing before him was a tall man with a narrow frame and long arms. He had medium length brown hair, the same shade as his cardigan sweater, and a well-trimmed beard.

His kind eyes reminded Jericho of a youth pastor he had once known.

“Is everything okay?” the man asked.

“No. This man has been hurt. He’s alive, but he’s not moving,” Jericho explained.

“What happened?” the man asked in a soft soothing voice as he stepped past Jericho and knelt down to check on the man.

“He. . .” Jericho trailed off, embarrassed at his mistake. “I’m afraid I hurt him.”

“It was an accident,” Jericho said. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay, my brother,” the man said.

He closed his eyes and held his hands over the body.

“Everything will be. . . , ” the man began.

The man’s hands began to glow, so brightly that Jericho had to look away.

When the glow faded, the man added,

“All right.”

Then he stood and waited.

Suddenly the injured man opened his eyes and turned his head.

“What happened?” he asked.

“You sustained an injury, my brother,” the man told him. “You are better now.”

“You’re a healer,” Jericho said.

“That is correct,” he said. “Everyone has been calling me the Shaman, but you may call me John. My name is John Paul Lincoln.”

Lincoln extended his hand and Jericho took it and thanked him.

“It was the least I could do.”

Lincoln noticed the cut on Jericho’s forehead.

“You are injured as well,” Lincoln said

“It’s just a small cut,” Jericho said.

Lincoln’s hands glowed for a moment, and Jericho felt a warm sensation run through his body. It reminded him of the warm feeling he had as a child when he would drink hot chocolate on a cold day.

“It may have been nothing,” Lincoln said, “but it is gone now.”

“Thank you,” Jericho said, checking his forehead.

“Those of us who can help should do so,” Lincoln said with a smile.

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 93

Outside Burnt Hill General Hospital, Caroline Floyd pulled into a parking space on the second floor of the parking garage. Her husband Connor was in a coma, and the recent power outage had caused Caroline to race frantically to the hospital to see if Connor was okay. She shut off her car’s engine, climbed out and hurried off without checking to see if the car was locked.

Shoving her keys into her pocket, she ran for the building’s entrance but was stopped by two rough looking men.

“Sorry, lady, but no one’s allowed in or out of the hospital,” one of the men said.

“But my husband’s a patient here. He’s in a coma. I’ve got to check on him!” Caroline pleaded.

“Sorry, lady. We’ve got our orders,” the man said.

The other man took a deep breath and said what sounded like a rehearsed speech.

“We are preserving the safety of the hospital, its staff, and its patients.”

He added,

“Mr. Pinstripe has us guarding every door and exit so that none of Shadow Leader’s men can get in the building and hurt somebody.”

“Please! I’m not with anyone. I just want to check on my husband,” Caroline sobbed.

“Sorry, lady. This is for your safety as well as the safety of the hospital,” the first man said.

Too panicked to think clearly, Caroline reached into her purse and grabbed a bottle of mace.

She sprayed one of the two guards in the face and pushed past him, running through the sliding glass doors.

Once inside she turned left and ran down the long hallway to the elevators.

“Hey you!” one of Pinstripe’s men shouted as he ran after her.

Caroline stopped at the elevator and beat on the button to open the doors.

“I’m going to wring your neck when I get my hands on you,” the man yelled.

Caroline hit the elevator button several times more but the elevator didn’t respond. Quickly she turned and ran to the stairwell door. With the man close on her heels, Caroline took the stairs two and three at a time, staying ahead of the angry guard.

Her only concern was Connor. She had to make it to the third floor unit and Connor’s room.

When she reached the third floor, she ran down a short hallway and turned left, just as the guard exploded out of the stairwell.

“Get back here!” he ordered.

Frantic with fear, Caroline drove herself forward, determined to reach her husband’s side.

Although Connor’s room was a good distance from the elevators and stairwell, Caroline didn’t mind. But with the man close behind, the hallways felt like they were stretching out before her. Caroline looked back and saw the guard shove hospital staff out of his way.

She turned down the last of three hallways and headed straight for Connor’s room at the end. Her legs were tiring, and she struggled to catch her breath, but Caroline pushed herself. She couldn’t stop until she saw that Connor was okay.

The guard was closing in on her, and just as Caroline reached out to open the door, the guard tackled her, sending both of them spilling into Connor’s room.

“You’re going to pay for this! First, you’re going to apologize for that pepper spray, and then you’re going to see the boss!”

“I’m sorry. Please! I just want to see if my husband is okay,” Caroline tried to explain.

The guard lifted her off the floor and slammed her against the wall.

“That’s just the kind of lie a shadow would tell to get in here,” the guard sneered.

“Hey!” a voice said.

Caroline turned and saw that Connor was awake and climbing out of bed.

“Who are you?” the guard demanded.

“I’m her husband, and you’d better get away from her NOW!”

Connor was a bit unsteady on his feet but quickly recovered enough to walk over to the guard just as he dropped Caroline to the floor.

“Watch it!” Connor snapped.

“Or what? You’ll hurt me?” the guard laughed.

The guard struck Connor in the face, sending ripples through Connor’s skin.

“That felt like slapping wet sand,” the guard said as he gaped stupidly at Connor.

Then he pulled back his fist and punched Connor in the stomach.

Connor stumbled backwards a step but didn’t fall.

“What are you made of?” the guard asked.

Connor’s skin rippled all over until the waves came together in his arms.

“I’m going to knock you through the wall,” the slow-witted guard said as he stomped towards Connor.

Suddenly a shock wave erupted from Connor’s hands and hit the guard with a deafening boom. The stunned man flew backwards through the window and fell to the pavement below.

Wide-eyed, Connor looked at Caroline in surprise.

“Honey?” he said.

“I’m here, babe,” Caroline said.

“What happened to me?” Connor asked just before collapsing to the floor.

* * *

Nathan pulled into the parking lot of Burnt Hill General with frayed nerves and a sense of dread pressing down on his shoulders. Elizabeth had been trying to reassure him, but he couldn’t seem to shake the fear that something bad was coming. What was worse was that he didn’t know when or where things were going to go bad. He just knew they would.

He cut off the engine and sat still for a moment. When he closed his eyes, he could see the Shaman standing high over an entire city of dedicated followers. In his youth when he first read Starfall, the graphic novel he was now living, he never liked part two of the trilogy. Everything felt so overwhelming. So chaotic and out of control.

“Are you okay, Nathan?” Elizabeth asked, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

Nathan opened his eyes and said,

“This part of the novel always scared me, and now I have to live it. I know there’s something seriously wrong, and I can’t fix it because I don’t know what it is.”

“Relax and try not to worry,” Elizabeth said smiling. “You haven’t failed yet. Besides, I’m here.”

She kissed him then added,

“I’ll protect you.”

Elizabeth stepped back, moving her hand to his shoulder, and said,

“Just as you protected me.”

Suddenly, Nathan flashed back to that day. He was at the top of the Crescent Bay Queen. The wind tore through the club, stealing away loose napkins and flowers and sending them twirling to the wind’s song. Elizabeth jerked and twisted, fighting against the chains that bound her.

Nathan watched her struggle, considering whether to intervene and save her. Her fate was the first thing he changed upon his arrival, and since then the timeline had been constantly shifting, threatening to collapse into chaos and ruin.

In what seemed like slow motion, he watched her being tossed over the railing. He found himself wondering if he should let her fall and avoid the struggle of fixing the timeline.

He hesitated for only a moment then ran to save her.

Snapping out of the daydream, Nathan smiled and said,

“Right.”

Just then Jericho pulled up next to them.

“He okay?” Jericho asked Elizabeth.

“He’s fine,” she assured him. “Before I landed, I took a few passes over the hospital. There are guards at every door and exit except for one.”

“Hospital security?” Jericho asked.

“Pinstripe’s men,” Nathan corrected. “They’re not letting anyone in or out of the hospital.”

“Why?” Jericho asked.

“They claim they’re protecting the patients and staff,” Nathan said.

“Sounds more like extortion,” Elizabeth suggested.

“I doubt they’ll give up easily,” Jericho said.

Suddenly a loud blast blew out a wall and sent a large man flying through the air. He arched high overhead then slowly dropped to the earth before crashing into a blue minivan and setting off its alarm.

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 92

Nathan looked around him at the world of fog. Far away, a faint cry broke the silence. He wondered if he were dreaming. Was this real or something he had imagined?

“Are you?” Julian repeated.

“A lot of people know I’m not from this world. So what?” Nathan asked.

“No need to get defensive. No one has given up your secret. I can tell you’re from another place because I too am a traveler,” Julian explained.

“Traveler?” Nathan asked.

“Someone who can pass between worlds,” Julian said. “How often do you go back to your world?”

“I can’t go back,” Nathan said. “I’m stuck here.”

“What happened?” Julian asked.

“I was brought here suddenly. One minute I was helping a woman escape from her car and the next I woke up here. I think I was struck by a bolt of lightning,” Nathan said.

Julian’s eyes lit up as he asked,

“Did you speak to anyone unusual before the lightning bolt?”

Nathan thought for a moment and answered,

“Yes. There was this homeless looking old man. Long beard. He handed me a book.”

Julian got excited.

“Then it’s true!” he said.

“What’s true?” Nathan asked.

“You’re an Eldervalt,” Julian said.

“What’s that?” Nathan asked.

“An Eldervalt is a champion chosen by one of the gods to serve, to obey the will of the god,” Julian said.

“I help people. I don’t take orders from a god,” Nathan defended.

“That’s probably why you were chosen,” Julian replied. “There are four elder gods, each with a world of their own. They are forbidden to directly interfere with other worlds, so some choose people, usually from one of the other worlds, and use them.”

Julian thought for a moment then continued.

“The one who chose you was male, so that rules out Mala and Authrax. Ehderdrago doesn’t interfere, so you must have been chosen by Nidama.”

“What are you talking about?” Nathan asked, unable to make sense of what Julian was saying.

“When you get a chance, look up a book called The Elder Void. It was written a long time ago by Elva Hayes Watson. It tells about the elder gods and the void where they live in their true forms,” Julian said.

“True form?” Nathan asked.

“The elder gods cannot enter our world because they are too grand and powerful for our minds to comprehend. So instead, they enter the worlds in another form, a form that fits in with the rules of that world. That old man with the book was the form Nidama chose to enter your world.”

Suddenly, Julian grew pale and began to tremble as something in the distance caught his attention.

“What is it?” Nathan asked, looking in the direction Julian was staring.

Standing on the other side of the stadium was the figure of a man. He wore a long coat and a fedora with the brim up, revealing glowing red eyes. He seemed to be completely shadow.

“Who is that?” Nathan asked.

“Someone we must avoid at all costs,” Julian said.

“He doesn’t look like the others here,” Nathan said.

“That’s because he isn’t. He is something else,” Julian said.

The man’s form flickered for a moment then disappeared.

“He’s gone,” Nathan said.

“No, he’s still here,” Julian said. “We have to keep moving.”

When Julian looked around, he froze. Nathan followed Julian’s gaze to the upper seats of the stadium. The man of shadows was closer.

“We have to go!” Julian said.

One step at a time, the man came toward them. Julian grabbed Nathan’s arms as darkness enveloped them.

When they emerged from the darkness, Nathan saw that they were on the rooftop of an old gas station by the side of the highway, well outside the city.

“That should buy us a little time,” Julian said. “The longer I’m here, the easier it is for him to track me.”

“Who is he?” Nathan asked.

“I’d say the boogey man, but I don’t know,” Julian said.

“Well then,” Nathan said, “we should go!”

“He’ll follow our scent through the city,” Julian said, “so we have time.”

“No we don’t!” Nathan said, pointing past Julian.

Standing in the street in front of the gas station was the shadowed man. One-step and suddenly he was on the rooftop just feet from Nathan.

Nathan felt an icy shiver run over him as his mind was filled with flashing images of people screaming, dying and crying out for help.

Suddenly Nathan felt someone grab his arm, and everything went black.

* * *

Nathan awoke to Elizabeth shaking him.

“Nathan! Nathan! Are you all right?”

Nathan sat up and looked around. He was in the parking lot just outside the entrance to the power plant.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Something reached out from inside the maintenance door. Some sort of dark thing. It grabbed you, and you were gone for what felt like forever. Then suddenly, you just flew out of a shadow, like something had thrown you,” Elizabeth said.

While Nathan tried to clear his head, Jericho landed on the ground near them. His clothes were dirty and he had a small cut on his forehead.

“Are you two okay?” he asked.

“I think so,” Elizabeth said, with a heavy sigh.

“Whatever you two did worked,” Jericho said. “The power’s back on.”

Still dazed, Nathan tried to make sense of what had happened.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Cassandra, sorry Detective Shields wants us to check the local hospitals. See if they need any help,” Jericho said.

“The nearest hospital is Burnt Hill General,” Elizabeth said.

The moment Elizabeth said the hospital’s name, a vision flashed through Nathan’s mind. He saw a man standing on top of a building with his arms raised and his hair blowing in the wind. Below him, the street was filled with people standing shoulder to shoulder, as each one of them looked up at him in awe and reverence. The man remained still and smiled as the people below worshiped him.

“Nathan? What do you see?” Elizabeth asked, leaning over him.

“It’s. . . ,” Nathan trailed off.

“Is it something that happened while you were away?” she asked.

“Somewhat but not entirely,” he answered.

Elizabeth looked up and thought for a moment then asked,

“It’s the hospital, isn’t it?”

Nathan nodded.

“Something is waiting there for us?” she asked.

Again Nathan nodded.

“I don’t care how nice he is,” Nathan said. “I don’t care how much it hurts. You must not let him touch you!”

Elizabeth swallowed and said,

“Okay.”

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 91

Members of the Shadows scattered as the stone giant Azatol stomped forward, but Jericho stood still, his muscles taut and feet firmly planted. Each step of the giant shook the ground and rattled Jericho’s teeth as sweat ran down the back of his neck.

Azatol was humanoid in shape, but its face looked like the sculptured head of a man with no eyes or mouth. Jericho knew he was the only one who could stop this giant. Anyone else who came up against the creature would be destroyed. Jericho could take a lot of damage but he wasn’t invulnerable.

“All right, let’s do this,” Jericho said.

In his head, Jericho rang the bell for round one and ran toward Azatol at a full sprint. He leapt into the air, fists raised, and flew at Azatol’s head. Suddenly the giant backhanded Jericho like an annoying mosquito and he went flying through the air, crashing into a nearby wall. The broken stones gave way and came down on top of him.

When Detective Cassandra Shields saw what happened to Jericho, she thrust out her hands, palms towards the ground. Suddenly two large mounds of earth began moving towards Azatol. As Shields quickly raised her hands and formed them into fists, the two mounds rose into the air and became large fists of earth and stone.

Azatol swung wide at one fist and broke through it, only to have the fist re-form. Then the giant struck the other fist in a second wide swing. When Azatol stepped back, unsure of what to do next, Shields took her chance. She struck Azatol with first the right fist then the left, pummeling the stone creature as it stumbled backwards trying to defend itself.

Jericho pushed the rubble off and stood up. The slap from the giant had left nothing more than a small cut on his forehead. He brushed himself off and looked up to see Shields pummeling Azatol. Although the creature was falling back, the damage it was taking was minimal. Jericho knew they needed to hit harder to bring it down.

Jericho dug his foot in and leapt into the air, flying in a high arch and landing far behind the creature. He adjusted his position so that Azatol’s back was directly in front of him. He had an idea but needed first to soften up the creature.

As Azatol fought to block Shield’s onslaught, suddenly a mid-sized sedan crashed into the back of its head followed by a 2003 Jeep and a Ford Explorer. In rapid succession, Jericho threw one vehicle after another at the giant’s head.

With hits coming from both sides, the giant stopped advancing but was not taking much damage.

Jericho threw the last car in the parking lot then began running at his top speed, pushing himself with each step to go even faster. He could see that Shields was getting tired and couldn’t keep the fight up much longer. He needed to end this before she got hurt.

His muscles burning, Jericho ran faster and faster at Azatol.

Shield’s strength gave out and her earth and stone fists collapsed to the ground. Azatol didn’t fail to see her weakness. When the creature raised its head and looked at her, she felt a sudden overpowering fright run through her. Suddenly Jericho struck the creature’s shoulder from behind and came through its chest. Azatol lunged forward as his chest cracked and exploded into shards of stone. The creature hit the ground and rolled out of control until it crashed through a building and finally came to rest on the other side. Exhausted and unable to lift her weary arms, Shields hurried over to check on Jericho who lay still on the ground.

* * *

A sudden clap of thunder startled Nathan awake. His eyes shot open and he sat up and saw that he was lying on a rooftop. Dry storm clouds covered the night sky as thunder and lightning flashed overhead.

Nathan stood up slowly. His head ached and his joints were sore. Steadying himself, he cautiously walked to the roof’s edge and looked out over the city. The streets were hidden in a thick fog that covered everything. Most of the buildings were destroyed or empty, and the air was quiet except for the occasional cry of a child or a woman’s wail. Far off in the distance, he thought he heard a church bell. Nathan realized this is what would happen if he didn’t correct the timeline.

Movement on the building across the street caught his eye. Something with long thin legs and skin that looked like smoke and shadow crawled along the wall. It moved up the building, slowly stopping now and then to smell the air like an animal hunting for food.

Suddenly another creature emerged from the side of the building, this time closer to where Nathan stood. It had yellow blank eyes and no mouth or nose.

Scrambling to get away, Nathan stumbled backwards and fell. The creature leapt at him but stopped short and sniffed the air.

“It can’t see you or touch you,” Julian Taylor said from behind Nathan.

Julian Taylor, Shadow Leader, reached down and helped Nathan to his feet.

“What is that thing?” Nathan asked.

“Those who are left to live in this nightmare city,” Taylor said.

“Why can it smell me but not see or touch me?” Nathan asked.

“I call these things the tormented ones,” Taylor said. “The souls left to wander this place. We aren’t fully here. To them we’re like ghosts. We can’t affect this world, and it can’t affect us. But they smell the residue on us.”

“Residue?” Nathan asked.

“This world, as far as I can tell, is cut off from every other world. It’s a place of death and destruction. Since I was young, I’ve been coming here, watching as the people slowly destroy each another. Cut off from the other worlds, they have nowhere to go, so they are stuck here searching for anything different,” Taylor said.

Nathan turned to face Taylor as he ran his fingers through his long hair and pushed it out of his face.

“We’re different,” he said. “The residue of our world puts off a smell they can sense.”

Then looking out over the city, Taylor said,

“We can’t stay here. Soon more will come and swarm this place.”

Nathan looked around and saw more tormented ones crawling up over the roof’s edge, each one sniffing the air.

Taking Nathan’s arm, Taylor said,

“Come on.”

As Taylor took one step forward, everything went black.

A moment later and Nathan was standing high in the bleachers of a destroyed football stadium.

The thick fog lay a few rows below them.

“There,” Taylor said. “That should mask our scent.”

“What did you mean when you said this place is cut off?” Nathan asked.

“There are multiple worlds,” Taylor said. “I’m not certain how many there are, but some believe there are four. One for each elder god. This world is one of them. Based on what I have learned about this world, some call it the Other World. I call it the Shadow World. It once was bright, bustling and filled with life and joy. But the elder god that created it wasn’t pleased with that. She wanted more. She turned her people against one another, causing violence and war. The bloodshed was so heavy that the oldest of the elder gods sealed off this world from the other three, trapping the souls here and turning this place into a world of pain and restless torment.”

“If this place is cut off, how are you able to get here?” Nathan asked.

“Because of an experiment called the Shadow Gate,” Julian said. “I was a curious child who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After the experiment, the two scientists involved disappeared through the Shadow Gate and never returned. The project was shut down, and since then, I have been able to come here to watch but never interact,” Taylor said.

“Why have you brought me here?” Nathan asked.

“Because you’re not from this world,” Taylor said. “And you’re not from mine either.”

Julian paused, looked at Nathan, and asked,

“Are you?”

The Prophet of Starfall: Episode 90

The Anchor Power plant was a massive structure with four great concrete stacks belching plumes of white smoke into the sky. Nathan quickly assessed the situation before making a plan. At the front gate, police officers were pinned down by the Shadows’ gunfire while the undead guarded the entrance.

“I forgot,” Elizabeth said with disgust, “that zombies always linger around Shadow Leader and his men.”

“Since he was fifteen, Shadow Leader has been controlling the undead like his personal puppets,” Nathan said. “They do whatever he commands.”

“That’s an odd power to have,” Jericho said.

“It’s basically a form of necromancy,” Nathan explained.

“Let me go see what the latest is,” Detective Cassandra Shields said.

Shields hurried to the front gate and asked for the officer in charge. After a few minutes’ conversation, she hurried back to Nathan, Elizabeth, and Jericho.

“They can’t get past the front gate,” Shields said.

“That should be easy to—,” Jericho began.

“I told them,” Shields interrupted, “to hold position. We’ll enter another way. Two of us will cut off the Shadows back up while the other two get the plant up and running.”

“I volunteer for dealing with the back up,” Elizabeth said.

“Careful,” Shields warned. “Reports are that a stone creature standing just over fifteen feet is stalking the property.”

“Azatol,” Nathan said.

“You know what it is?” Elizabeth asked Nathan.

Nathan thought for a moment then answered,

“Shadow Leader fled the orphanage when he was fifteen. He lived on his own for a good while and by his seventeenth birthday had developed abilities, one of which was controlling the dead and manipulation of shadows. He also gained control over a large mute stone creature that obeyed his every command. Its steps are slow and clumsy, but it’s almost impossible to stop when it’s given a command.”

“Looks like I’m going in the front door,” Jericho said.

“I’m going with you,” Shields said. “If this thing is made entirely of stone, maybe I can help stop it.”

“I guess we get to sneak in the back,” Elizabeth told Nathan with a smile.

“Do you know where to go?” Shields asked.

“I will,” Nathan answered.

“All right,” Jericho said. “Everyone remember to play nice. After all, we’re the good guys.”

A moment later, Jericho took three steps and leapt into the air, flying in a high arc before disappearing behind the fence.

Elizabeth walked over to Nathan and extended her hand.

“Is everything back on track?” she asked.

“So far,” Nathan said.

The timeline seemed to be on the right path, but Nathan couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was coming. It worried him that he didn’t know what the something was because he preferred to make plans before disaster hit. Improvising in the face of catastrophe was never a good idea.

“Let’s go then,” Elizabeth said, taking Nathan’s hand. “We have a power plant to get back online and a city to save.”

Nathan let Elizabeth scoop him up and take to the sky far above the plant as she looked for a back entrance.

* * *

When Jericho landed on the asphalt parking lot, Detective Shields emerged from the ground next to him.

“That’s how you get around?” Jericho asked.

“No,” Shields said. “Usually I drive a patrol car.”

“Oh,” Jericho said slightly embarrassed.

“If they fire at us, feel free to fight back, but until they do, stick to non-lethal attacks only,” Shields said.

“No problem,” Jericho replied.

Shields and Jericho saw five members of the Shadows and twice as many undead standing guard at the front gate. Eight more of Shadow Leader’s men patrolled the parking lot, watching for anyone trying to sneak in.

Almost at once, they spotted Jericho and Shields.

“Police!” Shields yelled. “Throw down your weapons and come on out!”

When six gang members turned and opened fire in response, Jericho stepped in front of Shields just as a wall of concrete rose up to shield them.

He turned around and looked at Shields.

“Forgot you could do that. Sorry,” he apologized.

“I understand. Reflex,” she said.

“Let me deal with these while you get the ones minding the gate,” Jericho suggested.

“Works for me,” Shields said.

Jericho leapt over the improvised concrete wall and landed in the middle of the eight gang members.

Raising his hands he said,

“Now guys, you can’t hurt me and I don’t want to hurt you. Why not drop your guns and surrender?”

The gang members looked at Jericho as though he were crazy then opened fire.

As the bullets hit his body and fell to the ground, Jericho sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

He gave them a second to realize their mistake then made quick work of them. Grabbing the largest man in the group, he swung him around like a bat, knocking the other gang members to the ground.

As they lay dazed and groaning, Jericho picked up their weapons and tossed them over the concrete wall.

“Why couldn’t you listen to me?” he asked.

Just then he felt the ground shake beneath his feet. At first, he thought it was Shields but the tremors seemed paced as though something were walking towards him.

Jericho felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck as the quaking grew louder and closer.

Then from behind one of the nearby towers appeared Azatol, Shadow Leader’s fifteen-foot stone creature. Its head resembled a face but without eyes. As it stomped with purpose towards Jericho, the earth shook and Jericho’s teeth rattled with each step.

“I may have made a mistake,” Jericho told himself.

* * *

“Set me down there,” Nathan said.

Elizabeth flew in low, gently dropping Nathan, and then landed.

“There’s a maintenance entrance not far from here,” Nathan said. “I can handle getting the power back on, but Jericho needs help.”

“I’m not leaving you!” Elizabeth said. “No lone hero nonsense.”

“All right,” Nathan said. “This way.”

Nathan moved slowly towards the maintenance door, pausing from time to time to check for Shadow Leader’s men.

“Let’s just knock them out,” Elizabeth said.

“We can’t risk anyone knowing we’re here,” Nathan explained.

Up ahead was the maintenance door. As Nathan slowly approached, he saw no signs of gang members. But something made him uneasy.

“Wait here,” Nathan said.

“Why?” Elizabeth asked.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Nathan said.

Elizabeth impatiently waited while Nathan drew closer to the door. Slowly he reached out and turned the handle.

The door opened slowly with a creak of its old hinges. Nathan saw nothing but darkness beyond.

“See anything?” Elizabeth asked.

Suddenly something reached out from the darkness, grabbed Nathan and pulled him inside, slamming the door shut.

Immediately Elizabeth ran for the door and pulled it off its hinges. Peering in, she saw only a long concrete hallway with bad lighting.