1 Corinthians 1:25
Brent Lawton is back in his third and most gripping story to date.
How much control will God allow any one individual to wield over his own—or someone else’s—circumstances?
A twenty-five-year-old man with a deep-seated anger learns that he has been cornered and entrusted with an array of unsought supernatural powers. Unable to escape, he is assigned a mission that will put virtually every emotional and spiritual aspect of his life to the test.
Is complete control an illusion? Can unprecedented power and a hate-filled rage somehow be harnessed and redirected? The answers must be quickly found, because the life of a troubled fifteen-year-old girl hangs in the balance.
Join Brent on a journey into his own past, into a decades-old saga, that, to this very day, continues to haunt his life. Listen in as Brent dives deep into an encounter with God that no one—no one on Earth, that is—will ever believe.
In writing these first two novels of my career, I have striven to be intellectually honest when it comes to true practices of witchcraft. As a former practitioner of the occult, myself, I have had several of the experiences that are portrayed in the lives of my characters. I’ve often been asked by people who have found this out about me, “What did you do?” and “Is it real?” The answers I’ve given have been, and will continue to be, “I did stuff that I wish I hadn’t, and got tangled up in darkness that I didn’t want.” And, “Yes! It’s real!”
There is a section of dialogue that I had written and wanted to incorporate into a discussion between Stephanie and Tara. Unfortunately the discussion never happened. Who knows, though? Maybe the conversation will take place now that we know that Tara is going to try to reconnect with Stephanie O’Leary. Anyway, I want to use the dialogue now in order to make something very clear about witchcraft, especially to those who are engaged in, dabbling in, or thinking about getting involved in any form of the practices:
Tara looked straight into Stephanie’s eyes, doing everything she could to emphasize her next point. “The demons are following rules that they made up. It’s their game. Do you really think they are being controlled and manipulated by ceremonies, by incantations, and by religious objects? It’s a game! A game with eternal consequences!
“Don’t you see? You are lured by the idea of power and of control. But it is a deception; a trap. If you believe that you can be in control, then in your mind you will never need God’s help. If you believe that you can control the spirits of the Otherealm, then in your mind you will never need God’s Word for knowledge of truth. Then, ultimately, by believing that God and his Word are unimportant, you will never see your need for a Savior.
“It’s really that simple. God loves you. The Enemy of your soul does not. God wants to bless you with everlasting joy, peace, and life, and the Enemy—your gods—want to keep you from it.”
That is the truth about witchcraft. The practitioner is trading the truth for a lie. He or she is given just enough by the Enemy to keep him coming back for more. Lots of promises are made by demons—fallen angels—but what benefit is there even if a practicing witch could gain the world, but sacrifices his soul? Hell is a real place, and God does not want any of us—that includes you, my dear reader—finding it as an eternal destination, especially after He provided an escape through Christ!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY PORTRAYED WITHIN WHEN DARKNESS COMES”
FIRST THINGS FIRST…
My greatest desire for the group of Picti antagonists was to have them be practitioners of something “real” but something unknown. I knew that I wanted it to be a form of witchcraft, so I started looking into all sorts of crazy stuff. I now own—for the time being—way too many books on the occult, witchcraft, demonism, etc. But I found one subject particularly interesting: Pecti-Wita. It was supposedly derived from an ancient people called the Picts who had once ruled what is now Scotland. I had heard of these people before, but didn’t really know much about them. But what I did know—or thought I knew—intrigued me enough to decide that the Picti people would be the predecessors of the “Olde Faithe” that was to be resurrected by Brendan Cadeyrn.
Boy, was I excited!
Then … not so much.
When it came to the culture of the Picti people portrayed through Drosten, I had to almost completely fabricate everything!
So little is known about them, and as a result, the research was both frustrating and enlightening; heavy on the frustrating. I wanted to add as much realism as possible to the life that Drosten had led, but as it turned out I was left with just two major relevant pieces of history in which to catapult the story of When Darkness Comes forward.
First was that the Picti people were able to stop the advancement of the most powerful army in the world. Because of the loss of the Roman Ninth Legion and other stunning Roman defeats at the hands of the Picts, Emperor Hadrian had a wall constructed that spanned the entire width of the Island of Britain, proclaiming it to be the end of the known world. Remnants of that wall can still be explored even today.
Second was the killing of King Drust and the remaining heirs of the Picti crown by the Scotti King, Kenneth MacAlpin, which was the beginning of a swift end to the Picti people. The rest was mainly from my imagination.
An aspect that I’m sure many of my readers expected to hear or “see” about the Picts was their tattooed skin. I could not find any real evidence that these people, outside of painting themselves for war, spent the rest of their lives covered with tattoos and dyed skin, so I decided to play it safe and not include the tattoos in any form, instead allowing imagination to take flight. So, for those of you who had never known about the legends of a highly-tattooed culture, you didn’t miss anything. For those of you who did know the legends, I’m sure there were all sorts of imagined designs covering the skin of these ancient warriors.
The tattoos that each of the modern-day “faithful” had on their shoulder blades or under their arms, in addition to the ceremonial “tattooing” rite that was conducted by Brendan and Stephanie, were tributes to the word picti in the language of the Romans, Latin—meaning tattooed or painted.
The honor given to the MacKay Clan around the ceremonial mound at the farmhouse goes back to a discovery in my research that the MacKays of today keep as a long-held belief that their lineage goes back to the ancient Picti people. The story of the 1486 A.D. Battle of Tarbat actually occurred between the MacKays and the Rosses, though there is no evidence that it had anything to do with the MacKays’ Picti heritage.
The transfer of the Book of Kells off of the Island of Iona to the now famous Kells Abbey may have occurred. Some historians believe there is a chance that the Book of Kells—a magnificent piece of work, by the way—may have Pictish origins based on the artwork contained within its illuminations, but it’s inconclusive. So, instead of going there, I decided to go with one of the more plausible theories for the creation of the book, that it was created, at least in part, by the monks at the Abbey of Iona, which really was headed by Abbot Indrechtach.
Some of the archaeological information about the standing-stone pieces that were brought together for the reconstruction of the Pexa Key Stone (a creation from my own mind) is true. Though the key stone never existed, there are pieces of broken standing stones that have been discovered in masonry work within and around the Tarbat Old Parish Church. These large fragments sparked in my mind a way to have the Key Stone transported to America. After all, a large standing stone such as the Key Stone described in the novel could never have realistically been smuggled out whole.
These two novels have been a true joy to write. They started back in 2006 as a single novel. The second novel was finally completed in September of 2011. There were nearly two years in which nothing was written, because I had gotten stuck.
Having gotten past my own personal story, fictionalized in Part One of Deliver Us from Darkness, I began to doubt myself as capable of writing a good dramatic tale moving forward. Bu
t the burn to complete the Otherealm story stayed in my heart and mind, and I finally started writing again in earnest back in late Spring 2010, completing novel number one in November 2010.
With the completion of my third novel, Behind the Darkness, in 2013, the characters that I have written, that you have hopefully come to love—and to despise—have been my companions for seven years, and are not now easy to put aside, especially my character Brent. He is the man that I aim to be in real life. My other favorite characters are Tara, Karen, Jenna, George Chamberlin, Pastor Jonathan, Kyle Russell (novel 3) and Stephanie. May they all find places within your heart, as well.
Thank you for investing both time and money to read my stories. I hope to produce many more in the months and years to come that will be blessings to you.
W. Franklin Lattimore
Footnote 3:
Pecti-Wita:
Also known as simply Wita and/or Pictish Witchcraft, this is the supposed pre-Christian religion of the Picts. I say supposed, because the current practices of what is called Pecti-Wita can only be traced back to two modern-day individuals who supposedly know its true ancient past: Aidan Breac and Raymond Buckland.
Two websites make these claims about its beliefs and practices: “Pecti-Wita is concerned with all aspects of prosperity, growth, abundance, creativity, and healing, and honors the Celtic Deities. The main tools in Pecti-Wita are the Staff and the Athame or Dirk. Pecti-Witans use a “Keek-Stane” which is, in effect, a scrying stone or the equivalent of a crystal ball.” And “Scottish Solitary tradition passed on by Aidan Breac, who personally teaches students in his home at Castle Carnacae, in Scotland. The tradition is attuned to the solar and lunar changes, with a balance between the God and Goddess. Meditation and divination play a large part in the tradition and it also teaches several variations on solitary working of magick.”
Quote taken from:
http://solitarywitch.yuku.com/forums/96#.Th9jNmXh6So
http://echosfate.tripod.com/4.html
Footnote 4:
The Biblical Gift of Discerning of Spirits:
Discerning of spirits is the supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to perceive the source of a spiritual manifestation and determine whether it is of God (Acts 10:30-35), of the devil (Acts 16:16-18), of man (Acts 8:18-23), or of the world. It is not mind reading, psychic phenomena, or the ability to criticize and find fault.
Discerning of spirits must be done by the power of the Holy Spirit; He bears witness with our spirit when something is or is not of God. The gift of discerning of spirits is the supernatural power to detect the realm of the spirits and their activities. It implies the power of spiritual insight - the supernatural revelation of plans and purposes of the enemy and his forces. It is a gift which protects and guards your Christian life.
How to Test a Spirit
You can discern or test whether or not a spirit is of God by the following three ways:
Observing what a person does. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus explains that false prophets are known by their fruit - by his conduct and actions.
Observing whether or not a person exalts Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as Lord and Savior (I Corinthians 12:3).
By listening to what a person says (I John 4:1-3). Does his confession line up with the truth of God’s Word?
Taken directly from:
http://www.christcenteredmall.com/teachings/gifts/discernment.htm
Footnote 6:
The Book of Kells:
The Book of Kells is a stunningly beautiful manuscript containing the Four Gospels. It is Ireland’s most precious medieval artifact, and is generally considered the finest surviving illuminated manuscript to have been produced in medieval Europe.
Some believe that the book was created as a tribute to a monk by the name of Columba. It was he who began the monastery at Iona which, in turn, led to much of the Pexa (Picti) nation coming into the fold of Christianity.
The manuscript was never finished. There are at least five competing theories about the manuscript’s place of origin and time of completion. First, the book, or perhaps just the text, may have been created at Iona, then brought to Kells, where the illuminations were perhaps added, and never finished. Second, the book may have been produced entirely at Iona. Third, the manuscript may have been produced entirely in the scriptorium at Kells. Fourth, it may have been produced in the north of England, perhaps at Lindisfarne, then brought to Iona and from there to Kells. Finally, it may have been the product of an unknown monastery in Pictish Scotland, though there is no actual evidence for this theory, especially considering the absence of any surviving manuscript from Pictland. Although the question of the exact location of the book’s production will probably never be answered conclusively, the first theory, that it was begun at Iona and continued at Kells, is currently widely accepted. Regardless of which theory is true, it is certain that the Book of Kells was produced by Columban monks closely associated with the community at Iona.
The majority of text taken directly from:
http://historymedren.about.com/od/bookofkell1/p/book_of_kells.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_kells
Footnote 7:
The Battle of Tarbat:
First, let me, the novel’s author, make clear that there is no evidence that anything about the Battle of Tarbat was related to an attempt by Clan Mackay’s to reclaim anything associated with their Picti heritage. The Mackays are believed, though, to descend from the ancient Picti people.
In 1486 the Battle of Tarbat took place. The Clan Mackay and Clan Ross had long been at feud, again and again the Rosses had suffered molestation of their lands by their enemies and when at last, driven to desperation and thoroughly infuriated, they gathered their forces and marched against the Mackays, they were in the mood to teach them a severe lesson. The Mackays, with Angus Mackay of Strathnaver at their head, were defeated by the Rosses and sought shelter in the church of Tarbat where many were slain. The church was set on fire and Angus Mackay and many of his clansmen were burnt to ashes. This was followed by the Battle of Auldicharish: To take revenge on Clan Ross, Chief Ian Mackay, helped by a force from Clan Sutherland, marched south invading the territory of Clan Ross and began laying waste to it. Chief Alistair Ross gathered his force of 2000 men and engaged in a long and desperate battle with the invading forces. In the end the battle went against the Rosses with the Mackays and Sutherlands gaining the upper hand. The Ross chief was killed along with many of his clan. In 1493 - The Mackays invade the Rosses again, and take much spoil.
The majority of this text taken directly from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Mackay
Footnote 8:
Pictish Witchcraft Ceremonies:
The ceremonies depicted here are supposedly true to original Pictish faith and are taken from the book Scottish Witchcraft & Magick, The Craft of the Picts, by Raymond Buckland, Llewellyn Publications, 2005. However, archeological and anthropological evidence would argue that no history of true Pictish belief systems has been discovered, which, in turn, would indicate that these ceremonies were created very recently. Some researchers into witchcraft indicate that these practices are actually less than 200 years old and probably less than 100 years old.
Regardless of the age of these ceremonies and occult practices, they are still a practiced form of witchcraft called Pecti-Wita. Disclaimer: From this point in the book forward, the author will be taking artistic liberties as he introduces practices that true Witans would not ascribe to.
Witchcraft is witchcraft. Even though Pecti-Wita and Wicca and other forms of witchcraft would emphatically declare their practices to be safe, positive, and for the betterment of oneself, they are declared by God to be detestable. All forms of witchcraft are a trap created by the Enemy to deceive people into believing that they have some sort of control, be it over nature, elements, and/or spirits.
The Enemy has set up an illusion of power to draw people in, and this same Enemy will see
mingly play by its own rules when it comes to the safety practices taught in the varied forms of the occult. An example of this would be Tara’s “circle of protection” in Part Two of Deliver Us from Darkness. In reality there is nothing about the circle she places herself within that prevents an evil spirit from attacking. However, the illusion of protection is maintained by the Enemy so as to keep people believing they are safe and, in turn, keep their eyes and minds trained away from God and his saving grace through Jesus.
Footnote 13:
Awareness in Warfare Situations:
Lest we forget, we’ve got a cunning Enemy. And since we cannot see them with natural eyes, we need to be cognizant of the fact that demons will take advantage of any observed weaknesses that we may display. One weakness that we have in the United States and most of the Western Hemisphere is “If we feel it, it must be natural.”
Remember, the Enemy’s function in the life of any Christian is to make him/her ineffective. If the Enemy can latch its claws, talons, hands upon a Christian and simulate some natural-feeling anomalies in the body, he will. Once we’re convinced that something is physically wrong with us, what will we do? We’ll turn attention away from our missions from God and start to self-focus.
Now, let me qualify all of this. Just because you get sick or have a headache in the midst of a spiritual struggle does not necessarily mean that a demon is involved. But this is where awareness is essential. One thing that will never hurt is to pray. One thing that can hurt is to assume that it’s just another physical ailment.
When Darkness Comes Page 34
