Only The Dead Don't Die (Book 2): The Hunger's Howl

by Popovich, A. D.

  With closed eyes, the 3D image of a bubble floated before her. The bubble spun into an orb of luminous light. I’ve seen this vision before. “Twila, where are you?” Scarlett cried out.

  Giggling answered.

  “This way,” an amused voice teased.

  Scarlett opened her eyes. Where was she? She had lost all sense of direction. She stopped and listened. All was quiet. She closed her eyes again. The bubble image reappeared, hovering just before her as if guiding her. She stumbled through the forest, squinting with half-closed eyes, enough so she wouldn’t lose the bubble in her inner vision while still following the footprints in the snow.

  “Twila?” she whispered.

  “Here I am, Mommy.” A bout of giggles followed.

  But Scarlett hadn’t heard the words. The words took form in her mind. An elusive sixth sense had often toyed with her sanity since the pandemic. Was it real? It wasn’t entirely new to her, only difficult to accept. It made her wonder if Twila had this gift as well. Twila had always exhibited odd behavior. Most likely, this new sense didn’t seem as impossible to Twila as it did to Scarlett.

  “Children have no problem accepting alternate realities,” an unknown voice confirmed.

  Scarlett followed the tracks in her euphoric-like state. Rather suddenly, she wasn’t cold. The snowflakes melted into her skin, leaving a warming-effervescent sensation.

  “Welcome, my child,” a soft voice chimed. It definitely wasn’t Twila.

  Scarlett almost snapped out of her mesmerizing state.

  “Careful now, lest you disappear into another dimension.”

  Such a strange feeling hypothermia gives one. “Death is so peaceful, almost blissful,” Scarlett uttered.

  “Oh, dear, you are not dying.” A tinkling laughter followed.

  Scarlett bumped into a wall. She jumped out of her mystical state in a panic. A house. Scarlett’s heart skipped with excitement. It was a run-down, country cottage, enchanting and eerie at the same time.

  “Twila?”

  “I’m inside.”

  “Come in,” the entrancing voice invited. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

  Scarlett hesitated and then went inside. The room beamed with rainbow-like prism lights misting the air. This is like a wild acid trip. Was she flashbacking to her college days? There had been that one wild party.

  Twila ran to her and gave her a long hug. “This is the lady I told you about. She talks to me in my dreams.” Twila beamed.

  “You never answer my calls,” an older woman with lucid-light silvery skin and silver hair chanted.

  The Silver Lady? “You’re only a dream,” Scarlett countered. “I’m dying of hypothermia.”

  “Let us not be cynical. Relax by the fire. You will feel better after a bowl of hot lemongrass soup.”

  Scarlett didn’t say anything; instead, she sat by the fire and sipped at the tasty soup. It instantly energized her, warming her to her very core; even her foot no longer throbbed.

  “Now is the time to ask your questions. We need you to understand.” The woman sounded confident.

  Scarlett wasn’t sure if this was a lucid dream or a hallucination, so she went with it. Besides, she often learned things from her dreams. Naturally, Scarlett’s first thought was: Where are we?

  “A place where the ley lines veil us—momentarily,” the answer came. “On the sixth day, you and Twila must leave at Twilight.” Her laugh so lovely, the image of roses came to mind. “Did you know, Twilight is Twila’s namesake?”

  No, it had never occurred to Scarlett. Still, she was desperate for more important answers. “If this place is safe, why do we need to leave?” Scarlett never wanted to leave. A feeling of euphoria revitalized every cell of her body.

  “My dear, I can only sustain this illusion for so long. It is merely an image conceived in my mind. Ah, there are those who can see what I see. Therefore, I must use my power to envision you on a different path. Misguide them. Once they discover our cosmic connection, they will have the ability to see within your mind as well. For now, time does not exist. Nevertheless, you must not be naive. They are searching for you and Twila.”

  Scarlett wondered if the ageless woman was referring to Ravers or creepers. Strangely, Scarlett didn’t feel panicky. She felt immersed in tranquility; fear did not exist.

  “Neither,” the mysterious woman read her mind. “I speak of the Ancient Bloodlines.”

  The woman spoke in riddles. Scarlett was even more confused. Slowly, she brought herself out of the hypnotic state. If she could ask questions, she should probably start from the beginning. “How did this happen—the Super Summer flu?” Let her try and answer that one.

  “Dear cynical one, the Ancient Bloodlines man-ipulated Humanity’s overpopulation by exposing Earth’s children to an engineered nanobot pathogen intended to downgrade Hu-mans’ DNA, thereby quickly creating a slave race, since their former subliminal programming was taking too long. It appears they overcompensated.”

  “Uh,” was all Scarlett managed to say. It certainly wasn’t the answer she expected. Again, with the riddles.

  “Dear cynical one, the Ancient Bloodlines have been battling for Earth’s control for a millennia. I have prepared many lifetimes for this exact time in Humanity’s history.”

  Scarlett frowned. Ancient Bloodlines? What was she talking about?

  The ageless woman answered her questioning thoughts. “Before the creation of the Hu-man species, several rivaling bloodlines controlled the Earth. Instead of working together to create the perfect species, which was their agreed-upon Soul Missions, they became corrupted by Earth’s infinite possibilities. Once they tasted the intoxicating addiction of power and greed, they forsook their missions. The Ancient Bloodlines plotted against one another in a desperate plight to gain control of Earth. The bloodlines interbred with their own race until their bloodline became tainted and stagnated.”

  “Beings? You are talking about humans. Right?” Scarlett was confused.

  “Your society sometimes refers to the Ancient Bloodlines as the Cabul, Freemasons, the Illuminati—to name a few. The Ancient Bloodlines strive to keep Earth’s Hidden History an enigma. Only your current un-enlightened civilization believes ancient civilizations such as Lemuria and Atlantis as legends. Ah, there are survivors: the Life Givers. The dying bloodlines will risk everything for one final battle to determine who seeds the new beings of Earth, one they can control completely: The ultimate slave race as did the Anunnaki.”

  “What does this have to do with Twila and me?” Scarlett was frustrated. She was getting a bunch of airy-fairy crap that had nothing to do with her, interesting as it might be.

  “Dear impatient one,” the woman smiled, “you must understand . . .” The words were no longer spoken; instead, the words streamed directly into Scarlett’s mind. “The Ancient Bloodlines are in the midst of the final battle of Humanity. They are systematically eliminating the Starseeds we seeded on Earth for this very event. Twila is one of these Starseeds. And, as you are her Protector, they search for both of you.”

  “Are you flippin’ kidding me?” This is beyond my belief system. “Does Twila know?” Scarlett asked a bit flippantly.

  “Shhh, speak silently my cynical one, lest we frighten her.”

  Scarlett forced her eyes away from the Silver Lady to check on Twila to find her cuddled under a blanket on the couch, asleep.

  The voiceless words continued. “The child knows nothing of this. In order for the Grand Plan to Save Humanity to prevail, Twila—and all the Starseeds must endure the ordinary human emotions such as hope, joy, unconditional love, loss, pain, and misery. These Hu-man attributes are crucial while their DNA upgrades to a new untainted Hu. Beware of hate. Hate is dangerous!”

  “If there are others, why—” Scarlett closed her mouth and continued with her doubts. If there are other special children, then Twila’s role in this outlandish plan isn’t so crucial. She hoped it hadn’t sounded as sarcastic as it had in he
r mind.

  “Only a few Starseeds survived. More of these special souls shall be born within the next seven years. However, the Ancient Bloodlines foresaw this.”

  It all sounded preposterous.

  “You must believe! It is written in the Akashic Records.”

  “If you know so much, then why go to all this trouble? Just look at your Akashic Records,” Scarlett said rather blatantly, forgetting to speak silently.

  “Dear cynical one, do you not think we attempted it? The Akashic Records for Humanity does not exist beyond this point! There is no future . . . for Humanity.”

  Eerie tendrils of fear seized Scarlett’s feet, snaking around her legs, up her torso, strangling the core of her existence. She wanted to scream but couldn’t. It was the death of mankind. The vision disappeared.

  “It is said, our Starseeds, whom we so strategically placed on this planet, will fail. The pathogen caused a ninety-nine percent fertility failure. Most Starseeds will die in the womb. This is Hu-manity’s last opportunity. If Hu-manity does not evolve to a higher consciousness, the Cosmic Confederation will forsake this quest, leaving the remaining Hu-mans at the Ancient Bloodlines’ mercy to endure an eternity as a slave race. The Cosmic Confederation will seed a new race in another galaxy.”

  Then what’s the flipping point! Scarlett shouted to the cosmos.

  “Believe . . . for I have sacrificed many lifetimes to be on Earth at this precise moment in time. I am an ambassador, so to speak. An ambassador for Humanity, assisting with this final opportunity.”

  Scarlett shook her head in disbelief. Silently she said, If you knew about the pandemic, why didn’t your people stop this insane madness before people turned into soulless cannibals?” Scarlett was immediately sorry for her caustic words when the Silver Lady’s image flickered.

  “Mankind’s man-ipulations such as GMOs, Wi-Fi, cellular microwave bombardments, fumigations of the sky, bio-engineered weather, and the plethora of experimental vaccines and pharmaceuticals . . . the synergy of these created a toxic primordial soup, re-wiring the DNA. Mutating it. Remember my words, child. The future of Hu-manity lies within your grasp. The land they once called Texas is where Twila must live.”

  The look in the Silver Lady’s eyes was beyond sadness. Scarlett found it unbearable. “Do you know how impossible all of this sounds to me? I mean, out of all the Hu-mans,” she enunciated sarcastically, “why me?”

  “I’ve already divulged more than is allowed, dear cynical one. They are scouring the Earth for descendants of her bloodline. Others must assume you are her original birth mother; thereby, assuming you both are of the same bloodline. You are the only mother she remembers—for now. This long-devised plan could backfire; the consequences are unpredictable. Above all else, remember: Unconditional Love is crucial at this stage in her DNA development. It is the only attribute that can save Hu-mans. It’s the one thing that can tear down the walls of hate, war, power, corruption, destruction, greed . . . all these destructively-fatal Hu-man flaws.”

  It sounded so cliché-ish, so esoteric. Inconceivable. Then again, it was only a dream. By the way, exactly how are we suppose to get to Texas without being torn apart by creepers or brutally molested and murdered by the Ravers? It was the billion dollar question.

  “Leave on the sixth day—after the storms have passed. Listen carefully to your inner voice. It does not deceive lest you doubt it. I shall check on you from time to time—when it is safe. I am only allowed to help you so far, for my time here is an unknown. Remember this, do not stay at any one place for long and avoid traveling with groups of people. This is where the Ancients will be watching. Disguise Twila as a boy. They are only seeking Life Givers of the new DNA.”

  Scarlett sat there, staring deep into the fire as the words penetrated into her soul, not understanding and yet understanding, refusing and yet accepting. The real question stuck in her throat. Why me? Of all people, why am I Twila’s protector? Surely, they would have chosen a military expert, a policeman, or a mercenary.

  “My cynical one, you answered your own question. The Ancients would never suspect someone like you, a beautiful, young woman with no military training. Blessed be, you have been soul-scoured for many a lifetime, preparing you for this very journey. You, my dear, are a warrior! And have been a warrior in your past lives. All of those lifetimes preparing you for this Soul Mission. This is the journey you agreed upon in your Soul Contract.”

  Scarlett found herself frowning again. She had often wondered how she had managed to survive. She didn’t feel like a warrior, and she certainly wasn’t beautiful.

  “Ah, your beauty runs deep. With no cosmetics to mire your beauty, your ethereal light shines like a goddess. And, you will eventually meet your warrior past-lives through time-released messages encoded in your dreams. Remember your dreams. Listen to their messages, the whisperings of the cosmos, for they do not lie.”

  “Why now?” Scarlett blurted aloud. The corruption the mystical woman mentioned had been happening for decades.

  “There are those masquerading as Humans prematurely bequeathing Artificial Intelligence knowledge to your infantile race, thereby, accelerating mankind's doom. Experimenting with A.I. is tantamount to toddlers toying with atomic weapons. Your race has not evolved enough to govern this power!”

  Scarlett didn’t understand her at all. What happens when we get to Texas?

  “It remains an unknown. I shall slip between the dimensions of time until they find me.” Her words resonated with uncertainty. “My cloaking abilities allow me to protect you for a while. This is my Soul Contract. The mission my soul trained for many a lifetime. You must believe!” The words seemed loud, almost vulgar as they were spoken aloud.

  It all seemed unfathomable, like a tale out of Avalon.

  “He did love you—Kevin,” the woman said with sorrowful eyes.

  The words sent a shockwave bolting from the soles of Scarlett’s feet to the area just above her crown.

  “Blame Kevin no longer. He played a small role in the Grand Plan to Save Humanity. He was a planned dalliance to keep you protected and out of their sights.”

  “Are you saying Kevin was somehow manipulated? How does it make you any better than the Ancient Bloodlines?” Scarlett was devastated by the news. It awakened the buried heartbreak for the man she had planned to marry before he had inexplicitly jilted her days before the wedding for a hot blonde, who was everything Scarlett wasn’t.

  “We have all suffered dearly,” she said with compassion.

  Scarlett stoked the fire, shaking her head, still not believing.

  “If you don’t believe, do it for Twila,” the words came silently again. “I see how deep and true your love runs for the girl as if you were indeed her birth mother.”

  Scarlett loved Twila with all her heart. The child seemed to be her only purpose in this insane world. Twila kept her going. It was the one truth Scarlett recognized. She’d go to Texas for Twila’s sake—to give Twila an ordinary childhood. Beyond that, she couldn’t comprehend the Silver Lady’s mystical message.

  The Silver Lady flickered like a wavering candle flame. Terror flashed through the old woman’s eyes. Suddenly, she didn’t seem so ageless.

  “Danger is approaching. I must use my cloaking abilities. Leave on the sixth day—after the snow melts. Teach Twila everything you can. North goes the river, and so must your journey begin. If possible, we shall send helpers along your journey. Until then, follow your instincts. Now sleep, my dear. I must depart and throw them off your path.”

  Scarlett’s throat throbbed in a moment of intense panic. “Wait! Sometimes I—know things. See things. Feel things that are impossible, like I’m going insane.”

  “These things as you call them, are not so unusual. As Humans overpopulated, their race became self-absorbed with their own thoughts, forgetting the art of being and listening. The oversaturation of non-important and hateful thoughts polluted the etherworlds. At this time, only lightworkers and Stars
eeds communicate in the old ways. In the early days of Man-kind Shamans and clan members communicated with one another—without these radioactive man-made communication devices. Your technology is polluting the etherworlds with irrevocable electromagnetic smog and radiation, which has corroded the brain, atrophied the pineal gland, and numbed your souls. This is why the DNA Upgrade is essential.”

  Telepathy, Scarlett realized suddenly. “Sometimes I feel things. Intensely,” Scarlett exclaimed.

  “Yes, my dear, telepathy is but one of the abilities I speak of. You are an empath. And once you accept your abilities and hone them, you shall be powerful in subtle ways. These abilities must remain hidden as it is a way for the Ancient Bloodlines to connect with you. Find you. Always disguise your thoughts.”

  “How is that possible? If people can read my mind, how can I hide what I’m thinking?”

  “Ah, you are in control of your thoughts and emotions. When you feel a headache coming on, a probing in your mind if you will, the Ancient Bloodlines are attempting to penetrate your thoughts. Throw them off with nonsensical thoughts or a song. Eventually, you will do this automatically. Like breathing. I have spoken to Twila of this in her dreams. Her DNA has been preprogrammed with such hypnotic commands.”

  Scarlett stoked the fading fire, confused more than ever. She closed her eyes, assimilating the mystical woman’s arcane message. A brilliant mandala swirled in a kaleidoscope of colorful patterns. It felt as if a dormant part of her soul had just awakened. Enlightenment?

  B-E-L-I-E-V-E, the silvery letters sparkled around her head. And, the Silver Lady vanished.

  Chapter 9

  It was 8:00 a.m. Justin Chen paced the lobby and fidgeted with his pack, waiting for Dean and Luther to return from the parking lot with the news. Finally, Dean waved him outside.

  “Are we going?” Justin’s voice croaked. He was an absolute mess. Am I getting married today or what?

  “Let’s give it a go. Mind you, can’t promise how far we’ll get. The Jeep can handle a few inches of slush,” Dean said, locking the resort’s front entrance.