Prologue to "The Lasting" By Kevin Turner

I tell myself every day that I understand why he did it, believing that that’s the way it had to be. I allow myself to accept and believe that it was for the best… and for the preservation of the world and everyone we loved… for everyone we love. Perhaps it was. Maybe he was right maybe my task now is to take up in his footsteps. But am I really worthy of defending the world from such evil that I have seen in my day? Is it even possible for this person that I’ve become to do that? Even after all of this? I think not… But I can try, and that I will… Rule #21, “Defeat is a state of mind that only you can consent to make your own.”

Excerpt from "The Lasting" by Kevin Turner

          The screaming stopped and the air around me stiffened and grew cold. I was lost. I had no idea how to find camp again, yet alone the beach... I could no longer hear the sound of the waves rolling up on the soft, silky sand or the crackle of the warm campfire. Instead, these noises were replaced by a dark and eerie silence that carved fear into my bones. All I could see was that which was illuminated by the light of my campfire torch.

          I wasn't only lost, I was alone in these forsaken woods with that... creature, whatever it was. I carefully made my way through the trees and brush holding the torch out to light my way. There was caution in every one of my steps and a frantic gasp in every breath as the hands of terror slowly choked the life out of me. Something was watching. It was watching, waiting… hunting me like an animal. I couldn't take it. I began to run, desperately trying to find some opening; trying to get away from these dreadful trees.

          I ran until I couldn't run any more. I was tired and I needed sleep but I forced myself to stay awake. If I didn't I knew I would die. I knew that whatever had dragged that poor man in here would find me and I wouldn’t stand a chance. Gasping for breath, I stumbled upon a small opening in the trees just wide enough to move a few people around freely in; no bigger than a small cabin space on the ship. How I missed that ship now...

          Everything was quiet and my breath was heavy from dashing through the trees but there was a familiar sound in the distance, the sound of the ocean. My heart ached and longed for the safety of the campfire and my friends. The sun was still below the horizon most likely, but I could tell from the color of the night sky that I could see through the canopy above that it was going to be rising soon.

          Turning in the direction of the sounding waves I suddenly found myself staring into four bright eyes about five feet away that burned like fire into the back of my skull. Their pupils were nonexistent and the entire eye was green and shone in the direct light of the torch. I stumbled and fell backwards dropping the torch in the leaves on the ground as the figure made its way down the side of a tree. Fear gripped me and overcame every attempt to scream or get up and run and the figure reached the forest floor. Its eyes hovered there about knee height off the ground waiting and staring at me. What was it waiting for? As it slowly stepped into the moonlight cast on the ground I could make out every feature of it. All eight of the spider's legs were decorated with hair and hooks at the joint. It was a deep blue color with dashes of purple and black on its abdomen and legs. Its fangs were no less than the size of my hand and as it got closer I could make out four more little eyes underneath the originals.

          Suddenly a fiery pain enveloped my shoulder and I struggled to stand up. When I did I could feel the wait of another spider on my back. It was about as heavy as a two year old and it had sunken its fangs into my collar bone. The other spider had just been distracting me. These things were smart... I backed up until I hit a tree and crushed the cursed things legs between my back and the bark. It bit down harder and squealed and screeched in pain then finally let go and fell to the forest floor. I kicked it away and looked around finding the other spider as it was crawling up the side of a nearby tree. The leaves around me had caught fire and it was spreading rapidly.

          I made a break in the direction of the waves I could hear in the distance. Tripping and falling many times along the way, I finally cleared the trees and staggered into the soft wet sand. I felt sick and cold and after falling to the ground on my knees I fell ill, emptying my stomach onto the beach before I turned back around to face the trees. To my horror I whitnessed nearly a dozen large spiders scurrying out of the woods after me.

          Try as I may I couldn't stand or bear any weight on my knees any longer. I collapsed in the sand and watched in utter defeat as they approached me. Then one of them shrieked and hissed as it stepped into the light emanating from the sun that had just a second ago hit the beach as it rose above the horizon. Soon they were all screeching as I watched the sun beat them back to the edge of the forest where they took shelter under the canopy which was now smoking.

          I could also make out a small line of black rising from the beach in the distance. It was camp, but I was completely immobilized. I couldn't even move my fingers. So close to salvation but then so far... The last thing that went through my head before I blacked out was, yell Dante! Yell damn it! Yet the only thing that escaped my lips was a small sigh of despair...

You or the Dog

          If your hands were bound behind your back and you were placed into a small cage on your knees in which a vicious dog was waiting to kill you, would you be able to fight and kill the dog with your teeth out of will to survive and sense of self-preservation? In other words, could a human being become vicious enough... even more vicious than the dog... to kill and survive?