Inspired by yesterday’s post, I went and took a detailed look at my writing archive. Which is really just a folder on my laptop titled “Writing” that has everything I have ever typed for the past 15 years. It’s a big folder. So many projects begun and abandoned …
I found one book idea I’d like to share because I spent so much time on it and it’ll never get written. There is much more background information involved including Annals (a history of years) and a rather lengthy essay on the nature of the various planes of existence.
Only the Prologue is complete. The first 11 chapters are outlined and began writing only a few of them.
THE
ARMAGEDDON
CYCLE
by
E. W. Storch
BOOK ONE
GATHERINGS
Prologue
Hell
Present day
The heat of the Lowest Pit of Gehenna curled the feathers on all six wings protruding from Jehoel’s back. Light emanating from Jehoel’s eyes allowed the Seraphim to see in the dark corridors of the Lowest Pit as he made his silent and fearful way forward.
Jehoel hated Gehenna and he hated even more having to travel through its six upper planes to reach the Lowest Pit. Walking among the fiery pits of Sheol was to risk burning the wings off of his back. His stomach turned over at the sight of the the Archon Jao, former ruler of Perdition, strung up as the Humans hang meat to dry. As Jehoel walked by the body he thought he heard it cry out in agony. In response, Jehoel cried out himself and ran the rest of the way through Perdition.
At the Gates of Death, Jehoel met the Nabassu. The monstrous canine lept at him, huge teeth bared, hair bristling on its neck, razor claws extended. Jehoel stepped back and showed the face of the Lion giving an ear deafening howl. The Nabassu faltered, fear in its insane eyes but it soon recovered and charged Jehoel again. The beast knocked the Seraphim to the ground and tore at Jehoel’s throat.
Jehoel would have perished there, in the Gates of Death, were it not for the former Ophanim, Beezelbub. The fiend threw the Nabassu from Jehoel and without a word commanded the Gaint-spawn to leave. Jehoel stood and thanked the fallen one, pleading for safe passage to the Lowest Pit but Beezelbub only laughed and disappeared. Crest-fallen, the Seraphim had continued on.
Down through the Gates of the Shadows of Death where souls are tortured until their last breath is spent, only to be revived the next day to start it again; through the deafness of the Silence where souls are driven mad by the complete lack of sight and sound; and finally through the sludge and filth of the Bilge where most of the Devils and Demons make their homes, Jehoel travelled the darkness of Gehenna. He heard screams of agony, pleas for help and mercy and he heard the laughter of Demons and Devils. Everywhere he went he witnessed the torture of lost souls. When he finally reached the Lowest Pit, he thanked Anu he had arrived unscathed.
Jehoel wandered the caverns and pits of Satan’s realm in search of the former Seraphim. With every step he wished he could be within the golden walls of Araboth, but he had a job to do. A very important one.
His lighted eyes were of no use here where a red-orange glare permeated everything. It looked as though thousands of fires were burning out of sight but there was no heat. It was as cold as the depths of the cosmos. He found it hard to see, tricks of the light flashing, shadows appearing and disappearing, so when he thought he saw a figure standing before him he was not sure it was real.
“Satan? Is that you?” asked Jehoel.
“Jehoel.” The voice was soft yet commanding, with the promise of death underneath it. “What has brought you here? Does Anu know you are away?” asked Satan with the slightest hint of sarcasm that made the feathers of Jehoel’s wings stand out straight.
Jehoel, at a loss for words, had forgotton why he had come. Being in the presence of the first of the El-Ohim was awe-inspiring, even if that El-Ohim was an outcast.
“Are you content, Satan?” Jehoel finally asked in a small voice as his face shifted involuntarily from Man to Lion to Eagle to Bull and back again. Satan appeared much as Jehoel; six, feathered wings, skin and eyes that gave forth their own light but Satan’s face remained steady: that of a Man. The only discernable difference between the two was that Satan’s light was much more brighter than Jehoel’s.
Satan appeared relaxed, leaning against the cavern wall on his shoulder, with his arms and legs crossed, wings folded loosely on his back. “How do you mean, ‘content’, Jehoel?”
Jehoel took a step closer and pulled his wings tight to his chest. He was not sure if it was his confidence returning or the unbearable cold that was slowly sinking into his bones. “Content. Are you content here in Gehenna? Do you feel complete?”
Satan stood upright and unfurled his wings. An unnatural breeze ruffled Jehoel’s hair until Satan settled his wings back in place. He walked toward Jehoel as he answered.
“You tell me, Jehoel. Would you be content to spend eternity on this plane, herding about the lost souls of those not worthy of the Great Seven? Would you be content to play keeper to those abominations spawned by the Grigori before the revolt?” Satan stood before Jehoel and, thrusting his face into Jehoel’s, forcing the Seraphim to stare into his eyes, hissed, “Would you be content to be banished from Araboth for all time? Would it please you to know you would never be able to gaze upon the Divine Throne ever again?”
Jehoel took a step back flapping his wings in indignation. A look of shock crossed his face. “Such anger,” he said. “Have you been feeding rage all of this time? Have you learned nothing?”
“I have learned that my Lord has forsaken me! My God, whom I loved with all of my being has forgotten about me! Me! I was once his best loved. I was once the greatest of you all. What did I do to deserve this?” Satan dropped to his knees, hung his head and wings down and began to weep.
Jehoel stood and smiled. He leaned forward and whispered, “For disobeying the Lord you got no less than you deserved.”
Satan jumped up. Pointing a finger at Jehoel he yelled, “You dare! You dare mock me in my own realm? We fought side by side during the revolt when Michael called us all into service. You, who long ago accompanied me to the realm of Tebhel and befriended the people we found there, say such a thing?” Satan lowered his hand and his voice. Opening his arms in a gesture of welcome, he smiled. “Jehoel, we were once brothers. Will you continue to let my mistake come between us?”
Jehoel breathed deep the freezing air and looked Satan in the eye. “For striking the Lord Anu, disappointing him with your outlandish opinions, and being the cause of the Kinslaying, I begin to wonder why I come to visit you once a millennium.”
Satan’s face twisted with rage. “I was the First! I am the greatest of you all! Has Anu forgotten, as he has forgotten that Humans were not his creation? Remind him of that Jehoel. Or are you still too blind to see the truth?” Satan began pacing the floor, wings shaking in aggitation. Once again he faced Jehoel. “Gabriel, I’m sure, is still upset about her lack of recognition for that. Ask her about it sometime, Jehoel. She created the Humans that Anu is so proud of. There are not many who remember that.”
Jehoel crossed his arms and looked at his feet. “I know of it.”
Satan cocked his head to one side and a look of curiosity fell on his face. “Do you Seraphim? Then why do you so blindly follow the will of one such as Anu?”
“Because, Satan, he is the father of the El-Ohim.”
“Yes, the father of us all. Out of my sight, Seraphim, before I take you and lock you away with the Nabassu! You follow one who hides the truth for his own gain. I ask only that the truth be recognized and the time is drawing near when I will make Anu and all the El-Ohim see the truth!” Satan raised his right hand above his head, and with a wave of his forefinger, disappeared, leaving a cloud of eldritch smoke and the smell of sulfur.
Jehoel shuddered momentarily at the thought of meeting the Nabassu again. When the chill had passed, Jehoel stood by himself for a few minutes until the cloud dispersed. He turned around and surveyed his surroundings closely for the first time. What a dreary place it really is, he thought. How could any soul stay here as long as Satan has?
Jehoel shrugged, “Ah well, I have done my part. The End has begun.” Then Jehoel turned, sighed, and started the long ascent back to Araboth.
Chapter One
City of Babylon
7500 years before Present
Relate the story of Enoch–father is Jared–His birth and early life–SA 622–7500 years ago (approx.)
Jared hurried through the market place. He knew he had forgotton most of what he was supposed to buy but he was too worried to care about that now. He left his father, Malaleel, to watch over the flocks. Malaleel was old, too old to go into the city to buy food and too old to watch the flocks. Jared decided that it would be safer if Malaleel tended the sheep than go to the city. Normally, Jessica, his wife would buy the food while he tended the flocks, but she was heavy with her first child and Jared insisted that she stay home.
Chapter Two
Minneapolis, Mn
Present Day
Relate the story of a college girl who is met by Jehoel–
Chapter Three
Saratoga Springs, NY
Present Day
Joel Selligman recieves old document to be translated (fragment of Raziel’s Annals–first few paragraphs)
Chapter Four
Boston, MA
Present Day
priest witnesses an angel in a subway in Boston–Sees vision of the far past from the first age
Father Christopher Reilly shuffled down the street guided by the light of the steetlamps. His bald head reflected the light as if he had spent hours polishing his scalp. He was mistaken by the the homeless he passed as being one of them; his stooped, aged form folded into an enveloping black overcoat. He talked to himself as he walked, or so the homeless thought, but he was talking to God, praying for those same people who were mistaking his identity. He prayed for their safety and, in the back of his mind prayed for his own as well.
The streets were dark and empty at this time of the night but he had received a phone call earlier that had informed him that the widow MacIntosh did not have long for this world. He received that same phone call at least once a week from the widow herself and this time was no different. He went just the same. He had a duty to God and to his parish and he would not shirk that duty even though he was missing out on well deserved sleep.
Chapter Five
South of An-Najat, Iraq
Present Day
Archeologist discovers gate to 1st Earth in Babylon
Chapter Six
Middle-Eastern Wilderness
7500 years ago
Enoch’s Death and transpondence to Heaven.
Chapter Seven
Minneapolis, Mn
Present day
Girl gives birth to four children–Nephilim–she dies–children become wards of the state.
Chapter Eight
Saratoga Springs, NY
Present Day
Joel Selligman publishes findings of document–severely ridiculed.
Chapter Nine
Araboth
Present Day
Anu charges Kemuel with bringing the souls of the Nephilim to Heaven–Jehoel relates news to Satan–Satan vows to capture the Nephilim.
Chapter Ten
Boston, Ma
Present Day
Father Reilly reads Joel’s published work and leaves Boston for Saratoga–Has second vision on train
Chapter Eleven
Eres
Present Day
Archeologist visits Eres and finds the Lost Descendants of Adam–he meets Lilith–he Bythios
Definitely kept me reading, Eric, I like the style of your conversation. That’s been one of the ahrdest things for me to come into. I tend to write long solliloquy type passages, because I’m comfortable in the heads’ of my characters, but when they interact with others I stumble around. Odd perhaps, because I don’t feel that way, necessarily, in my own conversations.
The project looks Epic in proportions, keep at it, I’d love to read more.
I am often lauded for my ability to write good dialogue but find it difficult to actually talk to a real person. Odd as well. Perhaps there’s a reason for our oddity?
Face to face, we could have a really awkward conversation about really great characters talking to each other like they were old chums! I’d like to imagine there’s something in the firing of our brains, something that could be adjusted, maybe? Giving me an interesting idea though!
Only thing I’d change would be “Satan” to “Lucifer.” Otherwise, you know I love your work!