Darkness covers the earth. The Sun, though still in its position in the solar system, has not been able to perform one of its most vital functions; to give light. It has turned dark, and this, amongst other things has made manifest the wicked dwellers of the darkest part of the underworld. Most of the things humans thought they knew and understood have in a way disobeyed the natural laws that be; there are no children left in the world, and no woman is bestowed with the power to give birth. Both natural and artificial means and sources of light have failed. In the midst of his trial, Jeffery, a young man falls in love with a girl, Karen, whom he had ignored for some time. And their love is put to test as the world is thrown back into an age worse than the days before the dinosaur.
Excerpt:
“Well, what do we have here?” whispered Jeffery, closing his left eye as he tried to maintain his gaze with the right eye through the microscope. He adjusted the small fine focus knob until the specimen was clearly in focus. He then set the diaphragm to get the best lighting.
“Boo!” yelled a loud female voice from behind him.
“Jesus, Karen!” said Jeffery, “You scared the bit jeez out’o me.”
“We come in peace!” hissing, she grabbed him gently by the neck, “I told you I’ll get you someday.” She ran her finger through his hair. “Whatchu got in there?”
“Uh, nothing.” he answered, smiling. “Just this tissue Doctor Melanie wanted me to analyse. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Hmm! Weird!” he picked a small book and scribbled some lines.
“Thanks for the dinner the other day!” she said.
“Oh, it was nothing!” he said.
“No, really!” she added, “It was wonderful. I had fun that night, though haven’t gone out in like ages!”
“You deserve better than that,” he responded. Wearing a great smile, he lifted his head. “You look great!”
“Thank you!” she said, “Guess what?”
“I’m all ears!”
“I got promoted yesterday,” she added, excitedly.
“Oh my God,” Jeffery said, Standing up. “Congratulations. Wow!” He gave her a warm hug, “Wow! I mean, this is super awesome, girl!”
“I know, right?” her dimples deepened, admiring his strong look and good skin, “I didn’t wanna text you. Wanted to tell you in person!”
She stood 5’7” before him, just about four inches short of his height.
“Wow, finally.” he said, sitting back. “I’m truly happy for you. How many years you’ve waited like two and a half years or so?”
“Four long years!” she said. “Hey Jef.” She stood there akimbo, “There’s something you must see!” She slipped her left hand down into the pocket of her lab coat and gripped a red pen tightly in her right fist.
“What is it?” he asked, out of curiosity.
“Let’s go to L6!” she added.
“Now?” asked Jeffery, taking off his glasses. “I’ve been onto this since 3:00am. Maybe when I’m done with…”
“You slept here?” she asked.
“Sort of,” he replied, “Closed 9:15pm; Went out for dinner, had a little nap and rolled back into the lab 2:40am.”
“Jeez, Jef!” she said, “Don’t overwork yourself!”
“I need to get this done before 10:00am,” he said, “Doctor Melanie said she’d…”
“I’ve got this thing I wanna show you!” Karen interjected, gazing into his eyes. “You’ve really got to see this. Trust me when I say; you wouldn’t miss it for the world!”
“Could you please give me twenty minutes!” he pleaded, “Is it another…”
“Nope!” she interposed, “This is unlike anything you’ve ever seen in your wildest imagination!”
“Oookay!” he responded, lustfully. Staring at her thick, glossy lips, “What is it?”
“Come with me!” she said.
Jeffery closed the book on his desk, placing his glasses on it as he loathly followed her.
“You smell good too,” he said with a smile on his face.
“Thank you, Jef!” she sighed, “It’s the same perfume I wear every day.” She turned and winked as she chewed her bubble-gum. “Thanks for noticing…today! Smelling nice yourself!”
He smiled and turned his eyes away from her gaze.
“Jef! Jef! Jef!” she hollered. “Always diffident when complimented!” she teased, “So, how’s your girlfriend?”
“I can’t remember ever telling anyone I’ve got a girl…friend” he replied, meekly.
“Hmm!” she responded, “Am I intruding or are you in denial?” She pressed down the hall button of an elevator.
“I’m not dating anyone.” Jeffery said. He smiled back at her, “For now, that is!”
Jeffery stood behind her as they await the elevator cab to descend.
“I know,” she said. “Work! Work! Work! That’s all you know.” Karen shook her head, “Veronica has been trying to get your attention lately…And so does Chloe!”
With her hands in the pockets of her lab coat, still chewing her gum, she left her hips exposed to the delight of his sight.
Jeffery stole some moments to admire her body.
“Observing anything, handsome?” she said as she caught his eyes staring at her hips, “Do you need a microscope, Jef?” she teased, as she smiled seductively.
He sighed.
“You don’t ever part with that necklace, do you?” she remarked, turning her face away from him.
“It’s a gift from my mum,” he said, “It was given to her by an old friend during her trip to Africa in the ’80s. She handed it to me about a month before she passed on!”
“You must’ve missed her!” she said.
“A lot!” he responded, “She means the world to me!” his face gleamed with a smile.
“Hmm! Good morning!” she said.
“What?”
“We forgot to say ‘good morning’ this morning!” she said, “So I say good morning!”
“Oh, yeah!” he grinned, “Good morning!”
“The day’s still young!” Karen said, looking at her wristwatch, “Urgh! 9:06am! Really?”
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Anytime you’ve got a beautiful plan for the evening, the day walks like a turtle with a giant hippo on its back!” She said.
“Hmm!” he responded, “We’ve got plan for the evening I see!” clearing his throat, “A date, I presumed?”
“Nope!” She said, “G.N.O. Homie; Girls night out!” flicking her fingers as she threw her tongue out.
“This is cool.” He said, “One of a kind!”
“What’s cool?” She asked, “My nails or the tongue?”
“The glass elevator shaft doors!” He replied, “Even though it’s scary sometimes!”
“You remember the sightings of that humanoid thingy in the east that was said to have something like fire burning within its torso?” Karen said.
“Yeah!” He responded, “The footage went viral on YouTube, ya?”
“Yup!” She exclaimed, “Thanks to camera phones, right?”
“Doctor Melanie’s daughter claimed she always sees it in her dream?” Jeffery added, “Also, I heard that the person who uploaded it online was found dead. Burnt to ashes in his apartment, on his own bed yet, not even a touch of fire on the bed sheet!”
“Hmm!” she sighed, “Weird huh? Might be SHC… Spontaneous human combustion?”
“Someone said it’s probably one of those biblical end of time stuff?” he said.
“Yeah, the biblical stories…” she snorted, “God and Satan, angels and demons, heaven and hell etcetera! Gimme a break, Jef. You don’t believe in that crap, do you?”
The doors came open.