Short Fat Stubby Finger Publications presents Episode 13 of The Night of the Darkness (abridged vers
SHORT FAT STUBBY FINGER PUPLICATIONS
PRESENTS
A SHORT FAT STUBBY FINGER PUBLICATION THINGEE
Part one of Tony Stewart's
THE EDGE OF NIGHTFALL
Hi,
and welcome to episode 13 of an abridged version of The Night of the Darkness, the first book in 'The Edge of Nightfall' series. A book that is soon to become available for purchase in a fully unabridged version. You can either keep an eye on Short Fat Stubby Finger Publications* for the release date of the unabridged version, keep an eye out for the blog advising of its availability, or simply subscribe to the blog site to continue receiving the book in episodic releases which should increase in the new year to weekly releases instead of the current fortnightly episodes.
Just so there is no misunderstanding the **Short Fat Stubby Finger Publications' web site does not take you to a Publishing House in the style of Penguin or Random House are. Rather, it is my personal web site where I can share my stories and poems with you in various ways such as e-books, blog releases and self publications.
The short fat stubby finger publications web site lists the majority of stories that should become available over the next two years and that includes this story (ie: abridged version) which is being released in serialised form via my blog as I do occasonaly with my poems and short stories - so please keep an eye out for them should you be interested.
For those of you finding an episode of The Night of the Darkness via Wordpress or Tubmlr for the first time I do recommend you use the search button at the top right hand side of the Wordpress page to go back to chapter one to follow the story from the beginning.
If you received this episode via facebook I would recommend that you press the large GREEN asterix at the top of the facebook page to switch to the Wordpress Blog Site as it makes for easier reading on screen - and Wordpress Blog Site also gives you the ability to read the story from the beginning.
However, if you prefer to read this episode as it has been presented to you I have provided a brief synopsis of the previous episodes (spoilers) for your convenience as a lead in to the episode proper.
Happy reading.
THE BLOG Background
THE NIGHT OF THE DARKNESS is an abridged version of a book due for release in 2016. This abridged version is currently being released in (approx) fortnightly episodes at no charge to the reader, but it is not for reproduction in any format other than to onforward it to any potential reader.
The story is adapted from Part One of THE EDGE OF NIGHTFALL series by Tony Stewart.
If you have any comments or queries please e-mail me using the comments field at the bottom of the page, or from here - shortfatstubbyfingers@yahoo.com.au.
So now, here we go again ... Please enjoy
The EDGE of NIGHTFALL:
by Tony Stewart
Part 1:
The NIGHT of the DARKNESS: Episode 13
The Story Background
The NIGHTof the DARKNESS is the first chapter in The EDGE of NIGHTFALL trilogy; a story that tells the tale of thirty five year old Joseph Jacobson who had been placed into an orphanage at the tender age of six months and remained there until he began university. His education,including university, and subsequent employment all provided for him by a mysterious benefactor who had looked after all of the children in the orphanage.
Now, after a rather dull and boring life, he is about to have the biggest adventure of his life … and takes on a challenge that has the potential to finish it.
For those who have come in late;
Either go to the SEARCH MENU at the TOP RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS BLOG and enter EPISODE 1 (which will take you to the beginning of the story), and do the same for each subsequent episode up to the current one, or read the following 'SPOILERS';
SPOILERS
The village of Trenthamville - several days ago
Introducing the Witches of Trenthamville
The witches of Trenthamville had called up their lord and master, but their attempts to please him had failed … and he had punished them the only way he knew how.
Somewhere in the Middle East - one hundred plus years ago
Introducing The Punjani
Several specially selected members of The Punjani, the sect that worshipped the god Rangor the Punjanti, had made one last attempt to locate a missing statue of their master before the sect migrated to England on a permanent basis, but they failed in their attempt and they too paid for their failure …
At the beginning of Joseph's adventure
Introducing Joseph and Rosetta
Joseph Jacobson, a thirty five year old clerk at a London based company, went to his favourite restaurant for his midday meal, as was his habit, where he found a beautiful young stranger waiting for him. The girl introduced herself as Rosetta and Joseph realised immediately that the girl was at his table in error, but his ego got in his way when he tried to explain to her that he wasn’t who she thought he was.
Eventually Joseph gave up his protests and listened to the girl's story as she told him how her father, an Italian Professor of Archaeology, had discovered a huge and extremely valuable statue somewhere in the middle east which he had transferred to a small farm in Trenthamville, a village an hour or so out of London, while trying to find a museum who would take custody of his discovery. Several days earlier her father had been found lying at the side of the road, unconscious, miles from both the village and the farm and was now in a hospital in a comatose condition. A condition that had been induced into his system by person, or persons, unknown.
The girl then further explained the reason that she was at Joseph’s table was to ask for his assistance in locating the statue, which had gone missing from the farm where it had been stored, so she could exchange it for a cure for her father’s condition with a sect called the Punjani who were the original owners of the statue - and the persons suspected of being responsible for her father's condition. The statue was that of Rangor, the god they had worshipped for many years in the middle east before it had been stolen.
Introducing Martin
Mesmerised by both the girl’s beauty, and the story she had told, Joseph had agreed to accompany her to the farm the following day and arranged to meet her later that evening to discuss the arrangements for travel. But Joseph had remorse about his impetuous decision and had decided to attempt again to tell her the truth when they met at the hotel that night.
However, Joseph's plans for honesty became complicated when Martin, a friend of Rosetta’s and the one who had made the arrangements for her, and the man she thought Joseph to be, to meet in the first place turned up at the hotel. But when Joseph realized that Martin had never actually met the man both he and Rosetta thought him to be, Joseph decided to go ahead with helping her in the search, reasoning he could pull out any time things got too hot for him by pretending he was needed for another job - and he doubted they would disbelieve him, nor would they ask questions because of whom they thought him to be.
introducing Mary
Mary, a workmate of Joseph's, who was undergoing a divorce and who had thoughts about Joseph she had always kept to herself, had been cohersed into getting close to Joseph and reporting his activities to the C.E.O. of the company that employed them both. He had not coherently explained his reasons, but Mary's state of mind was at a loose end at the moment due to many varying reasons, including lonliness and bordem, and she readily accepted the challenge: the only expecit instructions that Mary had revieved was to not question Joseph on any strange events he may appear to be connected with; simply accept, observe and report were her sole instructions.
When Joseph arrived back at the office that afternoon, and Mary spotted lipstick on Joseph's cheek, a result of an impetious reward from Rosetta for agreeing to help her, Mary immediatly became curious and decided to follow him after work. When they arrived at the hotel she followed Joseph into the restaraunt and managed to locate a seat close enough to him to hear his conversations, but out of sight should he decide to roll his eyes around the large room.
After over-hearing the conversations that had taken place between Joseph and his companions Mary was also under the delusion that Joseph was something other than just a clerk at Johnsons' Import and Export.
The next day - London - Early in the morning
Meet Frank and the Creature
The next morning Mary had followed Joseph and his friends as they left London and travelled to Trenthamville, but she had been forced to temporarily stop following them and take refuge in a garage where the attendant told her about the strange happenings at a farm several nights ago. A night where strange noises could be heard across the length and breadth of the small country village, cultivating in a light that mysteriously appeared in the middle of the farm ... a light so hot it left several villagers in need of medical treatment even though they were several miles from where the light was emitting from.
And the light had not been aimed at them ... it was projecting from the ground upwards. A farm, it transpired, that was the same farm that Joseph and his friends were heading to.
Halfway through the tale, the attendant, whose name was Frank, had been called outside to attend to a customer and while she was waiting for him to return and continue the story Mary had come across a strange photograph pinned to the wall and as she examined it closely a strange, hideous creature emerged from the photograph and began to attack her with a knife.
Joseph and his friends arrive at the farm
Joseph's secret thoughts
Joseph had found something hidden deep within his memories trying its utmost to get out ever since they first arrived at the farm in search of the statue Rosetta's father had hidden.
Whatever was going on inside his mind perplexed Joseph and he found he was fighting a battle within himself with one side of his brain arguing that he should take a back seat in the search for the statue lest he give himself away as a fraud, while the other half was attempting to take control of the search regardless of the danger he placed himself into because he had to - because he was meant to. And Joseph had no idea why this battle was taking place. But Joseph was not in a situation where he could share his confusion and reservations and he was forced to push his thoughts asid until he could find time, and someplace safe, to analyse them.
In the meantime Joseph and his friends entered the farmhouse finding it to have been left in disarray and embers smouldering on a large patch of the lounge room carpet.
Mary is still at the garage and she meets the local doctor - Peter James
Mary regained consciousness to find a doctor attending to her, but she had to wait until he left before she could ask Frank (the garage attendant) what had happened to her.
Meanwhile, down on the farm there are questions to be answered ...
Joseph and his friends discovered there was more to the farm than meets the eye: while red hot embers smouldered on a carpet in one room; there were strange drawings on the walls that surround it ... and somebody was watching their every move.
While Mary chills out at the garage - Frank tells his story
After the doctor left the garage Frank confided to Mary that he had seen the creature that had attacked her and he had saved her life. He then went on to tell her about an event that had happened many years earlier where he came across a girl not much older than he was who had been set upon by witches, but she had escaped and he had escorted her home to her uncle's house. The following day the girl had gone back to London to live, but she had returned to the village years later ... coincidently on the same day that the strange events had taken place at the farm ... and on the same night Frank had heard the chant of the witches just prior to the farm being lit up. The same chants he had heard just before running into Malena, as she escaped from the witches all those years ago.
Frank then went on to tell Mary about the strangers who had arrived at the garage over the past week seeking directions to the farm. Roughly a week before Joseph and his friends and Mary had arrived on the scene, a short squatty man whom Frank described as looking like a human pig and who said he was the curator of some museum in London which Frank could not remember the name of, had made enquiries about the farm and the events. And between Joseph and his friends and the living pig there had been five men, including one whose name was Raji , who had been the spokesman for the group. All five men appeared to be of middle-eastern descent, Frank had noted, though their accents were most definitely from London. Raji excepted, the other four had surprised Frank when they became highly agitated when Frank had recounted the events of the night of the long light to them and they had loudly shown fear of something called the Punjanti.
Mary begins her trip to the farm
Shortly afterwards Mary left for the farm after receiving instructions on how to find her way, but not before she convinced Frank to make arrangements for her to meet his friend Malena's Uncle Laurie, who was classed as an expert on the supernatural aspects of the village, later that evening.
Joseph, Martin and Rosetta explore the Barn
Joseph hears a strange sound coming from the loft, while Rosetta discovers Martin's car has been stolen and they are stuck at the farm.
Joseph and Martin discover somebody hiding in the loft, but as they tackle him they realize they have being looking at a reflection and subsequently smash into a mirror which leaves them cut and bleeding.
Mary's Road Trip
Still slightly in shock as a result of Frank's stories, and the attack by the creature, Mary left the garage and headed off on the last stage of her trip to the farm, but she soon found she had many more shocks in store ... and was beginning to realize that her adventure was more dangerous than she had originally imagined ... so dangerous, her life may very well be in grave danger should she continue to be involved with Joseph.
and now …
THE NIGHT OF THE DARKNESS
Part one of
The Edge of Nightfall Trilogy
EPISODE THIRTEEN
As she passed the gates at the entrance to the farm, Mary felt a mixture of pleasure and disappointment at not seeing the car anywhere in sight as the farmhouse came into view and wondered for a moment if it had been their car that had passed her earlier. She found herself in two minds as whether to go back to town to cool her heels for a few hours, or to take a look around this farm that offered so much intrigue.
Curiosity finally got the better of her. She parked the car behind a large barn that stood between her and the farmhouse, locked the car doors, and began, cautiously, to walk around to the front of the huge building. Although she was fairly certain that she was alone on the farm, she thought it would be more prudent to be careful until she knew for certain.
As she approached the side of the barn Mary could hear noises coming from inside, and suddenly a woman's scream pierced the air. Mary could see a slight gap on the wall where a panel had been coming loose, and went up to it to take a peek. She got there just in time to see somebody running down the stairs and across the room - in her direction.
Instinct told her to move away quickly, and she had just managed to get to the back of the barn when a dishevelled figure scrambled out from under the floorboards near where she had been standing - and, fortunately for her, heading in the opposite direction towards the farmhouse before settling on a position behind an old upturned cart.
Mary was uncertain as to what she should do. She had not expected this situation to eventuate. She tried to make out some features on the man, but he was too far away to be certain. She remembered that there were some binoculars in the car. With the sleekness of a cat, Mary ran to the car, extracted the glasses, and returned to her position just in time to see Joseph and Rosetta come out of the barn.
Training the binoculars on them she could hardly believe the sight that confronted her. ‘The bitch!’ Mary exclaimed in disgust, ‘She's got her arms around him, the hussy. He is supposed to be there to help her - not for her to help herself. My God! He's bleeding. Oh Joseph - what have they done to you?’ Mary had to resist a sudden impulse to run down to comfort him. Feeling slightly frustrated she continued to watch as Martin joined them, and had to adjust the glasses to view the pendant that Joseph handed to him.
‘That's quite a piece of jewellery’, she thought to herself as Martin handed it back, and the three of them began walking towards the house.
As soon as the farmhouse door had shut behind them, Mary swung the glasses back in the direction of the fugitive from the barn. Refocusing the binoculars for the change in distance resulted in a crystal clear image of the man ... and the image gave Mary quite a shock as it reflected the face of a man displaying signs bordering on the edge of madness ... and it was looking straight back at her.