Staying Human

By Kyle Tobin

The shockwave of the explosion resonated so deep in my body it felt as if the marrow of my bones would vibrate free from its skeletal cage. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves, isn’t it?
This is the story of your past, your present, and if all goes well...your future.
My name is Jack; I've lived for the past 500 years without knowledge of what or who I am, and now that I'm slowly finding out...it's not looking good.
There is someone...or something...that is guiding us to the brink of destruction and I seem to be the only one that knows about it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kyle Tobin
• Release date: Apr 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476362335

Kyle Tobin

My name is Kyle Tobin; I have been interested in writing my entire life. Growing up with avid readers in my Mom and Dad, I was constantly surrounded and immersed in captivating stories and ideas that would churn in my mind perpetually, filling my head with endless adventures and journeys to be told! I have no siblings and we've moved around a decent amount (born in California, then moved to Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, back to California, out to Tennessee, and then I moved up New York where I finished writing this book) so I have been blessed with time to focus my imagination and create countless stories to play out.

Book preview

Staying Human.

By

Kyle Tobin

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Copyright 2012 by Kyle Tobin

Cover Art by Kyle Tobin

To my parents, Jade and Chris, that nourished my love of books and encouraged my writing abilities; who read this and many other stories of mine; and who always pushed and supported me creatively for the last 20 years. And to Kristi for being a soundboard on this book.

SMASHWORDS EDITION, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is available in print with most online retailers.

Chapter 1:

The shockwave of the explosion resonated so deep in my body it felt as if the marrow of my bones would vibrate free from its skeletal cage. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves, isn’t it?

Well, my name is Jack…at the moment. My first memory is from January 3rd, 1496 waking in an empty field outside Florence, Italy seeing an unsuccessful test flight of one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying machines.

Don’t worry, most people have that reaction.

I’ve been roaming the earth in search of an answer since I rose from a literal knife to the back from a former friend in Florence. Since then I’ve lived with blackouts…bi-product of the longevity I guess. But they’ve been increasing lately, like I’m building up to something.

But anyway, that should basically catch you up on my ancient history so we can get right into the meat of my story; the reason I’m writing this; the reason you’re reading this.

The first day of the end began like any other day for me for the last couple years of my long life. I woke up from my minimal time sleeping in my small studio apartment above an inconsequential doughnut shop outside Manhattan, New York. The apartment was practically bare, containing only my small bed, a flickering lamp, a charcoal gray BMX style Diamondback bicycle, and my strongbox filled to the brim with chicken scratch writings trying to document and understand my life (plus of course the usual plumbed commodities we’re all partial to these days). I didn’t like owning much—too much to abandon when I had to uproot and start a new life so no one could notice I never seem to age. I noticed some blood dripped on my sheet, made a notation of it in my scrambled records and began dressing. Looking back at it now I realize I should have paid even closer attention to things like that, but I think a suppressed part of me didn’t want to know why I had these blackouts. Like something deep inside of me was trying to suppress my curiosity. The same thing that subconsciously told me it was time to move…people are noticing.

I grabbed my bike and headed downstairs to the bustling streets of ‘the Big City’. As I rode through the city, dodging and cutting through as many alleys and back roads as possible toward the HUB for bike messengers, I contemplated how easy it is to hide yourself in such a large city. Every person you see or meet could be something completely contrary to their image…such as me. While I look like a man in my late-twenties, with short messy dark brown hair and chunks of sun lightened sandy locks, a slight bit of scruff, and nearly blackened brown eyes, I was really an over five-hundred year old man on a mission to understand what he was, collecting some serious mental baggage along the way.

Although you’d think in that much time I would have really learned how to deal with people, I’ve just never really been fond of them. I’ve kept myself very separate from those around me, especially once you begin loosing the people you’ve loved and they begin to despise the fact that you are as young and able as ever, you tend to disconnect. So the job as a bike messenger was perfect. You barely need to have any contact with people, they don’t ask questions because they don’t care, and you get to carve through the city and think.

Thinking.

Yeah, that’s a dangerous thing…especially when you’ve got lifetimes raging in your mind. Death, life, betrayal, friendship, knowledge, wisdom, hatred, love…so many emotions and memories all jumbled in my head. It’s hard to filter that much information and keep your wits about you. It makes it easier if you can disconnect.

But anyway, I’m not writing this as a diary to you, I’m writing this to explain something much more important to you—your past, your present, and your future.

Connections are what make humankind. What separates a man from an animal. And finally I met mine as I delivered a package to a large shipping yard at the Manhattan docks.

I nearly tumbled over the front of my bike as I screeched to a halt before the roughly 9 year-old girl with blondish brown hair in long pigtails and bright blue eyes. Oh, sorry mister! she exclaimed as she spun to see me.

Uh…yeah… Be careful. I muttered, not sure of how to respond.

She then walked to the front door of the building I was supposed to deliver to, holding it open for me as I leaned my bike up and headed toward her.

My name’s Leni, she said as I walked inside past her. I nodded in recognition of her statement but she stared at me as if expecting something more.

Leni, come here, a strikingly beautiful woman in her mid twenties also with long, wavy, blonde hair and piercing green eyes said, gesturing from behind the plain gray reception desk for the shipping yard. Come on girl, stop bugging the man, she had the slightest tinge of a southern accent covered by likely years of the city.

After the little girl skipped behind the desk I walked up to the woman and handed her a package.

Thanks, she said, also giving me a curious stare, noting my awkwardness.

I then turned to walk out as I did at every place I delivered; even here before they got an apparent new receptionist; but for some reason was compelled to turn back and look at Leni again. She stared into my eyes as if she knew something about me that even I hadn’t learned in my lifetimes. It unnerved me.

- - - -

In my apartment that night I stared at my portfolio of the little I’d discovered about my origins but could not compel myself to delve into it. I’d felt this block before, as if someone else in my head was urging me to just let it go, just accept I’m an anomaly and move on. Sometimes I was stronger than the other, sometimes I was weaker. Tonight I laid my head against the wall and let my eyes glide shut. Waves of past life memories cascaded through my mind, but one image kept edging to the forefront—Leni’s piercing eyes.

She was only a child but the wisdom in her eyes was uncanny! It was as if she had lived double my life and had actually learned something from it. I hoped that I would have another delivery there the next day, which struck me…

I hadn’t looked forward to seeing another human being since…since Rebekah—but we’ll leave that for later.

As I drifted to sleep chilling whispers again crept over my consciousness.

Chapter 2:

The U.S. stock exchange, how depressing.

I made a delivery across from 11 Wall Street and took note of the red numbers circling around the building. I didn’t care very much about the specifics but I did notice that every single number went around with a down arrow. People surrounding the building moaned in distress and dismay at their numbers, some hurling down their tablets, others even getting violent with one another. On the scarce amount of news that I watched I knew the worlds economy had been tumbling downward severely. With never ending uprising and bombings in Saudi Arabia and surrounding lands, oil output had crept to a near halt, jacking fuel prices stateside up and over 15 dollars. People couldn’t even afford to get to their job to make their minimum wage incomes, but every time they raised the minimum wage it raised every other price from groceries to clothes along with it. People everywhere were seething in anger but had no hope on their horizon. Recently even the oil refineries themselves were being bombed, as if just to add grains of salt the size of the Chrysler Building to the gaping wound equaling the Grand Canyon. Hmm…not a bad metaphor huh?

Again I rode up to the shipping yard’s reception office as Leni ran off the city bus that she must have rode from her school to meet her mother. She hesitated on the dingy sidewalk as she noticed me striding toward the door. She cocked her head to the side and smiled as I approached.

Back already? she prodded as she opened the door for me again.

It would appear that way, I replied in an attempt at humor.

Another playful smile slid across her face while she skipped past me toward her mother.

I then held the manila envelope of shipping details or whatever it held out to the receptionist saying, Another delivery.

Ah, he speaks, she grinningly replied.

Uh, yeah… I idiotically replied.

I began to turn when she extended her hand toward me, I’m Sarah.

Oh. I

Reviews for Staying Human

[crazy_bunny_lady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the book. It was different but that's what made it so good. Thanks for the free copy & keep up the good work.

[the0avid0reader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jack is a man who has lived for the last 500 years. He has no clue as to who or what he is. He is beginning to remember bits and pieces of his life. As he starts to remember he is not sure he likes what it is that he is finding out about his life.Meeting Sarah and her daughter Leni is what helps Jack start to remember his past. He has not known them for long but he has a connection with Leni. Jack cares very much for Leni and her mother. He wants to try to stop what is destroying the earth to keep Leni and her mom safe. He becomes to believe that humans has a right to live, to survive because of their love they have for one another.I really enjoyed reading Staying Human. When something or someone is trying to take over your life and make slaves out of you, you have to fight back. Eventually you have to step up and say no more, I have had enough. You will not control me any more.I won a copy of Staying Human by Kyle Tobin from LibraryThing for review.

[slimy07 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although the story is a bit repetitive, I did enjoy this book. The story is about Jack, who is more than human. He has lived for more than five hundred years and experiences periods of black-outs during which he is being controlled by some outside malevolent force. This force uses him and others to wreck havoc throughout the world and all through different times in history.As he is searching for who or what he is, he meets a young girl and her mother and bonds with them wishing to protect them against this force.As I (and others) have previously mentioned, there are some problems with the book, but (as also stated) this guy is a first time writer and only twenty years old. It was a quick and fun read and I wish Kyle good luck with his writing career.

[asigg44 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am impressed with this book, the first from a young, talented author. I really liked the storyline and he did pretty well forming his characters. There was a lot of grammatical and spelling errors; however, better proofreading will easily fix this. Good job for this first-time author!

[chowchow_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I won this book from librarything member giveaways in exchange for an honest review.Having read the first 5 reviews and acknowledging this is the first book for a talented 20 year old, I do agree with most of the previous reviewers. The Book is in need of editing and proofreading, spell check and family/friend proof readers can miss things. The book does get bogged down in places with every move, every action of the hero's moves documented, thus losing the story's momentum.Having said all this the storyline is good and I would happily read more of Kyle's work, even more interesting I would enjoy reading Staying Human once a few more years of experience and a re-edit happens. So please Kyle keep writing and trust in your talent.Just one other thing, it is quiet obvious that your number one fan is your Dad and that is great and undoubtedly as your Dad has written you have worked very hard, BUT family members writing reviews for you in the open market can have the opposite desired affect.

[honoliipali · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I was reading this book I was prepared to give a very low rating. Three stars to me means I enjoyed more than disliked the book. I won this on a member giveaway from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.This book is in need of editing and proofreading. The storyline is an interesting premise but it is choppy and repeats Jack's prowess over and over. I did get a bit tired of reading about every move Jack performed in melee circumstances. There is quite a bit of significant misspelling which broke up the flow for me. An example is lour. What is that? The answer is lure but it took awhile to figure that out. So, why didn't I slam the author? Because I read his bio that he included at the end of the story. This is a first time author who is only 20 years old. I give him a lot of respect to be able to get his act together to publish a legitimate book at a young edge.I do think that Kyle has potential and I would indeed read more of his work. He needs to find a mentor and some proofreaders that can spell.Keep writing Kyle - you will have a breakthrough. I do suggest that you lower your price. $7.99 for a newbie ebook author is a bit steep.

[bella55075 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I won this book through the Librarything giveaway.I think that with a little more editing this book would be great. The flow of the book seemed a little choppy. I couldn't get into the story because it seemed to start in the middle and jump around from there. This author has a lot of potential.

[dolphinchick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an intense, action packed, roller coaster ride of a book with incredible fight scenes! It pulls you in right from the beginning! You need to get answers to the same questions Jack himself is looking for (“who or what am I?”)! Plus, you fall in love with Leni right away and need to find out what happens to her!Jack is an awesome lead character! He’s a mystery… even to himself. He cares about the things happening around him, though he try’s to stay as disconnected as possible, but when he meets Sarah and her daughter Leni, however brief, there’s a connection he can’t explain. Leni seems to right away feel safe with Jack, though neither can explain why! Sarah takes a little bit more convincing to be able to trust him, but isn’t really given a choice as the adventure is very quickly in full swing and they have to fight for their lives every step of the way!! I can’t say too much as I don’t want to give away any of the book!So that I don’t come across as disingenuous, I must tell you that the author is my son! I know, I know… but trust me when I tell you that I don’t write any of this for that reason! I don’t give him any breaks because of it; in fact, I’m probably harder on him then most. Ask him, he’ll tell you the same I’m sure. But I did truly enjoy this book! I thought it was a well thought out interesting story told exceptionally well. He put a lot of time and effort into it for a very long time and I think it shows! I hope you all enjoy it as much I did!