Dark Journey

By Matt Chatelain

I recently reviewed the poems written during my early years. To my surprise, all poems revealed two constants: one, separateness from others along with an inability to connect, and two, a recurring focus on death.

The constant death focus in my later novels was part of a pattern established when I was young. Perhaps there was an originating incident but I do not remember one. My childhood was generally happy and I have a bubbly, funny personality. Yet my thoughts were always dark, colored by my lack of connection with others.

The darkness I harbored within made me feel guilty, that something was wrong with me. I have carried this inner guilt all my life without being fully conscious of it, evidenced only by some few poems written in my youth and my later books. These poems reveal an evolution of my thoughts about death. Over time, I shifted into death-focus poetical stories accompanied by evolving morals.

Recently, through synchronistic events, I became a witness and caretaker to my aging father-in-law during the last few weeks of his life. He desired to die, to end his suffering and to protect his children. Being familiar and comfortable with the topic of death, I was able to help him accept and understand his feelings.

After his passing, I realized the inner guilt was gone. Nothing was wrong with me. The evolution of my dark focus had revealed its purpose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matt Chatelain
• Release date: Mar 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463573129

Matt Chatelain

Born in Ottawa, fifty-two years ago, I have been the owner of a used bookstore I opened in Ontario, since 1990. I have been writing since I was ten. Beginning with poetry, I quickly moved on to short stories and non-fiction pieces. I stayed in that format for many years, eventually self-publishing a franchise manual, as well as a variety of booklets. Having semi-retired from the bookstore, I embarked on the project of writing my first serious novel, which I expanded to a four-book series after discovering an incredible mystery hidden within a French author's books. My interests are eclectic. I like Quantum Physics,Cosmology, history, archaeology, science in general, mechanics, free power, recycling and re-use. I'm a good handyman and can usually fix just about anything. I'm good with computers. I love movies, both good and bad, preferring action and war movies. I can draw and paint fairly well but am so obsessed with perspective and light that I cannot think of much else. I am too detail-oriented. I have been around books all my life. In my mid-forties, I decided to focus on writing as my future job. It took me five years to learn the trade. Now I know how fast I can write and how to develop my story and characters. I always wage an internal war to decide if my next story is going to be a mild mystery or a big stake epic. So far the big stakes are winning

Book preview

Dark Journey

Published by Matt Chatelain

Copyright 2020 by Matt Chatelain

Smashwords Edition Mar 2020

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

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Index

Page 3) Preface

Page 4) Murder

Page 5) Blood on Your Lips

Page 7) Laughing

Page 8) Remembering

Page 9) Crouching

Page 10) Words of a Song Unsung

Page 12) I Lost my Way

Page 13) A Dream

Page 14) Chaos

Page 15) Whispers

Page 16) A Soul in a Palm

Page 17) Where Does the Rain Come From?

Page 20) My World of Oblivion

Page 26) Stranger in my House

Page 27) Enderground

Page 29) Enderground Part 2: The Valley of the Dead

Page 31) Enderground Part 3: The World of Dread

Page 33) The Staff of Souls

Page 36) The Staff of Souls Part 2: Keepers of the Staff

Page 38) The Staff of Souls Part 3: The Feeding

Page 40) In Search of

Page 43) In Search of Part Two: The Forest

Page 45) In Search of Part Three: The Town

Page 47) In Search of Part Four: At Last

Page 50) Our Deliverance: In a Park

Page 53) Our Deliverance: On a Street

Page 55) Our Deliverance: At the Crowds

Page 57) Our Deliverance: A Man’s Doubts

Page 59) Our Deliverance: The Revolt

Page 62) Our Deliverance: The Aftermath

Page 65) Our Deliverance: In the Morning

Page 66) Our Deliverance: The Last Scene

Page 68) Our Deliverance: Deliverance

Page 69) Our Deliverance: A Friend’s Wish

Page 71) Our Deliverance: The Last Scene(2)

Page 73) Slave

Page 76) Slave Part Two: Free Man

Preface

I recently reviewed the poems written during my early years. To my surprise, all poems revealed two constants: one, separateness from others along with an inability to connect, and two, a recurring