Faultless & Fallen: Cataclysm

By Paul Chalmers

Nathan is no ordinary boy. And his life is not ordinary, either. In fact, it has been turned upside down ever since he awoke from a coma just days ago. Half-human and half-angel, he discovered his gift of extraordinary powers. He now finds himself the reluctant leader of a group of time-traveling children, each with special powers of their own.

In this second adventure, bigger and more epic than the first, the children find themselves on the brink of the historical destruction of the world—a great cataclysm which threatens not only their mission, but their very lives.

Will they be able to save the future world?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Chalmers
• Release date: Nov 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9780995173620

Paul Chalmers

Paul Chalmers is a software developer by day, and author by night. It's not as glamorous as it sounds! He was born inLeamington, Ontario, Canada (the Tomato capital!) and currently resides across the county in LaSalle. He lives with his wife Jennifer and three children, Jessica, Joshua and Tyler. For some strange reason, Paul had a story in his head that wouldn't go away. So he decided to become an author, even though he absolutely despised English class in school (he hopes it is not obvious). Despite a penchant for laziness and procrastination, he actually managed to finish the book and self-publish it too! How this happened, he'll never know—it must have been Divine intervention. Paul has no best sellers, no awards, hardly any sales, and little hope for changing any of this. But he finds writing fun, and so he continues on...

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

STORM CLOUDS

Nathan awoke with a start. There was a loud boom which startled him; it degenerated into a low-pitched, growling rumble which shook the room for a disconcertingly long time. He looked around the room. Where was he? It seemed as if every day he had woken up in a different location, in a different circumstance, in a different time, that each awakening required a few moments to get his bearings. Focus. Okay, he was in his hospital room, and although there was no window, the door was open, and it allowed a slight amount of diffuse light to enter.

The hospital. That’s right, it was only a few days before that he had awaken from his coma—a coma that left him unable to recall anything about his past life. He had no recollection of his family or friends, but he did retain some general knowledge about the world. When he’d awoken, he was a mere child, thin and sickly. And there were other children like him who all looked sick: first Emma, then Afshin, Sean, Gabriella and Fatima. They looked like a bunch of rejects from a gathering of the United Nations. Nathan chuckled to himself.

A flash of light illuminated the room, casting shadows of the room’s contents ominously onto the walls. There were a few more flickers, followed by another clap of thunder. It wasn’t long before there was a slow pounding of large drops of rain on the metal roof above. The sound crescendoed until individual drops could no longer be distinguished. The rain sounded like a cascading river, and the roof acted like an amplifier. It was then that Nathan realized that ever since he had emerged from his coma, he hadn’t so much as seen a solitary cloud in the sky, let alone a storm like this. It filled him with a sense of foreboding.

When he had gone to bed, he found his bed was no longer comfortable. In fact, he had almost outgrown it. His head rested on his pillow, and his feet were pushed all the way to the end of the covers. Had the covers not been tucked into the end of the bed, his feet would have dangled off ever so slightly. He was six-and-a-half feet tall—quite something for a thirteen year old. And to think, he was barely five feet just days before, when he had been sick.

But how had he grown? Yes, that was it, the time machine. Some strange doctors had been giving the six children some medication (that the children suspected was making them sick), and Nathan and Afshin trashed the supply. The doctors punished them by sending them through a time machine to the past. That’s when everything changed. The kids grew larger and stronger, as if they passed through adolescence within hours. That was the weirdest feeling ever. Well, maybe not the weirdest. Because that’s when Nathan really noticed Emma—her brown hair, blue eyes, rounded face and…

Another rumble of thunder. He pushed himself into a sitting position; it was much more comfortable this way. The rain continued to get heavier, and soon the sound of rain was replaced with loud pinging and banging that echoed around the room. It seemed every bit like the building was being pelted by marbles. It must be hailing.

The cacophony grew louder and intensified. Nathan really wished that he could remember more about his life before arriving at the hospital. He was getting more nervous, and he wasn’t sure if he’d always been this way, or if there was a traumatic event in his past that brought on a fear of storms. He was having difficulty staying still. He rose from the bed and planted his feet on the floor. The floors here were always cold, so he was glad he had left his socks on.

Apparently he wasn’t the only one that was upset. Even over the noise, he could hear a faint crying coming from the next room. He ventured out into the hallway. He wondered if perhaps socks weren’t the best idea, because it made every step slippery and treacherous. There was another crack of thunder, and the already subdued lights of the hallway flickered out. Nathan gasped, now stuck in darkness, as if the whole world was invisible.

Wait—invisible! When they went to the past, each of the children realized that they had some special abilities. Nathan was strong and could make himself invisible. Emma could read minds and could see great distances. Afshin could dematerialize and pass through objects, and he also had extremely quick reflexes. Sean—he was very fast too, and very strong; maybe even stronger than Nathan. Gabriella could lift objects just by concentrating on them; she could also hear better than anyone else. Fatima had the ability to control people and animals with her mind, and her sense of smell was enhanced.

They met three brothers—the Protectors—who taught them how to use their powers. The Protectors were just like them, and in fact they came from the same time period as the children, being sent to the past by the doctors, too. They were waiting for them. The children found out that they were indeed special—they were Nephilim: Half-human, half-angel. No wonder they had special powers.

Bursts of light continued to pour down the hallway, and it made everything look very distorted and creepy. The echoes of the thunder were also more intense, almost as if they were focused by the narrow walls. It made him want to retreat back to his room. Perhaps he was as tall as a grown man, but he still felt like a child inside—a child with no family and no one to comfort him. Would it make him less brave if he started to cry? He had already faced seemingly mythological giant creatures, why should a storm affect him so?

The creatures—Leviathan and Behemoth. They made Nathan shudder. That’s why they were sent to the past. They had to retrieve the blood of these creatures to bring back to the doctors. Something about them needing it to create a giant creature that they would use to fight the evil forces building in the world. Yes, the children were helping to save the world.

The crying was more intense as he reached the next door. It was coming from Emma’s room. Her door was only open a crack. He felt awkward opening the door, like he was invading her privacy, but she sounded even more scared than he was.

When he opened the door, he realized she was crying hard; loud enough to be easily heard over the constant shower of rain and knocking of hail off the roof.

Em, are you okay? Can I come in?

There was no response other than crying.

The room was dark, but the lightning was intense enough to periodically brighten the room. Unlike his own room, Emma’s had a window. The blind covering it wasn’t closed all the way, and light was leaking through. He looked in her bed, but she wasn’t there. He tried to follow the sound of her crying and find her in the periodic flashing but the roar was so intense and the flashes so brief and unhelpful that it made the task difficult.

Eventually he found her; she was cowering in the corner opposite the window, on the far side of the bed, wrapped up in a blanket so that only her face could be seen. She was almost hysterical, sounding like she was in excruciating pain and anguish. As scared as Nathan was, she sounded far worse. Ironically, it made him feel stronger and more determined.

He knelt down beside her. It’s okay, it’s just a really bad storm.

She couldn’t speak. As the room briefly illuminated, it made her look like a zombie. Her eyes were pinned wide open, and they were bloodshot and drenched with tears. Her eyebrows were turned up dramatically in the middle, with deep furrowed wrinkles rising from her nose to her forehead. He put his hand on her shoulder; she was trembling.

Nathan didn’t know what to do. Emma was literally paralyzed with fear. He spoke, trying to be upbeat. Did you know you can how close the storm is by counting the seconds between a lightning flash and the thunder? The lightning generates the thunder by heating up the air to the point where it creates something like a sonic boom, and the light moves much quicker than the sound. So the time between tells you how far away the storm is.

There was another bright flash of lightning. Let’s count…

BOOM! The whole room shook. There was the crash of shattering glass from somewhere outside the room. Emma screamed at the top of her lungs—a high pitched, alarm-like sound. Nathan’s ears felt like they were going to explode: Emma could really belt it out! He covered his ears to shield them from the noise.

Once Emma stopped yelling, Nathan heard alarms wailing inside the building. Feet began stamping through the halls. Nathan got up and looked toward the doorway. There was a blur of figures moving by, lit up as if by a strobe light.

In the hallway, there was the racket of a staticky radio echoing through the halls: The IMS has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for western Israel, including the city of Jerusalem. An extraordinarily intense line of thunderstorms has developed off the Mediterranean coast, moving in a westward direction at sixty kilometers per hour. Heavy rain, damaging winds, large hail, and a tornado are all possible threats. In addition, a tornado watch has been issued for the entire area. Please stay tuned to this station for any further developments. The spoken language was Hebrew, and Nathan could understand it.

The radio station changed to a crazy-sounding comedy show with a lot of laughter. It seemed entirely inappropriate when contrasted to their current predicament.

Nathan’s head began to pound. It was headache that seemed to appear suddenly, and it was so intense that it was debilitating. He knelt to the ground, grasping his head with both hands. Now it was he who wanted to scream, hoping it would somehow dull the pain.

It was only a few minutes before there was an ominous beeping on the radio. An announcer broke into the show. The IMS has now issued a tornado warning for the Jerusalem area. Numerous funnel clouds have been sighted directly east of the city. This is an unusually strong storm and highly extraordinary conditions. People in the immediate vicinity are advised to seek shelter immediately. This is not a test, I repeat, this is not a test.

The headache lifted as quickly as it came, but Nathan still felt odd, almost like he was outside of his own body. A chill ran down his spine. He had residual feelings of anxiety and dread.

Gather the kids! a voice called. Get to the basement immediately! There was a sudden explosion of activity. Nathan could see Nurse Evie and Doctor Ezekiel come out of a room down the hallway, moving quickly. They went from door to door, calling for the children. Before they got to Emma’s door, Nathan ran back into the room to retrieve Emma. She was still shaking in the corner.

Come on, Em, we have to move! She didn’t. Nathan finally picked her up and carried her in his arms, blanket and all. She wasn’t making a sound now, but nor was she moving. She still looked paralyzed.

Emma! Nurse Evie said as she entered the room. Let’s go!

She’s scared, Nathan said. I had to come in and get her!

Follow the others. Take her downstairs to the basement. Hurry!

There were several people in the hall. Nathan could see Afshin in the front, as well as Gabriella and Fatima just behind, and Sean at the end. They followed one of the doctors down the hallway. They turned a corner and entered into a door. It was a blur of activity.

Nathan stumbled down the stairs; it wasn’t easy to navigate the steep stairs while carrying Emma. It wasn’t that she was heavy, but there was hardly enough room for her to be carried sideways while making his way down. He was pretty sure he bumped her head against the wall a few times; he couldn’t help it.

They were down in a cavernous laundry room. There were large trolleys filled with white clothing, and a series of large washers and dryers. A couple of people held flashlights, but it was barely enough to distinguish their surroundings. It certainly was quieter in the room. Everyone panted heavily, and it was just enough noise to cover the sound of the thunder and rain. Nathan sat Emma in one of the trolleys on top of the laundry; she sank a bit in the pile. Nurse Evie came over and tended to her, and she began to get some color back in her face.

I feel safer down here… Emma said with a sigh, wiping her eyes with the blanket in which she was still wrapped.

Look who’s talking again! said Nathan with a mixture of excitement and relief.

More people tramped down the stairs. Nathan figured it was probably everyone that worked there, and there didn’t really seem to be that many.

That’s quite the storm, Dr. Ezekiel, said Dr. Ivan.

I’ve never seen anything like it…expect perhaps…well, that was many years ago.

"And tornadoes! We never get them in this country…especially not this far inland."

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of one near the city, as far back as I can remember.

"And we don’t get many of them en France, aussi!" said the chef, Sebastien, with his thick French accent.

Dr. Ezekiel sighed. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. There’s no way we will get hit.

Unless, of course, said Dr. Ivan, choosing his words carefully, this is not a natural storm, and it has a more sinister cause.

I’d rather not even think about that, to tell you the truth. We’ve had enough setbacks already. Dr. Ezekiel shuddered. Do we have everyone accounted for?

Nurse Evie said, Yes, all six children are here. Also you, Dr. Ivan, Sebastien, Nurse Edna, and myself.

Nurse Edna was a new name to Nathan. He scanned the room and saw the one nurse he didn’t recognize. From what Nathan could see in the light, she had dark hair and glasses which looked a bit old-fashioned. She was on the shorter side, and thin.

Does someone hear a train? asked Gabriella.

There was silence in the room. There was the odd rumble of thunder, but it was hard to hear any more rain.

This hospital is not near any train tracks, said Sebastien.

I just hope it’s not… said Dr. Ivan.

It’s getting louder! Gabriella’s worry grew along with the sound.

Nathan could begin to hear it now. It sounded distinctly like a train moving down the track, a chugging which rose and fell. It got louder and louder. Nathan scanned the faces of the adults in the darkness. They looked at each other with great concern, and that didn’t make Nathan feel any better.

The sound intensified. Whir, whir, whir…whatever it was, it was getting closer.

Nurse Evie fell to her knees and clasped her hands together. Oh, God, no! Please! Spare us! Her voice sounded different, but Nathan couldn’t put his finger on it. Was it just the desperation in her voice?

Dr. Ezekiel grabbed her by the shoulder and appeared to squeeze. He didn’t look particularly happy, but he was probably worried for everyone.

The cacophony was deafening. Chugging, whirring, roaring. Emma looked petrified. Nathan was too.

All of a sudden, there was a tumultuous crash—the kind of sound that made it feel like the whole world was coming to an end.

CHAPTER 2

WHIRLWIND

Everyone hit the floor at once. Debris crashed onto them. Nathan choked on the dust. Sounds assaulted Nathan’s ears, relentlessly attacking without reprieve. A wooden plank flew through the air and embedded itself into the wall. There was a sucking feeling, as if all of the air had been vacuumed from the room. Nathan gasped for breath. And what an unfortunate time for his headache to recur!

The world around them became a blur. There was an incredible burst of wind, accompanied by an unimaginable sound and a flurry of motion. Nathan could feel himself rising from the ground, and he tried to grasp at anything he could, preferably something that was fixed to the floor or walls. He thought he could hear screaming, and perhaps he was doing the same, but it was hard to tell amidst the pandemonium.

Nathan was getting pelted with debris. Every part of his body was being hit, but most of it was small. He braced himself for a large impact, but thankfully it never seemed to happen. Even small bits of material stung, though, so it was of little consolation.

Nathan wasn’t sure how long the chaos lasted. It was likely only seconds, but it felt much longer. He was now face down on the ground, covered in material, and he felt his back becoming wet. He just knew that he was bleeding, and he was too afraid to look or touch. After all I’ve been through—this is how it’s going to end. His thoughts faded.

The sound abated, leaving nothing but soft splashes and dripping. Considering what had happened, Nathan was still free from pain, and even though he figured he must have been losing blood, he didn’t feel dizzy or disoriented. Even his headache had once again left him. He tried to roll over, shuffling debris from his body, and he felt a steady drizzle on his face. He had to blink away water so he could see, but he soon discovered what he was looking at. The entire ceiling above him flashed with light, and it was plain to see that there was no longer a ceiling, but an empty space—he was staring at dark clouds, still flickering and boiling with rage.

A voice spoke from the darkness: Is everyone all right? It was Dr. Ezekiel.

Nathan sat up. He expected his joints to ache and his back to be searing with pain, but to his surprise, he still felt fine. I’m alive…it’s me, Nathan, he said, with a croaking voice.

He heard the noise of wood being moved, and other things scraping and shuffling around. The lightning was becoming less frequent, but when it lit up the room, all Nathan could see was rubble. His thoughts turned to the others—especially Emma—and he began to worry.

Doctor, I’m okay, said a female voice.

Good, Edna. Anyone else?

One by one, people called out their names: Dr. Ivan, Nurse Evie, Sebastien, Sean, Fatima, Gabriella. They all appeared to be okay, with various degrees of bumps and scrapes. The only ones they hadn’t heard from were Emma and Afshin. Nathan was beginning to panic.

Can anyone find a flashlight? said Dr. Ezekiel in a loud voice. The lightning was less intense, and the darkness gave Nathan a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Suddenly a warm, soothing glow illuminated the room. It wasn’t like a flashlight with a small source; it was almost as if the whole scene had been painted with light. Nathan looked around for the source of the illumination, and he had a hard time believing his eyes.

It was Fatima. She wasn’t holding a light, she was a light! Her skin was glowing with a soft, yellow-white light which almost vibrated. Nathan’s mind quickly went back to the bioluminescent algae they had seen during their travels through time. It had the same ethereal quality and the same beauty. Nathan could see the faces of the doctors and nurses clearly—they were stunned.

Whatever you’re doing, said Dr. Ezekiel hastily, keep doing it. I’ve never seen this capability in any of the children we studied. This is truly…well…brilliant. Now who is still unaccounted for?

Afshin—and—and—Emma, said Nurse Evie, with grave concern in her voice. Please…

The doctors and Sebastien began moving pieces of debris. But they were straining under the weight.

Let me try, said Sean. Nathan stepped up as well.

The two boys began picking beams up, lifting them over their heads, then throwing them to the side. It was hardly an effort for Nathan. Even large pieces of metal moved easily. Suddenly, other pieces moved on their own and drifted to a different location, where they settled gently. Nathan looked back and saw Gabriella concentrating on the rubble, levitating pieces away.

The doctors and nurses stood back watching the children work. They kept looking at each other with strange looks on their faces.

Soon, the cleared rubble revealed a squashed container. Nathan could barely recognize the large hamper filled with laundry in which he had placed Emma. It had been almost flattened, and there were blankets and clothing strewn about. In a panic, he hastily threw more debris from the pile. Eventually there were just white sheets to dig through. Nathan threw off the coverings, then recoiled in horror as the color of the layers changed from white to red. They were soaked: blood!

Nathan felt faint, and as he stumbled away, the adults rushed in. They gently removed layers and then stopped. Dr. Ezekiel reached into the bin for a few seconds. Then he drew back and sighed. Nathan could barely stay on his feet as his knees wobbled.

Are you okay? the doctor spoke into the bin. His voice sounded muffled.

A small voice came out of the bin. Yes, but it was getting hard to breathe in there.

Emma stood up. Her hair was caked in blood and there were small trickles of dried blood down her face. The bleeding, however, had stopped. I got hit in the head with something and almost passed out, so I dug myself underneath the sheets. I think it saved my life.

That was quick thinking, honey, said Nurse Evie, relieved. She gave her a hug, and helped her out of the bin. I’m glad you’re all right.

We need to find the last boy, said Dr. Ivan.

The children got to work again. Gabriella, Sean, and Nathan began moving more rubble. Every empty pile revealed nothing but floor. There was no sign of Afshin anywhere.

The search was exhausting. Nathan was tiring and even Gabriella was having a hard time concentrating. The rain began falling harder, and soon everything was coated in a slick layer of water. It was hard to grip some of the smooth, metal surfaces.

In one of the last piles, Nathan spotted a pair of eyes. They were open, which Nathan thought was a good sign. I’ve found him! he said. The doctors came running over.

Nathan continued to move debris. Soon, his face was revealed. It was locked into a surprised expression, and there was a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. Sean lifted some more debris off his body, and the doctors gasped. Dr. Ivan pushed Sean away and Nathan’s view was blocked.

Don’t anyone look… Dr. Ezekiel said, with an expression of horror in his voice.

The two doctors moved closer to Afshin, and they began mumbling to each other. Nathan strained to hear, but couldn’t. Gabriella began to cry. Fatima also broke down.

Suddenly, they were in darkness again.

Fatima, we need you! We can’t see otherwise! The voice was Dr. Ezekiel’s.

I…can’t. I don’t know how to do it. Her voice was strained.

I need you to clear your mind. Forget the situation and relax…I promise you everything will be okay. Just try…

Emma’s voice came through sniffles, Doctor, sir, I can see clearly, even in the dark. What can I do?

We need to find the operating room…if it’s still standing. Or at the very least, some medical supplies…anything. Can you lead me up the stairs?

I think so…

Emma, you’re a Godsend. Take my hand. Lead the way, and I’ll tell you which way to turn.

Nathan could hear footsteps moving away, clomping up the wooden stairs, followed by voices directing each other, until the sound disappeared.

What happened? asked Nathan.

He must be dead, said Gabriella, barely holding it together. They said he was impaled.

Dr. Ivan’s voice came from the darkness. He’s not dead. There is a faint pulse. But the situation is not good, either. We need to get him into surgery as soon as possible. Nurses, see if you can find some blankets. We need to get him dried and warm.

Nurse Evie said, It’s so hard to see. We need a miracle…

The scene illuminated again. It was Fatima, with a look of determination on her face. She alternated between determined and distraught expressions, but also tried to force herself to relax as much as possible. The light pulsated, betraying her current thoughts and feelings as they were changing.

Fatima! You can do this! Nurse Evie said.

The nurses gathered supplies and helped Dr. Ivan with Afshin. There were very weak moans and groans coming from underneath the blanket.

Emma and Dr. Ezekiel returned several minutes later, clamoring down the stairs hastily. Their way was guided by the muted glow of a couple of flashlights. They both had their hands full with medical instruments, syringes, blankets, and other items.

I want all the adults here helping out, Dr. Ezekiel said with a muted tone. We have a lot of work to do before the light of morning, if we are to save this boy. He turned to face the children. The best thing all of you can do is rest and stay out of the way. I don’t want to sound mean, but we need to have as few distractions as possible if we are to keep this situation under control.

Fatima’s skin faded. The five children sat down and huddled closely together, scared and worried. Emma, who had been trying to stay strong to help out, finally collapsed into tears. She hugged Nathan tightly and rested her head on his chest, crying. It felt very awkward to him; he wasn’t sure what to do. Strands of her hair clung to his face, and the fragrance was like an unpleasant mixture of flowery shampoo, metallic blood, and sweat. He gingerly put one arm around her and looked up to the sky. It was dark, but pinpricks of light were peeking out from holes in the clouds. The storm had faded away and stars were being revealed.

Nathan’s muscles started to ache; he figured it was from all the lifting he had done earlier. With the soreness and encompassing exhaustion he was feeling, he found it hard to stay awake. He could hear the occasional sound coming from the doctors and nurses—a clank of metal on metal, sawing, a snap, a sigh, a grunt or even a few mumbled words. There was no indication from them if things were good or bad. Nathan feared the worst, but hoped for the best.

Nathan thought about saying a prayer before he went to sleep. He felt like he had already been a trespasser through time, visiting the times that were written about in the Bible, but he still apparently had no connection with God, the Creator. He knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t bring himself do it. It felt as if there was a battle of wills going on inside of him, and eventually he was too tired to think any further.

Emma had cried herself to sleep. She was now resting on the floor a