Out of the Darkness

By Clarissa Clarke

Alec has been seeing a therapist because he made a pencil slide (not roll) across his desk. Turns out telekinesis is not the only thing he is capable of. Dark entities keep trying to control him, two sisters keep trying to help him, and he keeps trying to figure out if it's all a dream.
We wish the Dioniks, the Merpeople, the Entosh, and the Dragons are just a dream.
​
There's a secret book, sneaky friends, portals, staries, time travel, and a hairy ape stuck in the wall. There's also the Light - the only thing strong enough to overcome the Darkness.
Oh ... and Alec wants tennis shoes. (It's a long story).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clarissa Clarke
• Release date: Apr 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9780991653447

Book preview

Chapter 2: Surprised and Intrigued

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Alec brought his arm up to cover his eyes. He wanted a few more minutes to sleep. His rumbling stomach wanted him to wake up. It forced his thoughts toward breakfast and his feet out of bed.

Ouch!

He focused on the table kissing his shin, on the books that had toppled. His eyes swept the room while his mind argued that this couldn’t be a dream. Stunned, he stooped to straighten the books.

He had been told that his imagination worked overtime. In fact, his teacher recently had a conference with his parents. She found his assignments to be imaginative and well-written, but she was concerned because Alec believed his stories to be true. Apparently, stories about ghosts and monsters were to be expected from eight-year-old boys. Stories about superpowers were popular too. But believing, without a doubt, that he had superpowers of his own had triggered her concern.

Alec sighed and blinked the tears out of his eyes. Looking down, he saw that he was holding the last displaced book. Wondering what story it had to tell, he held the lime-green book up in front of him, searching for its title. Surprised and intrigued, he found himself flipping to the first page.

---

Lime-green Book

EARTH, ITS HISTORY

A WORK IN PROGRESS

In the very early beginning, the planet known by humans as Earth was utilized by foreign races as an experimental zoo where they strove to create the perfect physical form. Some races desired larger space for their brain as they worked toward increased intelligence and mental abilities. Larger bone structure was preferred by those who sought muscle development and physical power. Dinosaurs were the result of genetic programs to create forms with extreme physical traits and weak brains that would keep them subservient to their masters. They were destroyed when it was determined that they were incapable of mental communication and, therefore, could not serve their masters’ needs.

Later, alien races lived alongside humans in the third, or physical, dimension on Earth. Using emotion such as pain, greed, anger, self-pity, and fear caused humans to create chemicals and hormones that the aliens could utilize. They were also able to drain the negative energy streaming from humans, using it to rejuvenate and energize their physical forms.

Mind control techniques were perfected during this era in the Earth’s history, allowing aliens to alter human memories. Aliens also became adept at manipulating humans while they were sleeping. Humans were found to respond to dreams with the same emotion as when they were conscious, thus keeping a constant supply of hormones, chemicals, and energy flowing to the aliens.

Unable to recall their past interactions with these foreign races, humans began to regard all evidence of alien life as fiction, finding countless ways to deny the existence of anything not in their physical plane.

Hidden from humans is the truth that there exist two separate realms: the Positive realm where Light spirits live, and the Negative realm of Dark spirits. The Earth has acquired a history of violence and Darkness that deters Light spirits from visiting. Unaware of the existence of the Light, humans continue to perpetuate their spiral into total Darkness.

His stomach rumbled and Alec put the book down. He had to agree: he’d much rather be eating than reading.

And he wasn’t the only hungry one. The smell of food hung in the air, kicking his sniffer into gear. Tracking the scent was harder than he anticipated, and his stomach increased its protest the longer he took.

A door opened in front of him, causing his heart to pound and his feet to tangle as he tried to run away. He bounced two inches off the floor when a child shot through the doorway yelling, Alec!

Brandishing a strawberry in a wild wave, she greeted him. She offered to share. Her lips, her chin, and even her cheeks were juicy, proving this was not her first strawberry. Disappearing with a skip, she returned seconds later as focused as a tightrope walker, balancing a plate for Alec … who was still planted on the hallway floor.

She said you liked strawberries, but there’s other fruit too. An older child plopped next to him. While he silenced his stomach by studiously stuffing strawberries, she aimed hers at the ceiling, popping and bobbing to catch them in her mouth. The juicy girl offered him a green strawberry, and that is when his warning system chose to chime in his head.

It’s okay, the older girl said. It’s a mix between a strawberry and a kiwi. It’s ripe.

Yummy, said the little one, spitting some juice out with the word.

He couldn’t help smiling at her.

She’s really cute, isn’t she? Her name’s Aleena.

Her name’s Verity. A juice-dripping finger pointed at the girl next to him. She’s my best friend. As she made this declaration she toppled Verity with a gigantic hug. Then there was a burst of giggles from the two of them as they rolled like pencils down the hallway.

So surprised was he by them that Alec hadn’t moved from his spot on the floor. He was done trying to think this through. It didn’t make sense. These were human girls: they looked human, they talked human, they giggled human.

Do you want to play with us? Aleena ran up to ask him.

He followed her into the breakfast room, looking over the table of food that seemed ready to feed twenty. He tried a strawberry-kiwi and immediately reached for another one, only to freeze mid-reach, mid-swallow, and mid-breath—for he was being watched by a million gorillas.

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He really didn’t breathe. Or move. He simply stood there, as he was, until Aleena came and pulled on his hand.

The ‘million’ gorillas were, in actuality, five. And they weren’t gorillas. They were a race of ape-like beings known as Zambosians. Their bodies were covered with wonderfully white hair, and they glowed—sparkled—with that dazzling light Alec had been searching for.

When he saw the light, he relaxed and even smiled down at Aleena, who was still tugging on his hand. She was as patient as his stomach when it was hungry.

They won’t hurt you.

He felt himself blush, embarrassed that he’d frozen in front of the apes, embarrassed to be the only one who didn’t understand things here.

Verity kicked him the soccer ball. As he played soccer with five apes and two girls, his anxiety melted away. It no longer seemed important to understand everything right now. He had found the light.

Do you have…?

They nodded, and Verity sent a tiny spark of light through the air at him. Aleena bounced and sent a spark of her own.

Heh, that tickled. Laughter filled the room as everyone began sending sparks of light at each other.

Then a voice announced, inside his head, that they had arrived.

Chapter 3

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While he stood paralyzed, bewildered by the voice echoing through his head, Verity and Aleena were clapping and cheering. The Zambosians disappeared through various doors, leaving the three children alone.

Alec sat down on the floor with a thump. He’d tried ignoring every odd, impossible, extraordinary thing. He’d told himself it was all a dream, but hearing voices in his head was so disturbing that he was ready to break down and cry.

Aleena’s face popped in front of his with such a concerned look that a laugh burst from him. She laughed right back, and he felt more in control of himself as Verity sat down with them.

The girls watched him expectantly. He looked from one to the other, confused by their sudden stillness.

Questions.

The word flashed through his mind like a neon sign, and he blurted, How do you know me?

We wanted someone Light to play with. We sent messages for you to meet us at the park, but your parents kept blocking us. So we came up with a different plan.

I never got any messages—I don’t even know you.

Aleena said, With your superpowers.

A strange voice joined the conversation, asking, Do you know of mental telepathy?

Alec wheeled around to find white hair tickling his nose. Laughter shot through the room as the Zambosian stepped to the side and sat down next to Aleena.

Talking with your mind, the newcomer continued. They call it telepathy on Earth. You send what you are thinking to someone, or something, else.

He nodded slowly. Is that what I heard before … ‘we have arrived’?

It’s a secret, Aleena said.

Our secret language, Verity explained. Because nobody else talks at the higher level.

Higher level?

Higher dimensional level, the Zambosian said. Mental communication does not occur in the third dimension, the one you live in on Earth. Your message is sent in higher dimensions … at the higher level. It takes training, but we have already seen that you can do it.

Me? His face flushed with excitement.

Verity giggled. You’re really good.

Awesome, Aleena agreed.

You figured out how to work the doors before the sleepy gas got you. The first time I was here, Reetbe did everything. It was ages before I figured it out.

"By ages she means as soon as I was not looking. I have learned never to assume that something is beyond their comprehension. When they are determined, they always achieve their goals."

Aleena said, I practice.

Yes, you practice. Then she felt Alec looking at her and said, My name is Reetbe. I am your teacher of the Light ways. As for your question, sleepy gas is administered to everyone on the starship, allowing us to sleep while in transit home. Since you left the chamber before the full amount of gas could be delivered, we had to pump it into the library once you got settled. We were not expecting you to figure out how to operate the doors so quickly.

You got my message … Alec murmured, amazed that she had heard his unspoken question. Then, as her words sank in, he asked, You knew I was on the ship the whole time?

Yes. It is true that the girls would like to have a Light human to play with. There are other reasons you are here, as you will discover. Your mind is strong, Alec. You will take great pleasure in learning what you can do. Reetbe stood up, following Aleena to the breakfast table.

Did you get enough to eat? The whole ship heard how hungry you were.

Alec looked sheepishly at his middle. Wait … how could you hear my stomach?

Good. Reetbe’s voice was strong and clear inside his head. Now focus on asking all of us at the same time.

He looked at Verity, Aleena, and Reetbe. Closing his eyes he could still see them, and he focused on their images as he sent his question again.

Good job. Aleena applauded him.

Verity’s laughter rang through his head before he heard her say, It wasn’t your stomach we heard … it was your thoughts.

It was a while before he asked at the higher level, Everyone heard my thoughts?

Three heads nodded in response.

Open, open, open, Aleena’s voice whispered inside his head. Looking up at him, she tapped her head with a sticky finger and said, Close.

Reetbe nodded in agreement. Since birth, entities have been conditioning you to keep your mind open. This allows them access to your thoughts, and through your thoughts they access your emotions. Everything you think is broadcast through the higher dimensions. Like a homing signal, your thoughts lead them straight to you.

To steal chemicals, hormones, and energy.… Alec remembered the crazy book. Was that real? His face contorted in disgust, and he felt nauseous.

I do not know how you know that, but it is true. Reetbe studied him. I believe you now understand how important it is to keep your mind closed. Just as easily as they can read your thoughts, they can send thoughts to you—controlling your actions. I suggest that you close your mind to everyone.

Close m—How? He was thinking to himself, but he looked to see if they had heard him.

Like a door. Verity’s voice was loud and clear. Lock it tight.

He nodded as Aleena added, Forever.

---

The room was silent as the four ate their food. Alec had been more adventurous this time, choosing a variety of fruit and several scoops of what Aleena called strawberry soup. It was amazing. Reetbe said it was made from strawberries and almonds blended until they were runny. It was strange for Alec to see a breakfast table without bacon and eggs, or sausage. When he asked the girls about it, they told him that they didn’t eat meat.

He eyed Reetbe and she said, Zambosians used to enjoy flesh, as you do on Earth. When we joined the Light, however, we weaned ourselves of this delicacy.

Strawberries squirmed like slugs in his stomach. Flesh? he whispered.

Verity ignored him to ask, When did you join the Light, Reetbe?

As humans count time, it has been twenty-four years since the Zambosian race chose the Light. We found that we gained knowledge, strength, and wellness once we discarded our previous ways.

Previous ways? Alec asked. Verity and Aleena looked up at her too, begging her with their thoughts to tell them more.

She shook her head slowly. "I have not told you of our history. That is because I am unsure it is appropriate for your age. Our leader,