Chaos Engine

By James Ferace

"A handful of strangers wake up in a large empty room in an abandoned building in a deserted, industrial section of town with no means of escape. They soon, however, begin to detect signs of life...from inside themselves."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781312626263

Book preview

Chaos Engine

Chaos Engine

By James Ferace

The skies were always at least a portion of pink.  Maybe even a slightly darker shade, but none quite like the one floating through my memory at this moment.  Deep, rich...almost thick enough to even smell.  There seemed to be no horizon, either.  The same dosage of luminosity in any direction I would look, leading me to wonder if this were all imagined.  It would have been, had it not actually occurred.  Granted, some notions which dwell in the realms of recollection become distorted, I knew as sure as the scar which ran up the back of my right leg, reaching all the way to just underneath my buttock, that this were not the case.  Blake's Tower mama called it...but there was no tower.  And, when I would question why not, she'd always say the same thing.  It was knocked down in the earthquake many years ago.  Did not stop me from asking again, however.  I was young.  I loved the surf, especially at dusk.  Just like now.  In fact, some might say this was my most fond memory.  Alone amongst the sand, the waves coming quietly and gently nipping at my feet.  The bottom of my jeans somewhat wet, but I didn't mind.  My warm gray sweatshirt zipped up tightly in the front, my hands buried deep in the pockets, a warm breeze mingling with my face, and one of those pleasurable chills which crawl up my back and made my hair stand up.  Wanting so badly to close my eyes and let my sensations take over, but...oh, I would miss that sky.  That deep pink sky.  I wouldn't give that up for all my breath.

The smell is what woke me up.  Like stale concrete mixed with moldy asbestos.  Christ, I don't know how anyone could have slept through it.  But, apparently, I had for a while.  It was still dark out and it wasn't easy to make out any surroundings, but I knew I was on a hard floor.  My leg, the one with the scar, always gave me trouble.  It needed to be cradled.  It couldn't handle hard surfaces