ETERNALS Books 3 & 4: Deeds of Darkness & Indigo Moon

By Vincent Roberts

The Eternals enter into their third and fourth installments of the series as a dark figure at the front door casts an ancient incantation on them. Eventually, Lucy wakes from a dark sleep and finds herself fourteen years into the future in Colorado. The most startling part for her isn't that she has moved ahead to the future but the fact that she's somehow been transformed into a blood-guzzling vampire. Soon, Paulo, Paris and Emmitt find themselves in similar positions, trying to find their way back to each other. As the years pass by, The Eternals discover that every other supernatural being on earth has also been changed into something different through a domino effect. The Eternals meet up with changelings, werewolves, mermaids and even an alien race. Again, the Scarlett witches play an intricate role in helping the Eternals while trying to recover their own family. When Lucy realizes she has the gift to help others, she forms committees to help the species unite with their own kind. Paris finds himself deep in the Himalayan mountains once again, living in the Lost City, where he is treated as a traitor and a lowly vampire. As one of the Eternals finally figures out who cast the ancient spell, they try to find a way to reverse it. Paulo, Lucy, Rebecca, Sebastian and the Scarlett witches are forced to work together to help all the supernatural beings make sense of what has happened as each one battles with their own demons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vincent Roberts
• Release date: Dec 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393550518

Book preview

1

Oh my god, it’s you! It’s you! It was you the entire time!

Paris stood frozen like a statue as a shock wave rushed through his body. It felt as if a bolt of lightning pounded into him. He stared at the small framed figure cloaked in black.

This stranger seemed oddly familiar to him but he found that his head was becoming muddled and his eyes were quickly losing their focus. He muttered, You were responsible for this. You were the one that was inside my head. It wasn’t the Raven Mocker at all.

Suddenly, the stranger raised a hand and fluttered it in the air. The all-pervading ringing in his ears took an excruciating hold over him once again.

The pitch was even higher and harsher than before as it resonated inside his mind and body. He put his hands over his ears and shuddered just before he dropped down onto his knees. His arms and legs began to rattle uncontrollably.

The others watched as his entire body began to bounce and convulse violently. He rolled around on the floor for several minutes before he eventually retracted into a rocking fetal position, fighting desperately to remain conscious.

Paulo knelt down on the floor beside him and said, Paris, it’s happening to you again. Are you alright? Can you hear me? Paris!

Lucy stood over Paulo and Paris and asked, Does this mean that Paris is right? It wasn’t the Raven Mocker or the witches causing this ringing? She looked to Selene for answers. Do you know who this person is?

Selene peered at the strange cloaked figure in the doorway but no one dared to get any closer than they already were. She could see, by the small stature and the hands that it was a female. Lucy asked again, Who is this person?

Paris couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, couldn’t even open his eyes as the pain in his head became more agonizing. His face turned a bright shade of red, his nose dripped blood, and saliva dribbled out and down the sides of his mouth.

Emmitt marched forward and challenged the woman, Stop doing this! Can’t you see you’re killing him?

Everyone could see that Paris was gradually losing awareness. Paulo shook him vigorously but got no response. He got on his feet and approached the stranger and asked, Who are you? We’ve done no harm to you? Why are you doing this to my friend?

The woman moved deeper into the room and gazed at Paris through her heavy black veil. She raised her hand again and watched as his pain intensified even greater than before. She moved closer to Paris but Selene demanded, That’s far enough. I don’t know what you are but you need to leave him alone!

The dark figure backed up a step but stayed silent. Everyone in the room was guarded and frightened of what might happen next. They didn’t know what other trickeries the cloaked woman was capable of carrying out.

For a split-second Paulo thought that he found the woman’s presence familiar. He asked, Wait, do I know you from somewhere else? Perhaps another place, another time? Does Selene know who you are?

The woman didn’t respond to the inquiries or demands. Instead, she backed up another step as each person in the room remained still with the exception of Paris, who was still weakly rolling around on the floor.

Emmitt, not sure of what to do, acted with a pure animal instinct and decided to rush toward the woman, attempting to remove her veil and reveal who she really was. He screamed as he lunged toward her.

In a flash, she raised her hand, discharging a wave of energy that hurled Emmitt across the room and crashed him into the furthest wall. Several large paintings fell off the wall and on top of him. He laid there on the floor barely moving with the wind knocked out of him. Peggy panicked and rushed over to help him.

The others watched in horror, seeing the exceptional power this woman had. Selene probed, Are you one of us? Are you an Eternal? Or are you something else? Are you a species we’ve never been in contact with before?

The cloaked figure waved her hand in the air and across the room. She whispered, By the light of the new moon the transformation will begin. It will be complete by the light of the full moon. Yearnings and necessities will be hindered and the life force the Eternals once required will no longer be obtainable in the same fashion. The true monster inside each one of you will reveal its horrible face...and the darkness will surround you, envelop you, control you. Everyone and everything will cease to be as planned.

The stranger backed up onto the front porch, paused for a moment as she raised her hand one more time. Then, she walked down the front stairs and away from the manor. Paulo stepped toward the door with intentions of following her. He watched as she walked down the street but Selene grabbed his upper arm and requested, Let her go, Paulo. We’ll fight that battle another day. For now, we should help Paris and Emmitt.

Lucy looked at everyone and questioned, What just happened? What did she mean? It seemed as if she was putting some kind of a curse on us.

Paulo responded, Whatever it is that she meant to do, I don’t feel any different than I did before. Do you?

Lucy waited for a moment as if she was examining her own body from the inside out. No, I don’t either.

Peggy finished moving the last painting that had fallen on Emmitt. He recovered quickly from the jolt while Selene and Paulo rushed to see Paris lying completely still on his back staring at the ceiling. His eyes were open and his breathing appeared normal. His nose wasn’t bleeding anymore. Paulo inquired, Paris, is the pain still present?

Paris sat up slowly and explained, No. Strangely, the ringing in my head is completely gone. I feel perfectly fine. It’s almost as if nothing ever happened.

Paulo and Lucy helped him to his feet. He brushed himself off and pushed his thick hair back with his fingers. Lucy asked, Do you have any clue who that woman was, Paris? It seemed as though she knew you.

She gave the impression that she was someone from my past, our past. I’m sure there’s a chance I might have known her. But which someone was she? There have been so many over the millennia. I’m sure you could only imagine just how many.

Lucy responded, No, I can’t.

Paris said, Just think of how many people a mortal relates to during their human life. Now multiply that times the thirty or forty lifetimes that I’ve existed.

She expressed, But there must be someone that made you think this woman was familiar. A face came to mind, didn’t it?

Paris smiled and remarked, My greatest wish is that any stranger I bump into would somehow be my sweet Esmerelda, but that has never happened and it never will be. The one true love of my life died on that snowy mountainside two thousand years ago because I was too stupid and reckless and didn’t plan for what we were going to face.

Well, who else was there that would want to inflict this much pain on you? Who, out there, hated you that much?

Paris snapped, I don’t know! There are too many names, too many faces. These women existed in every decade and century for thousands of years. I wouldn’t hazard a guess for fear that I would most likely be wrong.

Selene suggested, Perhaps you should go upstairs and rest, Paris. You know how these bouts can drain your energy.

Paris put his finger up to hush Selene. No, no, I’m fine. It didn’t last very long at all this time. I’ll go to the dining room and have a seat. I can rest there.

Before Peggy left the room, she mentioned, I think the best thing I can do right now is go to the kitchen and make a strong pot of coffee.

Selene, Paulo, Lucy and Emmitt shadowed behind Paris as he entered the dining room. Each one took a seat around the table. Paris inhaled and then let out a long breath. He asked, When I was on the floor, did she say anything? Did she do anything? Did she give any indication of why she was doing this to me?

Selene responded, She did say one thing. It was as if she was crafting an incantation or hex on us. I think she may have been a witch or something like a witch.

Selene searched her mind to remember the exact verse that was recited when Lucy interrupted by clearing her throat and then quoted the woman’s entire dialogue word for word, By the light of the new moon the transformation will begin. It will be complete by the light of the full moon. Yearnings and necessities will be hindered and the life force the Eternals once required will no longer be obtainable in the same fashion. The monster inside each one of you will reveal its horrible face and the darkness will surround you, envelop you, control you. Everyone and everything will cease to be as planned.

Selene was impressed by Lucy’s skills to remember. She questioned, But what does that mean, Paris? I’ve never heard an incantation like that before. Was she a witch or perhaps involved in the dark world of voodoo?

I’m not sure. It could have been just empty words uttered to scare us or, on the other hand, she could be some supernatural force we’ve never dealt with before.

Lucy deduced everything that occurred before she remarked, That seems to be highly unlikely since she came here and specifically targeted you, Paris.

Paulo looked at the others and agreed. He turned to Paris and asserted, Lucy has a very valid point. This cloaked figure wasn’t just performing some random act of magic or angry supernatural spell. It was meant to frighten us and to hurt you. But it doesn’t help us if we don’t know who she is and where she came from.

Paris was tired of discussing the cloaked woman. He took another deep breath and let it out before he stated, She’s gone for now and I feel fine. That’s good enough for me. Perhaps this was an isolated incident and she won’t return here again.

Nobody believed this would be an isolated incident.

Lucy suggested, I think it might be better if we waited to leave for Mobile, at least until we’re sure this woman isn’t coming back.

Paulo slapped his hand on the table and insisted, No, Lucy. This excursion to Mobile is something you said you have to do. You told me you’re having those strong feelings about that city and about Atlanta. It’s all you’ve thought about lately. I won’t have some brief incident with something that may not even be real put a halt to what we have planned.

Paris shook his head and whispered, He’s right, Lucy. We’ve dealt with many other beings in the past and we always come out on top, as we did with the Raven Mocker. This won’t be any different. The Eternals are the most powerful race on earth. You should go to Mobile and Atlanta and get those questions answered that you’ve been wrestling with.

Selene chimed in. Yes, Lucy, go. You being here won’t make any difference. We can take care of that woman if she returns. We’ve been dealing with these little surprise complications for thousands of years.

Lucy was convinced. She smiled and said, Alright, since everyone’s giving us their blessing, I suppose we can leave but we’ll wait for a few days.

Paulo stood up and clapped his hands once. Good, then it’s all settled. Today is Wednesday. We’ll leave Saturday morning just before sunrise.

Lucy questioned, Why so early, Paulo?

Atlanta is a five to six-hour ride from here. I’d rather get on the road early in the morning so we’re not spending the middle of our day in the wagon.

In the days following the mysterious incident, the Eternals were left speculating if anything would change in their lives as Paulo and Lucy prepared for the first leg of their excursion. Lucy packed the wagon while Paulo hitched up the horses. There was a long and tearful goodbye between Lucy and Selene. Lucy promised, We won’t be gone long.

Selene replied, We’re Eternals. What’s your idea of not long? Thirty, maybe forty years? Possibly even a hundred years.

Lucy laughed at Selene’s joke as she began to weep and hug her again. Lucy whispered, It won’t be that long. I promise you.

Paris and Paulo casually sauntered onto the front porch, taking their time in getting to the wagon. Paris grinned as he joked, They’ve been crying like that for over an hour. How much longer will it be before you leave?

All at once, Lucy had a peculiar feeling that ran throughout her entire body. It was a feeling of change and emptiness. She picked her head up and could see Selene standing in front of her, but there seemed to be a developing wall of darkness that rose up from the ground and around both women. Lucy could see the same was happening to Paulo and Paris. They appeared as perplexed and frightened as she did.

In a few moments, the wall mounted higher until Lucy was eventually encased in total murkiness. She called out to the others but didn’t hear a response. She tried to walk forward or move her arms but they wouldn’t budge.

Instantaneously, she felt fatigued and exhausted. She found she couldn’t control her own body as it fell towards the bottom of the darkness. Lucy closed her eyes and fell asleep.

2

Lucy opened her eyes and looked around at her new surroundings. She could tell she’d been asleep for a while but she wasn’t sure exactly how long that while was. She noticed that she was lying on what appeared to be a riverbank and the skies above her were gray. Her blue dress and white blouse were saturated with mud and her body felt cold, almost freezing. She saw that the ground was covered with a light layer of snow.

As Lucy tried to stand up slowly and could feel her legs struggling desperately to regain their strength. She took a few small steps away from the river and then, toward the pasture that she could see a few hundred feet in the distance. Still feeling muddled and fatigued, she cried out, Where am I? What’s happening to me? Paulo! Selene! Paris! Can anyone hear me? Is anyone out there?

There was no response as she stumbled awkwardly into the uneven pasture. The blustery winter winds thrashed around her cuttingly. She wrapped her damp shawl around her head and shoulders as she continued to walk.

She saw no one else as she moved from the snow-covered meadow into a thickly wooded timberland. She cried out again, each time the tone of her voice sounded more frantic than the time before. I don’t know where to find you! Paulo! Selene! Paris! Is anyone out there? Please, won’t someone answer me!

As she moved gradually through the thick trees, she tried to recall what had happened to her, how she ended up where she was. Lucy recalled being encased in some kind of blackness, a vacant nothingness, but she still didn’t know how long she’d been there. Lucy didn’t know what had taken place but she knew she felt different than she had before the event. She felt a hunger she’d never felt during her time as an Eternal, a deprivation that came from a different need. The hunger was more like a deep thirst.

The skies continued to get darker and more ominous as Lucy steadily made her way into a small town of twenty or thirty buildings. She crept down the main street where she heard music playing from a building marked Clancy’s Midnight Saloon. She passed a general store, a jail, a small diner and a hotel before she got to the saloon.

Inside, she saw women, painted in heavy makeup, dancing around the room wearing red and white, frilly costumes, revealing their legs and cleavage while dirty men in cowboy hats and boots whistled and groped them, shouting obscenities to get their attention.

Lucy backed away from the window when she noticed that the dashing bartender was staring out the front window at her. She put her head down and began to walk away. The bartender ran to the door of the saloon and called out to her, Miss, come back! Are you alright?

Lucy’s pace increased. She was fearful of being asked questions that she wouldn’t be able to answer. The bartender ran toward her and shouted, Please, miss! I’m not going to hurt you! You look like you’re in trouble! I just want to help you! Will you stop?

Lucy turned and smiled at the man as she replied, Hello, sir. I’m fine. There’s no need for help. I’m just on my way home for the night. Thank you for asking.

The man, with slicked back salt and pepper hair and a pencil thin mustache, noticed her clothing was tattered and heavily soiled with mud. He walked toward her and mentioned, Well, if you don’t mind me saying, you don’t look like you’re fine to me, ma’am.

She caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the glass store window in front of her, realizing too that she didn’t look suitable. Dressed in a spotless white shirt with a tiny red bow tie and black suspenders, he suggested, Why don’t you come with me into the saloon for a moment where you can rest?

She snapped, No thank you, sir. I’m good. I’m just having a bad day and, well, I seem to be a little lost at the moment.

The man appeared concerned, Lost?

She turned to the man and asked, Yes, I’m lost. Haven’t you ever been lost? What is this town anyway? Where am I?

You don’t know where you are? You don’t know this town?

She nodded. No, you see, I believe I may have had an unfortunate accident. I woke up near a riverbank and walked here but I don’t know where here is.

He pointed in the direction that she came from. That wasn’t a riverbank, miss. That was Cripple Creek. That’s also the name of this town. You’re in Cripple Creek, ma’am.

She thought hard about the name. I don’t think I ever heard of a town named Cripple Creek in Georgia.

The man gasped and then chuckled at her. Ma’am, you’re not in Georgia. Why you’re clear across the country. You’re in Colorado.

Completely overwhelmed, she put her hand up and raised one eyebrow as she stated, That’s impossible. This has to be a mistake. I can’t be in Colorado. I should be in Georgia. I was just in Georgia a few hours ago.

The man took her by her filthy hand and calmly suggested, I think you may have bumped your head in that accident you had. Why don’t you let me take you down the street to the hotel and see to it that you get a room for the night. I’ll bring you some food and clean clothes and then I’ll call on Dr. Hill in the morning.

Lucy didn’t know what else to do other than accept the man’s generosity. Thank you, sir. That’s very kind of you.

The man said sincerely, Just so you know, miss, my name is Clancy, Clancy Fitzgerald, and you are?

She smiled and said, I’m Lucy Johnson and I’m very tired. I don’t believe I’ve ever felt this tired in all my life.

The man held her hand as they walked down the road to the Cripple Creek Inn where he got her a room as he promised. Then, he said good night to her and left.

Lucy went to her room, removed most of her filthy clothing and took a long, hot bath. As the evening progressed, the peculiar hunger inside increased but her exhaustion overtook the hunger. Still naked from the bath, she collapsed on the bed where she fell asleep quickly.

Lucy opened her eyes as the sun began to peek through the windows. Hoping it was all a bad dream, she lifted her head and glanced around the sparsely furnished room. She saw that it wasn’t a bad dream.

A few minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. Even though she knew the answer, she queried, Who is it?

Clancy whispered through the crack in the door, Miss Lucy, it’s Clancy and I brought the doctor with me. He wants to know if it’s okay to take a look at you.

Lucy quickly got out of the bed and put her new garments on before she opened the door and invited them in. Please come in, gentlemen.

Clancy inquired, Are you feeling any better today, Lucy? I explained everything to the doctor about your situation.

Lucy graciously smiled and sat quietly on the edge of the bed as Clancy introduced her to the physician. Lucy ... ah ...

Johnson. Lucy Johnson.

Lucy Johnson, this is Dr. Sebastian Hill, the only doctor we have here.

Lucy bowed her head and whispered, It’s a pleasure to meet you Dr. Hill, though I wish it was under better circumstances. Can you find out what happened to me and how I ended up here in Cripple Creek?

Sebastian stepped closer and said, Well, Miss Lucy, I don’t know for sure but I’m certainly going to try to help you find the answers to this quandary of yours. Clancy has already explained the events that occurred last night.

Lucy could detect a faint odor coming from the doctor but she didn’t say anything to him. It was a slight sour smell, almost the smell of a corpse beginning to rot. Dr. Hill asked Clancy, Would you mind leaving the two of us while I conduct my examination?

Clancy was happy to accommodate. He tuned to her and mentioned, I’ll be at the tavern working on the books if you need me for anything else. Take care of her, doctor. She seems like a very special lady.

As he exited the room, Lucy blurted, Thank you, Clancy Fitzgerald. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done.

Once the bar owner was gone, Sebastian asked Lucy to explain to him exactly what happened, in her own words. He said, I want you to tell me exactly how you arrived at this place. Please, be completely honest and don’t leave anything out.

Lucy was afraid of how the truth would sound to the doctor. Leaving out the part about the black casing, she said, I’m not sure how I arrived at this place, Dr. Hill. I just remember waking up next to that creek last night, feeling disoriented and frail. I meandered for a few hours through a long pasture and then through a thick forest until I found this town.

Clancy told me that you believed you were still in Georgia, not Colorado.

Yes, that’s what I said. I called out to my companion and my other friends but they were nowhere to be found.

He questioned, So, you remember being in Georgia with these people and the next thing you recollect was waking up alone next to old Cripple Creek?

Lucy could still detect the weak odor emanating from the doctor. Yes. That’s correct. Like I said, I called out over and over to my companion, Paulo ...

Paulo?

Yes, I know that’s odd but his name is Paulo.

Sebastian asked excitedly, And is there another man with him named Paris?

Lucy jumped up, both surprised and relieved, You know of Paulo and Paris? But how can you know them? Just exactly who are you, Dr. Hill?

Alarmingly, he announced to Lucy, Paris was my creator.

Lucy peered at the floor and then looked Sebastian in the eye as she probed, Then, you’re one of us? You’re an Eternal too?

Yes, Lucy, I’ve been an Eternal for a little more than three-hundred years. The year of my rebirth was 1590 to be precise.

He paused for a moment before he asked more questions. Do you know what year it is, who the current president is?

It’s 1877 and the current president is Mr. Rutherford B. Hayes and I know Colorado has just been admitted to the union, making it the thirty-eighth state.

Sebastian slowly nodded his head. I see it happened to you too. I thought I was the only one, but now I know I’m not.

Lucy’s confusion about the situation was growing. What happened to me? What are you trying to say to me?

Lucy, the world as you knew it is different than you recall. For instance, the current president is Mr. Benjamin Harrison from Indiana. We have forty-four states admitted to the union and, I’m sorry to have to be the one to break this unfortunate news to you, but the current month is October and year is 1891.

Her body began to shake. 1891? That’s impossible! It can’t be 1891! What happened to the last fifteen years of my life?

Sebastian explained, For the last year I thought I was the only one that this happened to. It happened to me in 1877, the same time it happened to you. I was encased in a blackness that I couldn’t break free from. Eventually, I awoke a year ago about twenty miles north of here believing I was still in Missouri.

She exclaimed, What was it? What could have created the blackness?

I wish I knew, Lucy.

She took a moment and thought back to the event and remembered the cloaked woman at the front door who seemed to cast a spell on them. She explained this to Sebastian. Paulo and I were about to embark on a trip to Atlanta and then eventually Mobile, but it never happened. I saw the same darkness surrounding the others just before it all vanished.

He gloomily announced, I’m sorry to tell you this but I have even more terrible news to deliver, Lucy.

She plopped on the bed and expressed, I don’t know how much more of your news I can handle today, Dr. Hill.

Now, I believe the incantation that was cast was all-encompassing to every Eternal globally. If it affected me and I was in St. Louis one minute and woke up here the next, it has to be a worldwide phenomenon.

She questioned for clarification, So, then the others must be out there somewhere and they’re experiencing the same confusion?

I can’t say for sure but that’s what I deduce has occurred. I too have been trying to find my companion Rebecca for some time.

Rebecca, Paulo and the others could be just about anywhere.

Sebastian had one more bit of alarming information for Lucy. He didn’t know how to approach it gently so he just blurted it out. I loathe telling you that this curse has turned the two of us into vampires. That explains the faint smell coming from our bodies. Vampires are actually beings that are perpetually rotting from the inside.

Vampires! What do you mean? There are vampires out there?

Sebastian, the tall and lanky, black-haired doctor with tiny spectacles on his face, explained, They do exist. We do exist. I mean that we have to survive by drinking human blood. Animal blood will suffice to keep us alive but it doesn’t satisfy a vampire like the human blood does. We don’t require the breath of life anymore. We hunger for blood. It’s a different kind of hunger and it takes some getting used to. I still find myself struggling with the whole disgusting process.

Lucy agreed, I felt that hunger when I woke up. I’ve only been an Eternal for a few months but I know I never felt this new hunger before last night.

Correction, Lucy, you’ve been an Eternal for a few months and a vampire for the last fifteen years. Remember, you’ve been asleep for quite a while.

She stood up and paced the floor, pondering what she’d been told. So, what do we do now, Dr. Hill? How do we find the others?

Please, call me Sebastian. Perhaps we should travel back to Georgia. If this happened to the others, maybe they’d also think to go back to your home.

And what about your companion? How do we find her?

Sebastian had a plan all worked out in his head. We’ll go back to Georgia and, on the way, we’ll make a stop in St. Louis to see if Rebecca has returned there.

Lucy resigned herself to the fact she’d have to travel across the country to find the man she loved even if it meant travelling with a man she didn’t know. If we’re going to make this lengthy journey, I’d like to go soon. I don’t think I like the town of Cripple Creek very much.

Sebastian smiled and said, I’ll start making the necessary arrangements so we can be out of here before the week’s end.

Within the week, Lucy and Sebastian had packed up a wagon filled with basic necessities with the intentions of travelling to St. Louis.

Before they departed, the couple fed on several of the town’s people including the helpful bar owner, Clancy Fitzgerald. The residents were too busy trying to figure out the details of the bizarre killing spree to even notice the unassuming couple’s midnight departure.

While on the road, the two strangers told each other more and more about their past lives until the companionship soon became a sincere friendship.

As they made their way into Kansas City, Lucy asked Sebastian again to tell her the story of how he became an Eternal. He finally broke down and told her. It was the middle of the year 1590 when I first met Paris and Paulo. But the other woman you spoke of, Selene, was not with them at the time. I believe she must have come back to them later, after I had parted ways with them.

Yes, I know she was separated from Paris for over a thousand years.

Sebastian continued, I had been in the new colony on Roanoke Island, Virginia for several years. The settlement began small but continued growing in spite of the weather conditions and the threat of the native tribes. There were ninety men, seventeen women and eleven children. By June, two more men joined us. They told us they were a part of the first Roanoke colony that had disappeared several years before.

That was Paris and Paulo?

Yes, it was Paris and Paulo. When we asked what happened to the other colonists, they told us the natives had killed them all and they’d been in hiding. Naively, we believed what they said. I was living in a one room cabin when they came to the settlement. As any gentleman in the new world would do, I offered them lodging with me and they accepted. I could not have known what they really were.

Sebastian closed his eyes and remembered the past as if it had happened just yesterday. That’s when they told me their names were Paris and Paulo and they carried two large sacks on their shoulders. When I asked what was in the sacks, Paris told me it was just a few books and basic provisions. I introduced myself and told them that I was a physician. It didn’t take long before odd things began to happen around the village.

3

Sebastian entered his tiny home with the two men following behind him. He observed that both men, Paris and Paulo, had prominent Mediterranean features. They gave him the impression they were