Endless. Part One: Sorrow.

By Glen Johnson

From the author of the #1 best-selling The Sixth Extinction Series (24 books) comes a new apocalyptic collection.

Twelve years have passed since the fires of World War III abated. The clouds of ash have settled. The world as we know it is gone; most of civilization was wiped out by the weapons of war, disease, and then starvation. Nothing grows in the barren soil, and the trees slowly give up and collapse into the ash. The world is a windswept, sterile wasteland, populated by nomadic wanders who scavenge what they can to subsist.

One lonely man – Isaac Baptiste – survives in a bunker. For twelve years he has struggled in isolation. He went in at the age of twenty-nine with his wife and daughter – only he survived. However, the bunker cannot sustain him any longer; he is running out of food, and the machines are failing. He has only two choices – leave or lay down and die.

At the age of forty-one, Isaac embarks upon a journey to find meaning and salvation, in a world where the cruel feed on the weak, and the line between life and death is thin. He soon realizes that in this dying world, he has to do whatever it takes to survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Glen Johnson
• Release date: Apr 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005528560

Glen Johnson

Glen Johnson was born in Devon, England in 1973. He is the author of 55 fiction and non-fiction books. In August 2014, he gave away all his belongings and bought a backpack and he started travelling around Southeast Asia. While he travels, he helps charitable organizations, writing and releasing books about their foundations, leaving them with all the royalties. His first charity book is called Soi Dog: The Story Behind Asia’s Largest Animal Welfare Shelter and it’s available in ebook and paperback worldwide. He has also started to release a series of books about his travel adventures as they unfold, and Living the Dream: Part One – Khaosan Road, Thailand, and Part Two – Krabi, Thailand is available from all good ebook retailers. He also loves to travel and has spent over eleven years living and travelling around the world – so far, he has explored forty-three different countries. At present, he lives in Bangkok, Thailand, but he has also lived in Mexico, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and Singapore. He is also the lead writer on the development team for a new computer game called The Seed (2018), from the creators of the award-winning S.T.A.L.K.E.R Misery mod.Why not add Glen as a friend on Facebook. From his author’s page, you can keep up to date with all his new releases and when his kindle books are free on Amazon. He checks it daily, so pop on and say hello. Don’t be shy, he’s friendly and accepts friend requests.www.facebook.com/GlenJohnsonAuthorwww.facebook.com/RedSkullPublishing and all good ebook retailers.Glen has published 174 books worldwide (via two publishing companies he owns). 55 are his own work; the other 119 are modern-classic-fiction books that can be found on all good eBook and paperback retailers.Books Released by Sinuous Mind Books, and Coming Soon –Books released under his real name Glen JohnsonNON-FICTION BOOKS –CHARITY BOOKS (with Gary Johnson)Soi Dog – The Story Behind Asia’s Largest Animal Welfare Shelter (2015)BEES Elephants Sanctuary: A Haven for Old and Retired Elephants (Coming Soon)TRAVEL BOOKS (with Gary Johnson)Living the Dream 1 – Khaosan Road – Thailand (2015)Living the Dream 2 – Krabi – Thailand (2019)Living the Dream 3 – Penang – Malaysia (Coming Soon)FICTION BOOKS –APOCALYPTIC/DYSTOPIAN/HORRORTHE SIXTH EXTINCTION SERIES (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short Stories)The Sixth Extinction 1 – Outbreak (2013)The Sixth Extinction 2 – Ruin (2013)The Sixth Extinction 3 – Infested (2013)The Sixth Extinction 4 – The Ark (2013)The Sixth Extinction 1-4 – Omnibus Edition (2013)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: THE FIRST THREE WEEKS SERIES (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short stories)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks 1 – Noah’s Story (2013)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks 2 – Red’s Story (2013)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks 3 – Betty and Lennie’s Story (2013)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks 4 – Doctor Lazaro’s Story (2013)The First Three Weeks 1-4 – Omnibus Edition (2013)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION & THE FIRST THREE WEEKS SERIES OMNIBUS (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short stories)The Sixth Extinction & The First Three Weeks 1-8 – Omnibus Edition (2013)The Sixth Extinction & The First Three Weeks & The Sixth Extinction America 1-12 – Omnibus Edition (2014)The Sixth Extinction & The First Three Weeks & The First Three Weeks The Squads Stories & The Sixth Extinction America & The Seven Seeds of the Gods 1-23 – Omnibus Edition (2017)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: THE FIRST THREE WEEKS – THE SQUADThe Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks – The Squad – Echo’s Story (2014)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks – The Squad – Coco’s Story (2014)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: AMERICA SERIES (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short stories)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part One: The Black Spores (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Two: False Hope (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Three: The Pods (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Four: The Long Road (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – 1-4 Omnibus Edition (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Five: No Turning Back (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Six: A Friend in Need (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Seven: All Aboard (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Eight: New Hope (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – 1-8 Omnibus Edition (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – 1-20 Omnibus Edition (2016)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Nine: Keep Running (2016)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Ten: Don’t Look Back (2016)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Eleven: Resurrection (2016)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Twelve: Alliance (2018)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Thirteen: Abandon (2019)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Fourteen: Burn (Coming Soon)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: BOOK EXTRASThe Sixth Extinction: The Seven Seeds of the Gods. Book One – Ancient Egypt (2016)The Sixth Extinction: The Seven Seeds of the Gods. Book Two – Ancient Mayan (Coming Soon)The Sixth Extinction: One Year On (England) (Coming Soon)The Sixth Extinction: Clarkson’s Discovery (Coming Soon)THE ENDLESS SERIESEndless: Part One – Sorrow (2019)Endless: Part Two – Fear (Coming Soon)Endless: Part Three - Anger (Coming Soon)THE EVENT SERIESThe Event: Part One – The Last Hope (2019)The Event: Part Two – Crashing Down (Coming Soon)THE HUMAN NATURE SERIES (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short Stories)Lamb Chops and Chainsaws – Vol.1 (2012)Lobsters and Landmines – Vol.2 (2012)French Fries and Flamethrowers – Vol.3 (2014)The Human Nature Series 1-3 – Omnibus Edition (2014)Backpacks and Body Bags – Vol.4 (Coming Soon)THE EXTREME HUMAN NATURE SERIES (Extreme Horror Short Stories)Condoms and Cabbages (2015)GHOST (Short Stories)Sea of Trees (2017)Child Angels (2018)Tall Ghosts (2020)The Lost Cat (2023)HORROR (Short Stories)Quarantine (2020)Laugh Out Loud (2021)Secrets and Lies (2021)Blood Lotus (With Hathairat Phuekhiran – 2023)HORRORThe Watchers (2014)THE WAR OF THE GOD’S SERIESWar of the Gods 1 – The Devil’s Tarots (2012)War of the Gods 2 – Lilith’s Revenge (Coming Soon)THE SEVEN WORLDS SERIES (with Gary Johnson)The Gateway – World One (2014)The Keystone – World Two (2015)Even Jewel – World Three (2017)The Sleeping Gods – World Four (Coming Soon)The Turquoise Abyss – World Five (Coming Soon)Oceans of Fire – World Six (Coming Soon)Journeys End – World Seven (Coming Soon)THE SPELL OF BINDING SERIESThe Spell of Binding – Part One (2012)The Spell of Binding – Part Two (Coming Soon)THE PARKINGDOM SERIESParkingdom – Book One (2012)Parkingdom – Book Two (Coming Soon)OTHER BOOKSTales from the Lake Vol.2. Short Story: Prime Cuts (A mixed horror anthology with 18 other writers – published by Crystal Lake Publishing. 2016)Books released under the pseudonym J.G. NewtonEROTIC PLEASURES SERIES (#1 Best Seller on Amazon USA and UK Erotic/Suspense)Guilty Pleasures: Erotic Pleasures Series (2014)Dirty Pleasures: Erotic Pleasures Series (2014)Secret Pleasures: Erotic Pleasures Series (2014)Kinky Pleasures: Erotic Pleasures Series (2014)Erotic Pleasures Series 1-4 – Omnibus Edition (2014)EROTIC MONSTERS SERIES (#1 Best Seller on Amazon USA and UK Erotic/Suspense/Horror/Humorous)Frankenstein’s Monster: Erotic Monsters Series (2014)Dracula’s Lover: Erotic Monsters Series (2014)Mummy’s Desire: Erotic Monsters Series (Coming Soon)Werewolf’s Lust: Erotic Monsters Series (Coming Soon)COMPUTER GAMETHE SEEDGlen Johnson is on the development team as the lead writer (eight writers) for a new computer game series called The Seed. The Seed is a story-driven post-apocalyptic video game set in Eastern Europe in 2026. It’s a single-player 2D interactive novel, deeply rooted in HEXACO psychology – it showcases the gravity of choice. It’s by the same team that created the award-winning game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Misery mod.The Seed: Act 1 (2018)The Seed: Act 2 (Coming Soon)The Seed: Act 3 (Coming Soon)If you need to get hold of Glen Johnson, email him on: [e-mail]

Book preview

Prologue

Twelve years have passed since the fires of World War III abated. The clouds of ash have settled. The world as we know it is gone, most of civilization was wiped out by the weapons of war, disease, and then starvation. Nothing grows in the barren soil, and the trees slowly give up and collapse into the ash. The world is a windswept, sterile wasteland, populated by nomadic wanders who scavenge what they can to survive, settling in makeshift villages as they migrate during the seasons.

A few read the signs and had the money to hide away below ground, oblivious to the happenings above. As billions died, they continued with their lives inside their metal bunkers, unbeknown to the hardships and struggles going on above.

However, nothing lasts forever, and those who survived the end of the world have to, at some point, emerge back to the surface and rejoin the struggle for survival.

The Underground Bunker

1

The ever-present droning of the last remaining engine sounded like it was struggling – rattling and chugging. The lights flicker constantly, and a few times it felt like the air scrubbers were hardly working – giving the air a moist, humid feel. Lately, he woke with the stirring of a headache – a bad sign. He’d run out of new filters. He’d been removing and cleaning the old one for two months. He could feel the difference. There was a manual Kearny air pump, but he didn’t have the strength to stand for hours turning it, and one small filter hardly had an effect on the large bunker.

Isaac Baptiste stretched his lithe, six-foot body and rolled over. He was pale and lethargic – he hasn’t seen sunlight for almost twelve years, and he ran out of vitamins last year, and canned and dried fruit five months ago. He tried to keep himself fit with the small gym, but he simply didn’t have the energy since the air started to become stagnant.

He absentmindedly reached for his wife. Eleven years later and he still instinctively went to touch her each morning – to caress her slender shoulder. That is until the memory came pouring back like a stab to the heart.

Each morning he has to relive the sorrow.

He sat up and leaned against the cold metal wall. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. Most days he slept, trying to hide inside a dream, filled with memories and images of the past, rather than live in the bleak present.

In his dreams, he was outside, on the surface, strolling through the long grass, with his family at his side, and the warm sun on his face, and sweet, fresh air filling his lungs – a peaceful world. A perfect world. A dream.

Then he woke up in the stuffy, subterranean bunker, where lately; his breathing was a struggle.

He stares across the sleeping chamber to where his five-year-old daughter’s bed used to rest – now long gone. However, the colourful felt-tip drawings still litter the dull metal walls – he couldn’t bring himself to wipe them away. They were all that was left of Jessica – his small princess.

Well, strictly speaking, that wasn’t true. His wife and daughter’s bodies were still present, wrapped in plastic and encased in airtight containers inside the storeroom. There was no way he could leave the bunker and bury them, or had the facilities to cremate them, so they had to remain – a constant reminder.

When they died, they took a huge chunk of his heart with them.

A few times he stood over their makeshift coffins and considered opening them up. Just seeing them one more time. He knew he would regret it the moment he did.

They were folded into the containers because they were slightly too small – he had to wait for the rigor mortis to leave the muscles first.

No coffins were stored because death wasn’t something they even considered – everything they had was built for the purpose of prolonging their lives, death wasn’t part of the equation.

There was no closure. No funeral to move on from. One minute they were his whole-life – just the three of them against the world. The next they were packed away like unused clothes in the attic – or more appropriately, the basement.

He made shrines out of their coffins – piling up Jessica’s toys to cover the ugly plastic container and clothes and blankets over his wife’s.

On a number of occasions, when the pain and loneliness became too much, he found himself standing in front of them, contemplating joining them. Tears streaking his face and sobs racking his body. He never had the courage to end it – the fear of the unknown was even worse than the loneliness and guilt.

He was never a big believer in the afterlife. Now he hoped he was wrong. He had to believe that one day he would see them again. He needed to believe they were together in heaven, waiting for him.

A few times he had dragged his mattress in and slept next to them. A macabre scene.

Most of the time he would simply sit and talk with his wife as if she was there in the room – alive – not cocooned in a makeshift plastic coffin. He also read stories to his daughter. In his memory, he could hear her laughter and questions. In reality, there was only silence and pain.

He struggled to twist and place his bare feet on the cold floor. The heating was the first thing to break. It wasn’t cold enough to see his breath, due to being underground where the temperature was constant, regardless of the weather above.

Morning Nat and Jess, he muttered – a morning ritual, said more out of habit than feeling now after so many long years.

He reached for a mini iPad that was connected via Bluetooth to the bunkers sound system and pressed play. The Prodigy’s – The Fat of the Land album was paused from when he went to bed. The song: Funky Shit started to play loudly over the hidden speakers.

He didn’t like the quiet and stillness of the bunker, with only his footfalls shuffling around. Whenever he was awake, and sometimes while he slept, he had music bouncing off the metal walls.

The sound system was connected to a four-terabit hard drive and held thousands of albums. It could be months before he heard the same song playing again.

The loud music vibrated in his chest.

He wasn’t sure what month it was; he’d given up keeping track after his daughter died, and then his wife from a broken heart. All he had to do was check his computer, but he never bothered turning it on any more. It was full of photos and videos from a better time – a lost era.

They’d been in the bunker for just over nine months when Jessica started coughing. It started as something simple. At first, it was more of an annoyance, with her waking up at night and not being able to sleep.