When Darkness Creeps

By Paul Schneider

After losing his brother in the creature-infested woods in Congo, West Africa, Noah enlists the help of his new friends, JJ and Leah. An interesting friendship is forged among the three, with each hiding personal secrets. Leah lost her best friend to a disease infecting many in the village, but that is not all she is hiding. JJ holds the most secrets, as he is deeply involved in theft and drug activity back home in the States. They cross paths for reasons beyond anything they could ever imagine.

The locals in the African village remain silent about the latest happenings as a dreadful disease continues to wreak havoc. A spiritual battle is at hand as Leah seeks help from the local witch doctor, Batu. And then there are the eyespiercing, wild eyes that watch their every move and are about to become discontent with only observing from a distance.

Will the trio escape the darkness both from within and without? Will the light prevail against the creeping darkness?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490832012

Paul Schneider

After having graduated from college with a bachelor of science degree in Christian education, Paul Schneider has kept busy working in retail sales management. Though not currently in the classroom, he enjoys teaching youth in his local church. Paul lives in Indiana and enjoys spending his free time with his nieces and nephew.

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Copyright © 2014 Paul Schneider.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other quotations include the following:

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus -Traditional Folk Song from India -Public Domain

The Itsy Bitsy Spider –Public Domain

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-3201-2 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/31/2014

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Noah’s Devotional Journal Entry

Epilogue

You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you have formed to play in it.

O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom have you made them all. May the glory of the Lord endure forever.

Psalm 104: 20, 24-26, 31 ESV

Prologue

40 years ago / Congo, West Africa

C lank. Clunk. Clink. Metal scraping against dirt and solid rock reverberated in the distance. The trio of archaeologists busily excavated a dried riverbed. The sun-caked ground made it challenging.

The burly one bent over his shovel, a big smile cracked across his weather beaten face.

Hey, Charlie, look here!

A lanky man looked from where he was digging and rushed to see what had been unearthed by his partner. His shirt stuck to his thin body due to the intense afternoon heat.

Would you look at that.

For two years he had toiled for this exact moment. Glistening in the sun from sweat that had fallen from his face rested a perfectly preserved fossil of a rare plant. Charlie heaved a big sigh and sat down on a rock, laughing. The team’s hard work and determination had paid off as both men gazed at the sight, mesmerized by what lay before them.

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The only female in the group was beyond shouting distance but would soon find out about the discovery. She was busy collecting soil samples closer to the wooded area. She bent for one last sample when she heard a low guttural moan. She stood and looked in the direction of the noise. A small mosquito buzzed by her face. After swatting at the bug with her hand, she wiped the sweat off her brow. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary other than a peculiar odor.

Probably that smelly hippopotamus we saw earlier in the river, she thought and bent to retrieve her sample.

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Camouflaged by the trees, a pair of eyes glowed, almost a golden color. The two orbs squinted as it focused on the strange two-legged creature in front of him. It observed this trio from the moment they had invaded the thick undergrowth early that morning. It seemed fascinated in their discovery as much as they were, however it would not join their team. It kept its distance.

The eyes blinked once, then twice. A threatening look crossed its face. Soon it would escape its dark seclusion, but not at the moment. For now it was content to gaze upon the bothersome characters from a distance.

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Clara, come quickly. We’ve found it.

Clara jumped with a startled look on her dirt smeared face. She had been deep in thought about how much time they had wasted that morning by stopping at the witch doctor’s house. She could not believe that Charlie had even suggested that they visit the bizarre man.

What would they do without her? She sighed at the thought and shook her head.

Clara would have to come back later to investigate the noise. She brushed her hair out of her face and headed toward the other two. A shiver rushed up and down her back. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She felt as though someone or something was right behind her. Clara paused and spun around hoping to catch what was behind her. Shocked, she saw nothing but trees and plants.

She trekked towards the rest of the crew. The uneasiness would not subside.

Ouch!

Stopping, she rubbed her right leg sporting two small marks. It had been too hot for her to wear pants that day. Shorts had been deemed the comfortable choice in the arid African weather. Now she wished she had decided on pants. After further inspecting the reddened marks, she headed toward the rest of her team, her mind calculating what species had taken a tasty nibble of her leg.

A small, furry creature skittered across the dried ground from its tasty snack.

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The tail, connecting to the sinuous body that held the massive head with the two golden orbs, slowly snaked its way back through the dense foliage. For the time being, it would remain concealed amid the darkness of the jungle. A master at hiding, it would ensure each intruder would pay for their trespasses.

Chapter 1

Present day- Hundreds of feet above the Atlantic Ocean

T he ominous clouds whisked by one after another. The darkness consumed everything in sight and grasped for his attention. Noah Ramsey had been pushing the buttons on his portable video game too busy to notice the dark clouds building up, but now he stared through the window of the plane that he and his father and younger brother had boarded earlier that morning.

A flash of lightning threatening to zap the plane kept him from being too preoccupied with his game. The fifth level he had finally reached would have to wait for another less stressful time. Noah did not stop playing for anything, but the incoming storm kept his eyes glued to the window for fear of a crash. He had watched a newscast a few days ago about a plane crash that had occurred near his home city. He remembered seeing all of the debris strewn across the ground. He thought he might have seen a body mixed in with all of the wreckage too.

What are you looking at? His younger brother, Michael interrupted his thoughts.

Nothing. Just leave me alone.

Noah was not happy about the latest excursion his dad had decided to embark upon. His mind raced back to a few days earlier…

That’s right, said Mr. Ramsey. I have volunteered to assist in taking medical supplies over to the Wilson’s, a missionary couple in Africa. You and Michael will be able to help me with distributing the supplies. Both of you will embark on a trip that many your age do not get to experience.

Does this mean I don’t have to finish my homework tonight?

Michael did not have a ton of homework, but the little he had, he would not miss.

Of course not. You will need to have all of your homework finished on time, but you will be able to miss a month of school in the classroom. I have talked to your teachers, and both of you will get caught up when you arrive back from the trip.

Noah could not help but get a little excited about the opportunity to visit another country. He had never been outside the United States. The trip seemed like it would be a fun experience, yet he had his doubts.

What about my championship game in two weeks?

Noah piped up.

Does this mean I will have to miss it?

That is a sacrifice you must make, and I am hoping you will agree. There will be plenty of other games, but this trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I don’t want you to miss. Your team will understand and hopefully will win the big game as well.

A rumble brought Noah’s mind back to the present. The plane hit its first burst of turbulence, and the storm raging in the near distance did not help.

Now where was that cinnamon gum?

Noah’s Mom had given him an entire jumbo pack of his favorite gum for the trip. He had been informed he had to share it with his little brother, but what Michael did not know would not hurt him, so he thought. Noah found a piece and stuffed it into his mouth.

The plane lurched sending a couple passengers sliding in their seats as it flew into a vicious downdraft.

Noah had been leaning forward to put his jumbo pack of gum back into his bag when the unexpected shifting sent him sprawling hitting the chair’s metal back side. He landed on the floor of the plane.

A very loud DING sounded and the, fasten your seatbelts, light blinked on. The lights inside the cabin flickered. The flight attendant, complete with her recently dyed blonde hair, staggered from row to row ensuring the passengers were buckled tight. Noah felt his hand being grabbed, and picked himself off the floor and sat back in his seat. Noah looked to see who the hand belonged too.

Are you all right?

Yeah.

Well make sure your seat belt stays on this time, ok?

The stewardess added a pleasant smile.

Noah was more embarrassed than anything, but was thankful the blonde stewardess had helped him. He noticed there were several passengers staring at him, either from concern or nosiness, Noah could not decide.

He realized his mouth was empty, though it still tasted like the cinnamon gum he must have swallowed in all the excitement.

The small grin that had crossed Michael’s face as he saw his older brother fall out of his seat eroded into a worried look. This was Michael’s first time flying.

What’s going on? Are we going to crash?

Michael looked toward his older brother for reassurance. He pulled his blue asthma inhaler out of his backpack just in case.

Now why would you think that?

Noah rubbed his head trying to assure himself along with his brother.

We will be fine. The pilot is a professional, and I am sure he has handled similar situations. It’s just a little turbulence.

After looking out the window one more time to make sure the lightening was not too close to the plane, Noah dug out his game system from his bag and began conquering level five. He popped his head phones on and went to work. He wanted to delete the horrifying crash scenes that tantalized their way across the big screen of his mind’s eye and relieve his pounding headache.

Just when he was about to conquer the fifth level, the plane began to shake uncontrollably. It was impossible for him to play the game any longer. He peered out the window but could not see anything but darkness. Lightning flashed several yards away lighting the entire side of the plane. In that brief moment, Noah thought he saw something or someone on the wing of the airplane. He leaned closer to the window attempting to get a better view. He could barely see the silhouette after the flash of light; however through the darkness Noah could not miss the two glowing eyes. The eerie eyes looked right through him. After another flash of lightning and a quick blink, the glowing slits disappeared.

He looked across the aisle at his father. He was surprised to see his dad reclined in his chair. He did not look a bit concerned about the storm and evidently had not seen what he had seen.

Dr. Dwight Ramsey was used to flying. As head of one of the largest family medical hospitals in Los Angeles, he had flown hundreds of times. He knew that the jumbo jet would soon pass through the storm and have no problem landing. After another jolt from the turbulence, he noticed the worried look of his youngest son.

Michael, don’t worry. It is going to be alright. We are just experiencing a little bit of turbulence. It will soon pass.

He patted Michael on the shoulder.

Noah continued searching for the eyes through the window. He hid his fear better than his little brother. He had spoken what his dad had just said, yet it seemed more reassuring coming from his father. He was about to ask Michael if he had seen the mysterious figure but decided there was no use in scaring him further. He did his best to look after his younger brother, but sometimes he wished he did not have to deal with him. Michael always got in his way and bugged him far too often. Though he loved him, he often thought about how life would be like if he did not have a brother. He dismissed his rambling thoughts and quickly reminded himself of the big game that would be happening soon—without him.

In spite of missing his team’s championship game, Noah had looked forward to this trip. He was hoping to see an elephant or a lion or two. Sure he had seen them before, but this would be different, much different. No rusty metal bars would separate his world and their world. He would see them in the wild. And if he were lucky, he hoped to see a crocodile. He remembered watching the nature shows on television. The crocodile grabbed its prey from below the muddy, murky water and yanked it down below the surface drowning the helpless victim. It would then devour the tasty meal. Of course, he did not want to see one too close, but from a certain distance, he was ready.

A loud crash brought Noah’s full attention back to the window. Everything went completely dark. A few passengers gasped at the sudden darkness that consumed the entire plane. A baby began to cry. Noah saw nothing but more darkness as he looked out the window. He could make out a few clouds during the occasional flitter and flash of lightening. His eyes darted looking in all directions to see if he could spot the glowing eyes again, but he saw nothing.

The lights in the plane flickered back on, as several sighs of relief wafted across the various sections of the plane.

Noah had to get his mind busy to help alleviate his growing fear. He picked up one of the books his mom had bought for him a few days ago. He had not packed this book for his trip. She must have sneaked it into his duffle bag when he was not looking.

He turned to the inside front cover and saw the handwritten words in black ink on the white page.

To my son, Noah: May you continue in God’s plan for your life. Love Mom! Isaiah 55: 8-9

It was one of those Christian devotional journals he had seen at the local bookstore. It contained scripture verses and blank pages for writing thoughts and notes. He flipped through a couple of pages looking at some of the pictures but then shoved the book back into his bag deciding he would look the verses in Isaiah up later. He would rather have received a video game instead of another fancy book.

Rummaging deeper into his bag he found his science book from school and began browsing through a couple pages in the upcoming chapters he and his class would be tackling. Science was his favorite subject, second to physical education. He especially enjoyed Zoology. Even at a younger age, the animal pictures had captured Noah’s attention. He perused through animal books for hours. Now that he was older he read word for word about the particular animal and its habitat and characteristics. Although if his friends were around, he played it cool. He did not want to be considered a nerd or geek caught studying when he was not required.

He paged through the book until he came to the following week’s lesson. Noah began feeling a little disappointed when he saw that the upcoming lesson covered dinosaurs and how they had been destroyed by a huge asteroid. Growing up in church, he, of course, believed the species more than likely became extinct after the worldwide flood God had sent to punish mankind.

Noah hoped he would not miss out on too much action in the classroom. He thought about a couple of his fellow students and how they would have fun learning about those gigantic prehistoric fossils. One particular guy in his class he would not miss. He knew it was wrong to hate someone; however, Niles had made him wish he had never been born. He dreaded the days he had class with him. This year, Niles had picked on him from day one. At least trapped on this doomsday flight, he did not have to deal with any of his bullying.

Chapter 2

Los Angeles, California

J oseph Jackson, his friends called him JJ, ran as fast as he possibly could. He was not going to get caught this time. He had convinced himself he was smarter and faster. He had to stop a couple times to catch his breath and pull up his shorts. He felt the adrenaline as it engulfed his entire body. Nothing was going to stop him now. Not only had the store clerk missed seeing him take the portable DVD player from the shelf, but also had not seen JJ stash it down the back of his pants. After all, baggy and sagging was the style, and so much could be hidden down there with that extra room.

As JJ rounded the corner of the alley, he stopped to pull up his shorts and retrieve the valuable merchandise. A grin appeared on his face as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, his chest heaving. His eyes grew bigger as he read the price tag on the box.

They won’t even miss it. he said aloud to no one in particular and began walking as fast as he could without looking too suspicious.

With the DVD player in tow, he had enough money to buy more merchandise that would prove to be worth more than any DVD player. This was his eighth shoplifting mission this month. He was beyond addiction to this profitable game. Shoplifting was only the beginning stage. The DVD player was a means to an end. And the end for JJ was money—lots of it.

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Unnoticed by JJ and other people passing by too busy talking on cell phones and hurrying to their next appointment, a dark figure cloaked in a long black jacket crept over to the corner where JJ had momentarily rested. He stooped and picked up the security tag that had been stripped off the box. He looked in the direction that JJ had fled. A menacing smile crossed his face. His eyes pierced the darkening alley. Had the passersby not been too preoccupied, they might have noticed the yellowish glow that emanated from the dark figure’s eyes. He tossed the device into a nearby trash can and stealthily followed suit. His job was finished for the day, his mission only beginning.

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When JJ reached the safety of his friend’s home, he slumped on the couch breathing a huge sigh of relief now that he had completed his covert mission. He was physically drained, as it was not easy living the life he had chosen to live the last few years. He had begun hanging around the wrong crowd in junior high school and now was in too deep to get out. JJ was the culmination of the choices he had made, and nothing could change his mind. He did what he had to do in order to survive the hood that he called home.

Brandon entered the room not surprised to see JJ camped out on his sofa.

What’cha got there, JJ?

A little somethin’ I picked up today on my way home. You know anybody who wants a DVD player? Once I sell this, I should have enough to buy another fresh load.

You ought to try old man Johnson down on the corner. He’d probably buy it from you in a snap.

Man, last time I was at old man Johnson’s, the police was snooping around next door. I don’t need any trouble from the police. This piece wasn’t easy getting a hold of either. I can’t afford to mess up.

As if right on cue, both heard the familiar noise of sirens approaching as a local police car whizzed down the street. Brandon peered past the curtain to ensure the vehicle had kept travelling down the street. He took another drag from the white cigarette that protruded from his tar smeared lips.

It seems like the police are always in people’s business. Don’t they have anything better to do besides keep an eye out around here?

Don’t worry, man. You know I got your back.

JJ had grown up in this particular area of Los Angeles as a child. He knew every crack and corner. Sure it was no Beverly Hills, but it was home none the less. Most people on the outside looking in would consider it the ghetto, but to JJ it was so much more. His grandmother’s house where he resided was just up the street, and around the corner was the church that JJ had attended since he was a baby. He knew it all like the back of his hand.

JJ had stopped listening on Sundays and started paying heed to other influences that led him down the wrong path. He knew the truth but had pushed it aside, hiding it deep down in a tiny corner of his heart just like a darkened alley hidden in the inner city.

Look what I got?

Brandon