Hell Ascendant Episode 1: Hell Ascendant, #1

By Edmund de Wight

Would you betray one of your friends to save the lives of all the rest?

Jealousy, greed, hubris, lust; all these things have always plagued mankind. It is no different when Hell comes to Earth

The apocalypse arrived without fanfare and with the dawn on April 1st.
It sounds like a joke, but when Satan himself shouts April Fools it's pretty serious.

According to legend, there are in each generation a few chosen humans who prevent the rest of us from being destroyed. Through their good deeds and their loving spirit, they save the world over and over again. They're not famous saints. They go about their business anonymously, and no one knows how crucial they are to our well-being.
When the apocalypse comes and Hell ascends to the Earth, they might just be the most important people alive.

Episode 1 of this sprawling saga of Hell come to Earth follows Lucas Devereaux. Former soldier turned auto mechanic, turned apocalypse survivor, he leads a band of frightened men and women through Hell on Earth trying to stay alive in the changed world. He just has to survive hell hounds, demons, and the hatreds that humans still carry even after the world ends.

When a demon demands a sacrifice of the survivors, will they betray one of their own or die?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ionosphere Press
• Release date: Apr 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201991203

Edmund de Wight

Author of gritty, high octane fiction with a touch of terror and daring heroes and heroines! Visit his website and sign up for the newsletter to receive a free e-book and regular entertaining content.  Ed writes stories that can be classified as either Horror, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy or Thriller depending on the tale.  Some say Edmund de Wight was found wandering the desert as a baby, others say his mother won him playing craps, yet others say that aliens were spotted near Vegas on the night he was brought into the world. Draw your own conclusions. Edmund has always had a thirst to learn new things. He's pursued such diverse careers as a carnival barker, a cryptologist and linguist in military intelligence, a computer technician, bartender, and owner of a small retail business. He's traveled the world and managed to see the entire USA with the exception of two states. Ed brings a wide worldview to his writing. For hobbies, Ed has pursued hobbies as varied as wood carving, relief printing, sword fighting, and of course, never-ending efforts at home remodeling.  

Book preview

Always, for Sarah.

According to Jewish legend, there are in each generation 36 chosen humans, the Lamedvavnik, who prevent the rest of us from being destroyed. Through their extraordinary good deeds and their love, they save the world over and over again. They're not famous saints, though. They go about their business anonymously, and no one knows how crucial they are to our well-being.

I WATCHED AS HE OPENED the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red—Revelation 6:12

THE WORLD NEVER HAS less than thirty-six righteous men who receive the Divine Presence every day, for it is said, 'Happy are they that wait lo [for Him]' and the numerical value of 'lo' is thirty-six. - Talmud, Succah 45b

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1

The apocalypse arrived without fanfare and with the dawn on April 1st. 

It sounds like a joke, but when Satan himself shouts April Fools it's pretty serious.

Anyone who has ever lived near the sea has heard the old adage: red sky at morning, sailor take warning. On April 1st the sky certainly turned red. Blood appeared to be flowing up the shafts of sunlight. The blood spread over the horizon until the entire sky was a wavering red color. The sun dimmed behind the bloody pall. In the end it appeared to be nothing more than a dull cinder. It barely shed enough light, even at noon, to give the appearance of deep twilight. That's when the gates of Hell opened on the Earth.

Lucas Devereaux flashed back to the exact moment the world ended. The ground had shaken exactly as it was shaking now.

He had been on Route 7, westbound through Virginia from the District of Columbia in his tow truck. He had slept off the evening’s excesses in the cabin of the grease stained vehicle. He was racing the coming dawn back to Purcellville. He hoped  his boss didn't notice that the truck had never returned from its late night tow. The sun had crested the horizon and the ground began to shake. It reminded Lucas of an earthquake from a few years earlier. This one was longer and stronger than the one that had cracked the back wall of the garage. The few westbound vehicles skidded across the blacktop as the road heaved. His truck had stalled and rolled to a stop as the blood began to fill the sky. His attempts to restart the engine did not elicit even a click from the starter. Every car in sight ha died at the same time. This temblor was not as violent but he knew it was equally portentous.

Oh God, now what? Veronica Chin screamed from further down the slope.

The former secretary whipped her head from side to side searching for danger. Her eyes were wide, on the edge of panic. Every time the ground shook in this new Hell transformed world something horrible happened. Some beast was sure to spring from the pit to try to kill any human within sight.

Shut up, or you’ll draw whatever it is to us, Scott Bath shouted at the panic stricken woman.

Scott’s face was bright red from the exertion of the climb up the mountain slope. His job as an executive at a Fortune 500 company had not prepared him for running for his life.

Scott, calm down. She’s just afraid and screaming won’t help anyone, Jessie Bertram said. At seventeen the blonde high school girl was the youngest of the group. Lucas had found her beset by an  animated skeleton outside of Winchester. She looked like she should be leading the cheer squad but had the calm demeanor of a Buddha. The younger girl skipped up the slope. It was a stark contrast to the struggles of her older companions. She gave the Asian woman a reassuring hug. Veronica was five years older than Jessie yet she accepted the embrace like a child seeking comfort.

Jorge, do you see anything? Lucas called to Jorge Lobo.

He was stationed downhill to the right of the struggling group. Jorge possessed the only remaining firearm of the group, a pump action shotgun. Lucas wasn’t sure how much help only three shells were going to be. The weapon did made Jorge the best possible cover they had.

Nada jefe, he said. No, wait. Bottom of the hill, two o’clock.

Lucas craned his neck to see around trees and boulders. A smoking pit appeared  where his group had walked not twenty minutes before. Something large and black was struggling from the ground. It was the unholy birthing of a hairy monstrous shape. The thing’s head was twice as large as a man’s and topped by large triangular ears. The head turned uphill to regard the small group of humans. The beast glared at them with burning red eyes. Massive jaws opened to reveal rot covered, serrated teeth. It gave voice to a howl that froze Lucas’ blood.

Run, he screamed. 

The thing began to struggle and writhe, attempting to pass through the narrow crevice.

Veronica loosed a high pitched scream and broke away from Jessie. She began scrambling uphill as fast as her arms and legs could propel her.