Lead Me to the Dark

By James Twyman

An ancient race lurks in the darkness, steering humanity for centuries in a direction which suits their desires. All the while, the Earth's population remain largely oblivious to their existence.

 

When an archaeological discovery is made, these creatures are forced to respond, setting off a bloody chain of events which could result in their downfall.

Journalist Amy finds herself embroiled in a career-changing story but soon discovers that reality is far different to what she had previously believed. With Lily, her terminally ill daughter, to care for, Amy is forced to make horrific decisions as she faces monsters that should be confined to nightmares. What would Amy sacrifice to save her child? Can a path of darkness ever bring light to the world? Will humanity survive the impending storm of brutality?

 

Lead Me to the Dark is the gritty, blood-spattered debut novel from James Twyman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Cape Publishing
• Release date: Mar 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215248522

Book preview

SUMAR - IRAQ

A bloody red filled the sky as the sun set behind the ancient ruins of Ur, one of history’s oldest walled cities. Sandstone relics from a world long gone hid mysteries that begged to be unlocked. Archeologists worked to a symphony of chipping and brushing as they searched for buried treasure.

Professor Drake’s Iraqi guide struggled to keep up with the academic’s long and angry strides. The Professor’s thin wiry hand clasped his phone with fury as he spat large globules of rage as he spoke. He wished his saliva could pass through the phone and land on the caller's face.

What the fuck are they even talking about? The news threatened everything he had worked for and even his reputation. His other hand rifled through his graying hair as if searching his expansive intellect for even a morsel of logic. This conversation was making less sense by the minute.

We have already found more than enough to justify… The voice on the other end cut him off again. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to talk there whilst you were interrupting… No, I won’t calm down… and I won't listen to this utter nonsense.

The voice over the phone continued to apologize and make excuses based on diminished responsibility.

I know… I get that but… we have to find a way to change their minds… A TV documentary? How about that? Get fucking Tony Robbins down to do his time team bullshit. Say the sponsor's names a few times and… Professor Drake stopped to listen to the young bumbling twit. It was something about having exhausted that option.

There has to be a way... And what exactly would these business management idiots know about a significant find? What do they want, the lost ark? A stone that can control minds? The chalice of Christ? How about we hand deliver the philosopher’s fucking stone after we battle the three-headed dog? He realized his petulance wasn’t going to get him anywhere. A deep breath calmed him down, giving his mind the few vital seconds it needed to put him on a more productive path. Okay, how long will they fund for...?

Professor Drake stopped in his tracks. His deadly silence told a story loud and clear. Archeologists nearby had stopped working to listen.

An age went by as the words Professor Drake had heard sunk in. The back of his neck started to heat up as the anger threatened to consume him. He wanted to shout and swear down the phone, throw it across the desert, crawl into a hole and cry. But he didn’t, he just hung up and continued on his path up the site towards Dr Shaw. With every tiny, defeated step, he let the reality envelop him a little more. He looked around at the many skilled historians as he walked with shame. He watched as they dug with passion, every tiny piece of pottery and rusty coin gave each of them a rush of joy that very few careers offer. Professor Drake couldn’t help but feel as though he had let every single person in his employ down. Their three-year excavation cut down only six months in.

***

Dr Shaw stood in the red light of the sunset observing. She marked down on a map all the places they had made a find in the day and charted where she thought the bigger hauls might be lurking. Renowned for her pinpoint guesstimates, she had made some of the biggest modern finds.

Despite her age of sixty-two, she still got into the dirt and dug with the rest - getting messy was never beneath her. Leading from the front, she had an incredible air of wisdom, knowledge and authority, commanding respect from her peers who knew that they were lucky to even share the same space as her. But she wasn't arrogant with it either. Funny, approachable and personable were words that would often precede her.

Professor Drake reached her out of breath, it had been a long and uneven walk with most of it taken at pace. He stood in front of Dr Shaw who sensed there was something seriously wrong. She made another one of her educated guesses. How long? Dr Shaw didn’t expect the answer she received.

Three days. The words from Professor Drake's mouth were reluctant to come out.

Three days!?

Three days and they completely pull our funding. We have to be packed up and gone or we will have a lot of stranded employees.

What? The contract states that if they want to pull funding, it goes through consultation. And what about the six months notice period? They can’t just…

Apparently they can.

Dr Shaw took off her hat and wiped her brow with the back of her arm whilst pacing back and forth. Professor Drake could see the same rage he felt coursing through her, only his superior was a force to be reckoned with.

Do they even know what we are trying to do here? Do they even care? Dr Shaw wasn't one to mince her words, and she wouldn’t be starting now.

I doubt it.

Dr Shaw threw her hat on the ground with force. The few staff members working directly around the two stopped to see what was going on. They waited with bated breath to hear what Dr Shaw would say next. They were all concentrating on her so intently they didn’t see a figure in the background. A young man, kneeling headfirst in a large hole, quickly stood as if he had found something so profound it had changed his life. Bounding with excitement he began to run towards Dr Shaw and Professor Drake, who had yet to notice.

Dr Shaw had chosen her words. Then why bother funding us at all? Why even spend the money? She searched her mind for solutions. What about TV?

I mentioned it. It’s a no go. All they’re saying is that it’s come from the highest possible authority and that we need to use these three days to pack down unless we make a ‘significant find’. The young man was closer now, slowing as he ran out of breath and then speeding up as though his life depended on it.

Fuck! Dr Shaw didn’t often swear, she saw it as a lack of intelligence only done by people with a limited vocabulary. But at this moment it was all that came to her mind. The figure had almost reached them now, Professor Drake saw him approach out of the corner of his eye.

Dr Shaw, Professor Drake… His excited voice was stilted by the sharp breaths he gulped down after his impromptu sprint.

Not now Garry. It was out of character for Professor Drake to snap.

No, seriously… you need to see this… just hand me the Nobel prize right now because this shit… Garry sped away towards his discovery as Professor Drake and Dr Shaw looked at each other. In an instant, their anger was replaced by that well-known buzz. It was like a drug, driving every step, making it easy to keep up with Garry who bounded off like an excited child. I sent down a GPR on the area like you said and there was a mass of some kind, a large coffin-like structure. It’s big, Garry explained, turning for only split seconds to see if his employers were still behind him. Anyway, all the teams were busy, and I thought, what the hell, you know… I’m a strong independent woman who don’t need no man. A grin stretched across his face like a badge of honor. Besides, it's only three or four feet below the ground so I grabbed a shovel and went to work.

What is it? Professor Drake was in no mood for mind games.

You’ll find out.

Is it significant? Dr Shaw liked the mystery, but she had said exactly what Professor Drake had been thinking. Garry stopped in his tracks and turned towards the two.

I foresee riches…. Riches beyond your wildest imagination. Cars, houses, girls, a swimming pool and one of those kettle tap things that pour boiling water so you don't have to wait to get a cup of tea. All this and more could be yours. Garry almost ran off and Professor Drake and Dr Shaw picked up the pace too.

***

The hole was surprisingly wide but so shallow it wasn’t long before an ornate stone coffin began to reveal itself. Demonic images and ancient Sumerian text were scattered on every side. A few sections teased how the now crumbling stone was once shiny and polished.

Dr Shaw put on her glasses and knelt at the edge, staring down at the find. Is there anyone in there?

I don’t think they can hear you; you might have to knock. Impressed with his own wit, Garry smiled.

No, I’m asking you if you found anyone in there.

I know… I was being funny.

Allegedly. If you're accused of something without evidence, you have to allege it. Professor Drake's mood had changed enough to enjoy a little banter. The three shared a laugh, savoring this moment of discovery.

The rest of the camp had noticed that both of their seniors had become preoccupied. Slowly work stopped as they began to gather to get a peek.

The excitement in the camp started to grow and that wonderful buzz they all craved a hit of was almost palpable in the air. That’s it everyone, crowd around and see my genius... Garry enjoyed the attention as he beckoned his colleagues to come and bask in his greatness. Dr Shaw began to mouth a language that hadn’t been spoken for thousands of years.

What does it say? Garry couldn't wait any longer.

The usual. Dr Shaw didn't believe in superstitious mumbo jumbo, as she called it. Warning, don’t open, evil, death… everything you hope for in a postcard from the Mesopotamian period.

We should open it. Professor Drake needed to know. The coffin was a great find, but a body would change everything. He ordered two stronger people on his team to jump down and lift the lid. They got a grip and waited for his mark.

Three, two, one… Lift. Professor Drake gave the order like a man possessed with a desire. His hands shook with withdrawal and his mind raced with the anticipation of his next fix. His pupils widened as if to take in as much of the discovery as he could.

Dr Shaw sat on the edge of the hole and had taken out her phone to record this momentous occasion. It was against site policy to have recording devices but she had made the rules so she could break them. This could be the most important moment in her career, and she wanted it documented.

The lid lifted, the familiar sound of stone against stone echoing across the desert. The air pocket that had been trapped in there for over 5000 years rolled out an unpleasant welcome wagon. The putrid smell reached out to everyone as if greeting them with a promise of death to come. One young man turned and vomited at the stench. Professor Drake and Dr Shaw gave him a fleeting look of disapproval.

Garry giggled like a schoolgirl. He jumped up and down and clapped his hands with excitement. The lid came off and was placed carefully beside the coffin. Gasps and mutterings began to grow as what they had found began to dawn on them.

People covered their mouths in awe with many shedding tears. This was the moment they had all dreamed of since they began digging up their back gardens as children, finding their first ancient 2p coin.

Dr Shaw was aghast. Her eyes took in as many details as she could muster before she said anything.

He looks… asleep. It was the first thing Dr Shaw had noticed about the figure that had dwelled in the coffin for millennia.

Its blue skin was translucent, showing the veins and hinting at the bone structure. The textures looked perfectly preserved and the small amount of sunlight hitting its face made it look almost alive.

Professor Drake's eyes turned to what it was wearing. Priest perhaps? The robes have a religious feel to them but the abundance of patterning and layering of rich textures suggests he was right at the top of the Sumerian social hierarchy.

Lots of rings and jewelry suggest maybe a rich individual, priests did not tend to be this ornate, Dr Shaw added to his theory. The thing that's really striking to me is how well preserved he is. I’d be interested to run a lab analysis on the body, find out what they used to embalm him.

See, that’s what's really puzzling here. Garry had let his racing mind settle on the task at hand. He wanted to at least contribute to the conversation about what he had found. The Sumerians rarely, if ever, embalmed, so to have this look so advanced…

It makes little sense. Dr Shaw finished his sentence, not out of rudeness but through the natural flow these conversations had. Her attention was focused on something else. Something about the man's mouth, two raised areas where the canines would be.

Dr Shaw took out a pair of latex gloves from her pocket and lowered herself the final few inches. She shimmied around the side of the coffin to where the man's head lay. Her caution annoyed her because it was clearly dead and had been for a long time, but the thought it might open its eyes and grab her was one she couldn’t shake because it looked so alive.

Gently she touched its lip to make sure it wouldn't crumble. The skin still had the same level of elasticity of live dermis, springing back as she let it go. She pulled the top lip back fully and almost shrieked out in horror. She looked up at Professor Drake to shed some light on this recent revelation, but he was as stunned as she looked. Its canine teeth were long and thin like a snake’s and translucent enough to see they were hollow… as if used to suck.

Every person had the same word enter their minds at the same time, but all squashed it as ridiculous. Remember that significant find they said they wanted? Professor Drake sensed victory.

I get to name it right? I found it, so I name it? Garry asked, that childish mischief coming back to the surface.

Absolutely, Professor Drake confirmed with a little trepidation.

Garry took a few moments to look at it. The word was on the tip of everyone's tongue, and they willed him to say it so they wouldn’t have to. I will name him… Henry.

Garry found himself at the end of a hundred frustrated looks. Professor Drake and Dr Shaw turned their attention back to the ancient mummy that lay in front of them. It was possibly a missing link in the evolution of mankind and the most important discovery of the century. Looks like a Henry to me… Professor Drake approved with a smile on his face. We will go with that for now until we are asked for something a little more academic.

I don’t give a fuck what we call it. This could well be the most significant missing link that’s ever been found. I need to make a phone call.

CHAPTER 2

The end of the school day loomed over Lily as she sat listening to Mrs. Davies talk about the history of the human race. It’s not that she didn’t care, she loved history. She even quite enjoyed going to Southern Hope High School, but it had been a long day and she was more tired than usual, something she put down to not having had the best night's sleep. Her overwhelming excitement for tonight had kept her up. Finally, after three years of waiting, her favourite band was coming to town. Her mum had used her connections to get her and Chloe standing tickets at the front. She was going to be just a few feet from the most beautiful men in the world. But it was strange, it wasn't a mental lack of sleep kind of tired. It was a physically drained, muscles aching and eyes hurting type of exhaustion. It was an all too familiar feeling. She cast the thought from her mind because it scared her too much. As far as she was concerned it was the late-night texting of her best mate.

The lights were dimmed, and the only source was the interactive whiteboard at the front of the room and a few lines breaking through the wonky blinds catching her long red hair. Mrs. Davies pressed the remote, and the next beautifully presented slide animated onto the screen.

Now what Darwin theorised was that even us humans evolved from another species. Mrs. Davies was always passionate about her job. The whole class often felt like they were watching a live TV documentary. It took what could have been a very dry subject and made it good fun.

Lily shuffled in her chair to try and stop herself from falling asleep. Having taken in as much as her frazzled brain could, she scribbled down a few notes in her book. Her hands didn't seem to want to carry out her instructions, making the words hard to read. Looking up at the board again, she winced at the light which seemed more intense than usual. She blinked a few times to re-adjust.

Enthralled, the rest of the class were fixated on the images. Lily took a moment to look around at her best friend sitting next to her who was finding it hard to sit still.

History was one of Lily’s favourite lessons. She didn’t so much care for the dates and times and boring facts about who stole what throne from who. For her, it was all about the personal stories. She had a fascination with people’s ability to evolve and change as new challenges arose. It was something she had gotten from her mum, and looking at her, the only thing. She was, as far as she knew, the only redhead in the family for generations, and with that came pale white skin and a face adorned with a stunning array of freckles. Her bright blue eyes were now surrounded by tell-tale signs of a sleepless night.

The best lessons were the ones about the huge battles. Mrs. Davies would often re-enact them on her own, pretending to be both sides at the same time. Once, they had even made swords and shields and learnt about Roman battle tactics out on the field. Lily wished that this was one of those lessons because concentrating was becoming a challenge. Rubbing her eyes, Lily zoned back into the room.

And if you start to look at the fossils and bones found of early man you can really start to see how this is true. The slide changed again, showing various skeletons and bones and skulls. The class reacted in agreement.

Chloe leant in to whisper in Lily’s ear. Lily laughed, as did the few close enough to hear Chloe’s quip. Mrs. Davies turned to the pair. I love a good joke, please share. The skilled teacher never sounded like she was telling you off, she had a kind authority about her.

I said it looks a bit like my dad in the morning. The class erupted into laughter. Mrs. Davies joined them.

Ok Chloe, that was quite funny, I’ll give you that.

The classroom laughter simmered down as Mrs. Davies waited to continue. As she turned to the board, Lily gave Chloe a fond tap on the arm and shook her head.

Look at the Homo Ergaster, known for its long limbs, just like an ape, the face protrudes out, also like an ape. Mrs. Davies used her laser pointer to circle the elements as she spoke. Before evolving into more modern versions of man like the Homo Erectus.

The class sniggered at the words, something Mrs. Davies had been expecting. With a wry smile and a shake of the head, she continued, letting the laughter settle down on its own. Which means upright man. Each version is basically an upgrade of the one before. Mrs. Davis' eyes were drawn to a faint light illuminating the face of a child. It was one of the telltale signs of a hideous crime called texting in class.

Like a mobile phone, Miss Simmings. The young girl lifted her head to find the whole class looking at her disapprovingly. Cheeks glowing red, she put the phone in her pocket. You buy the latest smartphone and your brand spanking shiny new device is the best thing since sliced cheese or bread or some other type of delicious sliceable food. It does everything you could ever possibly want. Internet, motion sensors, cool photos, VR... Even make a phone call. And then six months later a new phone comes out and reveals your old phone actually does nothing. It’s no more than a very expensive paperweight. Same thing here.

The class enjoyed the analogy, but Lily had a burning question and before she knew it her hand shot into the air. Yes, Miss Cole. Mrs. Davies turned her attention to the young girl.

What happened to them? Like, we have monkeys, and we have humans, but we don’t have any Homo… Lily could only mumble the next word as it made her uncomfortable. …Erectus. The class laughed again but had a lot of respect for Lily because they hadn't been brave enough to ask.

A good question Lily, well done. I’ll pop your name on the good side of the board. Mrs. Davies crossed the room to the small thin dry wipe board next to the interactive one. Under a brilliantly drawn cartoon smiley face, she added Lily’s name to the many already there. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that man itself nearly became completely extinct at one point. Some people think they simply warred themselves to death. Others think evolutionary changes became so universal the other versions disappeared. We might never know but somewhere along the line, the older versions became obsolete. Which gets you thinking… What's our next step and what does that mean for us? Right, turn to page 394 please.

The sound of books opening and pages being sifted through took over the learning space. Lily eagerly tried to get to the correct page but in doing so cut her finger on the paper. Ow. There is very little worse than a paper cut, and it took a moment before it bled as if pausing to consider whether it should. It decided to… a lot. The amount of blood dripping onto the book below was far more than you would expect from a cut so small and it grabbed Chloe's attention.

Shit, are you okay? she asked, both concerned and disgusted by the sight of the blood. Mrs. Davies lifted her head towards the foul vocabulary.

Language Chloe, that’s a warning.

But Miss…

Are you going to answer me back and end up in the isolation room?

Lily couldn’t see her friend get in trouble for nothing. It’s my fault, Mrs. Davies, I cut my finger. She shoved the finger in her mouth in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

That’s disgusting. Take a tissue. Mrs. Davies dramatically pulled a tissue from the box on her desk and handed it to Lily. She promptly put it on her finger, but the amount of blood meant the tissue was soaked very quickly. Mrs. Davies ran back to her desk and pulled out several more sheets and shoved them