A RAY OF HOPE: NEW BEGINNINGS

By Elaine Scarver

In 2025 great nuclear and biological wars destroyed democracy and nearly all of Earth’s population, forcing the wealthy into underground bunkers. Twenty-five years later the wealthy reemerged and began to restructure with what was salvageable. A few wealthy people, all claiming to be the most powerful, rule over Earth and the others who survived have no voices. Humankind is back to survival of the fittest.

Para is a recently orphaned young woman who has placed her faith in God to protect her. As she wanders in the vast wasteland with no family left and only the clothes on her back, she is eventually befriended by a dog and puppy. As Para sharpens her weaponry skills, she and her animal companions survive the harsh elements by spending their days hunting and trusting in the Lord to show them the way. But when Para is abducted by strangers, she soon realizes that the world is more dangerous than she ever imagined. Now she must determine who she can trust in a chaotic place where nothing is predictable or certain.

In this Christian novel, a young woman left without a family in a post-apocalyptic world must rely on her faith to survive a multitude of challenges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Dec 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9781665749015

Elaine Scarver

Elaine Scarver was born in Detroit, Michigan and has recently accepted the call to be a deaconess at Agape Community Church in Lancaster, California. She has worked for 30 years in the aerospace industry as a project manager. When she is not writing heartfelt inspirational stories, she spends her time reading and traveling the world. A Ray of Hope-New Beginnings is her second novel and the first part of the Ray of Hope trilogy.

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Copyright © 2023 Elaine Scarver.

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Scripture quotations designated (ESV) are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations designated (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible: New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4902-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4898-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4901-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023915897

Archway Publishing rev. date: 11/13/2023

CONTENTS

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1 Family

CHAPTER 2 The Storms

CHAPTER 3 The Attack

CHAPTER 4 I Am Sophia (Wisdom)

CHAPTER 5 Boone (Blessing)

CHAPTER 6 The Journey

CHAPTER 7 Littlehead and Uncle Twelve

CHAPTER 8 Party Time

CHAPTER 9 Sophia’s Decision

CHAPTER 10 Littlehead’s Proposition

CHAPTER 11 Reunited

CHAPTER 12 The Colony Reception

CHAPTER 13 Ethan (Strong, Steadfast) and Eunice (Good Victory)

CHAPTER 14 The Birth of Zane (God’s Gracious Gift)

CHAPTER 15 Chez and His Family

CHAPTER 16 Galen’s Visit

CHAPTER 17 Tuesday Morning

CHAPTER 18 Chez’s Plan

CHAPTER 19 Not Just Another Tuesday

CHAPTER 20 What’s All the Commotion About?

CHAPTER 21 Confusion and Chaos

CHAPTER 22 It’s a New Day

CHAPTER 23 A Grand Occasion

CHAPTER 24 News (Both Good and Bad) Travels

CHAPTER 25 Aiden’s Departure

APPENDIX Names and Their Meanings

PREFACE

In the beginning, God created the world and everything in it. God had given humankind everything that they would ever need to survive in a perfect world. Humankind lived in a garden that replenished itself, and all God asked in return was that the humans keep the garden in order and provide names for all the animals. He had given humankind dominion over all the animals but told humans not to do one thing. Do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. God is not capable of lying, so when God told humankind that they would surely die if they ate from the tree, he meant every word. However, God was speaking of a spiritual death. Humankind did not die physically, but the door was flung wide open for the first sin of humankind—disobedience. Whether it was Eve’s disobedience for allowing Satan to tempt her, or Adam’s disobedience for not being the head of the family and providing correction, disobedience reigned. In just a little more than sixteen hundred years, humankind became more disobedient and more corrupt, and God decided to destroy the earth with a Great Flood. Only Noah and his descendants survived. They replenished the earth.

In the year 2025, humankind was driven by sin, greed, corruption, and wickedness, so great wars broke out all over the earth. Leading up to these wars were perilous times. Once powerful and democratic countries had become corrupt with monarchial leadership. Chaos reigned and the people gave up their voices in support of monarchs. These despotic leaders all over the world began to compete for world dominance at any cost, even if the cost were people’s lives. This mindset led to nuclear and biological wars with 95 percent of the earth’s population dying off. When the wars first began, the rich people moved into underground bunkers. After several years underground, those who had survived began to resurface. Things were different and would never be the same as there were when democracy was at its peak.

It was now the year 2050, where a few people, all claiming to be the most powerful, ruled over all things left on earth. There was still chaos in the world. The world’s infrastructure had been destroyed by the wars and the cataclysmic storms that preceded them. There were no computers, airplanes, satellites, radios, televisions, or telephones. Only a few people were still alive who remembered the infrastructure of the past, and they had no voice. Life was different now. Humankind was back to survival of the fittest.

People were now looking for new beginnings. Because most people were extremely poor, they had to hunt or barter for their basic needs in a world that was even more dangerous now than before the wars. Those who were not fortunate enough to have had bunkers died off from the effects of nuclear and biological warfare. Animals had mutated, and most humans had become infertile, especially the women, from the nuclear and biological fallout. There were two classes of people: the very rich and the very poor. The only good outcome of the wars was that people had to learn to live with and love one another regardless of the color of their skin. There was no class specific to race. Everyone had the same desire—to survive. Life expectancy was not what it used to be, with only a few people blessed enough to live beyond the age of seventy.

Currency was no longer a valid means of obtaining wealth. Only gold and silver had value. Most people had no faith in God or even believed in anything but themselves. The church had been compromised well before the wars, with most of the evangelical leaders falling to their knees before despotic rulers for their own selfish rewards and with no regard for the poor. Wickedness was all around, and there were only a few people praying for the return of the Angel of the Lord. Technology and books about technology were scarce, and only the rich had access to what was left from the past. If the poor were lucky enough to own any books concerning the technology of the past, the rich would confiscate them. The only books that the poor were allowed to were Bibles or children’s fables. The rich had labeled the Bible useless, so it was readily available for the poor or to those who still believed. Many of the poor could not read as there were no schools to teach the young. Children are rare anyway since infertility was so common. One either learned how to read and write from one’s ancestors or remained illiterate. Like in the past, the way to control people was to keep them dumbed down and dependent.

The planet itself was a large wasteland. The air, land, and water were all contaminated from the many wars fought across the planet. The rich lived in man-made biospheres built by the labor of the people who were not allowed to live in them, the poor. Some of the biospheres were the remains of old office buildings and factories that had not be totally destroyed by the wars. The biospheres were isolated ecosystems that had filtered air, filtered water, revitalized soil, genetically created animals for consumption, and hydrofarming. There were more than enough resources to go around and to share with the poor, but the rich had turned their nonempathetic noses up at them. They had no concern for those living in the wastelands, apart from the labor that they provided. Barely anything would grow in the soil outside the biospheres, so those who lived in the wastelands survived off the unwanted produce and meats given to them by the biosphere occupants as payment for their labor. Those who didn’t work within the biospheres hunted and bartered for their needs. Energy for the biospheres was produced from recycled waste, and potable water was filtered by giant water filtering systems, but for the wastelands, sand and coarse gravel were used to provide potable water. Good drinking water and water for bathing was scarce unless one worked for it.

The climate was unpredictable. Some days were cloudy as a result of the nuclear fallout that still lingered in the air, and others were so fierce with extreme heat that it caused sunburns that led to many types of skin cancer. Earthquakes were frequent and storms were more violent than ever because of climate change over the years. There were no cemeteries to bury the dead, so the dead were left to rot. The biospheres dumped their waste, including their dead, into the wasteland. The smell of death and sewage was commonplace, and those who lived in the wastelands had become accustomed to wearing coverings over their noses to filter out the smell. The climate had changed drastically. The summers were hotter than ever, and it rarely rained, but when the rain did come, it was cataclysmic. The floodwater destroyed everything in its path. The winter months were unpredictable, warmer than normal, but when there were winter storms, they were deadly.

Every day was a lesson in survival as crime was widespread in the wastelands. Those living in the wastelands were forced to live inside colonies to ensure their safety. There were no laws other than the colony laws. There was so much violence that living outside a colony was risky. Those stricken with disease, however, were forced to live on the outskirts of the colonies and, of course, were never allowed to enter any of the biospheres. For their livelihoods, the people who were diseased were totally dependent on those compassionate individuals who lived within the colonies to provide them with whatever they could spare.

1

FAMILY

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

—Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

IT WAS A COLD, WINDY NIGHT IN THE middle of nowhere. A lonesome woman, Para, looked out across the horizon. She saw the remnants of what used to be a large metropolis. She had now been on her own for several weeks, walking for miles. She was officially lost, just wandering, trying to find a safe place to rest. Her father, Jedidiah, had unexpectedly passed away, and her wicked stepmother, Lilith, had forced the young woman out of the only home she had ever known. With nothing more than the clothes on her back, she had no choice but to leave the life she had once known. She had no idea what her future held, but no one does. This was very different from what she had been accustomed to. Her survival would be based on how well she could adjust and make use of what her father had taught her over the years.

The wastelands were cruel and definitely not for someone alone, especially a woman. She heard the sounds of horses trotting and men yelling nearby. They were probably road bandits. This was the first time she had encountered other humans since she had left to search for a new home. Her intuition told her that danger was approaching and that she needed to find a place to hide. As a young woman, one who was quite beautiful as well, she was susceptible to many cruelties at the hands of men in this lawless society. She was desperate to find a safe place as she could hear the sounds getting closer. She ran away from the trotting horses as fast as she could, carrying her bow and arrow in her hands, with a backpack holding everything she owned strapped tight to her back.

She ran toward a pile of rubbish that she had seen from afar, when suddenly she fell through a hole in the ground. The impact of the fall caused her to lose consciousness. When she awakened, she had no idea how long she had been unconscious. She was underground in a dark cave with bugs, presumably cockroaches, crawling all around her and on her. The feeling of bugs crawling on her and the inability to see them made her heart pound erratically. However, the cockroaches were the least of her worries. Standing in front of her was a very large animal, starring with its large fierce eyes. In the darkness, she could see the animal’s eyes glowing, and its vicious growl showed each of its very long and sharp teeth protruding out of its slime-covered mouth. The animal approached Para. She had never been so afraid. It appeared to be a mutant dog that was deformed with two rows of teeth, one row staggered behind the other. One bite could rip Para’s small frame to shreds.

It was common in those days to see animals that were malformed because of the nuclear fallout. Para was so shaken in fear that she could barely move, let alone try to get to her bow and arrow, which she had dropped in the fall. She lay there and prayed for God’s protection, daring not to move. The dog suddenly walked away and disappeared into the darkness. Para could still hear the dog, but she didn’t know where it was. She could feel its eyes watching her every move.

Para, putting all her faith in God’s protection, slowly began to move away from the dog. She remembered what her faithful God-fearing father, Jedidiah, had taught her: God is always with you; let him lead you.

Over time, Para’s eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and she could see that the dog was still there, now behind a large stone, watching her. She was able to make a fire and was finally able to find her bow and arrows. For some reason the animal would only peek out from around the stone as if it were guarding something. Para could now see the wild dog clearly. She knew that if the dog was in the cave, then there must be a way out. The dog looked healthy, so it must have had a source for food and water. Para’s own supplies were getting very low. She knew she needed to find her way back to the surface if she was going to be able to hunt for food, but she didn’t want to startle the wild dog, which was lurking around.

Both Para and the dog kept watch on each other. Para couldn’t stop wondering why the dog had not come to attack her. It had been a few days since she had fallen into the cave. Now she was waiting patiently for the dog to leave the cave so she could carefully follow it out, but the dog wouldn’t budge. Para was getting tired of being in the darkness. She had only a few days’ worth of food left, and her water supply was even lower. Eventually she would have to make a move. She knew that the dog had not entered the cave the same way that she had, so she was willing to wait as long as she could.

Later, Para heard the dog whimpering from behind the stone. She wondered why the dog was making such a sad sound, but she was still reluctant to move closer. Able to hear the sound of the dog digging in the dirt, she listened and wondered why the creature was digging and whimpering. Out of the corner of her eye, Para noticed something else moving around in the cave. It was obviously not the dog, as whatever it was, was much smaller. It was a small puppy, which had gotten away from the dog while it had been digging. Para realized that the dog was female and that she probably had a litter she was protecting behind the stone. That explained why she had not left the cave. When the dog noticed that her young pup had gotten away, she ran out to retrieve it and commenced to digging again. At this point, Para knew that the dog had probably lost some of her pups and was digging a grave for them. Para also knew that the dog would do anything to protect her young, so going anywhere near her pups would not be welcomed. Never wanting to see the dog’s teeth again, Para kept her distance.

Para sat and thought of the days when her father was still alive and how privileged she had once been. She found herself drifting off to sleep. After all, she had no idea how to get out of the cave. She couldn’t yell for help, because even if someone was there, she would probably end up in even more danger. God had provided thus far, and she remained faithful.

Para fell asleep and was later wakened by something licking on her face. It was the puppy, which had gotten away from the dog again. When Para opened her eyes, the dog was standing there in the mist as if she had sent the puppy to awaken Para. The dog’s tail wagged slightly, and the puppy continued to lick Para. Para continued to let the pup lick her so that the dog would not feel threatened. Para, glad to see that the dog seemed to be coming to peace with her, sat up. The dog walked slowly over to the puppy, grabbed it by the neck, and began to walk away. Para got to her feet as fast as she could and walked slowly behind the dog.

It was at least an hour before they made it to the exit of the cave. Para was just thankful that she could see some light. Everything was cinched. The sky was cloudy, and the air smelled of death. The dog put her pup on the ground and lay down to rest. Para was glad because she also needed a rest. Again, the pup came over to Para and began to play around her. Para gently played with the puppy, even though its mother was keeping a close watch. Now Para was able to see how adorable the puppy was, so she decided to give her a name: Adora. She had not thought of a name for her mother though, as Para and the mother had not yet gained enough trust in each other.

Para was looking at the mist in the air and realized that there must be water nearby. When she got up, the dog stood on her feet as well. It was as if she was going to go wherever Para went. And as sure as Para moved, so did the dog and Adora. Para knew she had to be careful to make sure that no one was around the water before she could venture too close. When she saw the dog go to the water for a drink, she knew it was safe. The dog would have been able to smell the scent of another’s presence. Para filled her pigskin canteens with water and began to look for a place to rest. With the dog and Adora close by, she settled inside a burned-out bus that was hidden under a mound of rubbish. When Para lay down to rest, Adora rested nearby.

Awhile later, Para awoke and the big dog was gone, but Adora was lying by her side. Although Para had yet to gain complete trust in the big dog, she was concerned about where she had gone. She looked out among the rubbish, and she saw the dog heading back her way, carrying something in her large mouth. Once she was close, the dog dropped the carcass of a small wild pig at Para’s feet. Finally, there’s food! Para gutted the pig, made a fire, and cooked the meat. Para, Adora, and the dog ate well. Para was grateful for the dog, who was apparently a good hunter. She named the wild dog Artemis. The three of them were inseparable from that point on. Strange as it may seem, they were family, as according to God’s Word, a family is made either by marriage, by blood, or by adoption. Para, Artemis, and Adora had adopted one another. Para needed Artemis as much as Artemis needed Para, and they both looked after Adora.

Several weeks passed. Artemis and Para hunted regularly, and Adora was growing bigger each day and catching on to the art. Adora’s first catch was a poisonous three-legged lizard of which she was very proud. With three legs, of course the lizard had been easy to catch. Adora came trotting toward Artemis and Para with her catch clutched in her mouth. She dropped it in front of them and wagged her tail. Para was glad the puppy had not eaten the lizard, for surely it would have killed her. Para held it in her hands, showed it to Adora, and said, No, Adora. No good! Adora looked at Para, puzzled. Para grabbed the lizard and killed it in front of Adora, and Adora never brought another lizard home, not even a nonpoisonous one. Para took the time to cut the lizard’s poison sac from its body, said to have enough toxins to kill a hundred people. She figured it might come in handy one day.

Para was quite skilled with the use of her bows and arrows. She would use the poison on the tips of her arrows, especially when she encountered animals like bears. Para recalled many days when Jedidiah coached her on how to hit her targets. She had no idea that one day she would have to use her skills to survive. She had learned how to make arrows from almost any type of hard material she could find. Knowing that one day she may not have Artemis and Adora to help with the hunting, she used her spare time to keep herself supplied with additional bows and arrows. Because they were made mostly of rusted metal, the arrows were reusable. The bowstring was made from wild pigskins, so once it was worn, she reused the threads for stitching. She had even taken the time to design her own swords, having been a skilled fencer as well, but on the night she fled from Lilith, she’d had to leave her best sword behind. Para didn’t want to lose her fencing skills. She was determined to make herself another sword. Although it was not crafted from metals as fine as those used for the one that Jedidiah had given her, the self-made sword kept her ready for the fight.

Para and her new family spent several months living in that old rusty school bus. It was peaceful and safe, at least for the time being. Eventually learning the ins and outs of the cave, she began to use the cave as a safe haven and for storage. The cave would prove invaluable in the months to come.

2

THE STORMS

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

—Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)

TIMES WERE PEACEFUL FOR PARA, Artemis, and Adora. They spent most of their days hunting. Para had made hundreds of arrows and had created an arsenal of poisonous arrows with the lizard toxin. She needed to be prepared for road bandits and wild animals. She enjoyed her time on the surface because she spent it either reading the scriptures from the Bible that her father had given her or bathing in the stream. Today, knowing that her time for reading was going to come to an end soon, she looked into the sky. There was a storm in the far distance, and although she did not know how far away it was, she knew that she had to prepare to be underground for a while.

Storms in those days were cataclysmic. The sky would turn to deep crimson, resembling coals in a fire, just as Para had read in her Bible. Jedidiah had always talked to her about the storms and how to prepare for them. It was as if he knew that someday she would need this knowledge. This would be the first time she would