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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781491810088 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 10/08/2013 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 434 KB |
Read an Excerpt
Foreshadows
By Sharon Harp Gregory
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2013 Sharon Harp GregoryAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4918-1010-1
CHAPTER 1
The Oracle
Hear the words of our Great Creator all you inhabitants of the earth, for He loves you with an everlasting love. Alas He is sorry He ever made man on the earth and His heart is grieved! And why does He feel thus about mankind? Because of the wickedness that is rampant in our world today and every intent of the thoughts of man's heart is evil continually to the extent that there are unholy alliances between the sons of God and the daughters of Adam and Cain! You are full of immorality with them and with the Nephilim who have spread violence and corruption throughout our earth!
Turn from your wicked ways before it is too late! The days are fast drawing to a close when He will no longer have mercy on us! He will not only destroy the wicked works of the sons of God and of the Nephilim and all who follow in their ways, but also of all who have turned from worshipping Him and are self righteous in all their ways! The days are fast approaching that the end is near! He will bring calamity upon the earth; floodwaters to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life, and everything that is on the earth shall die! There will be signs and wonders never before seen by the sons of Adam, upheavals in our earth that will bring about extreme conditions unknown to us; something called wind and rain, earthquakes and volcanoes! Repent, that He might turn His wrath away from us!
We have already experienced the shaking of our earth on several occasions! It has begun! Do not laugh it off as if it was nothing but remember the panic you felt at the time! What is about to befall all of us is far far worse than anything we can imagine!
The strong pleading voice reverberated across the valley, crowded as usual with curiosity seekers, filling the air with a mixture of laughter, jeers and taunts. Televised on screens around the world, the Prophet of the Creators' deep voice rang out with authority, making yet another plea to all that would listen. He was a familiar sight, well known and respected by most. Among others his words were found to be humorous, but to many, they were offensive, as if he had personally plunged a dagger deep into their hearts, evoking the smoldering responses of hatred, fear, anger and rebellion. Even with this knowledge, he never wavered in his conviction of the message delivered; it was the same appeal he had been making for a hundred and twenty years, always hopeful that the sons of Adam and Cain would respond.
CHAPTER 2
The Nephilim
A crid smoke, thick and dark, spread through the city of Mesha like fingers grasping for the throats of any foolish enough to be caught in its path. Screams of terror and anguish penetrated the pre-dawn air as a volley of deafening explosions rocked the area. Flames shot high into the atmosphere, intolerable heat engulfing buildings and melting foliage as though they were papier mache, creating an ethereal glow over the city.
The flames reflected in Bito's humorless dark black eyes as he mutely observed the horrific scene from the shadows of a nearby transport tower. Standing ten feet four inches tall, massive and lean, his raven black hair braided at the temples, caught up in a black leather thong from which it fell in long thick greasy strands across his broad bare shoulders and down his muscular sinewy body made a formidable presence, enhanced by arms and legs rippling with muscles that gave the appearance of hard steel. He blended into the shadows with raiment made totally of leather and black as midnight, consisting of a belt sporting sheaths holding various sizes and shapes of weapons, attached to a black skort that clung to the middle of his thick, hard thighs. Sandals encasing his feet were held with laces that wove up to his knees and fastened with wide metal bands.
The sound of approaching feet and weeping could be heard in the distance and as it grew closer, he impassively turned away from his observation point to callously observe his men appearing through the thick smoke with dozens of children and young women in tow. Cries of fear and pain accompanied with terrified sobs filled the air as they were prodded along with tasers that zapped them with electrical shocks.
A barely noticeable nod from Bito silently directed the tall forbidding soldiers, all carbon copies of him, as they loaded their captives into awaiting transport pods that had the eerie appearance of giant monsters, silently swallowing their prey.
* * *
Chlorice clung tightly to her little sister Phoebe, fearful of being separated in the pandemonium around them as they were buffeted from all sides, and pushed ever forward by the press of those behind them. Her eyes stung in the thick smoke that threatened to choke her last breath from her. Tears coursing down her face, she tried unsuccessfully to awaken from the nightmare around her. Surely she would soon discover that she was still tucked in her soft comfortable bed, safe and secure within the confines of the nursery where the younger children slept just down the hall from the bedchambers of her parents and older sisters and brothers. Wasn't it just yesterday that she had celebrated her tenth birthday? It seemed like a lifetime ago! In just two short years she would move out of the nursery and into her own chamber, something she had looked forward to for some time!
A searing electrical shock jolted through her right arm, jerking her attention back to the present and confirming that this was certainly not a dream, but a living, breathing nightmare! Crying out in pain, she looked up through her tears at the giant who was the cause of her distress, and struggled to move away from her tormentor. Looking ahead, she caught a glimpse of two of her older sisters, Terilinne and Hymeneous, as they and several others their age were drug from the group by their hair into the gaping jaws of a giant transport pod that seemed to materialize from the thick smoke surrounding them.
Chlorice, shrieking with fear at the sight, stumbled as her feet became tangled in her sleeping gown. Weeping inconsolably, Phoebe, in reaction to her sisters' terror, let out a scream that immediately caused a chain reaction throughout the dozens of young girls surrounding them. All appeared to be between the ages of four and ten years old. All with the same large fear-filled eyes, crying out for their mothers and fathers, but they did not come.
* * *
Disembarking from his pod, Bito looked around him with a withering look that caused the sentries to hold their breath in fear of their lives. If not for the threat of instant death at any sign of cowardice, they would have taken cover behind the nearest pod or one of the immense one hundred and fifty foot columns standing in abundance around them. Blending in with the forest surrounding them, they supported the intricate structure that sprawled out over a five-mile radius of territory nestled deep in the jungles of the land of Cush. The entire complex never ceased to give him a deep satisfaction within his very being, for it was he and he alone who had ingeniously chosen this site to locate and build their command post, right under the noses of their enemy!
The area consisted of dense jungle that had been designated as one of four regions in the world where endangered animals could still roam free. They were known as "The Realms of Tranquility" because the original one bordered the Sea of Tranquility located in the North Eastern Hemisphere. This one was deep in the North Western Hemisphere of the land of Cush, bordered by the River Gihon, which eventually emptied into the Sea of Mercy deep in the South Western Hemisphere.
An ideal refuge for the headquarters and nerve center of the Nephilim; for the only eyes watching them were those of the mighty behemoths of every variety, leviathons, wooly mammoths, dragons, elephants, monkeys of all sizes and types, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, several species of bears, tigers, lions, giraffes, horses, and birds of every description. Even the much sought after unicorns could be spotted in the early morning mists on the shores of the Gihon leisurely drinking in the cool refreshing water alongside the others!
They had installed a force field over the area, which had been cleverly merged with the magnetic fields not only of the "Third Realm of Tranquility" here, but of all the force fields around the earth. This precautionary measure had so far been successful in blocking them from detection by the sons and daughters of Adam as they patrolled the airways around the earth. The fools had never considered the possibility that the very area they protected for the "good of mankind," also protected the very ones they sought to destroy! This thought alone would have given him a sense of gratification, if it weren't for the continual disparaging remarks of the Prophet of the Creator, broadcast once again just that morning, causing his every waking thought to be consumed with an unexplainable blinding rage, a rage that would only be satisfied with the demise of not only the sons of Adam, but specifically, the "Prophet". Even as he seethed within he remained ever aware of his surroundings.
Approaching the entrance to the cavern that led into the depths of the fortress, his cold black eyes took in each minute detail of the activity around him. Every nook and cranny, every sentry, every warrior, even the squirrel perched on a limb overhead observing his movements did not go unnoticed. The position he held did not come by being lax; it came with a heavy price he was more than willing to pay. Unlike his inferior peers, he never allowed himself the luxury of relaxation or even the pleasure of sleep, which for him, was sporadic and rare.
CHAPTER 3
The Watchers
Although the nine men seated around the massive crescent-shaped table all appeared at first glance to resemble each other in their size and dress, Doeg's commanding presence in the center seat diminished the others with the impression of being larger than life. Part truth, part illusion, the effect contributed to his position as leader of the dreaded Nephilim, along with the fact that he had earned the reputation for being a heartless cold-blooded killer with a sadistic malicious mind that took pleasure in the misery of others. His ten-foot six-inch frame reflected the very embodiment of evil and demanded obeisance from all. His demeanor was cold and detached; his steel gray eyes silently observing those seated around him.
Moving his enormous hand across the smooth black panel before him, the room instantly darkened and what had appeared as twenty-foot high walls of black glass surrounding them became gigantic screens with glowing hologram grids of the earth's hemispheres. Turning to the two screens on his right, his eyes narrowed to slits as he intently inspected every detail of the north eastern and south eastern hemispheres; the former more commonly referred to as the land of Uz and the latter, the land of Nod. Swiveling to his left, he considered the north western hemisphere known as Cush and the south western hemisphere known as the land of Assyria, his beloved homeland. Carefully tracking every inch of the hologram until he was satisfied, he then directed his attention to the screen directly in front of him. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he closely scrutinized the land of Abel, which comprised the northern hemisphere and Havilah, which made up the southern hemisphere. These two hemispheres were of the most concern to his tribe of the sons of Cain.
A burning hatred for the sons and daughters of Adam welled up from within his chest, leaving a familiarly bitter taste in his mouth and an annoying twitch at the corner of his left eye, for once again they had had to endure the stinging words of the "Prophet" telecast from the land of Havilah where all origins of man had begun and their father Cain had first become an outcast. The desire for revenge was as strong now more than sixteen hundred years later as it had been that fateful day when their father Cain had dealt out his vengeful retribution on his brother Able of the sons of Adam. To this day it remained the driving force for everything they did, and the "Prophets" words simply added fuel to the ever-growing desire for revenge and victory over the enemy. The common bond of his tribe was their desire to rule the world and destroy the tribes of the sons and daughters of Adam, especially the "Prophet" who insisted on spreading his poison. Oh, yes, vengeance would be sweet, and it would come in due time!
Forcing his thoughts back to the present and glancing away from the holograms, he surreptitiously observed the nine "Watchers of Cain" in the room with him. Seated to his right were Omri, Atys, Solon and Cleobus; to his left, Tubal, Mehujael and Irad. Bito had not yet arrived, much to his frustration. He didn't like waiting on anyone, and he was anxious to hear his report concerning the early morning attack on Mesha in the land of Abel.
The Watchers, all hardened warriors as he, were extremely diligent in their training of those assigned to them. Although they had individually proven themselves many times over, he never trusted any of them. Trust was for fools, and he had had the distinct pleasure of destroying a few of those. No, he knew those seated around him would slit his throat if the opportunity availed itself and never think twice about it, just as he would theirs.
* * *
Striding briskly through the cavernous doors of the sanctum, Bito privately smirked to himself as he observed that the Watchers were all accounted for and expectantly awaiting his arrival, for he knew that Doeg would be simmering with hostility towards him for this obvious slight to his authority—a thought that gave him a deep sense of satisfaction almost bordering on pleasure. In that event, the delays had been well worth it.
Doeg, his elder by three hundred years, had been at odds with him since birth for they both laid claim to the same Father, Croesus. As half brothers, they were trained in the ranks with the common warriors under their father who was infamous for being the cruelest of the sons of Cain to have ever lived. He had proven to the world that the label of "manslayer" did not even begin to describe the atrocities he orchestrated around the globe.
With a show of superiority, he burst through the huge black doors of the conference room, enjoying the response of those seated around the table, particularly that of Doeg. Ignoring the protocol of bowing the knee before Doeg, he gave only a slight nod of acknowledgement to those already seated, and advanced to the center of the room. Silently turning towards the holograms, he extracted a memory dot from one of the many sheaths attached to his belt, slipping it into a slot along the screen that displayed the land of Abel in the northern hemisphere. Immediately an enlarged area of Abel came to view and homed in on the metropolis of Mesha. The viewer screen came alive as the events of the early morning attack played out before them, graphically displayed in exquisite detail. The assault he had led just hours before gave a whole new meaning to the world's view of "atrocity", and for him personally, a deeper fearful respect from his peers.
The bloodlust in the room was almost tangible as the nine reclining sons of Cain leaned suddenly forward, intently taking in every minute detail of the slaughter of hundreds of sons and daughters of Adam, the sacking and burning of their homes, infants wrested from screaming Mother's arms, marked for the sacrificial fires in Atlantis, lines of children being herded into awaiting transport pods that would deliver them to holding arenas where they would await their destinies.
CHAPTER 4
Havilah
Shimmering rays of filtered sunlight filled the interior of the pod with an infusion of a myriad of colors as it wound its way through the paths of the magnetic fields, programmed in advance for an early arrival at port forty-six. Outside could be seen delicate orchids of various hues of pinks and purples nestled among large ferns beneath tall, spectacular palms that gently swayed in the breeze caused by the flow of thousands of mercurial pods hurrying to their diverse destinations, while Blue Morpho Butterflies flitted lazily amongst them.
Usually this view captivated Kitura, but today it went unnoticed as she struggled to lace little Abigail's blue satin slippers one more time! Abigail, wiggling and squirming in her sister's lap, giggled and reached for Kitura's long auburn hair with her chubby little fingers, sticky with the remnants of her honey treat that she liked so well. Preoccupied with this bundle of energy, Kitura absentmindedly observed on the overhead screen, Portia and Naamah squabbling over which one should get to lead the procession. As Kitura deftly seized Abigail's little fingers in her own delicate hand, saving her hair from certain disaster, she simultaneously gave the two girls onscreen an exasperated frown.
Brought to silence by her look, Portia quickly grabbed the opportunity to be heard first. "Kitura, please explain to Naamah why it is obvious that I should lead the procession in the wedding march! After all, I am the oldest, and Persipitis and I are very close!"
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Foreshadows by Sharon Harp Gregory. Copyright © 2013 Sharon Harp Gregory. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
The Oracle.................... 1
The Nephilim.................... 3
The Watchers.................... 7
Havilah.................... 11
Nobility.................... 16
The sons of God alias—The Legion of Gods.................... 19
Rage.................... 23
Eden.................... 26
Memories.................... 35
Meditations of a Bride.................... 40
Song of a Groom's heart.................... 49
The Patriarch.................... 54
The Confrontation.................... 59
Chaos.................... 65
Nightmares.................... 68
Bittersweet.................... 70
The Wedding.................... 72
The Abomination.................... 74
Vengeance.................... 79
The Sacrilege.................... 84
The Living Dead.................... 86
The Innocents.................... 90
Preparations.................... 92
Loss.................... 95
Brokenness.................... 97
The Caretaker.................... 99
Calamity.................... 101
Revelation.................... 102
Treachery.................... 105
Musings.................... 109
Victims.................... 110
Disclosure.................... 111
Greed.................... 113
Preparations.................... 115
Final Details.................... 118
Betrayal.................... 122
Respite.................... 126
Resignation.................... 130
The Great Darkness.................... 133
Sweet Revenge.................... 137
Regrets.................... 138
A Mighty Refuge.................... 141
Hope.................... 144
Hopelessness.................... 146
Disillusionment.................... 148
Acceptance.................... 151
A New Generation.................... 154
Choices.................... 156
Rumblings.................... 157
Anguish.................... 159
Witnesses.................... 160
Reactions.................... 161
Stampede.................... 162
Shadows of Things to Come.................... 164
Blessings.................... 166
Tribute.................... 168
Revelations.................... 169
What If.................... 170
Remembrances.................... 172
The Final Oracle.................... 176
Farewell.................... 178
The Plot.................... 181
Revelation.................... 183
Obedience.................... 185
Second Guessing.................... 187
Fulfillment.................... 189
Final Moments.................... 193