The old church becomes Doc’s home over the next few days, as he fixes broken plumbing and repairs items around the building that have fallen out of maintenance. He does this in exchange for a safe place to sleep and regular meals. It is a commodity he had not enjoyed since he found himself “here”. His conversations with Gerard on the topic of science and faith take on new scope, given the state of their present situation. Both men are forced to consider possibilities they would have otherwise dismissed. Gerard concedes on many of his preconceived ideas of the universe, … Continue reading Chaper 6.5 – Sermon

Father Gerard Dupont stares at the vagrant man standing in the church narthex. It has been nearly twenty years since he took vows devoting his life to the clergy. Though some would consider him to be relatively young, he wears the burdens of witnessing many tragedies on his worry-lined face. But looking into his eyes, all that can be seen is the joy that comes from the blessings of his vocation. He has presided here, in this rustic church, for most of his tenure as a pastor. Or at least that his how his recollection of things has been until … Continue reading Chapter 6.4 – Pastor

Ben turns to blaze a trail up the steep hill leading to the estate as the ghostly figure moves closer. Sarah, however, stands her ground and gives no indication that she intends on following her brother’s lead. There is no way in Strangetown that he is going to leave his sister alone to get eaten by some creepy spirit, so he reluctantly inches closer to his sister’s side. Still, he can’t help himself but think that he can run faster than her, should the encounter turn ugly. As if reading his thoughts, Sara shoots her brother a nasty glare. Ben … Continue reading Chapter 6.3 – Water

Making close friends can be a little bit tough for a kid whose perception is that the world around him is disappearing. Ben does have friends at school who seem mostly cool. They are nice enough, and never feed into the rumor going around that he is nuts. But he never gets the feeling that they are completely convinced he is not crazy. It’s most obvious when he talks about places and sims that he knew were real the day before; but today nobody remembers that they had ever existed. It gets to be pretty scary sometimes, especially when he wonders … Continue reading Chapter 6.2 – Apparition