SAFER IN THE DARK

Miranda has finally figured out the apocalypse.  She’s found a group of friends she can rely on and a safe place to hide from the Shamblers.  Or so she thought.  Eventually the ubiquitous Shamblers come, attracted as they always are by the sounds of the living.  She and her surviving crew are rescued by strangers, some with strange glowing eyes called Shepherds.  She can’t help but notice Ferdinand, the Shepherd who saved her and his Clark Kent good looks.  The strangers insist on traveling at night, something to do with the eyes.  Rescue is rare in her world, and rarer is the offer to join a new community with no strings attached, but that is exactly what the strangers claim to offer.  They call their home Sanctum.

Sanctum is impossible.  Thousands of people, with all the amenities of civilization—lights, power, running water, they even risk raising children—Miranda can’t believe they manage this without attracting the Shamblers.  Neither can her crew.  The explanation is the Shepherds’ glowing eyes.  An experiment from before the fall, they make it impossible to endure daylight while  granting the ability to spot Shamblers miles away.  

Though Miranda’s crew are all determined to leave and try their luck on their own, one by one they change their minds.  Miranda’s suspicions grow with each defection.  She cannot believe the comforts of Sanctum alone are enough to persuade her friends, there must be something more nefarious at play.

Eventually, she tries to make her escape and is captured, seeming to confirm her misgivings about Sanctum.  That’s when they tell her they stopped her to make sure she didn’t put Sanctum at risk. Instead of punishing her, they want her to stay because they see her potential as a natural leader.  They impress upon her that the survival of humanity is at risk, and she has an obligation to use her capabilities for more than herself.  As a sign of good faith, they offer to make her a Shepherd if she trains with them.

The temptation to see Shamblers is too great, and Miranda accepts the deal.  As she trains, her suspicions die down.  If Sanctum has a secret, it can’t be that bad.  She develops connections, people she cares about and that care about her.  She fights side by side with the community, and mourns their losses with them.  She lets her guard down and decides she can take her place there.

Then she discovers the true secret of Sanctum.

 

 

 

Safer in the Dark is the first of a planned trilogy.  It can be read on Ajoara.com. Book two is Safer Alone. Book three is Safer Together.