After the Mishap

In a world where three-fourths of the world's population is decimated, an ancient, unstoppable entity finds himself wandering the wastelands. When he has to decide the fate of a lonely child, he is forced to come to grips with feelings he had forgotten he could have. Follow the story, of how man tries to rebuild civilization after a terrible mishap, and how he also finds out he was never at the top of the food chain. All the while the Author is taunting you with an interesting game. Will you play? When I was a kid we used to sit around late at night and play a game. You know the game I'm talking about. The one where one person starts a story and the next person carries it on, so on and so forth. The game I invite you to play is very similar. In these pages you'll find a complete and entertaining story. No cliffhanger endings. The game comes after you read. The characters are in a world where there are so many possibilities, so many options for them to take. I want you to tell me what happens after. After you read the story, and care about the characters, I want you to respond back and tell me what you want to know next. I want to hear what my fellow avid readers want to see happen. That doesn't mean that I want you readers to write the book. No, that's my job and my burden. What I want is to play a game of I start the story and you tell me which path to take from there. And hey, if you don't like the sound of the game that's fine. Remember that this book is a story all on its own. Either way, have fun.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

His little head hurt so bad. He really wanted some of those pills his mom gave him when he felt bad. He couldn't remember what they were called. He just knew them as "medicine".Yeah a couple of those and a nice warm, safe bed would make everything all right.He couldn't lay down right now though. He had to keep walking. Even though he was so tired he kept crossing his feet and stumbling, he had to get to those other people. He was scared that if he laid down to rest, when he woke up the lights and the people that were using them would be gone. Or worse yet he wouldn't wake up at all. Just like Katie didn't. So he kept putting one foot in front of the other. He picked himself up when he stumbled and fell. He brushed the rocks and dust out of his cracked and bleeding palms and kept walking.Lights meant people.Another fear he had, as if he needed any more, was he wouldn't be able to reach the lights before sunrise and he wouldn't be able to find the people without them. He didn't know how long ago he had crested that hill and saw them. He didn't know how long he had before sunrise either. To him the sun came up when it came up. All he could do was hope, keep walking and hope.When he had first seen the lights he turned to point them out to his sister Katie, of course she wasn't there. She hadn't been there for three, maybe even four days now. He couldn't tell for sure. After she didn't wake up one afternoon his days had been filled with roaming from house to house looking for food. At night he would curl up in any house he could find. He had to keep away from all the dogs and big cats that seemed to be everywhere at night. One day ran into another. He had long since lost track of time.But there in front of him, on the other side of the valley, was lights. The kind that reminded him of good guy army lights from the movies: five big ones. It had been so long since the last time he had seen electricity, so long he couldn't remember. Even at the tender age of six he knew those lights ran on batteries. Like Katie's flashlight did before it stopped working. Because they ran on batteries they could move. He had to get to those lights. Lights meant people. He couldn't stand another day alone. He needed his mommy, if not her at least some adult. But the lights looked so far away. He had to keep on walking. He stumbled and he picked himself up, brushed himself off again. All he wanted was help.

About the Author

Barnes is an avid reader and an inspiring author. He resides in Ohio with his family, along with a dog and three cats. Life is simple but never boring. He enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking and spending time with his three young children. Writing has become a true passion and full time endeavor and he hopes to share more stories in the future.

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