9
the children of ereshkigal
The last rays of sun shone over the plains of Uruk as the early hours of evening began, casting deeper shadows in the ruined part of the city turning grey in the approaching moonlight.
The young woman ran into the woods, as fast as she could, not noticing that she had left the path and that the trees which loomed over her beat with an ancient pulse, as though the forest was conscious of her every move. She stopped to catch her breath, realising she was alone, absorbed by silence, stillness and darkness.
Only then did she realise how far she had gone and that she was lost.
She panicked, taking a step forward, her eyes unseeing in the dark. She tripped on what seemed like a huge stone and fell, gagging as a foul scent rose from the cloud of dirt that her fall had triggered. The scent was the scent of death and it hovered over her. As the moon cleared a path through the clouds to shine on her, she took a look at what had tripped her: it was a severed head, decomposed to the point it barely resembled a human. The body lay nearby, naked and bloated. Her screams of fear echoed deep into the forest, alerting all within of her presence. But not a sound answered her, except for a single snap of a twig.
“Who goes there?” she said, turning in the direction of the sound.
“Who goes there?” she cried in terror and began to cry as she heard footsteps drawing nearer.
There was a rush of air, a swoop as of an eagle passing her and then a pair of arms encompassed her, picking her up and carrying her away at the speed of the wind.
“Close your eyes, Shuri,” a familiar voice said—the voice she had betrayed the trust of and ran from. There was a sudden cessation of movement, a lack of wind, and Shuri felt herself being placed gently but firmly on her feet, a pair of arms clasping her.
“Let me go! Let me go!” she shouted, trying to break away from his embrace.
“Calm down! Calm down, Shuri! It is I,” Eden said warmly, holding her until her resistance broke and she clung to him in return, weeping.
“Shhhh. It is all right, Shuri, it is all going to be all right. Come now, we need to head back to city. Sumur and Druaga must be very worried about our absence,” Eden said, comforting her.
“Eden, I don’t know who or what you are, or the stories you’ve told me earlier. Right now I just want to go home; please, Eden, please take me home, I need to see my parents. I need to know they are alive!” Shuri sobbed.
Title: The Samsaric
Author: G.W. Lwin
Genre: Fantasy Horror
The plague of 1918 A.D:
The mortal world is in a state of devastation.
A woman wakes up in an abandoned temple of Kali, the goddess of darkness, in an ancient city of Gaya.
She does not know where she is.
She does not remember the events leading to this.
She only hears a familiar voice of a tormented man who has haunted her dreams.
He tells her a story – of a time of souls and suffering, of immortality and gods, of life and death.
This, he says, is Mesopotamia.
THE SAMSARIC is a fantasy-horror novel based on ancient vampirism, history and mythology. Set in an era widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, it is a story of once-powerful mortal races and ancient gods and goddesses to excite and inspire.
Author Bio
I love anything that comprises the old and the ancient full of rich history and spirituality. For me, reading and learning from our ancient past is truly a beautiful, unique and intriguing journey.
From a young age, I have felt that there were two versions of me: the old spiritual one and a young soul who still lives in his fantasy world.
However, both of these versions share one commonality – my interest in vampires from the ancient mythology and beliefs. I was mesmerised by their folklore since young.
The need to express is very strong within me. Writing, for me, provides this gateway and helps me to grow as a person. It is a life-long learning path that I gladly embark.
As a writer, I would like to improve each and every stage of writing, to possess the art of crafting words to communicate the emotions that arise from within to the readers … a vision shared by many authors.
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GWLwin/
Website: www.greglwin.com
Amazon (Paperback)
Amazon (Kindle)