Dark Times: Episode 2 - History

Dark Times

Episode 2
History

         …David wipes the blood on the passenger seat and looks into the rear view mirror.
         “Let me tell you…”

         “What I am about to tell you might sound a little far fetched or completely made up but I assure you I tell the truth” David says, his voice cracking and popping as if he hasn’t had a drink in days.
         “Have you ever heard of the Freemasons or the Skulls?”
         “There have been countless documentaries on the Freemasons and I believe they even made a movie on the Skulls. These organizations are very real and very exclusive. Although the rumors have not been confirmed on either of these groups they still exist.
         “I know what you’re thinking. Another story about some secret society. But this not an ordinary group with a secret hand shake and has special perks at the local grocery store. These people are much more secret. They are simply called The Brotherhood and they are much older than the other two secret societies.
         “The Freemasons or the Skulls are like college fraternities compared to the society which I am referring to. The Brotherhood is not concerned with high society like the Skulls or obtaining leading roles in government agencies such as the Freemasons are accustomed to. And there is no way to get into The Brotherhood, no entrance fees and no initiations. If your family was not in at the beginning then there is no way that you would even know about them, let alone gain membership.”
         “But how can…” the woman in the back seat begins to ask.
         “I know, I know…how could a group like this go so long without being noticed?”
         “Yes.” She says. “I know a little about secret society from my uncle. And both the Freemasons and the Skulls have rules about secrecy, strict rules. As you said, ‘the rumors have not been confirmed.’ But even with all the rules they were still discovered.”
         David takes this break in his story telling session to feed his addiction. He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a pack of mini-cigars. One left. David immediately regrets not stopping at that gas station he saw on the interstate. He licks his lips and then presses the cigar between them.
“Now where is my lighter” he thought to himself.
         Left pants pocket…not there.
         Right pocket…got it! With a quick snap of the wrist the top of the lighter flicks open. The all too familiar smell of butane fills David’s nose.
Scratch… the flint scrapes against the steel. Instant flame.
David sucks on the cigar to get a good ember going and then flicks the lighter closed and returns it to his right pants pocket and continues.
         “The answer to that question, if you call that a question, is because of the secrets that they hold. If discovered they would stop at nothing to kill whoever stumbled upon their secrets.
         “The power that they…that we possess,” David pauses to check the mirror, looking for a response, “is so great that we would have no problem tracking down and disposing of that individual.
         “The Brotherhood has no need for governments or wealth. They call themselves Angels. They are watchers. They do not interferer with the struggles of the world unless absolutely necessary. The last time they interceded in worldly matters you might remember. A man named Hitler was taking over the world. The history books would have you believe that it was a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head that ended his life. But the Brotherhood has ways of making things look different than what they really are.
         “But wait, I’m getting a little ahead of myself.”
         “I should start at the beginning. That will take us back to old testament times. The Brotherhood historians have traced the foundation of the group back to the Tower of Babel. When God split up all of humanity throughout the world. That’s when it happened, something went wrong or maybe it happened just the way God intended it to.
         “They thought that God had forsaken them. It was utter chaos in the beginning. The entire race was plagued with severe headaches. Many committed suicide while others found things that kept their minds busy enough to suppress the headaches. No other activity remedied the headaches like killing did. No one knew what was happening to them and there was killing. Everyone had questions and they thought that they could get these answers through mindless killing. According to the histories thousands died for no reason and still no one had answers or a plan.
         “They banded together like a true barbarian horde and turned their aggression toward others rather than each other. They formed tribes according to the color of skin and fighting styles. And so they called them selves The Forsaken and they killed all in their path. They set out to find others that could match their skills in combat and hopefully have the same curse as they did. Wherever the horde went they left death in their wake.
         David takes a long drag on the cigar. Blows the smoke out through his nostrils. He hums a little bit as he starts to feel the nicotine hit his blood.
         “They were on this pilgrimage for years when a man named Si had an idea, an idea that would ultimately put The Forsaken in power for centuries. After Si gained the trust of the all the tribal leaders and he put his idea into their minds as well. He convinced all of the tribes that they needed order and more importantly a leader to unite the tribes towards a common goal.
         “Of course he nominated himself for this job and no one argued with him because a free thinking man is a powerful man. He gained control of The Forsaken and earned a new title. Commander Si.
         “His first objective was to unite the clans. After decades of fighting and killing many wanted peace. Still others wanted power and wealth. So Commander Si compromised with them. He divided The Forsaken into two groups. The Guardians and the warriors. And as you could guess the guardians wanted peace and the warriors wanted to keep on killing.
         “Now Si commanded a great army made up of mostly Forsaken but he also allowed volunteers to join his ranks as well. The volunteers were slaves, he used them mostly for cleaning, cooking, and servants to his generals.
         “And so Si set out to gain the wealth and power his soldiers desired. He would only kill what was necessary to demonstrate his power and gain control over a nation. He did not declare himself king or demand that all bow down and worship him. He only asked for a percentage of the earnings that nation made with its goods. Be it gold, silver or raw goods, Si guaranteed the nations his protection from foreign enemies and that his army would move off their land in exchange for their cooperation.
         “No one could match the sheer strength and skill of Commander Si’s army. Si eventually had all of Asia under his belt and was receiving profits from every nation, tribe and village.
         “The guardians were the protectors of the home land and they also were the receivers of all the money and goods. The historians have still not agreed on where exactly The Forsaken called home. But the guardians focused on training their bodies and honing their skills with the mind. Until one day they received a letter from Commander Si revealing the last step in his plan…

         To be continued…