Epilogue: A Vision

It was so dark, the light so faint that she could barely detect any details about her surroundings. Not that it mattered. The wind howled around her, making her shield her eyes from the dust and her whipping hair.

She walked blindly on, not sure where she was going or even why she was there. However, there was a compulsion to move, to continue walking. With nothing better to do, she complied, continuing on in the abusive wind.

The wind wavered in its intensity. At times, it blew steadily around her, allowing her to catch glimpses of her surroundings. At others, it howled with such intensity, she was sure she would be blown away. After what seemed like days, the wind finally weakened and then disappeared.

Brushing her hair back from her face, she looked around her. She was in some kind of vast, open courtyard. There was still very little light, but she could make out a huge tree in front of her.

The tree seemed ancient but once she was at the base, she discovered that it was actually two trees that had grown together. The left side was a tall, strong oak. The right side was a dark tree, perhaps an ebony. Unlike its companion, it was curved and parts were clearly diseased.

She studied the trees. She felt drawn to them. They were important, that she knew, but she couldn’t figure why.

Suddenly, the wind picked up again, roaring with renewed ferocity. Yet, this time she could hear voices in the wind: shouts, screams, and maniacal laughter. She covered her ears in an attempt to stop the sounds, but they only grew in intensity.

A loud crack briefly drowned out the voices and the ground beneath her trembled. Looking up, she saw that the two trees had split. The darker tree was falling toward her and she barely managed to escape it before it struck the ground.

The wind continued, the screams and cries becoming louder, sending shivers down her spine. Something groaned and she looked up in time to see the oak fall, landing beside its companion. The ground began trembling and a fissure appeared. It grew quickly, swallowing the two trees and heading for her.

“What does it mean?!” she cried, watching the gorge come steadily toward her.

The wind died and the fissure froze. She stood still, her panting breath and rapid heartbeat thunderous in the frightening silent.

“This is your future,” a voice boomed, “and your legacy.”


A Vision It was so dark, the light so faint that she could barely detect any details about her surroundings. Not that it mattered. The wind howled around her, making her shield her eyes from the dust and her whipping hair. She walked blindly on, not sure where she was going or even why she was there. However, there was a compulsion to move, to continue walking. With nothing better to do, she complied, continuing on in the abusive wind. The wind wavered in its intensity. At times, it blew steadily around her, allowing her to catch glimpses of her surroundings. At others, it howled with such intensity, she was sure she would be blown away. After what seemed like days, the wind finally weakened and then disappeared. Brushing her hair back from her face, she looked around her. She was in some kind of vast, open courtyard. There was still very little light, but she could make out a huge tree in front of her. The tree seemed ancient but once she was at the base, she discovered that it was actually two trees that had grown together. The left side was a tall, strong oak. The right side was a dark tree, perhaps an ebony. Unlike its companion, it was curved and parts were clearly diseased. She studied the trees. She felt drawn to them. They were important, that she knew, but she couldn’t figure why. Suddenly, the wind picked up again, roaring with renewed ferocity. Yet, this time she could hear voices in the wind: shouts, screams, and maniacal laughter. She covered her ears in an attempt to stop the sounds, but they only grew in intensity. A loud crack briefly drowned out the voices and the ground beneath her trembled. Looking up, she saw that the two trees had split. The darker tree was falling toward her and she barely managed to escape it before it struck the ground. The wind continued, the screams and cries becoming louder, sending shivers down her spine. Something groaned and she looked up in time to see the oak fall, landing beside its companion. The ground began trembling and a fissure appeared. It grew quickly, swallowing the two trees and heading for her. “What does it mean?!” she cried, watching the gorge come steadily toward her. The wind died and the fissure froze. She stood still, her panting breath and rapid heartbeat thunderous in the frightening silent. “This is your future,” a voice boomed, “and your legacy.”


Jupiter's Gone