Chaos: (Remastered 2022 Edition.) The 1st Novel in The Evolution Universe

~Chapter 1: Parker~

        I pound the now dull shovelhead into the thick, dry dirt one last time. I can feel the hot, steamy, Oklahoma City sunbeam its' rays directly into my neck.  An irritating burning sensation began hours ago that has been driving me mad. It has only become worse as time continued to move forward. By now, I want nothing more than to dig my nails into my flesh and remove the irritation altogether. Sweat drains like a waterfall from every pore in my body as if I've bathed in lotion causing myself to slip off everything I come in contact with. The stench of my body stains my nose to the point that I almost start to begin the onion cry. I wipe the warm, smooth, wet substances from my forehead with the back of my forearm. Honestly, it doesn't help a bit as the substance just returns seconds later.
      I look around at the surrounding pit of dirt walls. I take a visual estimate of the measurements. "This should be good enough," I think to myself before I toss the nearly used up shovel out of the pit and onto the main surface. Seconds later, I follow as I grab the ledge of the pit with my sore, tight, firey arms and begin to pull myself upwards. I have no general idea how long I've been piercing the shovel into the hard, dry dirt that felt as if it was made with concrete.
      Between the blisters and splinters on the palm of my hands; and my biceps feeling like jello I'm nearly unable to pull myself out. The pain is that of nothing I've felt before. If it wasn't for one last power surge I was nearly coming to terms with sleeping in the pit until my body is rested. Finally, I'm able to lift myself up and out of the pit.
       As my knee reaches the flat surface  I place it on the ground and lunge forward to the green grass. I roll to my back as the dry humid air nearly takes what little breath I have left.
      I feel a gentle breeze through the grass as it tickles the back of my arms sending a cold spell throughout my body. I start to think for a moment that maybe God is sending me a favor. That's until the wind carries a veil smell that penetrates my nostril before burning my hair follicles. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that deathly smell," I convince myself as I allow my eyes to veer in the direction of the epicenter from which the horrible smell is coming from.
      My eyes become fixated on two white bedsheets lying in the grass rolled up like a burrito and held together with thick yarn rope so that no intruders can invade the objects inside. A grayish-brown tint forms a puddle like a stain on both of the sheets. A cold, empty, sickening feeling floods my heart and mind as I know the cause of the clay-play-doh looking substances that stains the once pure white sheets.
      My concentration is broken as I hear a flock of crows begin to coo uneasily and out of control. "Something is disturbing them," I tell myself as I watch them ascend into the sky from the pasture full of tall thick grass that looks like it hasn't been mowed in ages. A part of the property that use to grow the largest corn in the entire west. A field that I use to play in as a child as I would get lost for hours until nightfall. The only way I found myself returning home was when my mother would ring the dinner bell that dangled above the large, closed-in porch to signal for dad and I to return home to eat after the long day of working and playing.
       I stand to my feet as the crows have peaked my danger might be in the area radar. I steady my breathing so that it doesn't disturb my focus on my hearing as I close my eyes and just listen to my surroundings.
      I hear a hummingbird flattering its' wings around the birdhouse that has been out of feed for months, at least. A squirrel bangs his nut against the side of a hollow, rotten tree. The softest sound of all things is the one that bothers me the most, though. In the direction from which the crows just fled from, not even two minutes ago is now replaced with the wild wheat and tall grass rumbling around. It could be just a gust of wind, but my ears know better. They've grown accustomed to the different sounds certain objects can make. Something I never expected to learn less than a year ago. My brain knows better. My instincts know that the fast, heavy, constant movement of the wild plants means that something or someone is causing it. I suddenly hear a twig snap and now I know my instincts are guiding me right; even if I really didn't want them to this time.
"Dammit, I was hoping you were wrong this time, Parker." My thoughts are discouraging as I open my eyes. I bend down and grab the only weapon I have nearby, at the moment. The shovel. I grab the bark of the shovel so tight I can begin to feel the blisters on the palm of my hands begin to burst as the puss runs down the warped, brown stem of the shovel.
        I sigh a disbelieving and aggravating breath as I head in the direction from which the sound is coming. By the time, I reach the border where the thin and thick patches of grass meet I question myself, Do I want to do this? I could truly be wrong, after all. At least, I hope I am."
       I finally agree with myself that I must, at least, check it out. If I don't and my thoughts were indeed right then the consequences could be deadly. I take a step into the thick colors of black and green. The deeper I go in the harder it gets to see what's in front of me.
       About twenty feet in I hear a grinding screech that sends a shockwave of pain through my teeth as if someone took nails to a chalkboard. A low, deep, toneless growl enters my ear canal as I know I must be getting close. With each step, I take into the deep thicket the sounds grow louder until I come to an area that all the wild plants lie flat with the Earth. In the center is an inhuman creature that now controls a once human body ripping its' brittle and blackish teeth into a raw crow. No wonder why the other black, flyers, callers were terrified.
       Of course, my instincts just had to be right. Lucky for me though the loud crunching of the bird's bones being crushed in the creature's mouth has allowed me to sneak up on it undetected.
       As the creature continues to feast on its' meal I quietly raise my shovel in the air and prepare to strike. Just as I go to swing my weapon I hear a second loud growl with the heavy rustling of weeds right behind me. I quickly turn around but the second creature is already too close. He immediately tries to sink his decaying, dead teeth into me. I hold up the shovel in a horizontal position as it makes contact inside the creature's mouth blocking him from making me his supper. Its' incredible strength manages to push me to the ground with the creature falling on top of me as the stem of the shovel is still holding the beast back.
      The creature's warm, knock out breath terrorize my senses. A long drool of spit mixed with a red substance slowly drips off the edge of the shovel and lands on my forehead. I continue to push back with all my might. Suddenly, I hear a loud crack ring through my ears as the shovel snaps into two. The beast lunges at me convinced it has won. Just as it's inches away from my flesh I take one end of the broken shovel into one temple and out the other side of the now-dead creature's brain.
        I quickly rush off the corpse and get to my feet as I stab the other creature in its' head with the other half of the broken shovel as its' attention was drawn towards me because of the commotion.
       I rip the stake out its' head as it falls limp before making a loud thud against the ground. I search the area just to ensure there are no signs of others before I make my way back to the two white, brown stained sheets and the pit.
"How did things go so wrong?" I question myself as I stare at the two rolled-up sheets right before I roll them into the six-foot pit.
     I begin tossing the dirt over top of the pieces of clothe as my mind slips into memory. A memory when my instincts were rarely right. A point in my life where things were much more black and white. A time when all I thought about was writing and work. A time before Chaos struck and my journey began.

Well, here's the first chapter of Chaos, the first novel and storylines of The Evolution Universe. Did you enjoy it? Please let me know your opinions about the opening chapter. And don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter. I plan on putting all of the novels and other stories on here for you everyone to read. So many exciting things happening from your favorite neighborhood author; R.E.Schofield.