The Deadly Epidemic

The year was 1819, and a deadly epidemic swept through the Pine Valley frontier. Located in an area now known as Yellowstone National Park, the country surrounding Pine Valley was vast, rugged, and mountainous. The epidemic lasted over three years, weakening some and killing many others. When the virus finished its deadly cycle, four hundred men, women, and children had lost their lives. Among the fifty survivors were five children, now orphans.

The people of Pine Valley were devastated by the loss of so much life. They couldn't comprehend how something so terrible could have happened to their small town. Due to their fragile state — and intense grief — many of the townsfolk couldn't think clearly. They became distrustful of one another and believed evil or sorcery lived among them.

Farming was their way of life, and the devastation from the epidemic had severely impacted every farm in town. In fact, many families didn't know how they would make it through the approaching winter with their low food stocks and diminished wood supply. Most of the surviving adults had been too ill to plant crops, while the healthy adults had cared for the sick or dying. This meant fewer crops to be harvested.

Making matters worse, most of their livestock had been killed by the area's growing population of wolves that roamed the countryside unchecked, and in unusually high numbers. The people of Pine Valley knew they were in a dire situation and there was little left to sustain them through the upcoming winter.

Several of the townspeople were concerned the worst wasn't over. They were convinced that although the epidemic had ended its deadly cycle, someone amongst them must be cursed and would continue to bring hardship to Pine Valley. This belief created tension and distrust as the townspeople scrutinized each other.

But the townsfolk of Pine Valley also knew they needed each other to survive. Putting their suspicions and distrust temporarily aside, the townsfolk gathered at the church to discuss how to survive the oncoming winter. They knew many more would die if they couldn't provide enough food and heat, especially for those already weakened from the epidemic. Wood must be stockpiled as winter would bring months of subzero weather.

Knowing they had little time before heavy snows arrived, they agreed to split into four groups to prepare for winter. The first group would gather the remaining food and livestock and create a stockpile of supplies in the town's largest barns. The second group would hunt the forest and surrounding mountainside for game. Big or small, the game would be harvested, and the meat smoked. The third group would care for those who were still weak from fighting the epidemic. The fourth group would gather as much wood as possible before deep snows made travel into the forest by wagon impossible.

Their survival plan was in place. The town was now prepared for winter — except no one gave any consideration to who would care for the town's five new orphans.

Huddled together at the back of the church, the five children — three boys and two girls — sat quietly and wondered what would happen to them. Their names were Joey, Christopher, Laura, Michael, and Kristy.

* * *

At twelve, Joey Parson, a quiet and polite boy, was the smallest of the group. Joey was a foot shorter than most children his age, had sandy-brown hair, large gopher-like teeth, and green eyes. Joey was also very bright.

Joey's father was a teacher and his mother a seamstress, and they were some of the nicest people in the area. Dedicated parents, they spent most of their time doting on Joey as he was their only child, and their pride and joy.

When Joey was five years old, his parents observed strange characteristics, which amazed and frightened them. Joey could somehow see into the future.

For example, Joey would be doing chores or playing and suddenly become quiet and rigid, as if in a trance. After a few seconds, Joey became alert and normal again but spoke of things his parents had no recollection of happening. After more and more of these events, Mr. and Mrs. Parson realized he was seeing the future.

Making matters more complicated, Joey had no control over this ability, so his parents often commented that Joey had occasional daydreams when the townsfolk noticed his odd behavior. As time went by, several of the townsfolk grew suspicious of Joey as they wondered if he was strange or cursed.

One Saturday afternoon years later, as Joey played on the grass with toy horses his father had carved for him, Joey's mother was busy doing her least favorite chore — laundry. The laundry had piled up the past week, and Joey's mother had an unusually large load in her arms as she walked down the stairs.

Mr. Parson had been doing outdoor chores and noticed Joey had stopped playing and was in a rigid, trancelike state. Joey remained like this for a long moment before he got to his feet and ran across the yard with speed Mr. Parson had never seen before in his life. In fact, Joey was nothing more than a blur as he ran across the yard and into the house. In a millisecond, he was midway up the stairs and catching his mother who had just started to fall from the top stair. Mrs. Parson had tripped over a bedsheet, which dangled from her laundry basket, and was about to fall.

As Mr. Parson rushed into the house he witnessed Joey catch his mother. Joey turned to his father and said, "I, um, saw her trip."

"Thank goodness you did, son. And did you ever skedaddle to get here!

I've never seen anyone move that fast!" Mr. Parson said.

Joey's parents hugged him for a long time before his mother said, "Joey, we've never discussed this before, but your father and I think we need to keep your special abilities a secret."

"How come, Ma?"

"Because we're concerned that some of the people of this valley are watching us. We all know that folk around these parts think our town is cursed, and we don't want to give them any more to think about — especially about us. Do you understand, son?" Mrs. Parson asked, as she lifted Joey's chin to meet his gaze.

Joey nodded in agreement, as he always did when his parents asked him to do something. They told Joey under no circumstances was he to let anyone see what he could do. In fact, his parents told him to forget about his abilities and never use them again.

From that time on, Joey led an anxious, sheltered life, as his parents isolated him from other families as much as possible.

Days before Joey's twelfth birthday his parents passed away, succumbing to the virus that had claimed so many before them. The passing of his parents left Joey sad and alone, as he knew he was on his own in a world where he was different from everyone else.

The Clans

Millions of years ago, the entire universe was dangerously unstable. Small planets collided and exploded within the Earth's orbit, sending deadly showers of fiery meteors down to the surface. During this perilous time, two prehistoric clans struggled to survive.

The clans, known as the Changeons and Demoneyes, lived in a region of the world that is now the western portion of North America. Conflicts over water, food, and shelter kept the clans in a state of warfare for centuries. As the frequency of the meteor showers intensified, the skirmishes to occupy the best shelter escalated. The Earth's caves were the only protection to survive the meteor showers and few contained life-sustaining water to wait out the storms. Meteors killed and buried Earth's plants, trees, and animals under tons of rock. The elimination of these plants and animals meant scarce food for the clans, and worse, the flesh- eating creatures of the age now hunted and fed on the clans.

As the Demoneyes and Changeons struggled to survive, catastrophic events were forming that would change the world forever.

The Changeons were advanced beings for Earth's prehistoric age. Where they came from, no one knew. On Earth before mankind, Changeons resembled man but were still quite different. Not unlike mankind, they had a slight build and were agile and quick. However, Changeons had very thin fingers, tremendous leaping and climbing ability, and were unnaturally skilled at concealment. In fact, they could adjust their appearance to match nearly any surrounding. Moving through the treetops, Changeons used camouflage to travel undetected from predators and to hide from the vicious clan of the age, the Demoneyes.

Changeons were peaceful beings. They believed warfare and other acts of hostility angered the Earth, resulting in severe misfortunes for the clan. Although Changeons were peaceful, they had become experts at lethal self-defense to survive. Changeons would always try to avoid conflict through stealth and concealment, but when threatened, they defended their clan to the death. They were skilled with blade, spear, and rock-sling, and coordinated their counterattacks from the ground and treetops with incredible tenacity.

The leader of the Changeon Clan, Grodzek, was the eldest and wisest. He had a weathered, rough appearance, but was a fair and compassionate leader and loved by the clan.

Like the Changeons, no one knows where the Demoneyes came from. Demoneyes were nothing like Changeons, and far less human. They were brutal, vicious creatures that were unnaturally tall and exceptionally strong. Their bulging yellow eyes gave them a frightening appearance and exceptional night vision for their nocturnal existence. Demoneyes avoided activity during the day as much as possible because they didn't see well in bright light, making them vulnerable to larger predators. Making their appearance more bizarre, Demoneyes had six-inch spikes protruding from their shoulders, elbows, and heels — weapons they used to impale and kill. Demoneyes utilized the terrain under the cover of darkness to surround, capture, and kill their prey. Moving in darkness, Demoneyes would surround their quarry and drive them toward the edge of a steep cliff. They would then bludgeon and impale their prey or force them to fall into rocky pits.

Demoneyes believed everything was theirs for the taking, and they did this violently and without conscience. The leader of the Demoneye Clan, Apevil, was not the eldest, but he was the largest, strongest, and most vicious. Apevil ruled with brute force, taking what he wanted while killing anything that got in his way.

Realm of the Lizard Wolves

The Changeons inhabited a valley on the east side of the mountains, while the Demoneyes inhabited a valley to the west. Many miles of rugged terrain between the two valleys made for dangerous travel, which allowed the clans to exist separately. However, the pressure to find food and shelter forced the clans to travel farther from their villages, creating more frequent run-ins with each other. Many times, when Changeons found shelter that also contained life- sustaining water, Demoneyes would overrun and kill them to take the shelter for their own. When Changeons did find shelter that went undetected by the Demoneyes, meteor showers would often bury the cave entrances under tons of rock, rendering them useless.

During a rare period of calm, several weeks went by without meteor strikes. With this peaceful respite, the Changeon and Demoneye Clans focused primarily on finding food. More than three weeks went by with calm skies and easier living.

From their village, the Changeons saw brilliant sunrises and enjoyed the warmth of the morning sun. One morning the sunrise came very early and with unusual intensity. As typical at sunrise, the Changeons began to get ready for their day. Grodzek, however, was uneasy this morning and climbed a tree to study the sunrise. What Grodzek saw wasn't a sun rising, but a sun falling. And it wasn't morning — it was the middle of the night!

The falling sun, actually a huge fiery star, was entering Earth's atmosphere. Grodzek knew this deadly star would kill the entire clan if they didn't retreat to the caves quickly. Beating his club against a hollow tree, Grodzek signaled danger to the clan, alerting them to begin their retreat. Grodzek knew this journey, like those before it, would be filled with danger. Many Changeons have lost their lives during a climb to the protection of the caves. And although they didn't know it, this would be their final journey up the mountainside.

The Changeons had to travel a mile to the base of the mountain, and then climb to the shelter of the caves. Most of the journey was through a dense forest, but the last several hundred yards were through open, rocky terrain. With their ability to blend in to their surroundings, the Changeons moved through the treetops like shadows. But as they neared the open terrain, they stopped to study the uninviting space. Large holes, ten feet across, lay checkered in the vast landscape between them and the mountainside. This was the realm of the Lizard Wolves.

Unimaginable beasts, Lizard Wolves were extreme carnivores and terrifying in every way. Part lizard, part wolf, Lizard Wolves had armored scales on their heads and backs, and thick brown hair on their huge bellies and long sweeping tails. Their legs were short and powerful, and their enormous jaws were long and fanged, resembling that of a crocodile. Over twenty feet long and weighing five hundred pounds, they roamed vast underground tunnels in packs. Lizard Wolves communicated the location of prey — that wandered above their labyrinth — by emitting a series of screeching, hyena-like sounds.

Emerging from their labyrinth with greedy speed, Lizard Wolves quickly surrounded and seized their prey using their massive jaws. They dragged their victims into the tunnels while reviling in their screams. The terrifying part of their prey's horrible demise was hardly the death, but instead, the way it was killed. You see, Lizard Wolves "tenderized" their prey. Violently swinging their victim side to side against jagged rocks, Lizard Wolves broke their prey's bones before gulping them down whole and often still alive. Trapped in a large fleshy holding tank at the base of the wolf 's gullet, the prey, bloodied and incapacitated with broken and shattered bones, marinated in a pool of acid to complete the tenderizing process. Once tenderized, wolves regurgitated their prey and feasted on it like a juicy, finely aged steak. Sometimes it would take days for victims to succumb during this horrible process, begging for and welcoming death in the end. Lizard Wolves killed nearly every creature that entered their domain in this fashion, whether to feed or just to satisfy their insatiable instinct to kill.

Although weighing over five hundred pounds, Lizard Wolves were extraordinarily quick and could cover short distances with amazing speed. They could launch out of their tunnels and use their powerful legs to ambush and overcome their prey. The beast's burrow system was quite extensive, with mounds of soil littering hundreds of entrances. These mounds served as lookout points for prey and the larger carnivores that fed on the wolves. Tunnels were generally six feet below the surface and hundreds of yards long, interconnecting like a well-constructed highway. Burrow systems included dozens of chambers, with one near the entrance where the wolves escaped the hot afternoon sun. Keenly aware of the threat the Lizard Wolves presented, the Changeons became very still. The clan's camouflage worked perfectly, as the lone wolf sentry had not detected them. For thirty minutes, the clan remained still in the treetops.

Then, unable to withstand the afternoon sun any longer, the sentry left his post and descended into the tunnels. This was the opportunity Grodzek and the rest of the clan was waiting for as they quickly descended from the treetops to the rocky ground. Grodzek slowly guided them through the wolves' burrow system. Every step was calculated, and every motion was deliberate and silent.

Then disaster struck.

Halfway through the maze the ground gave way. A young Changeon tumbled down into the tunnels.

Like a spider detecting a bug in its web, the wolves immediately recognized the disturbance. Within seconds the air was filled with howls — then all was silent.