The Beginning of The End.

If you read my previous post: The Day America Died, you may recall these words:
" When the dark side of human nature is left unchecked, chaos will always encroach. For even in the Garden of Paradise the Prince of Darkness raised his ugly head and questioned the authority of God. Since that time the personification of evil has never been more than a whisper away."
As a reader, I've never been into the post apocalyptic dystopian genre. However, Hugh Howey caught my attention a couple of years ago when I stumbled upon the first installment of his Silo Series, WOOL. I quickly learned there are tons of people into the genre.  So many, in fact, that Hugh became somewhat of an over night success, and was catapulted to the top, securing a place among Amazons best sellers. It has given him a platform from which he continues to write, and has also become somewhat of a voice crying in the publishing wilderness,  championing the cause of fellow Indie's,
     Realizing there is an ocean of readers thirsty for more apocalyptic/dystopian literature, and scanning the horizon of current events, both abroad and here in the U.S. has piqued my interest inspiring something dystopian in my own pursuit.
     And with that, comes a whole litany of questions. Like: What is it about an end of the world scenario that grabs people?  Why, at times, does it become an obsession? When it finally does happen, what will it look like, and how bad can it get?
     If you're  familiar with dystopian literature,  you already know the preceding questions have been incorporated into multiple storylines a thousand time  over.  That being the case, I would like to pose a much lager question that has less to do with the end, and more to do with the beginning.
     And its not the beginning, or end of the world to which I speak, but rather the ontology of the idea. To be more specific, I want to know who, or what, planted the first seeds of a DOOMSDAY APOCILYPS into the human psyche? It appears the concept has been around for a very long time.
     For example,  Old Testament prophets spoke to the impending destruction of Jerusalem over three thousand years ago. The prophet Jeremiah not only saw judgment coming, but also endured the siege and lived to record it. You can read about the mayhem in his Book of Lamentations.  When Nebuchadnezzar invaded, and then departed with slaves and spoils the prophet wept,  "How empty sits the city, that was once filled with people." 
     The same prophets who predicted the fall of Jerusalem also foresaw the coming of The Messiah, and seven hundred years later, He was born in the City of Bethlehem.   It has since become the most celebrated birth place on the planet. He was eventually rejected by the masses, but followed by a few, who became the foundational world changers called The Church.
     He did not fit the description for which the establishment had been looking,  but rather celebrated a Kingdom that  is not of this world. And, as far this world goes, He had a few things to say about that also. Among them being.... it's going to end.
     For those who's soul purpose is to live for the beauty and bounty of this world, His words will be a little unsettling. For He spoke of global conflict in the midst of famine and pestilence. Depending on your theology, many believe the Scripture forewarns of an ultimate battle between good and evil, to be played out in the valley of Megiddo.
      Many of my friends in the Arts community will perceive me as preaching to the choir, but that is not my purpose. So, to make that point please allow me to  Segway into the scientific, for a brief moment. Astrophysics informs us of the fact that the universe is expanding. We now understand the earth is not at it's center. When the Archbishop of Canterbury read Einstein's theory of relativity he asked the renowned scientist, "What will this mean for the church and the Christian Faith." Einstein, who believed in a creator, responded, "Nothing."
     If you follow the logic, and realize the earth is uniquely positioned in the galaxy to support life, then it is not a very far leap, to see with an expanding universe, there will come a time when the earth will no longer, be positioned to support life. Which, leads to a conclusion that, one day, our world is going to end.
     If that's not enough to raise an eyebrow or two, consider our nearest star. It's called the sun and has maintained a controlled nuclear explosion every second of its powerful existence. That is mind blowing. However, like all stars, our sun has a life span, and there will come a time when it will eventually burn out and collapse upon itself. Those in the know predict when that happens, the rest of the planets in our galaxy will be sucked into a giant black hole left in its wake. If we can connect the dots, science is telling us something about the future of the planet earth. One day, it is going to end. It's not a matter of if, its a question of when. And, to some degree, how.
     Those of you who read this blog know I'm no theologian. Astrophysics is a foreign language to this undereducated country boy, so I make no claims there. However, as stated above, if we but connect the dots, theology and science come to a similar conclusion, as far as the earth goes. At the  the end of the day, Pun intended, "She's a ... going to end."
     I am a Christian and believe there will be, as scripture declares, "A New Heaven and A New Earth." However, my delve into the dystopian genre and short story that's soon to be released on  Amazon, will have several twist and turns that may leave my friends scratching their heads, and wondering if perhaps, I've jumped off the bus. The short answer to that question is, no I've not.

-- Until we meet here again,

Cam
 

    


     

         

The Day America Died.

This is the intro to a post apocalyptic dystopian short story. I've never written in this genre, but had a thought and put it to paper.

No one knows how it happened, though most are convinced our own government kept us in the dark, until it was too late.  Then it no longer mattered. On the day America fell, a desire for justice was quickly replaced by the will to live. The all-important question became, “How long can the world endure.”
    There was a time in my life when I believed goodness would prevail. But, when nuclear weapons went off in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, only to be followed by three more the following day in Charlotte, Atlanta and Washington DC, I was left with serious questions.
    Those who wished us harm finally succeeded. The one Homeland Security could not afford to miss, slipped through the cracks, and in just two days twenty percent of the nation’s population was annihilated. Since that time there’s been so much death, only twenty percent remain. Nine Eleven has been reduced to a warning shot.   
     The terrorist who plotted our demise were blinded by an extreme ideology which left them unable to foresee the results. But, when the strongest economy on the globe defaulted, the dominos started falling.
     China found its self over extended and quickly spiraled into financial oblivion. Russia, went into a defense mode, as Putin understood the same thing could happen in Moscow and Saint Peters Square. England had been feeling the trimmers for quite some time, but turned a deaf ear in the name of tolerance and multiculturalism. When the world fell apart, the British were unable to help us for fear of retaliation.
     Having lost their strongest ally left the Israelis alone and isolated. As radical Islam began closing in they took preemptive measures and launched their Nukes. Once Baghdad, Tehran and Cairo were obliterated, they took a ground assault into Palestine and in Syria.
       Here at home, things we once took for granted, have become costly commodities. All entitlements have been absolved, because the government for all tents and purposes no longer exist. Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are no longer available. This alone resulted in the death of millions. Those on critical life supporting systems, such as dialysis and other expensive medical regiments began dying off soon after the collapse.
      People took to the streets in open rebellion when supplemental programs were suspended. The National Guard was called in, but as our government collapsed the troops returned home in defense of their own lives, homes and personal property.
     Long ago and far away, the prophet Jerimiah looked over the destruction of Jerusalem and wept, “How empty sits the city that was once filled with people.”  I have never been one who believed in the pagan principal of history repeating itself, but his words ring true for the destruction which has come upon what many once considered, the prize of the west.
      When the dark side of human nature is left unchecked chaos will always encroach. For even in the Garden of Paradise the prince of darkness raised his ugly head and questioned the authority of God. Since that time the personification of evil has never been more than a whisper away.

 

And the Angles Wept.

The rains came, the flood rose and people fled to the high places seeking refuge. As the waters continued to rise, those who suddenly believed cried out, "Where is God?" The agnostics responded, "He has forsaken us!."

When the tallest mountains were finally immersed, the storm ceased and the clouds rolled back. Darkness fled form light and the earth was cleansed.

Technology was no more, and that was okay, because it was not longer needed. There were no birds and when the water receded, there was no one, nor anything left, to roam the earth. Only the fish remained.

And the Angels wept.

- Cameron Dockery

The Shoreline

When at night I walk the shoreline alone
and feel the wet sand yield, to the strength
of an out going tide, I'm reminded of the
familiar places I've never been.

Like the undertow of a child's imagination
whispering truths long forgotten, and calling
me away, from the chaos of a world gone  mad.

- Cameron Dockery


I remember walking the North Carolina beaches as kid and feeling the wet sand giving away under my feet. It was tiring. AS the calf muscles in  my legs grew  tense, I would step up into the dry sand, where walking would be much easer.

 However, before long I would find myself drawn back to the wet sand and feeling the water receding with every step.  It was as if something was pulling me away.

 This morning that memory from long ago represents the undertow of a world I once  knew. A time when belief came easy and imagination was unlimited.

 I want to go there again, if only for a while, to hopefully, recapture the wonder.