chapter one: there's always a lighthouse.

Kieran awoke.

and was greeted by cold lashes of rain.

his clothes were soaked from the constant assault from the storm that hung above.

he tried to stand, his limbs protested with numb pain from misuse.

he looked around and found a raging sea and roaring storm as far as the eye could see.

he turned and found a light house.

walking towards it on shaking legs and dock boards saturated with water he reached for the door and pushed. his hands gripped at what they could as he pulled himself up.

steading himself, he pulled open the and entered.

he didn't bother looking around. it was a lighthouse after all thus it would have the necessary amount of food and other necessities to live as comfortable as possible in a lighthouse as one could get.

"Hello!?" he shouted, kieran hoped there'd be someone around even in a place like this.

the only thing that caught his attention and was deemed important due to current circumstances was the nearby staircase. "hello!?, anyone there!?" kieran shouted as he made his way, shivering, towards the stairs.

what he found up them was more confusing than helpful.

on the wall was a map.

of America.

how he got to America of all places was just another of an ever growing pile of questions that, unfortunately, wouldn't be answered anytime soon.

as he looked at it Kieran noticed a series of red string tacked to the map.

in what appeared to be a flight path.

he didn't want to think about what this lighthouse was used for.

so, he continued up to the next floor.

it was oddly sparse when it came to furniture, a lightbulb hung over head.

he moved to go up the stairs a third time but stopped.

he wondered if there was rain leaking in from outside due to stepping on something that splahed from it.

he looked down.

the floor was covered in blood.

where there was blood, there was a corpse.

when there was a corpse, there was a murder.

when there was a murder, there was business he shouldn't be walking into.

he followed where the blood trailed from.

he didn't get.

there.

proped up on a chair. a sack covering the head. was a corpse.

he didn't get it.

there should be a smell, something that would have gave it away. considering what skin was visible and the state that the blood was in, this would have to be a recent death. in the previous twenty four hours or a full day, but that didn't make sense. the blood was dried and stained the clothes but the rest of the blood was still fresh and hours away from drying.

he didn't want to think about this.

he didn't want to think about why this person died or why he couldn't smell anything.

Kieran snapped towards the stairs and went up as fast as possible.

he was now at the top.

the torchlight of the lighthouse spun slowly, he leaned on the stair railing.

Kieran, at that moment. was terrified.

a lighthouse seemingly in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a raging storm, a freshly made corpse.

he laughed.

he couldn't help but laugh.

it was ridiculous.

it was like some trashy horror flick, he wouldn't be surprised if he was jumped by some beast or psycho as soon as he stepped out into the balcony.

he stepped back into the storm.

the wind and rain returned like a long awaited reward, lashing at him for leaving for so long.

it helped distract him, freshen up in a way.

he walked forward and looked on at the oasis of wind and sea. he stopped before what looked like a compartment that the torchlight sat on.

the door that lead to it was locked, naturally, on the surprisingly ornat frame was three bells. each had a symbol under it.

a scroll.

a key.

and a sword.

it was either ingenious or needlessly complicated way to lock a door.

looking at the windows they looked flimsy enough for him to break, but he didn't want to risk bleeding out.

kieran looked at the bells.

the lock perhaps was sound based, something that seemed a little out there but it was better than nothing.

he rung the first bell once to get a 'feel' for the sound.

something clicked.

Kieran rung the second bell twice and did so again with the third.

the skies turned red and a horn bellowed out.

"oh shit".

it bellowed twice then it went silent. then billowed twice.

the door opened, reveling a seat.

well, it beat staying out in the rain and let his once again soaking clothes to dry.

once he was seated clamps held his wrists to the seats armrests.

"ReAdY yOuRsElF fOr AcEnSiOn, PiLrGrIm" a far too creepy robotic voice rang as the flooring lowered away revealing massive gears as the seat was repositioned with a series of mechanisms and arms.

Kieran's seat was then tilted revealing a goddamn rocket.

after more nauseating movements, large plates were put in place around him with the one in front having a circular window to the world.

then everything rumbled.

"OH SHIT!".

the newly made rocket rumbled as it charged into the clouds.

he was honestly surprised at how well things where going, well as well as getting on a rocket heading god knows where.

oh, his ears just popped.

great, now he was, perhaps momentarily, deaf.

outside the window, layer after layer of cloud was passed.

"AcEnSiOn, AcEnSiOn".

everything went white.

"HALLELUJAH".