And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Revelation 8: 12
Southpark Meadows, Austin, Texas
The gargantuan fireball dropping from the sky passed over the festival and landed well north of Austin in the suburb of Liberty Hill. But the headliners, Dantalion’s Water, fled the stage in a panic and sparked a mass exodus from the grounds. Refugees with nowhere to go were being crushed and trampled by horrified fans before Joan’s eyes. She leapt from behind stage, grabbed a microphone and urged everyone to remain calm. Her words had little effect, so she started singing on her way to the piano. Almost instantly, as though hypnotized, the crowd calmed and turned to watch. She finished her song and explained to the crowd. “This has all been prophesied in The Tome of Artemis. It says: ‘Fear not! A new age is dawning! The world will soon come to know a new peace! An age of equality and enlightenment! An age of harmony with the spirit world! An age where women will no longer live in fear of patriarchal domination! Where religion will die off in favor of truth! Behold! I come in light and fire!’”
The crowd clamored with chants of “Hail Artemis!” Joan calmed them again playing John Lennon’s “Imagine”.
Sherriff Clint Chody of Williamson County watched the television in disgust.
“That little witch just said she’s gonna end Christianity. Not on my watch. I’ve had enough of those hippies in Austin. Those pagans called down that fireball. This ends now!” Chody spat the words with a heart full of hate.
The problem was, astronomers had not seen the fireball coming and no one could find a point of impact.
But the sky over Liberty Hill was covered with a black aetheric cloud. When people looked up, it was like they were staring into the abyss. And the abyss was growing.
Within an hour Chody had an official order from President-for-life Trump to mobilize all local Police, SWAT teams, and National Guardsmen and they converged upon the festival with guns drawn.
The concert had ended and Joan was helping at the free food tent when Police surrounded the camp and set up barricades.
Barron grabbed her wrist from behind and pulled her into the darkness.
“What are you doing?” she cried. “That hurts!”
“I can get us out of here! Come with me!”
“Not without Felix!” Joan yanked free and stumbled through the flashlight beams and darkness back to the tent.
“Joan! I already brought him to the car! Come back!” He struggled to keep up with her fighting through the undulating mass of fleeing refugees.
“Felix!” he heard her scream.
“Fuck!” Barron cursed as he caught up to her under a pale tent light. Felix was violently vomiting blood and thrashing on the grass.
“Felix! No! What happened?”
Felix pointed at his mouth as his chest heaved in a death rattle.
His eyes grew wide in horror at the sight of Barron over Joan’s shoulder. Then the eyes went dark.
“We have to go now!” Barron grabbed Joan violently and dragged her to the stage and beyond fighting all the way.
“You don’t understand! They’re religious zealots! They’re going to burn everyone as witches! We have to get out while we can!”
Joan sobbed and impotently allowed herself to be stuffed into his black limousine. A Police motorcycle pulled beside them and Barron rolled down the window and flashed something in his wallet. From there the officer weaved the two through the crowds and out of the complex.
Joan was in complete shock. But she had the sense to start filming the scene through the window until Barron saw her.
“What are you doing? They’ll see you!”
Joan put the phone away and sat thinking. The Police were escorting them out. He wasn’t really afraid of them. But why lie? And what else had he lied about?
As they pulled away from the venue and onto the dirt road leading to the Interstate, Joan asked, “What happened to Felix?”
“What? How should I know?”
“Why was Felix always so afraid of you?”
“He was a scaredy cat. What do you want from me? What’s with all the suspicion? I took you in and have been nothing but a gentleman!”
“How did you come to be in the hotel lobby right after I left my apartment?” Joan moved her hand toward the door handle and pushed. It would not open.
“Joanie… we’re going too fast.”
“My father called me that. And I never told you that name.”
In desperation for anything at all that might give her an advantage, Joan slammed open the glove box. A black .9mm pistol dropped onto her lap and she snatched it up, spinning it deftly around to aim it at Barron’s temple.
“Stop the car.”
His jaw hardened but he kept driving.
“Fine.” Joan aimed the gun forward and blasted out the windshield.
“What the fuck!” Barron was blinded by flying glass and swerved onto the shoulder spinning the car in the dirt.
Barron quickly regained his senses and stood in front of the headlights peering into the darkness. Joan was nowhere to be found.
