Dan

Dressed and ready for the journey, Dan stepped out the back door and closed it quietly behind him. Glancing around, the dark forest looked sinister, the shadows seeming to scowl down at him. Were the creatures out there watching him already? Light rattling and low voices caught his attention and he followed the sound to a shed. His saviors were in there tinkering with three old mountain bikes.

"Aren't you worried those things are going to hear you?" Dan asked, poking his head into the shed door.

"Relax, Seed Child," Alma teased. "This place is protected by the light."

"What does that mean exactly? And why do you keep calling me seed child?"

"This place is protected by The Mother's Light. No creature of darkness can step within its protective dome. And I call you 'seed child' because that's what you are." She winked up at Dan then said, "We'll have more time for explanations later. Help me with this." She turned one of the bicycles upside down and handed him a wrench.

"What are we doing with these?" He asked, trying not to pay attention to his raging libido. He already knew the answer, but he needed something to take his mind off the tension he was feeling.

"Well, as much as it would probably help you to go for a long run, I don't feel like walking off this mountain." Alma chuckled lightly, "We're going to ride them."

Dan raked a hand through his hair and knelt, absently noting that his knees no longer crunched with the motion. He checked all the nuts and bolts on his bike, then reached for a can of chain lubricant. The lengthy silence between them was beginning to feel awkward, as were the utterly filthy images of Alma flashing through his mind. He broke the silence with a frustrated sigh, "Do either of you know how long I'm going to feel like this?"

"Still feeling a little riled up?" Erik asked while Alma unsuccessfully tried to hide a small smile.

"Yeah." Dan shook his head, "I thought it was leveling out but it's getting worse again."

"I gave you a bigger dose of the remedy than I normally would have because your injuries were so extensive, so the buzz could hang around for a few days." Erik grimaced, "Sorry about that."

Dan blanched, "Days? How am I supposed to function?"

"Well, being around her isn't helping," Erik said, pointing a thumb in Alma's direction while rising from a crouch. "But once we get down the road, most of the extra...energy...you're feeling should dissipate with exercise. Any activity that normally releases endorphins will take the edge off, but once you're home, I would suggest bedding your wife. Immediately." He winked and chuckled as if he had been in a similar situation sometime in the past.

Dan snorted and pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "Seriously, I don't think I've ever felt this out of control. You could make millions selling that remedy as an aphrodisiac."

"It's more than just the remedy that's got you in a twist, friend. It took me years of living under the same roof as her to learn how to manage it. One of her goddess given gifts is to bring a person's deepest desires to the surface. Seed children tend to have a fairly standard desire, especially the males." Erik said with a small, crooked smile. "Even I fell victim to that desire when she and I first met. If it's any consolation, you appear to have much more self-control than most people would in your position. Myself included."

Dan pursed his lips. He still didn't fully understand the depth of his situation, but he caught the drift. He was definitely caught in the middle of something much bigger than he would have liked.

His mind reeled. These people even talked like their goddess was actually present in their lives, not just some wizard sky-daddy that gave people commandments to live by and was never heard from again. He had to know if his hunch was correct.

"This Goddess, the Light Mother, is she here, on earth?" Dan asked, feeling foolish but wanting the answer too badly to care how he came off.

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"She is." Erik answered.

The implications of that answer crashed into Dan, pushing all preconceived notions of what or who God was right out of his head. A goddess, the Goddess existed. Really existed. On this earth.

"So, you said earlier that you're heading north, how far are you going?" He asked, probing for answers to the connections and ideas sprouting in his mind.

"Far." Erik said flatly. "We'll try to make it all the way to the snow forest, to the Light Mother herself, but we may not have enough time. If that ends up being the case, we'll make for the village of Evergreen."

"Where is that?" Dan asked.

"Hidden near the sea."

Dan waited for Erik to elaborate, but the silent set of his jaw and shoulders spoke so loud, Dan knew the other man would say no more about it. He opened his mouth to press the issue a bit when what Erik had said a moment ago finally sank in. "Wait, the Light Mother is in the Snow Forest?"

It was Alma who answered, her voice dreamy and light. "She is. Flesh and bone and light. She lives and breathes, just as we all do."

Dan's felt as if the very air had been sucked from his chest and he gaped in awe.

Alma continued, "There are a great many truths in this world that have been twisted to suit the needs of evil men. The tale of creation first among them. Stars willing, you may live long enough to learn them all. But that's a conversation for a later time. We need to get you home."

With their means of transportation solidified, Alma disappeared into the house to grab their supplies while Erik pulled Dan toward the basement. Most of the tension plaguing Dan's body eased as the flame haired woman disappeared from his sight and he breathed a ragged sigh of relief. Erik chuckled lightly and shook his head as he descended the wooden stairs ahead of Dan.

"Is it that obvious?" Dan asked, feeling slightly ashamed and still not fully understanding why his body was reacting to Alma's presence so strongly. He had absolutely no real desire for anyone but his beloved wife. She was a wonderful mother, beautiful, strong-willed and stubborn.

"If you're feeling bad about your feelings toward Alma right now, don't. Like I said earlier, it's part of her nature, her gift, if you could call it that. And with the remedy in your system, you are more aware of your body and its growing strength...as well as Alma's gift. You aren't going to feel so randy forever, I assure you. But, on the plus side, the physical changes you've gone through will be lasting."

They stepped off the stairs and entered the basement proper. Erik flicked on a flashlight.

"You're kidding me." Dan almost squeaked and Erik grinned over his shoulder at him, raising the flashlight to scan the room. "Like a permanent age reset?"

Erik nodded silently before continuing deeper into the basement.

Dan reeled at the thought. How was all this happening? "Care to elaborate?"

"Consider it a gift of The Light. And if you make it out of what's to come still breathing, you'll eventually learn all you need to know."

Dan shrugged and let the matter lie following Erik deeper into the basement. It was dank and musty, all the contents covered in a layer of fine dust, but despite the dust, the space was orderly and dry. Erik moved to a large crate, covered in a dusty cloth.

"Help me move this." Together they lifted it and placed it in the middle of the room, beside an old weight bench, metal clanked on metal.

"Golf clubs?" Dan raised an eyebrow.

"Far from it, friend." Erik lifted the dirty cloth to reveal a long sword, a pair of short swords and a recurve bow with quiver and arrows.

"Holy shit," Dan gaped. First miraculous healing and now weapons that looked like they were straight out of a fantasy movie. What was happening? Should he even ask? "Why not a big-ass gun?"

"Guns are almost useless against the spawn. The only way to kill them is brain trauma or beheading. When they're at their full strength, they heal too fast. Bullets won't even slow them down unless the caliber is big enough. Even then, unless you're lucky enough to get a headshot, they won't die. Getting in close, lopping off limbs, that's the best way to cripple them. Then," He made a quick swiping motion with his arm, "off with their heads. Or, if you're good with a bow, you could put an arrow right through one of their beady little eyes."

"Are you telling me that the rest of our lives are going to be spent risking life and limb against those things?" Dan asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Erik nodded. "If you thought the daily grind and nine to five was harrowing, you're in for some brutal times, friend. Just surviving without all the comforts you're accustomed to is going to be a challenge."

Dan sighed. Just like his time in the sand box, except now, it was his family on the line, not just his own ass.

A thoughtful look crossed Erik's face, "Unless you can get your family back up here. This is the only outpost within a hundred-mile radius. You'd be isolated but completely safe under the light dome. Our family has existed here for generations, so it's possible to survive here, even for you, but it would be a hard life, though not so hard as it would be without the protection of the dome."

Dan mulled the idea over in his mind. What lengths would he go to? He would literally suck shit through a straw to keep them safe if that's what it took. He supposed that he would have plenty of time to mull over their situation later, but for now, he needed to focus on getting back to his family. He was pulled away from his thoughts by a feminine shout.

"Ok, guys, are we ready?" Alma called down the basement stairs.

"Just about." Erik called back to her as he strapped on his sword belt and slung the bow and quiver over his shoulder. He reached deeper into the crate and removed a matched pair of sheathed daggers, one rested in a cross-body chest scabbard, the other sat in a belt designed to carry the wicked blade at the back of the waist. The hilts shone even in the dim light of the basement, the craftsmanship like nothing Dan had ever seen. He handed them to Dan. "My gift to you, friend. It isn't much, but they're a far sight better than that crude steel blade you had."

"You've got that right." Dan accepted the daggers with a reverent nod and Erik turned to leave.

"Wait, we should leave something for Amber." Dan said.

Erik looked at him, eyes studying. Several heartbeats later he finally said, "She can have the whole store. I'll leave a window unlocked."

Dan nodded and Erik turned to go but Dan paused in following him. He should give Amber some sign that he'd made it out, even if it was foolish to hope for such a thing. Even if she was already dead. He had to do something. Turning quickly, he used his finger to write in the dust covered vinyl of the weight bench.

Be safe, girl. I'm sorry.

He gave the basement one last look before stepping out of the life he'd once known, and into the new, strange world he'd found himself in.