Dolan stumbled on a brick as he neared the edge of the crater that marked the first explosion in the valley of death. He did not know why he was in the valley, other than he felt drawn by a desire he could not explain. If an invisible hand were guiding him on this path, it would have been easier to understand. It was a mixture of emotions that pulled him to this site, feelings that forced themselves on his mind and body in an overwhelming tide.

Dropping to a knee, he looked over the edge of the enormous pit while bracing himself with his hands. No plants grew in the hole made by the explosion; nothing large at any rate, moss covered virtually every surface and had grown from the hole to claim the terrain of the valley floor. Roughly fifty yards in diameter, the crater was a scar on the earth that did not heal. Time should have at least filled the pit partially; instead, the hole was the same dimensions as the day it formed. Old foundations sagging into the hole were the only proof that this was once a building, that people once stood and died at this site.

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Frustration brewed over the rest of the melange that assaulted Dolan’s mind. He was missing something essential; something he needed to understand before the show. Dolan’s arms raised and hands entwined with his hair, the frustration so intense it was bitterly painful. He closed his eyes tight until red flowed in his vision and still nothing answered his desperation.

Staggering to his feet with his eyes still closed, Dolan backed away from the crater. Mercifully, the frustration subsided, but in the same breath, the other emotions grew in strength.

His eyes opened in bewilderment and Dolan backed away from the crater, then faced south. Slowly, he walked towards the bunkers and he understood part of what was happening. He was going to the second explosion. An unfamiliar emotion was taking the battlefront, shock.

Dolan was understanding. As his pace increased, he could only wonder if he would understand the message in its entirety, understand it enough to warn away the unwary.