Epoch by Timothy Carter Read Free Book Online Page B

school project on the end of the world for our science fair,” Vincent told him, “and my parents’ church has been telling us we’re in the Last Days ever since I was born. I’m sorry, Nod, but the end of the world isn’t that big of a shock.”
    “Wow,” Clara said, turning to her companion. “And you say our lives are depressing.”
    “I do not,” Nod said. “Well, sometimes.”
    “So, how’s it going to end?” Vincent asked. “Nuclear war? An asteroid impact? Ice age? Killer bees?”
    “Worse,” Nod said. “Demons.”
    “Demons?” Vincent said, the old dread returning. “They actually exist?”
    “Not the way you’re probably thinking,” Nod said. “For one thing, they don’t use pitchforks. They don’t need them.”
    “And they’re not from Hell,” Clara added. “They’re part of a natural cleansing process of the Earth.”
    “Say what?” Vincent said.
    “Their purpose,” Clara explained, “is to destroy the dominant species whose epoch has passed. It’s the only way to prepare the world for the next species.”
    “You do not want to be stuck behind when the demons come,” Nod said. “You see, kid, every few thousand years or so the planet needs to rejuvenate itself. Have a fresh start. The demons are part of that process. So are the Portal Sites. First you’ll get some earthquakes, then some really bad weather, then volcanoes, and then the portals close and the demons come out. It’s all about clearing the dominant species off the planet.”
    “Clearing off … ” Vincent said. “You mean a bunch of demons are gonna come to wipe out all humanity?”
    “That’s about the size of it, yep,” Nod replied.

The fact that Vincent did not sleep had nothing to do with the cold concrete floor. His mind reeled with the information he’d been given, alternating between terror and fascination.
    The pixies had stayed an extra hour, during which they’d filled in a few gaps. Specifically, they’d told Vincent about the Portal Sites.
    The near future wasn’t all bleak. Portal Sites, the pixies explained, were humanity’s ticket off the doomed planet.
    “When each epoch comes to an end,” Nod said, “portals appear at certain sites all over the planet. The creatures who make up that epoch’s dominant species are called psychically to those sites, where they can walk through the portals and leave this world behind.”
    “Where do they go?” Vincent asked.
    “Don’t know,” Clara replied. “We missed our chance to find out. Which is not something I would recommend.”
    “The portals only stay open for a short time,” Nod told him. “Anyone left on the planet after they close is demon food.”
    “Right now, all of humanity should be stampeding toward the nearest gate,” Clara told him. “The fact that you aren’t means there’s something seriously wrong.”
    “How come you two didn’t get to a portal?” Vincent asked.
    “Well, there’s a fun story,” Nod said. “Basically, it was all because of the centaurs.”
    “You mentioned centaurs before,” Vincent said. “Who are they?”
    “Pains in the rear,” Nod said. “Thought they were better than any other species.”
    “They, like us, come from the last epoch,” Clara said. “When our time ended six thousand years ago, the centaurs refused to go.”
    “They thought the planet belonged to them,” Nod added, “and figured they were powerful enough to fight the demons off. Boy, were they wrong.”
    “Just a second,” Vincent said. “Are you telling me you are six thousand years old?”
    “Nine thousand, actually,” Nod said. “And Clara here is eight thousand, though she doesn’t look a day over a millennium.”
    “Thank you, Nod,” Clara said. “We have longer lifespans, Vincent. All creatures from our epoch do.”
    “Wow,” Vincent said. “So you were there, fighting the demons with the centaurs?”
    “Hell, no!” Nod said. “We wanted off-planet, same as every other species. Problem