Gaia's Orphans :: More Details

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Gaia's Orphans

THEMES
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Gaia's Orphans explores many social, ecological, and spiritual themes by weaving strands of symbolism and metaphor throughout the entire story. As our reluctant hero walks among Zombies, Vampires, Trolls, Demons, and Stones, timeless questions of power and meaning emerge naturally in the context of his experiences. Rather than being coarse or didactic in nature, this backdrop of deep thematic elements serves to further the development of character, plot, and setting. These diverse aspects of Gaia's Orphans come together to create a rich mythic narrative that finds hope and humanity where both are least expected.

EXERPTS
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“ELOI! ELOI! LAMA SABACHTANI!”
The words screamed through his flesh like a wave of black fire flashing through dry kindling. The language was foreign to him, but he could feel the echo of the scream’s meaning burning in every cell of his body. For a moment, he was lost in mortal terror, unable to put a name to the experience that had just shattered everything he thought he had known. Finally, the moment passed, and he found the only word to describe his new reality.
Forsaken.
...
It occurred to him that something was definitely amiss. The parking lot was much larger than he had first realized. He saw a few smooth curves on the otherwise burnt, stripped, and crushed vehicles, evoking the memory of a similar parking lot filled with bright, shiny new cars zooming and buzzing beneath the crisp fluorescent lights. But what was once a hub of automotive activity had somehow been reduced to a silent auto graveyard.
Graveyard? The mere thought of the word sent a chill through his spine. As he strained his eyes to peer through the thick fog, he noticed the ruins of a building in the distance. Only part of the building was still standing, with the remnants of the blue and gray face of the storefront covered in gaping pockmarks and splashes of black slime. A string of bright white letters spelling out the words “Wal-Mart” was stained with spatters of crimson and grey. Lying at the base of this broken behemoth were scattered piles of debris – shards of concrete and steel, scattered bits of merchandise, and a few other heaps of odds and ends that had been mangled beyond all recognition.

...
The circle of pavement, which was dotted at regular intervals with small buildings, surrounded a man-made river. Together, the river and pavement formed two concentric rings around a field of grass, trees, and water that was about a mile in diameter. He noticed that the fog that had engulfed him for as long as he could remember didn’t penetrate the boundaries of this ring. Instead, it faded away in the space between the pavement and the river, leaving a large sphere of clarity inside of the circle.
"Peace, Salaam, Shalom… Peace, Salaam, Shalom… Peace, Salaam, Shalom… Peace, Salaam, Shalom…"
Ted noticed that the song was coming from a chorus of a hundred zombies floating above the river. They were dressed in snow white robes, all of which were fraying at the ends and splattered with occassional spots of grey and crimson. Their arms were stretched high overhead, and their faces looked up to the heavens with empty eye sockets. Even though Ted could hear their physical voices now, the harmony of this chorus still echoed more strongly than ever in the cathedral of his mind.

CHARACTERS
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Ever since the End, the streets of Chicago and its suburbs have been filled with the walking dead. However, not all ghouls are created equal. The following is a list of five general types of restless undead that have been seen wandering through the fog.

Zombies are ghouls who seem more dead than alive. They have shattered bodies, torn clothing, and difficulty walking or speaking. Their slow gait and spacey demeanor may make them seem harmless, but some will go into a rage when threatened or startled.
Vampires thirst for the blood and energy of others. They tend to have a lean and hungry look, and can achieve great physical feats when hunting their prey or drunk on the blood of a fresh kill.
Trolls are brutish creatures with pale green skin and thick, heavy bodies. They tend to travel in groups and are seldom seen outside of their stronghold in the southwest suburbs.
Demons are fierce red-skinned beasts with the antlers and legs of a stag. They roam the streets of downtown Chicago in packs, hunting for food and fighting for territory.
Stones have cold marble flesh and incredible physical power. They are most often seen in the downtown area marching in large armored patrols, but smaller units and stray individuals have also been spotted in the suburbs.