Reckoning

Saga of I #3

by Kenneth W. Cain

"It's always interesting to read early work by someone like Richard Laymon, John Little, or Gord Rollo, because you are looking at an established star's apprentice efforts. Sometimes the work is rough, the writer obviously learning by doing, but the writing and story-line is always compelling. And like those mentioned, Kenneth W. Cain achieves that with his writing. Grab the series and catch a rising star's early efforts. You won't be sorry. Recommended."
--Gene O'Neill, THE CAL WILD CHRONICLES, and ENTANGLED SOUL with Chris Marrs

A stranger walks this land, unknown to even himself, but aware that he has not returned alone.

“Like the Walking Dead, but with aliens instead of zombies”

From out of the detritus and ruin of the Earth rises a familiar face. He knows not who he is, only what he will become should time expire. His journey in this post-apocalyptic world begins with questions, too many to list.

In another part of what was once the Untied States, an old hero has been laid to rest. Those who loved him and knew him well revere and cherish their friend. Among those people is an ever grumpy, surly man. This man will need to motivate Marty’s son, Jacob. This is where Jacob’s journey begins.

As Jacob travels across Pennsylvania, he is unaware of what dangers await him. Jacob has been trained by his father should the horrors of old ever return. But Jacob is not very confident in his ability to fight if he needs to. There are doubts, insecurities, and painful memories of lost loved ones.

Visiting his Aunt Sandy to relay the bad news, Jacob is confronted by atrocities he had not imagined. These creatures, formed in part out of a being from their past, are vampiric in nature. They feed on the blood of humans and creatures alike, spreading their disease and increasing their numbers. But that is only the beginning of what Jacob must face.

Somewhere among these mongrels are other creatures. One of these creatures, he knows well, having witnessed her this transformation. He fears having to face her wrath. The other is an unknown to Jacob. And although Jacob isn’t entirely positive, he does have his suspicions. Was his father right in preparing him? Is this who has returned, his father’s worst nightmare? These uncertainties are his alone to unravel.

In their darkest hour, Jacob must trust his instincts and join forces with the one evil he has been instructed to kill. Should he ignore his father’s teachings in order to overcome the other terrors that await him? Will he have the courage to fight back? Will it be enough? Or will it simply be too late?

Who of you will fight with Jacob as he protects everything we rebuilt? Prepare yourself. Only you can determine the future of the Earth.

200 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2012

About the author

Kenneth W. Cain first got the itch for storytelling during his formative years in the suburbs of Chicago, where he got to listen to his grandfather spin tales by the glow of a barrel fire. But it was a reading of Baba Yaga that grew his desire for dark fiction. Shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and One Step Beyond furthered that sense of wonder for the unknown, and he’s been writing ever since.

Cain is the author of The Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and the forthcoming Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Writing, reading, fine art, graphic design, and Cardinals baseball are but a few of his passions. Cain now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.