They Were Born Upon Ashes Read Online Free PDF

the shango plant. He grabbed a few and handed them to Nick.
    “Now, Nick, another thing is that you will not remember anything which we have just spoken about when you are in the world within your mind,” said Andrew. “You won’t remember how you got there and you won’t question anything that is unusual. It will be as if you are in a dream state although everything will look and feel real. You won’t remember me or anyone else for that matter.”
    Nick nodded in acknowledgement and ate the leaves. He put his head back on the ground and slowly closed his eyes.
    “See you on the other side,” said Andrew.
    Nick slowly drifted into a state of nothingness; everything went black.
    ***
    Nick stood in a hallway. It extended down and connected to a large room at the end. Nick took steps towards the room. The room was spacious and grand. There was a golden throne sitting on top of a few stairs with a glass wall behind it that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The room was gigantic and had a beautiful white drapery sprung along the walls. It was empty and felt cold.
    This must be the king’s room my father taught me about. It’s truly beautiful. It almost feels like I have seen it before.
    Nick walked up to the golden throne. He walked around it and examined all of its finely crafted edges. A throne made wholly of gold with etchings of previous kings upon the armrest. Nick looked more closely and saw what looked like to be a knob on the top right of the throne. He pulled gently on it and it opened up like a door. A gust of wind rushed in as the throne opened up and Nick saw a dirt road through the throne.
    Can I fit in? It looks too small. I have to try.
    Nick put one leg in the throne. Next he put his head through. He took another step in with his other foot and stood up to behold a dirt road with thousands of trees on either side of him. He looked back only to find no door from which he came. Only the dirt road, which stretched for miles.
    Clouds were overhead and it was freezing. There were no sounds, no wildlife, only the slight echo of the wind as it brushed by Nick.
    He began to walk forward on the dirt road. He walked for miles and miles with no end in sight.
    He looked down at himself and noticed that he was wearing a black coat and black pants. He was equipped with a steel long sword.
    He heard a rustling of branches behind him.
    He looked back but no one was there.
    There were trees on both sides of the road with only slight movements from the wind.
    Probably was nothing. Keep walking.
    A few more steps and he heard another movement of branches, this time from the opposite side of the road.
    Nick stood still and placed his right hand on the handle of his sword.
    For a moment there was nothing. No wind and complete silence.
    The he heard a large boom and quickly turned his head to find a branch hurling towards his head. He ducked and the branch flew over him. The branch was still connected to the tree; it extended then retracted back to its rightful place.
    He looked around and discovered that the trees were alive, not how normal trees were alive, but actually intelligent beings that moved. Every branch of every tree was moving up, down, and side to side.
    Nick pulled out his sword.
    A tree to his right fully extended. Every branch on it came hurling towards Nick like some sort of freakish octopus like animal. Nick swung his sword at as many branches as he possibly could, but it was no use. There were hundreds of branches and he felt the sting of them as they broke through his defense.
    Branch after branch left cuts and lacerations all over Nick’s body.
    The branches retracted and went back to the trees the way a child runs back to its parents.
    Nick took a moment to look down the road and at his surroundings. An endless road and countless trees thirsting for his blood.
    Nick started to run down the road. The trees reacted to his movement. With each consecutive step he took the trees in front of him began