BOOK EXCERPT

 The room behind them suddenly gave off a flash of blue light that illuminated the room for a fraction of a second. Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara instinctively dropped the shields on the ground with a loud clang. They crouched down into a defensive position waiting for the worst.
     Father O’Brian stood looking at them bewildered.
    They waited a few more seconds but still nothing happened. The two men stood back up a little confused.
     “I don’t understand,” said Dr. McNamara shaking his head. “I saw the flash of blue light from the other room but nothing has happened.”
     “I’m confused too,” said Dr. Ryan scratching his head.
   “Why? What happens after the flash of blue light?” asked Father O’Brian shrugging his shoulders.
​     He was standing just in front of the doorway to the soldier’s hall where the flash occurred.
     Suddenly something reached out and grabbed Father O’Brian by the ankles and pulled him into the dark room. As he fell, he put out his hands to catch his fall. His hand caught a piece of stone on the doorway which made a small cut in his hand.
     As he was dragged away, he left a trail of blood as he disappeared into the darkness.
​     The two men watched in horror as they heard the priest screaming as he was dragged into the next room. ​
     Dr. Ryan quickly reached down and grabbed a sword from the pouch and ran into the dark room with Dr. McNamara following right behind him.
​     The darkness in the room felt so thick that their headlamps seemed to barely give enough light to see a meter of the floor in front of them. They followed the trail of blood along the floor.

  About halfway through the room their lights shone on Father O’Brian. He was lying on the floor breathing heavily and trying to catch his breath. He appeared uninjured except for the cut on his hand.
  He quickly turned over and crawled over to Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara.
     “What - what was that?” he stammered as he got to his knees.
     “I’m not sure,” replied Dr. McNamara as he shone his headlamp on the priest.
     They heard a soft clicking sound out in the darkness not far from them. Their headlamps followed along the floor in sync as they raised their heads towards the sound. Their combined headlamps shone on a pair of bony feet and legs. As their lamps followed up the legs, they caught full view of a standing skeleton looking at them with a slightly tilted head.  ​
​     The skeleton raised a sword above his head and began clicking his teeth together as if he were trying to talk. They separated the lights of their headlamps to reveal about a dozen skeletons behind him all with swords raised. They too began clicking their teeth together as if trying to talk to each other.
     Father O’Brian quickly stood up and backed up behind the other two men.
     The group of skeletons slowly stepped forward towards the bright lights shining on them. 
     Dr. Ryan raised his sword to defend himself.
     Dr. McNamara looked frantically around himself for a sword or something he could use for defense. Then he remembered he had the pulse device on his belt. He punched the button.