Dear Reader;
 

     I would like to take this opportunity to explain how this book came into existence.  After I was finished with my first novel, A Solitary Stone, I asked my husband if it was a movie what rating would he give it?  He said low PG-13.  I was a little disappointed by this, so when I was writing my first romance novel, Save Haven, I was shooting for an R rating.  When my husband was finished reading it, he informed me it was purely PG-13.  This again disappointed me.  My husband informed me that all of my books were wonderful and that he greatly enjoyed reading them, but he just didn't think I had the kind of personality capable of writing an R-rated book.  Needless to say, challenge accepted.  So when I sat down to write the post apocalyptic story I had in mind, Second Age of Darkness, I was determined to prove my husband wrong like any stubborn female.   I succeeded.  On my husband's rating scale, he rates it NC-17.  But I would also like to let you know, that it is not my normal type of story.  It was written for a purpose for which it succeeded.  Though the story is excellent, it is incredibly dark.  I think by the end of chapter 1, you will have a very good idea of how dark it is.  If some of chapter 1 is too much for you, I highly recommend you not go any further.  Now, all of that having been said, consider yourself warned and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
 

Yours respectfully,

Diane E. Lindmark

                                                                Prologue

 

     "The beginning of the end began February 18, 2066.  Though we remember the day it all began; who actually started it, no one remembers.  I guess it's not important anymore, since none of those countries exist anymore.  One country attacked another.  They retaliated.  A third-party got hurt in the process, so they retaliated, and before anyone knew what had happened, the world's governments had each used their biggest and their most deadly weapons.  For some countries, that was nuclear weapons.  Though, of course, I don't know what that is, but I do know that they were bad and they damaged the earth … Some countries used chemicals that only kill the inhabitants, but left the structures intact.  Others used napalm; that I do know what it is, it's a kind of chemical fire that burned everything it came in contact with without mercy.  This horrible, horrible war that consumed the whole world raged for more than twelve long years and it finally came to an end; not because anyone won, but because everyone lost.  Our governments, they no longer had soldiers to send to attack, no longer had weapons to use.  Just out of the blue on July 11, 2078, the fighting stopped; though the fight for survival was only beginning.  So much of the ground was damaged, it was very difficult to grow crops."  Lorna squeezed her son tightly against her.  "And as you know, what our governments did to the air and the soil did not just make it difficult to grow plants, but also have children.  Many people found themselves unable to produce children.  Many children were born with problems; others were born …" Lorna leaned down and caressed her son's cheek "… special.  That is why when your ancestor found this place where the soil was still relatively undamaged and the air was fresher and cleaner; he decided that our people needed to stay here.  Those who chose to follow him settled down and started building a new life for all of us here.  And as you know, it's only been now in the past fifty years or so that our harvests have been more plentiful; and that is why, my sweet, sweet bairn, when you are King, you must be a better King than those of old.  You must take care of and protect your people as your ancestors have done before you."