Desolation Nexus
Written By: Lance J. Gosnell
Anthony Kaufman wiped the grease from his calloused hands and sighed. Another long day fixing transmissions and replacing mufflers at his auto shop in small-town Ohio. He locked up for the night, eager to get home to his wife and kids.
As he pulled into the driveway, he noticed his sister Natalia’s car parked outside. Strange, he thought, Natalia was supposed to be in Russia for a few more weeks. Anthony walked inside to find Natalia sitting silently on the couch, clasping a large golden necklace hanging around her neck.
“Nat, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Russia,” Anthony said. Natalia looked up at him with a vacant stare. “Russia…yes, I was in Russia…” she muttered. Anthony sat down next to her with concern. “What’s going on? Why are you back so soon?”
Natalia grasped the necklace tighter. “This necklace, it holds such power. I must keep it safe.” Anthony looked closer at the intricate necklace, which seemed to almost glow and pulse with a strange energy. He had never seen anything like it.
“Power? What do you mean? Natalia, you’re not making any sense,” Anthony said, growing more worried. Natalia suddenly became animated and gripped his arm forcefully. “Don’t you see? This necklace contains the essence of Rasputin! His power flows through me now. I must spread his influence.”
Anthony reeled back in shock. Rasputin? The mad monk of Russia who somehow just wouldn’t die? He thought it was just myth, but the wild look in his sister’s eyes told him something was very wrong.
Over the next few days, Natalia grew more withdrawn and paranoid, spending hours in a trance-like state clutching the necklace. Anthony knew he had to learn more about this jewelry and its connection to Rasputin.
His search led him to Dr. Elena Petrova, a Russian historian living in the States. Elena confirmed his worst fears: the necklace did indeed contain a fragment of Rasputin’s dark essence. Somehow his followers had resurrected him through it, and he was using Natalia to channel his manipulative powers and sow discord.
“If Rasputin extends his reach, the consequences could be catastrophic,” Elena warned. “You and your sister are our only hope of stopping him.”
Anthony struggled to wrap his mind around Elena’s revelations, but he knew he had to rescue his sister from Rasputin’s clutches. As Elena researched a way to destroy the necklace, Anthony worked tirelessly to break its hypnotic spell over Natalia.
After weeks of effort, Anthony finally got through to his sister. As if waking from a nightmare, Natalia released the necklace and collapsed into her brother’s arms, horrified by what she had almost become.
“I’m so sorry, Anthony. His whispers were everywhere, driving me to madness,” she cried.
“It’s okay, Nat. We’ll stop him together,” Anthony reassured.
Elena had discovered an ancient ritual that could banish Rasputin’s essence back to the depths. She met Anthony and Natalia in Moscow beneath the ruins of an old church. The three of them joined hands, chanting the ritual’s words as Elena burned sage and candles around the necklace.
Suddenly, a violent wind whipped through the ruins, extinguishing the candles. Rasputin’s maniacal laugh echoed around them as an unnatural darkness engulfed the church.
“You fools think you can banish me so easily?” Rasputin’s disembodied voice sneered. “I am beyond your pathetic rituals. Natalia was merely the first to fall under my sway!”
Shadowy tendrils emerged from the necklace, shooting toward the three. Rasputin’s influence was spreading, just as Elena predicted. Anthony’s hands trembled, but he squeezed them tighter, steeling his nerves.
“Your lies end here, Rasputin,” Anthony shouted over the wind. “You have no power over us!”
He ripped the necklace from the ground and smashed it with all his strength. An unearthly howl filled the church as brilliant light burst from the shattered pendant, dissolving the darkness.
When the dust settled, Rasputin’s essence had vanished. Natalia embraced her brother, tears of joy in her eyes. “Anthony, you did it! Your love and courage saved us.”
Elena placed a hand on his shoulder. “Because of you both, the world is safe from Rasputin’s manipulation.”
As they left the church, the first rays of dawn peeked over Moscow’s skyline. Anthony took a deep breath, grateful for the light after so much darkness. He may have been just a simple mechanic, but sometimes, unsung heroes can make all the difference.
Lance J. Gosnell 