Portals of Seraphim

Official account for the future middle grade sci-fi book series, the Portals of Seraphim!

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

The vessel would like to share something with you all:

"Hello everyone, author MW Clark here. I just wanted to let you all know that I have created a Substack, as X so far is a bit chaotic as far as sharing stories is concerned.

So I have uploaded Liam's tale in its entirety over there, available for free, so if you enjoyed his story so far be sure to sub so you don't miss out! I enjoyed writing this so much I have decided to continue his adventures, tentatively titled Liam of Nestworld. I'm sure fans of a certain visitor to Mars can appreciate the nod.

All future parts in Liam's journey will be available in full on Substack, while here on X you'll see only a preview of the action.

Finally, thank you to all who have read my short! I've never been able to break through into the trad world of publishing, let alone had anyone outside of friends and family read my work, so seeing even a dozen or so views on my writing is so cool to me.

I hope you'll continue to indulge me while I flesh out the universe of Portals. I feel I am in the most creative part of my life, and I have SO MUCH to share.

Stay tuned!

-MW Clark"

https://t.co/YZt7rd6CbQ

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

Such a great analysis. Not only for its takedown of the current entertainment climate we find ourselves in, but also for these two brilliant points :

“You must empathize with the character, who is a bit like you but not completely, to understand and convey what he's thinking, what it feels like for him to be where he is, and what he's likely to do.

And you must simultaneously empathize with the reader, who is a bit like you but not completely, and isn't there for you to observe, so you can present all of the above in a way that's interesting to him.”

That second part took me a really long time to understand, that empathy for the reader is as paramount, dare I say more so, as consideration for character or story. It’s all well and good if we mean only to write for ourselves and give no nevermind to any potential reader, but I believe a consideration for the reader himself is as equal a challenge in writing, if not the greatest, most rewarding challenge if we want to make this our 9-5.

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

@TolkienWonder Great book! I’m reading the trilogy for the first time, currently on perelandra. As a fellow Tolkien fan, and I don’t know if you’ve read this series before or not, but I definitely think you’ll appreciate it, especially his use of language. May Maleldil guard thee!

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

@thewolvenhour

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

The testimony concludes in part 3. Witness

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

The husks all froze in their place, their heads snapping heavenward in perfect, terrible unison, scanning the sky. 

It was quiet for several moments. 

There was nothing that Liam could discern, just a black and white canvas without a cloud. Yet a shadow spread over the land, and Liam saw it: an inky blemish swirling in the face of the sun. It appeared first as a speck caught in a whirlpool, soon breaking apart and leaving behind a trail of blackness. This blackness began expanding, threatening to blot out the entire sun. As it did so, the world was getting darker, and Liam became aware of a dull roar coming from somewhere deep within the ground, rising from his feet and up through his body. He felt his vision blur as another explosion erupted overhead. 

1/24

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

The second part of the testimony has been recovered. This discordant one must rest now.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The Sky was the Color of Television, Tuned to a Dead Channel (part 2 of 3)
by MW Clark

THUMP!

“What the crap was that?” Liam shouted.

A slow, deliberate drag across the rooftop shingles answered him. A chill shot up his forearms and to the back of his neck.

He stared at the ceiling, heart slamming against his ribs again, as the dragging paused—then resumed. It almost sounded to Liam like someone’s leg or ankle was broken and––
A flash of the black leg emerging from the TV filled Liam's mind.
“No way…” he whispered in disbelief as he tailed underneath the pained footfalls.
Finally, they stopped. Right above the bedroom window.
Liam’s heart sank.

1/37

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

He tried hanging on as long as he could but his hands were slick with his blood and it finally slid the rest of the way free, the gnarled end ripping a nice long slice into his palm.
He howled in pain and watched as one of the shapes hoisted the antenna high in triumph. It reveled in its mere seconds of victory before the mob turned on him and swarmed the poor fool.
The mass of creatures struggled and cried for a few brief moments before the whole group tumbled over the edge of the roof!

Before he could inspect the scene down below, the whole world around Liam erupted in the most bone-shattering wail he had ever heard, shaking the ground, the trees, the air itself.

Part 2 – END

Part 3 coming soon.

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

@JohnAPretorius1 Of course! Always happy to find a fellow Christian author

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

“What’s your name?��� Liam asked.

“Mine?” said the girl.

“Yes.”

She said nothing for a moment. “I can’t remember.”

A chill went through Liam’s body. Would there come a day he couldn’t remember his own name, either? Finally, that is when the weight of the situation fell on him, and he began to weep. Silently at first, but when the girl pulled his head into her shoulder he started to bawl. He thought of his stupid decision to connect that antenna cable, he silently cursed Mr. Stevens for teaching him about analog signal, and he despaired of his own curiousity. But in spite of all of that, in spite of where he was standing for he knew it was a cruel joke, he spoke aloud his one wish, a wish shared with all of the husks. 
Sobbing like a child, he cried into the nook of the girl’s neck the mantra of lonely children and husks everywhere–

“I want to go home!”

24/24

Greg Puciato- Fireflies

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

But he had not the time to make sense of it for the snow changed its behavior again. The stuff reversed course, coalescing into great, misty tendrils that raced toward a concentrated point in the sky: the black sun. And through the open wound it then came. The being the husks called Dasnix.

Before the final light went out, Liam saw a great swirling spiral where the tendrils of the debris met, coalescing themselves into a great funnel. This funnel then shot back down toward the earth. It looked like a tornado, and upon the earth a separate storm of the flakes was kicked up and rose to meet the funnel, but they never quite touched. And then he watched as the funnel lifted itself, prompting the surge of debris upon the ground to dissipate.

10/24

[Portals of Seraphim @Ask4Seraphim]

Liam looked down at his hand, seeing that it was still burning bright. The hum was gone, and the beads of white light in his veins coursed toward the lump, but he felt confident that would all change should that oak door come crashing down. 

“What should we do?” he asked the girl. 

She shook her head and said “We wait. There are too many.”

The rest of the husks remained silent aside from their quick, raspy breathing. Liam regarded them as helpless as newborn babies, and felt a newfound sense of responsibility toward them. Yes, they would wait, he decided. He would only act should anything come through that door. 

23/24