The Pale Horse Cometh

The Pale Horse Cometh

Chapter 1: The Beginning of Sorrows

Ezekiel tightened the straps of his emergency backpack, muttering a prayer under his breath. "The Lord is my shepherd," he whispered, glancing at the flickering TV screen. The news anchor's strained voice reported yet another wave of violence linked to a mysterious virus sweeping across the southeastern United States. Symptoms included slurred speech, violent tendencies, and a chilling hunger that left victims unrecognizable.

Ezekiel’s faith had always been his anchor. A devout Christian, he viewed the escalating chaos through the lens of prophecy. "This isn’t just another plague," he told his wife, Ruth. "It’s a sign. The beginning of sorrows."

Ruth nodded, her eyes wide with fear but steadfast in faith. "What do we do?" she asked.

"We prepare," Ezekiel said, holding up a tattered Bible. "We trust God, but we’re also called to be wise stewards."

Chapter 2: The Collapse

Within days, their small North Carolina town descended into chaos. Ezekiel and Ruth’s home became a refuge for neighbors seeking guidance. They shared supplies and scriptures, Ezekiel reading from Matthew 24:7: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."

The virus spread with terrifying speed, overwhelming hospitals and turning neighborhoods into battlegrounds. The government declared martial law, urging citizens to shelter in place and await a vaccine. But Ezekiel wasn’t convinced. "This isn’t something science can solve," he told Ruth. "We’re fighting a spiritual battle."

Chapter 3: The Safe Zone

When local authorities announced the establishment of a safe zone at Lee Elementary School, Ezekiel reluctantly agreed to take his family. "We’ll go," he told Ruth, "but our faith stays with us. No matter what we see, we trust in God’s plan."

The journey to the school was harrowing. Their car narrowly avoided hordes of the infected—"zombies," as the media had begun to call them. Ruth clutched a cross, whispering Psalm 91:10: "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."

At the safe zone, the atmosphere was tense. Military personnel enforced strict quarantine protocols, and whispers of vaccine trials filled the air. Ezekiel’s unease grew. "They’re putting their trust in man," he said, watching people line up for injections. "Our hope comes from the Lord."

Chapter 4: The Unraveling

Despite the vaccine’s rollout, the virus continued to mutate. Reports surfaced of vaccinated individuals succumbing to the infection, their transformations even more grotesque. Fear gripped the camp as supplies dwindled and tensions flared.

Ezekiel began holding nightly prayer meetings, drawing a small but devoted group. "This is not the end," he assured them, quoting Revelation 6:8: "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him."

Chapter 5: The Great Tribulation

One night, the sky turned a sickly red. The infected breached the safe zone’s perimeter, and chaos erupted. Ezekiel led Ruth and a few others to an old storage room, barricading the door as screams echoed through the halls.

"This is it," Ezekiel said, clutching Ruth’s hand. "The Great Tribulation. The worst time in human history."

"But God is still with us," Ruth replied, her voice steady. "Even now."

In the darkness, Ezekiel prayed aloud, his voice rising above the din. "Lord, we place our lives in Your hands. Deliver us, as You delivered Daniel from the lions and Noah from the flood."

Epilogue: A New Dawn

When dawn broke, the world was unrecognizable. The infected had moved on, leaving the camp in ruins. Ezekiel and Ruth emerged, their faith unshaken.

"We’ve entered the final chapter," Ezekiel said, gazing at the horizon. "But we’re not alone."

Together, they set off, carrying their Bible and the hope of salvation, ready to face whatever came next.