Excerpts from Quiet Freedom

Chapters 12, 29, 30

“Tambora is on a little island in Indonesia. It erupted in 1815 and to date is the largest eruption in recorded history. It spread gases like sulfur dioxide way up in the stratosphere, the upper layer of our atmosphere. The gas was so dense that it blocked about 20% of the solar radiation, heat, that would otherwise reach Earth. Its effects lasted for a few years.”

    “What happened?”

    “It caused poor harvests, food shortages, and crazy weather across many parts of the globe. Europe and the Northeastern US were hit hard. The worst year was called – the year without summer. Thousands of people died from starvation. An interesting thing I learned is that this period of time was when dark stories such as Frankenstein and Vampyre were written.”

    “Vampire?”

    “Vampyre was a novel written by John Polidori, it was the inspiration and spark for how people view vampires today in fiction.”

    “You should go into Hollywood,” Amanda teased.

    “I never get tired of watching Vampire movies and what happens to them because of their lust for immortality.”

    Amanda’s concentration was distracted by a handsome gentleman walking past their area. “I’m sorry, what did you say again about vampires?”

    “I said I never get tired of watching Vampires and the trials and tribulations they go through because of their lust for immortality.”

    “Lust for immortality?”

    “You know, they have to constantly suck blood and they can’t come out in the daylight because they will burn up when exposed to the sun.”

    “Yeah, burn up in the sun.”

    “Their trade off for immortality is a life of darkness and evil.”

    Amanda paused for a moment, realizing that she never got past the blood sucking to realize the true intent of the story.

    “We might all get to be stars in the film before too long. I think a lot of us already are vampires.”

    “Already vampires?”

    “Just look at all the super-sized houses, super-sized bodies, and all the big cars with their tinted windows. They’re like moving coffins.”

    “Moving coffins?”

    “Maybe my language is a bit strong, but the square look is in.”

    She thought about the latest ‘in’ cars. They were very boxy.

    “Maybe it will only be when we have our backs against the wall, when enough people see the errors in their ways. Or when knowledge and courage triumph over hope and fear.”

    “Hope and fear?”

    “Fear makes people hope. And we both know what springs eternal for better days ahead.”