Fleeing from Light

by E. Michael Mettille

They talk about a light, something you see when you come close enough to death that the journey to heaven or hell is a short stroll away. Some folks see this light as their doorway to paradise, oneness with their creator, an eternity of spiritual bliss. It is different for others. These poor souls are left traumatized with visions of burning and suffering, memories of dark figures dragging them off to hell amid the wild and pitiable howls of the damned. Regardless of how a soul comes away feeling about the event, some folks aren’t ready to go. They are free to meander slowly through whatever remains of their meaningless lives. Some folks are ready. It’s their time. Their journeys through their physical existences are complete. These poor souls are hunted, not by some demons aching to dig their claws into flesh and drag souls to hell. That part is all in their heads. Bale Lance hunts them, and where he takes them might be worse than anything they could dream up.

Bale made a bad deal a couple of thousand years ago at a dark time in his life. Everything had been perfect, and then it was almost all ripped away. Out of desperation, he made a deal with the devil. At least, that’s what he thought. He didn’t sell his soul to the lord of the underworld. He sold his daughter’s soul to Orwell Durr, a cat who is as close to the concept of god Bale has found so far. He’s been a hunter ever since. Taking a measly few years off his daughter’s sentence for every mark he brings in.

Everything changes when Orwell locates a soul he’s been wanting for millennia. That soul represents the biggest case—and the biggest risk—Bale has ever taken. If he succeeds his daughter’s soul is free. Maybe they could find some kind of normalcy in a couple of lives which have been anything but that. If he fails… Well, he’d probably rather not think about that. She’d be lost to him forever. There would be no reason for him to exist.

The mark for this big case resides in Perver City, hell if you’re keeping score, but it ain’t what you think. Orwell sells the City of Gold as total spiritual bliss. Buy it or don’t, that’s the pitch. Perver City isn’t quite the opposite of that. There is no fire, burning, or suffering. That place is total physical bliss. Any pleasure you can imagine with no consequences. It sounds great, but for Bale it represents a whole pack of distractions that might be too enticing to avoid. Hopefully, he’s stronger than whatever that place throws at him. His daughter’s soul depends on it.

Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

E. Michael Mettille is the author of the Lake of Dragons series, Fleeing from Light, and Hell and the Hunger (as Mike Reynolds). He has also written numerous short stories and poems. Mike has spent the last thirty years in direct marketing, print, and communication. He is fascinated by history, belief systems, the human condition and how all of those things work together to define who we are as a people. The world is a wonder and, based on the history of us, it is a wonder we have a world left to wonder about. Mike lives in Franklin, WI with his wife, Shelia, and their four dogs, Ziggy Stardust, Lady Stardust, Major Tom, and Bowie, The Spiders from Mars.

Reviews

[Michelle Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!

What a fun read. I love books like this that are so creative. Our original reality is called Potentiality 0, and all other dimensions are offshoots of Potentiality 0. One world has werewolves, one has giants, one has vampires, and so on to infinity. The main character, Bale, is a collector of souls for Orwell, a god who is keeping his daughter hostage until he collects enough souls to fill his contract and get her back. It is a wild ride with angels, demons, and other creatures fighting to save souls. It's a wild ride, sometimes a little grotesque, but a good read.

[Teege Mettille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fleeing from Light was such a fun twist on the genre. I particularly enjoyed the cage scene ... that one little moment left me thinking a lot about ethics and morality. A feat tucked in the middle of this fast-paced, intriguing plot.