Dark Years [2]

 A certain occult scientist stands on the border of reality and madness, casually biting into a chicken salad sandwich, meticulously crafted on a croissant with 24 month aged sharp New England cheddar.  This is quite notable since the actual geographical location is "somewhere in South Africa."   Zeph Tacool stared into the void marble for a moment, sitting down the sandwich and it's plate casually on the ground.  A young Brazilian woman in traditional nun looking attire approached him from behind, standing next to him she tugged on his sleeve.  'God help us, what can we do?'  The doctor simply shook his head and looked to her "If God had anything to do with this, I fear for our longevity."

Void Marbles are the non technical terms for these reality aberrations. Dr. Tacool was the foremost researcher and opinion on these phenomena recently forming at unset intervals around the world.  His recent findings substantiate a claim that these voids are actual causality singularities.  This is an attempt to rectify the apparent invulnerability to change in any fashion exhibited by the exterior of these spheres. Still this doesn't actual explain much within their overall mystery.  People are eager to devour any information at all about these mysterious spheres that have shaken society. In his earlier dissertation to the South American Scientific Council and press, he went on to illustrate how radioactive samples monitored within a void zone previous to expansion showed no signs of decay for a period which is believed to be the "void expansion."

This has served as anecdotal evidence to stave off black hole theorists and provide some sort of scientific feedback to combat the religious zealotry that has sprung from these events. Still the crackpot theories and conspiracies multiply every day as these black spheres stand as monoliths across civilizations and cultures. There has yet to be a witness for one of these events unfolding, all satellite and video feedback simply have the spheres popping into existence with a sudden snap. The most advanced surveillance equipment detected for approximately one second before voids are summoned, there is abnormally low light levels in areas affected.   Currently all voids [5] can be measured at 666 meters of volume in perfect spherical configuration.  Doctor Tacool claims this is merely coincidence based on relative material, pending additional data analysis.

There is no correlation of timing, victim or locational geography for the site of all five of the voids either, aside from the fact that all of them have considerable victims.    The first was in a populated mall on Christmas Eve in the United States. News of this phenomena would spread like wildfire immediately, with national coverage within the hour. The US National Guard would be the first to officially respond, sanctioning off the area and removing personnel.

Dark Years [1]

             And there he sat, sipping his frozen coffee slurpee holding a bag of holiday cards within the main concourse of the run down mall.  The softness of a department store couch did little to curb the overwhelming pressure. Truly this was rock bottom and a rut of society, watching two grown men fist fight over the last Furby. Ending with a deadly strike with a ceramic lamp on display, it proved to be  quite horrific. Phased little by the transgression, it served as a bit of amusement on his way out.
            He finished the coffee beverage with a audible groan, if only there was a bit more of it left he could delay the inevitable here.   One of the salesmen walked up to the man sitting on the couch in an attempt to sell him the furniture he was lounging on. Not really listening to what he had to say or answering his questions on how he liked it, he read off his name tag. "Todd, the couch isn't important. What is important is that you seem like a well mannered man. So this capricious soul here will give you a Christmas present.  Close your eyes and imagine somewhere that is not here, if you close your eyes and believe me, you'll be there." The salesman mid sentence blinked as he was interjected, shaking his head in confusion and disbelief. Still the young man on the couch insisted he did not have much time and that he should go along with what he was saying. So Todd closed his eyes and he imagined being home with his grandmother, eating holiday dinner with her and her two dogs Andy and Lucky.  Todd disappeared, falling on a familiar couch suddenly with his face being licked back and forth.
          The young man pulled out a small spherical device from the pocket of his hoodie and everything within a 666 yard distance turned to black. He had activated the hyper-capacitor and the soul singularity catalyst had been activated.  It just felt like the time was right for this. The matter/anti-mater reactions annihilated everything within the mall and its parking lot and all that remained was a pulsating black sphere that seemed metallic and solid on the outside. It devoured light within short ranges like a plague, sucking in the beams in grotesque and aggressive manner.   This was the first of the "voids" to be born ... and the start of everyone's dark year.