Love, Truth, and Power — Alan Thomas

Life has a way of disappointing, humbling, and even humiliating you. If it hasn't happened yet, it's probably because you haven't lived long enough. None of us is immune to being hurt. Pain in all its forms does not discriminate. Eventually, it finds everyone ignoring the color of your skin, the condition of your soul or any other factor, whether real or imagined. Perhaps the only difference is how we respond when we find ourselves in the lowest and darkest places of our lives. What do we do when we are suddenly in an environment that only our greatest fears and worst nightmares could have conjured? For Poe Thorne, the response was simple. It was time to turn things around. Tired of being a victim, he vowed to create them instead. As a result, he felt a surge of power and control that, for now, compensated for his history of pain and misfortune. The citizens of Destiny were his chosen people. Like the lab rats of a mad scientist, he manipulated them for his personal experiments and entertainment. He provided the stimulus and wallowed in pleasure as he watched the predictable responses. No one enjoyed living in Destiny. Even the children could sense the fear that surrounded them. The people of Destiny merely existed, knowing that defying someone called Mr. Cain would cause an unspeakable personal tragedy. What is the actual source of evil in Destiny? Are Poe Thorne and Mr. Cain the same person? Will the people of Destiny find a way out or is this as good as it gets, the new normal? Could there possibly be a way for them to find hope, let alone a solution to free them from their bondage?