This is a story set in unholy times where machines were powered by steam and hearts was as the rotting wood on the wayside, before the cursed age of the knowledge of darkness which corrupted the hearts of men had become nothing but a myth and legend, a story told to children and a nightmare to the old.
Once a quiet and faithful night the world shifted on the fateful day of January 31st, 1815. A scientist noticed the emergence of something subtle and unknown called dark water. A mysterious substance that crawled up from the depths of the earth, its origins shrouded in mystery and veiled in the unknown. As the dark red inky liquid spread, it left an indelible mark on the world, altering the course of history and rewriting the rules of human physiology and reality. Nobody understood its properties or its purpose. Although it became the epicenter of a global phenomenon that would unravel secrets buried for centuries. In the wake of dark water's arrival, the people soon find out that dark water isn't just something that can make dreams into reality but will soon bring nightmares they fear to light.
On the day of June 16th, 1889, a group of slave owners in charge of mining dark water came across a cave brimming with it. A tall slim slave owner dressed in a black suit with a grim look on his face emerged from a fancy carriage smitten with red and gold. He looked at the desolate town with broken down houses in disgust as he ordered his soldiers. "Let them out of the carriages! But be sure to chain them first". The soldiers he traveled with did as he ordered with no hesitation letting out slaves while chaining them one by one until he came across a brown ragged haired 6-foot giant with a large tanned upper body and biceps and black hair with scars all over his body. As soon as the behemoth of a man exited the dusty carriage, the soldiers raised their weapons ready and aimed at this gentle giant he chuckled.
"Don't worry I don't bite". He put his hands forward to be chained. The soldier came towards him slowly trying not to shake despite his trembling as he put the large shackles on him. "See, it wasn't that hard was it?" he chuckles, "John Henry Brown, former lieutenant turned slave oh how the mighty, has fallen," the man in black mocked. "Julius Graham well haven't you grown" John replies with no hate in his voice, but with a tone of disappointment. "You know If you hadn't saved those commoners back then you and your family could have been on the other side of the whip rather than behind it with gravel" Julius replied in a disgustful manner. While Julius ridiculed John on his one-sided choices a boy in shackles came to his father John's side "Are you ok Leon? You didn't get scared, did you?" John looked down at his frail reflection of a son "No Dad I didn't" Leon said with a pout on his face. "Alright, alright enough line up" Julius ordered all slaves interrupting the father-son conversation. As they all lined up into roughly 650 he began speaking "Today all of you begin working for your freedom if you are in chains it means you are the lowest of low, trash, rubble" Julius took a moment to breathe before looking at John and continuing "dirt, but now you are given the chance to redeem yourself your job here is to mine for dark water " said Julius as he turned to the left pointing at the cave. "You all have been working for us for a while, if this last deposit of this substance is obtained then i assure you freedom will be right Infront of you" as soon as the slaves heard this they replied in a bit of a cheerful manner "
" Alright shut up we start in the morning so head to your stay," Julius said in a mean manner walking off as the slaves were led to their wooden broken-down quarters.
As Leon and his father got inside they were greeted by two women "Well darling how are you holding up" John said to his black-haired wife named Jessica "I'm well darling but we need medicine for Sharlean" she said sadly as she looked down on her daughter with tears in her eyes. "It's going to be ok we just need this last job then we can get what we need," John said in a reassuring tone while hugging his wife. "Let's rest, we have work in the morning. Julius promised to take care of her while we are inside," he said tucking his kids in bed. "Tell me John do you think it is a good idea digging up dark water?" Jessica asked, john seemed a bit curious about the question and replied, "We have no other choice Jess it's the only way to ensure their future, and ours" Jessica a bit frustrated replied, "I know that John but I have a bad feeling about it, I mean we know nothing about what it can do". John contemplates what Jess says but reassures her "I hear you, but we have no choice but to press on don't worry I will ensure the kids are safe now sleep," he said tucking her into bed kissing her then lays beside her thinking on their talk before falling asleep.
As the morning sun crawled its way to the cloudy sky an alarm rang alerting the slaves that it was time for work "Wake up gravel! Time to get busy!" Julius ordered as all the slaves gathered up for their shackles and tools one by one. As they got to John he got a pickaxe that even 3 muscular soldiers struggled to carry, seeing this he chuckled to himself and lifted it seemingly with no effort as he headed in with his son and wife leaving the daughter to Julius's care. As they entered with the others they were greeted with a dark, sour aura that slapped them in the face. After they recovered using the flashlight they were all led to a wide area for them to mine. the slaves paused to analyze before getting ordered by the guards "Alright, get started". As so they did they dug for more than 12 hours straight every day for 3 weeks with no luck of finding dark water due to this both the slaves and the owners began to lose faith." John enough there is no dark water here it's no use" despite his fellow workers attempt to persuade him to stop he kept going until he finally hit rock bottom in which dark water started spilling out. Those who witnessed carried John aside scooped the dark water and kept digging. Over a week they gathered several tanks 40 feet in size full of dark water both sides of the whip were happy for the result, but little did they know that the dark water was about to twist their minds. During a day of work a tanned slim man was carrying a bucket of dark water as he walked, he saw images of his dead mother saying "Son" Hearing and seeing what he did began to break down crying "Mother?" he said with tears forming in his eyes "yes son it is me" she said reassuringly. "But how am i able to see you after you?" he said with rivers of tears sliding down his face "The dark water you need release it all, please" Hearing this he went to the storage container which has multiple tools in which he only wanted one. As he went in he took up of dynamite and went towards the mine "Hey, hey stop!" the soldier warned him but he didn't listen knocking the soldier out of the way and placing it on the mine crack. As the soldier saw what was happening, he shot the man but accidentally ignited the dynamite. Due to this, the cracks opened as the dark water started flooding the entire tunnel with the rage of a . When the slaves saw this, they dropped everything and ran bumping into Leon causing him to break his left ankle. John ran to his son picked him up and dashed to the outside of the carve knocking any and everyone else out the way. As he arrived he saw his family next to Julius who arrived to see the commotion "I'm going to go back in ok? I will be back" John yelled as he dashed in to help, Julius however , who feared his own safety, took his gun and fired at the rope to seal the entrance with boulders. "Wait Leon!" his mother exclaimed, calling out for Leon as he dashed in to help his father but got sealed in "Leon!" his mother ran with a bloodcurdling scream calling her husband and son's names as she helplessly tried to clear the way, but the boulders were too heavy to move. As Leon got up from the collapse his eyes widened as he saw his father's lower body covered by rocks, "Leon! what are you doing here!" His father yelled as Leon limped to him as he trying to free John. as the water rushed towards them both John embraced his son a final time. "Hold your breath Leon" he cried as the dark water enveloped them both John seeing Leon lose consciousness overtime took his mighty pickaxe and tried digging into the boulders that sealed them in but lost breath as he gave up and decided to embrace his son one last time, as soon as his skin started to harden "please God if you can only save one save him not me " he prayed as his consciousness began to fade.