As I mentioned earlier, my father left me a bundle of papers when he died. Aside from the Diary of A. Denson, there were a number of handwritten receipts, some old postcards, clipped newspaper articles, obituaries, and a handful of loose photographs. The majority of these had no date or identifying information. One picture however was wrapped in a letter that had been folded and unfolded so many times that it fell to pieces when I opened it. The photo showed a young cadet standing at-ease.
“Isabel my darling, I wish you the best that life can bring. I cannot however remain to live it with you. The summons cannot be refused. I will always cherish my time at Bellingham. Give my love to Joseph and remember all that I’ve told you. If you should fear or want for anything, contact E. in Norfolk. He will know what to do. The struggle against Tenebris transcends all else; God preserve us. Yours until we meet again, Asa”
I searched through the bundle again, but the letter’s envelope was missing and with it any address, stamps, or post dates. While looking for answers, I had only stumbled onto more questions. Who was Isabel? Were Asa and A. Denson the same person? Was the photograph taken long before the letter was written, and if so why would Asa have taken it with him? What was Tenebris? Who summoned him?
I opened the diary again and compared the handwriting; it looked identical. The photo of the uniformed man postdated the Civil War by decades, yet young Asa appeared to be in his prime. How was this possible? Could he have been a son, a grandson? Could the diary have been handed down within the family? I decided to look deeper.