A Novel in Progress · Jacob Clifton

Oldie
The world didn’t end. It shattered — and that’s not the end. It’s always ending and being born.
What’s left of America’s west coast, as far as we know, is the Chain: seven islands held together by ancient relics and a family of seven immortal beings called Dreamers who have guided humanity through the wreckage for centuries. But on a quiet morning on the Arizona Coast, the candles go out. The family is snuffed out — all of them, all at once.
When they wake up on the pale sands of a strange beach, they’re reborn. But hollow. They’ve forgotten their names, their powers, the fact that they were ever a family. Now they have to find the seven Aces to unlock their memories and stop whatever is hunting them — before the Chain falls apart for good.
A story about the weight of forever, the cost of being a hero, and the trauma we inherit from our past selves.
The story so far
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Prelude – Holder Stone
For the next hour, Holder thought, I am the only Dreamer in the world. And the…
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Chapter One: The Gathering
Part One of Oldie. The pale beach outside Port Yuma. Seven Dreamers waking up scattered and…
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Chapter Two: The Price
In truth, she learned later, the Witches had been on watch for something like them, showing…
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Chapter Three: The Dragon
Holder had been thinking about something. “This test. It’s not really a test to see if…
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Chapter Four: The Test
Unaffiliated novitiates crowded off the train car behind the group: a clutch of Daughters of the…
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Chapter Five: The Eagle
The Covens didn’t travel in groups, sadly — you generally would get one Sister and one…
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Chapter Six: The Oath
Most Virtuous Mother Joan broke away from a dancing clutch of older Sisters to greet them. …
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Chapter Seven: The Mysteries
The Mysteries were deep and ancient halls where the Ace burned, hidden in a reliquary. Their…
Follow the novel
New chapters, published in real time.
Oldie is being written now. New chapters are published here at jacobclifton.com/oldie as the story finds its shape — along with world notes, character pages, and dispatches from the midapocalypse.
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About the author
Jacob Clifton spent fourteen years as a flagship staff writer at Television Without Pity, reaching a million readers a week. He has written for Tor.com/Reactor, Vulture, BuzzFeed News, and the Austin Chronicle, and is the founder of A Rough Trade Writing School.
For content strategy and editorial work: Clifton Creative →
