The April Manifest

About the Book

The train’s ghostly whistle howled in the cool, damp night. After several hours, the nerve-cutting screech of the cattle car’s wheels had left a sharp hum in Jacob’s ears. After more uncountable minutes that became hours, the train finally came to a halt. He could hear the sounds of doors slamming on their railings as they were opened. Many commands were being shouted, and the vicious barking of dogs echoed from outside the car. He could see lights through the slits of the confine. When the door to their car slid open, the same locking slam of it on its railings cut through him. The sounds from the outside became much clearer and coldly more frightening. He clutched his violin tightly and felt the rush of the crisp night air. For a moment, it cleared the stench of the confining car where they’d been locked into and hauled. An old woman asked the most poignant question that stuck out in his mind. “Where are we?” He didn’t know who answered her. “We are at death’s doors,” someone whispered.

About the Author

Chester Ray “Chet” Pointer was born February 8, 1960. After serving in the US Army from 1986–1989, he attended and graduated from St. Ambrose University (’93) in Davenport, Iowa, with a bachelor of science degree. When designated as a disabled veteran in 2010, he enrolled at Scott Community College in Davenport, through the VA, and graduated in 2012 with an associate in applied science degree in information technology.