by Caleb Smith
“The boy made a mistake. As part of his mission, he must locate what he let loose. My brother and I feel that if he had some tools of the heavens to help him, he would find himself successful – his training is still fresh.” Enoch explained.
“Yes,” Michael said again before falling back to thought. “We usually don’t grant weapons until the training is complete. The respect for such weapons could grow slack. We need to understand that the spiritual warrior is fully fledged and a staple in the light. While Noah Thomas is well on his way, I feel like he still lacks in mindful obedience.
“I do see what he is going up against and without anything to help aid his endeavors, to seek and trap, he could find himself in real trouble. Above all, two articles are for certain. His faith and heart reign supreme. These two qualities are most important for the path he, and few others, will find. If he holds strong to this, then the rest will eventually fall into place and complement his foundation. Until the evil hordes are either destroyed or locked in their rightful tablets, at this point it does not matter. Mid-Town will suffer, and without your presence, Noah is the town’s only hope. At this point in time, we will grant him the aid of a sword and protective necklace to accompany his guardian, Malek. The sword will be constructed by the fires of heaven. It is indestructible and will burn and slice to cosmic ash any demonic entity or energy that meets it. The blade will be like any other that is forged from heaven’s fire – alive as life itself, with visible flames throughout. We will have it constructed soon and sent to him.”
“A necklace for protection will also be provided,” Michael added. “The medallion in the chains center will be a flaming star – a pentagram, the symbol to identify that one works for the light and word of God. This upright pentagram forged by the light will keep all evil back. When spotted by foes, terror will riddle their cold bodies. This should act as a blinding light for all demonic entities that look in its direction. Those of more power can come into closer contact with it, though, so it is not completely enemy proof. But with these two items used in unison, the boy should be able to accomplish what he is setting out to do.”
“We thank you kindly. We also feel partly responsible for his situation. Shall we deliver these gifts to him?”
“The boy will find his implements when they are finished, and only right before he needs them. The sword will be on loan. You will collect it if and when the tasks at hand are complete. If the boy fails, it is up to you to remedy the situation in its entirety and return the sword to the Council. Is this understood?”
“Yes, General,” the twins replied with a singular voice.
“Good, then. All is in motion. You have much work to do, as do we. Circumstance is always of the essence and so we shall not waste another second of it. Use the porthole to go where you need. Good luck.”
“Thank you, great General and Council. We shall see you again in triumph. Until then, be well,” Enoch replied.
The twins stretched themselves forward into the living porthole in the center of the table. It sucked them in and took them back to the halls of the Akashic Records. They, too, needed to prep and set their plan in place. The twins’ crusade on earth’s surface would soon continue in the United Kingdom.
Chapter 39
Noah felt anxiety overtaking his body, and his mind sped like a race car. This was a big responsibility in his book, his largest to date. It was not just that he was scared; the boy was ready for the challenge because he believed in it. He was distraught because of the unknown fear. He had no idea what he was going up against, or of its origin or power.
Having briefly felt the force of the evil when it escaped from the tablet, he feared it immensely (and not just because it had blown him back and slammed him into his bedroom wall). He was worried that he lacked the strength it would take to capture this evil force.
Wendy had called earlier wanting to make amends. Noah accepted her apology and had offered his own. Her immediate reaction was to follow with the question of when he would be back to work. He explained in the kindest detail possible, that he was currently tied up with some things but that as soon as he had time, he would return. She didn’t like the response because it wasn’t her way, but she accepted his answer. Wendy didn’t come outright and say it, but Noah could tell by the tone of her voice that she was irritated, and he knew by now how her mind operated. She was a tomboy princess and fiery to the punch. She was also a Gemini, and this was her nature. He understood this.
After hanging up the phone, Noah went back to planning. He glanced at Keeper for guidance, but the cat provided nothing more than a couple of licks to his fingertips. He knew she would be there for support and would remain close to him through his trials. Somehow, he knew he needed her protection. He had no weapons to combat the dark forces, and his creative thoughts summoned holy water as an option. He quickly devised a plan to borrow some from the closest church in Mid-Town. Noah didn’t want to steal it, and his first thought was to ask a priest to bless a canteen that he brought. If this didn’t work, he would have to arm himself with weapons.
But he was hoping for a different outcome. He had once poked through the Bible and remembered some stories from his early years in Sunday School. He also thought about picking up a cheap machete at the garden supply store that he had spotted while accompanying his mother on a flower purchase. It was just fifteen dollars and came wrapped in hard plastic with a cardboard backer. What else could he use on this mission? He wasn’t sure, but this was a start.
Noah’s mother was still at work and would be having dinner with Earl, so he could come and go as he pleased with no penalty. He had a rough idea what time she would be home, and he tried to plan accordingly. After topping off his small gas tank, he hopped on his motorized bike, Keeper and canteen on board.
The ride was uneventful. Though he had not ridden to the church before, the two-mile journey was pleasant. He found himself winding and whizzing through the streets with Keeper in the front milk crate basket. Now early evening, he encountered moderate traffic as people rushed home for dinner.
Arriving at the church, Noah parked his bike behind the bushes to attract less attention. The old structure resembled something from a long-ago era, and the façade was steep with many stories, pointed sharply at the top. The bell tower was also magnificent.
The church was constructed of old stone blocks, chiseled perfectly, and the curvature in the molding design was precise and stamped to perfection. Noah was amazed and intrigued by the large oak doors that provided entry.
He urged Keeper to stay put in the basket and keep an eye on the bike. It took great force for him to open the large doors, but once he did, they swung wide for him. The interior was empty. There were a couple confessional booths set up between the large entrance way and the church’s nave.
There was a massive portrait of Christ on the cross, but Noah had no time to contemplate this. Time was fleeting. His city was being terrorized, and he could feel suffering. He brushed away any thoughts of faith and pushed past the confessionals and into the nave. Noah scanned the vast room and let his eyes fall on the altar and the seating before it. There must have been one hundred rows of pews, with two aisles running down either side.
Surely, the church could hold well over five hundred people. With no sign of anyone, he made a break for the altar. When he got to the front, he stood silently for a second, reflecting on the moment. Behind the altar was an elevated statue of Christ on the cross looking down upon him. The gravity of his situation struck him, and he silently asked the Lord to guide and protect him. He needed this.
Noah then moved into position to look over the contents in the bowl. Wafers only. Where was the holy water? Looking around, he saw no answer. Finally, the boy noticed that at the end of each aisle, near the rear exits were a series of bowls: two on the left and two on the right. They had been placed in little nooks, understandably missed at first. Noah pressed onward, hoping it was the holy water he so desired. He walked to the rear with a
hop in his step. Finally, he peered in to a bowl, and sure enough, it contained a clear liquid.
He unscrewed his canteen and poured the contents of one bowl into his container without spilling a drop. He was nervous and shaking while performing the task. But, once finished, he efficiently moved on to the next bowl and continued the process.
He had been listening for noise and, at the same time, trying to keep his wandering thoughts at bay. Noah swished his canteen around, but the water within told him he needed a lot more to bring it to a brim. He walked around to the other side of the aisle, feeling like a thief – a feeling that had been foreign to him until now. As he approached the next series of water dishes, however, he caught his foot on the carpet and stumbled forward. He lost balance, tapping the ceramic bowl against the wall, the noise of which prompted a call:
“Who’s out there?”
Noah froze and said nothing.
“Who’s there?”
It was coming from the booth. A priest opened the door and caught him red-handed. Noah’s heart sunk as the priest called him out on his actions.
“What on earth do you think you’re doing? Are you stealing holy water?”
Noah didn’t stop pouring, even though he froze. After a moment of silence, he admitted his wrongdoing.
“You’re pouring holy water into a canteen. You understand this water is not for drinking, don’t you, boy? What’s your name?”
The priest was tall and lanky with gray, parted hair and glasses.
“Yes, sir. I know it is not for drinking.”
The priest looked annoyed. “Then why are you pouring our sacred water in a canteen?”
Noah didn’t know what to say and hung his head. If he told the truth, the priest might have him committed. But, before he could reply with a lie, Keeper walked in between Noah and the priest. Her presence shocked both onlookers.
“Keeper, what are you doing? I told you to watch the bike.”
“Is this your cat? We don’t allow cats in the church, and we don’t take kindly to thieves attempting to steal sacred church property.”
Noah put the empty dish back and walked over in attempt to scoop the cat up, but as he did, the shining white feline transformed into an angelic figure whose light glared off the lenses of the priest’s glasses. A look of amazement covered his face. The angel took Noah by the hand and walked him over to the last dish (which happened to be full). His guardian picked up the bowl and poured its fill into the canteen as the priest stood by and watched in silent shock. No words could express his demeanor—he had spent a life of praying. To him, this was a real miracle occurring in his church. Noah was caught off guard himself. He was surprised to see Keeper in the church, and he certainly didn’t expect to see her angelic form! It gave him reassurance that he was indeed doing the right thing, even though it came across as wrong.
“Take all you want my boy. Bless you angel.” The priest was in a state of bliss; his prayers had finally been answered in the form of a boy’s guardian angel. If he only knew the importance of Noah and who he truly was, and what the holy water was for, he wouldn’t have needed confirmation from an angelic figure to expand his kindness and leniency.
Once the canteen was full, Keeper shrunk back to her catlike form and jumped up into Noah’s arms. She looked over to the priest and meowed. The priest just smiled. As Noah walked off, the holy man yelled, “Wait!”
Noah stopped and looked back.
“What will you do with the water, dear child?”
Noah pondered it as Keeper purred in his arm. “I will do His will,” he replied.
The priest happily acknowledged his answer, saying, “Bless you dear boy. Bless you.”
The words echoed in Noah’s mind as he exited the church. Noah was excited and nervous to make it back to his haven with what he come for. But first he needed to find a machete or a sling shot. With his most important item stuffed in his pocket, he began to head to the hardware store on his bike, but then he felt an uncanny need to get home quickly.
As soon as he got back to the house he could sense something was wrong. A police car was parked outside next to his mother’s.
“Oh great,” he muttered, wheeling his bike up the front steps and into the house. He closed the door and removed Keeper from the basket, once again leaning the bike against the hallway wall. He set the cat on the floor, and she stayed close by. A police officer and his mother were in the kitchen speaking quietly. Evelyn had her face buried in her hands at the table, and the cop was asking her questions as he leaned against the counter.
When Noah walked in the room, she looked up, and the expression on her face was one he had not seen before. There were red stains on her hands and arms and blood covered her clothes. He had thought the police might be there for him, but the blood stains proved otherwise. Evelyn jumped up out of her chair and began hugging her son frantically. She was shaking, and he could feel her fear.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said in a quivering voice.
“What’s wrong, Mom?” He was starting to panic.
“Earl’s been in an accident. He is in the hospital right now. He’s lost a lot of blood and is in critical condition.” She wept loudly, her damp face buried in his shoulder.
“Well, what happened?” He immediately thought Wendy might have been involved.
“He lost his arm,” she cried.
“What kind of accident?” Noah asked, separating himself from his distraught mother.
“He was attacked.” She replied. “By a bear.”
“He was attacked by a bear?” Noah said incredulously. They lived in a city. He didn’t think a bear attack was even possible here. “You were with him? Where were you guys?” Noah looked at the cop, who was paying attention to every word of their conversation.
“We went to get ice cream, and they came out of nowhere from the path in the woods.”
“They? Mom, you are not making any sense.”
She started crying again and then reached out and hugged and squeezed his slender body, knocking the glasses up on his nose and face. He gave up on quizzing her for the moment to give her the love and support that she was obviously craving. After a few moments, she calmed down, his tranquil energies playing a key role in calming her.
Noah gently asked again. “So, Earl was attacked by a bear and something else?”
She took a deep breath. “There were actually two bears and three men. Two of the men were riding on top of the bears as they came out of the woods.”
It sounded very bizarre even to his young ears and wild imagination. But he believed her.
“Well, who were the men? What did they look like?”
The policeman was still carefully taking notes.
“I had never seen them before. They were scary looking with wild eyes and patchy shaved heads. They could have been homeless – they were dressed in dirty, old clothes.”
“And two big black bears were with them? Walking with them like pets?”
“Yes, Noah. I don’t know what they were.” She said this with an edge. “They may have been trained, but the scariest thing was that the bears and the men were all covered in blood. And they were there to kill more. Earl saved my life.” And she started crying frantically again.
“OK, Mom; It’s OK. It’s over now. You’re safe.” Noah looked over to the cop who seemed as puzzled as he was feeling. The dispatch radio on the officer’s hip projected coded language. He was only able to make out bits and pieces.
“Have you guys been able to find anything?”
“The crime scene has been taped off, and we are investigating. Nothing has come through yet.”
Noah’s mind spiked as he hugged his mother. These were more than just bears and men. Something bigger was at play – something was invading the city, and he felt a knot growing in his stomach. He feared this might have something to do with the energies he had let loose from the tablet. He would have to do some investigating on his own. One thing was certain, if th
e individuals his mother had described were indeed that vicious, he would need a lot more than a canteen of holy water to combat them.
Chapter 40
The ride to the hospital was quiet. It took Evelyn some time to collect herself and regain the strength to move forward. Noah had not left her side since he had arrived home with the holy water which was still in his sweatshirt pocket. He was of great support and naturally in tune to her emotional needs. It was after dark, but she still wanted to go. Evelyn couldn’t stomach not knowing what was going to happen to Earl. She knew Earl had probably been taken to surgery immediately.
The police had brought her back to the crime scene to describe in painful detail what had occurred there. Earl had lost his right arm, but he had fought to stay alive despite the blood loss and damage to his arteries. The tourniquet Evelyn made in haste had helped buy Earl enough time for Josh to get him to the hospital.
Because Josh’s truck was all smashed up and missing the passenger side door, Josh had then gone to the Mexican restaurant to recover Earl’s vehicle before picking up Wendy. He also hadn’t wanted his younger sister to see the copious amounts of blood in his truck. She was always concerned about her dad’s well-being, and she would take this injury the hardest. There was no telling what kind of response she would have.
This was one of the reasons Noah was happy to accompany his mother to the hospital. He wanted to be there for Wendy, despite the minor differences they had recently had. Noah wanted to be there for her during this difficult time. She was his best friend, and if he couldn’t show his support, then what was the sense of their friendship? He felt for her. Noah couldn’t imagine this happening to his mother.
The only part he dreaded was Wendy’s unpredictability. He wasn’t sure what her reaction would be. The fact was, both parents were together out on a date, and he knew Wendy despised the idea of her father seeing anyone. She needed to know that her dad would always be there to help, support, and take care of her. She couldn’t let anyone get in the way of that. Noah knew she had abandonment issues.
