by Jacob Rundle
His mother heard the words, and she took a minute to process exactly what that meant. The silence was deafening for Henri, and if anyone else were there, they would’ve been extremely uncomfortable. Tears began to run down his mother’s face. Henri was confused because he didn’t know if she was crying because he had just ruined her image of his future, or if she was crying because she was embarrassed to have a gay son. He lowered his head; he was sorry he had said anything at all.
“No, don’t you lower your head, Henri. You never lower your head to anyone. Son, I will always love you.” His mother rose from her chair, and she grabbed her son. She held him firmly in her arms as a mother did when her child was in pain. Even in a time of anger, she believed that her son was, without a doubt, the most important person in her life.
“Mom, I am sorry that I skipped school today. I have so much going on in my mind these days, and the thought of sitting in class all day today wasn’t really settling to me.” Henri prayed that his mother accepted his excuse.
“I understand. However, you’re still grounded for skipping school. I am glad that you told me, Henri.” His mother kissed him on the forehead, and she sent him to his room.
While Henri made his way to his bedroom, he replayed the events of the day. Any normal teenager would have lost their mind had they learnt that they were able to astral project, see the future, or were part of a group of kids meant to bring about the apocalypse; they were almost killed by an alien being and were planning on finding a long-lost weapon for a goddess.
CHAPTER 25
8:45 P.M.
HENRI’S HOUSE
A female voice whispered throughout his room, “Henri, are you there?” Henri looked all around the room to see who was speaking to him. He thought that his mother had sneaked into his room to have a few more words with him, but on looking around he didn’t see anyone. He started to think that he was going crazy.
“Henri, it’s Etlina! Dork!” She chuckled.
“Why are you freaking out?” Henri blushed because he knew that Etlina could see through his eyes, and she was aware of how he was feeling. She knew what his thoughts were at the moment. Henri hated her telepathic ability.
“How much trouble are you in with your mom?”
“Well, my mom thought that I was on drugs. So, when I told her about being gay, she started to cry out of relief. Oh yeah, I am grounded again.”
“Well, you want to break out for a while?”
“How am I going to do that?”
“Like this.” Henri noticed a ball of energy appear in his room, forming into a dimensional rip.
“What the?” Although Henri was certain it was Etlina, he still had his defenses ready.
“This is how we are going to find the weapon of Kali. I am going to create a dimensional rip. Step through it, and you will see what I am talking about.”
Henri took a second to think about the consequences if he broke his mother’s rules again. He knew that if his mother found out that he had left the house that she’d kill him.
“Okay, I am coming.” Henri stepped through to the other side, and the next thing that he saw was Etlina standing with an older woman.
“You did it, Henri!” she screamed with excitement. Henri was wrong when he thought that using a dimensional portal would be the same as projecting. Henri arrived in Etlina’s apartment, feeling physically drained instead of mentally exhausted as he usually did after projecting.
“Did I just do that?” Henri’s excitement made him momentarily forget about the older woman in the room who had just seen him use a portal instead of their front door.
“Child, I realize that you are new to all of this, and it all can be very exciting, but you must maintain your composure. These are trying times, and your attention is required.” She had no issue putting Henri in his place while he saw Etlina laughing at him.
“I am sorry, but who are you?” he asked.
“I am Etlina’a Abuela. You may call me Abuelita.” She appeared a proud, strong-willed, loving woman. Henri was glad that he now could put a face to a name.
“Henri, she has been helping with the spell. This is mi abuelita. Remember the story I told you about at the café?”
“Oh, yes! I am so sorry, Abuelita. I mean no disrespect,” Henri assured Etlina’s grandmother.
“Oh, do not worry, child. Let’s get to work.” She took charge of the situation, and Henri saw where Etlina had learned her behavior.
“So, Henri, here is the plan. As you can see, I was able to shift you here because the spell picked up on your essence. Magic can’t create nor destroy matter, only change form. Mi abuelita taught me the founding principles; one that I will always have to remember.”
“Oh, Etlina, I have always known that you are meant for greatness, and I knew that your destiny was very, very special. And, now, we know what it is. You, a Destined One.”
“You know about the Destined?” Henri asked, looking at Etlina with stern eyes.
“Well, not exactly. I have heard tiny speculations about a few individuals who are meant to complete a task that ends all tasks. My connection to the old side is very strong, but the connection that the two of you possess is vastly different. I can feel that the entire spiritual world is in uproar.”
“How do you know that?” Henri wondered if she knew more than she told them.
“The fact that I could feel how a deity is terrified of something coming scared me. When Niña was little, she showed talents in mágica that I have never seen before in my life. I knew that her destiny was going to be enormous, and now I can see why.” Abuelita cried because she knew that she should have stayed with Etlina instead of leaving.
“Abuelita, don’t cry!” Etlina embraced her loving grandmother; the person who had raised her since she left home.
“Niña, listen to me. Every spirit, god, and demon is scared of what is coming. You need to be prepared.”
“And we will be.” Etlina kissed her abuelita on her forehead, and she returned to their mission.
“So, now I can create a dimensional portal to wherever the weapon is located.” Etlina was gathering the required materials when Henri got a chill along his back. He scanned the room for anything but nothing stood out.
“We are going to do this right now?” Henri asked.
“Yes, why not?”
“Because we need Siméon. The three of us need to be together.”
“Okay. Okay. Let’s get him.” She got herself into a ritual state of mind so that she could telepathically link Henri to Siméon.
“Talk to him.” Etlina held the line of communication open for Henri to reach Siméon. He reached Siméon, and they agreed to meet at Etlina’s apartment to initiate their search for Kali’s treasure.
“Etlina, that was amazing.”
“I know, right?” Etlina’s abuelita smirked at the children’s games.
Etlina smiled at Henri, and she uttered the sacred words needed to open another portal. Henri had never seen Etlina work this kind of magic. He had seen her call upon the winds, and he knew that she could perform a telepathic spell, but he had no idea that she had this kind of power. He noticed that she moved as though water in a river. Her motions were flawless and fluid. Henri noticed her abuelita had caught him watching her.
Suddenly, mysterious energy surrounded Etlina, and her eyes turned white. She waved her hands in the air, motioning for something to occur. In the pit of his stomach, Henri felt the shifting in the room, and the energies continued to rise. Henri sensed as though it was almost at its peak.
What Henri saw was nothing short of amazing when Etlina opened the portal. It appeared as though reality itself was folding in on itself, creating a literal hole in the center of the room. Henri tried to peek into the portal, but he could only see what appeared to be the deepness of space. It all reminded him of his time in the Dark Place, watching as the monsters devoured Metatron. A memory he wished that he could forget.
“Henri, please walk thro
ugh and grab Siméon. We must get this show on the road.” She motioned for Henri to walk through the portal, but he was hesitant about venturing through another portal so soon after the previous one. He saw Etlina and her abuelita stare at him, indicating that he needed to get moving.
Henri walked towards the portal until he felt someone following him. He stopped at the threshold of the portal to scan the room again. He then spotted Abuelita approaching him, and she pushed him through the portal. Etlina saw what had just transpired, and she rushed to see what her grandmother was doing.
“Abuelita! Que pasó?”
“Niña, listen to me! You aren’t going to like what is about to happen.” Abuelita saw the look of confusion on Etlina’s face.
“What do you mean?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Etlina saw a shadow reveal itself, and the shadow lunged at her. She instantly shifted focus, and she stopped the shadow in its footsteps. By the power of her mind, the shadow was frozen in place. The shadow tried to break free of her hold, but she maintained the shadow.
“Niña, you must go through the portal as well. Now!”
“No, Abuelita. I am not leaving you!”
“Do as I say. You can’t be here!” She took in the expression of her beautiful Niña.
Etlina hesitated because she felt that she had to keep the portal open and protect her abuelita. She saw that her abuelita was losing focus on the shadow. As Etlina rushed to her aid, she saw the shadow’s true form. The shadow was one of the creatures that she had fought earlier in the day at the church.
“How? I killed you!” Etlina was confused as to why the creature returned.
She was frozen and mortified at the resurgence of the creature. It still struggled to break free from Abuelita’s telekinetic hold, fighting its way against her power. The creature was able to release one of its arms, and it launched a blackened tentacle at Etlina. The tentacle sliced her upper arm, throwing her against a wall. She landed on her head, causing her to blackout.
Abuelita saw that her Niña was unconscious, and the creature was breaking free, so she called upon her ancestors and spirits for assistance against the creature. A celestial, silver-white light roared down from the skies and through the roof of the building, completely paralyzing the creature in its tracks. Abuelita ran over to her Niña, and she whispered a single word to wake her.
Awaken.
A second beam of light fell from the skies. It surrounded Etlina’s body, lifting her from the ground until she was completely suspended in the air. Abuelita looked over at the creature, and she gave it a warning.
“These kids will ultimately be your downfall!”
The creature broke free from her hold. It lunged at Abuelita, and its claws pierced her chest. The blood-curdling scream awakened Etlina. She helplessly watched the claws go deeper into her loved one. She tried to stand up, but she was hardly able to whisper let alone stand.
The moment that the creature dug its claws into her abuelita, Etlina felt a mental link form between them.
“Niña, this is how it is meant to be. You must be strong for yourself and the others. The road ahead of you will not be easy, and you all will see many horrible things. You must come together to fulfill your duties. Etlina, you have always had an inner power far greater than anyone I know.”
“I know, Abuelita. I remember the day that I realized it. The same day that you left me.” Etlina was crying uncontrollably.
“Mi hija, for your protection, I had to place barriers around your power, but now, I release them. I release you, mi amor. You can do this. There are things you don’t know about yourself. You will learn about them all in good time, though. Never forget who you are. Niña, show them your true power!”
Her abuelita began to fade into nothing until the only aspect left was her cosmic file. Her soul. The creature enjoyed the pain it was causing, and it proceeded to devour her remaining essence. It turned towards Etlina, and it made its way to the saddened and distraught girl.
She realized that she had lost the last person she had that loved her in the world. Her worst nightmare came to be. The words from her abuelita continued to sing in her head. A calm, cool breeze brushed past her, and an enormous weight lifted off her shoulders. Rage and anger filled every slot of Etlina’s being. She became the living embodiment of her rage.
She felt the presence of the Ancestors behind her, and she called forth every ancestral connection she could muster. Her eyes turned as dark as the darkest night, and she spoke in a tongue that no human would understand. The energy emanating from her aura caused her body to levitate, floating ten inches off the ground. The entire building and its foundations began to shake vigorously. Every window in the complex shattered into a million pieces, and she commanded the tiny shards of glass to surround her and the creature, boxing in her pray.
“It’s my turn to play the predator.” Etlina’s newer persona took over her mind and body.
The clouds rolled in from afar, and the winds roared and whirled around the building as if they were the center of a cyclone. Etlina called forth the ancestral drumming, causing the thunder and lightning of the gods to appear. There was no light visible for miles around the area.
“Since you enjoy causing pain, I am going to give some back to you,” Etlina recited sternly to the creature.
The creature continued to hold its ground against her power. It released its tentacles again, trying to pierce her body, but her aura was too powerful. The tentacles easily bounced off her energetic shield. She commanded its tentacles to be redirected into the hidden concrete of the building’s walls.
With a flick of her hand, she blew the roof off the apartment building, showing the creature Etlina’s true psychic potential. The clouds continued to grow darker as time passed. Lightning continued to strike every second, and the thunder’s vibrations imitated the force of a nuclear bomb. The rain fell with the force of tiny rocks, piercing the skin of the creature. The creature cried in pain and anger, and it thrashed in order to release itself from Etlina’s hold. The creature had nothing but its desire to kill Etlina and devour her essence.
“I want you to try, beast.”
Etlina decided that it was time to finish her abuelita’s murderer, so she released it from her grip. The beast recoiled its tentacles, and it leaped at Etlina with increasing fury. She gave the creature an ominous smile, and she again held the creature telekinetically. She focused her psionic control on every cell of its body, and she psychically commanded its cells to combust, forcing the beast to burst into flames, becoming a living torch.
The creature was blown back into the wall, releasing a screeching cry and making Etlina believe that it had summoned its brethren. Etlina called forth the power of the Earth’s lightning to strike down her enemy once more. The dark clouds opened themselves to release another bolt of lightning on her command. With another snap of her fingers, the clouds released a second bolt of lightning, the like of which the Earth had never seen in its existence. The bolt struck the building, making the apartment building a new, modern lightning rod. The bolt hit the creature, almost obliterating it in its entirety and the building along with it.
Etlina drifted slowly to the ground. She proceeded toward the now-wheezing creature. Her eyes continued to glow with the blackness of space, fueled by her rage as she replayed the events in her mind. Further along, Etlina saw the battle at the church. She felt all the pain the alien had caused across the different timelines. Somehow, Etlina was able to feel presences in multiple realities. She leaned over and touched the creature. She asked it one question before she killed it.
“Tell me, how did it go?” She placed her hand on it, smiled one last time, and then she commanded each remaining cell to turn to dust. The creature’s body instantly evaporated, leaving only a faint remembrance of its outline.
She stood in the wake of her victory, but she pondered about the loss that she had endured. She won the battle, but she didn’t know if she could do it again. The darkn
ess she embraced in order to win took her to a place she didn’t want to return to.
Her emotions were still erratic and unpredictable, and the storm outside mirrored the raging storm inside her. She commanded the elements to regain some stability. She looked out at the wreckage created by her anger.
Etlina gawked at the crumbling buildings; a sight of utter destruction lay in front of her. Her decision to avenge her abuelita had some huge repercussions.
“Did I do all of this?” The rumbling of her apartment building brought her back to reality, and she lowered her head in disappointment.
“Niña, it is okay.” The voice broke her concentration, and she thought that she recognized the voice.
“Abuelita?”
“Yes, mi hija.”
“Where are you?” Etlina’s wish to see her again clouded her thinking.
“Mi hija, I’m on the other side. Ya tú sabes.”
“Abuelita, look at this destruction. It’s horrible.”
“The world will spin on. It can all be rebuilt.”
The color of Etlina’s eyes returned to their normal hazel tone with the calming of her emotions. She couldn’t believe the damage that she had caused. She wanted to know the origin of the power, and she was terrified of its full potential.
“Niña, I told you that you are going to have to face things that terrify you. Find those weapons. Open that gateway with Henri.” With those words, Etlina felt her abuelita’s departure for the final time.
Etlina summoned the strength to call forth a portal to Siméon’s apartment. She sang the same ethereal tunes that she had done for Henri.
A moment later, a portal materialized effortlessly, leaving Etlina surprised at the boost in power she had received. Before she stepped through to the other side, she took a moment to take in the memories that she had shared with her abuelita in the apartment.
At that moment she realized that playtime was certainly over, and the three must begin walking their path.
